Maybe you saw an ad in the local paper. A big electronics store was selling a certain model of PC at rock bottom prices. Now’s the time to get one, you figure. Why put it off any longer, particularly when they’re so cheap?
To save you some heartache later, let’s take a close look at that cheap PC, and see what kind of bargain you’re getting.
Usually, these computers will come with a good, low cost processor, like a Celeron, or a Sempron. This will be a selling point, mentioned prominently in the ad. You really can’t go wrong with either of these, and the seller knows this.
Where the manufacturer cuts costs, providing retailers with such “bargains”, is to lower the quality on parts you usually don’t ask about. Like the power supply. Answer me this: do you know how much wattage the power supply in your current machine produces? Most folks don’t, so manufacturers don’t mind using PSU’s that barely put out enough juice to get the job done. This is a real problem if you want to do an upgrade later, but your power supply can’t handle the additional draw.
Another shortfall often comes in the amount of RAM. If they’re selling Vista systems, you can bet they’ll have only the minimum 512MB. This is still substantial, so perhaps I shouldn’t quibble. But I believe in having all the RAM a system can handle. RAM means speed.
Also consider the graphics card, if it has one. Some of these PC’s come out with video on the motherboard. That can mean as little as 32MB dedicated to graphics. It’ll run Home Basic Vista, but see how good your games play. If you want to run a really demanding game, you’re in for disappointment.
So, when do you buy a cheap PC? Some of these do make good “internet and homework” computers. They’ll never be racehorses, so don’t take’em to the Kentucky Derby. Just check to make sure you’re getting good overall quality, with a sufficient power supply, RAM, and graphics card, to do the job you want.
Michael Quarles is the author of the book "Building a PC for Beginners". His website is http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com
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