How do I decide the best computer?

Question

I am trying to buy a computer but my limitation is money but I need something quite current without having to spend more than 500 dollars? Please advice me.Thanks

Answer 1

Currently Dell is having a sale and you can get a decent computer for under 500 dollars. As long as you're not looking for some super-duper gaming/high performance PC, that might be a good choice. Another cheap, but well regarded brand is HP. You can customize the computer on both websites (dell.com , hp.com). If you're able to do it, you could build your own PC, which sometimes is cheaper than buying a prebuilt one. I would recommend Newegg.com for parts if you want to build your own.

A few things to keep in mind...
1) Desktops are cheaper than laptops
2) Generally speaking, PC's are cheaper than Mac's
3) The processor and the RAM are what make the computer faster. If you aren't too worried about the speed of the computer, there's no point paying $100 extra for a Pentium D or something similar. Celeron will do the job. For the RAM, 256 mb is sufficient for most people.
4) If you're planning to store large amounts of music and/or video on the computer, you will need a larger hard drive. Nowadays most computers don't come with less than 40 gb, but it's not too expensive to get 80 gigs or even more.

Here's a link to a Dell PC that you can customize, but it's already pretty good for the price... just under $500
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DB110C&s=dhs

And an HP you can customize (this is a little faster than the Dell if you're looking for more speed, but you should not just limit yourself to these two PC's, check out others on their website and customize them. This one's base price is a little cheaper than the Dell because there's no monitor included here...)
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_series.do?series_name=a1520y_series&catLevel=3&category=desktops/hp_pavilion/a1500_series&storeName=computer_store

Answer 2

As far as brand I think it is pretty much personal preference and best deal. I have used all of them and they all have positives and negatives. Realize that in production of so many laptops there will always be some lemons ( in other words I would recommend getting a warranty with it). I personally have found that I have gotten great deals from HP (as far as amount of memory, hard drive space, and overall capability of the computer). What I would recommend is going to a Circuit City or Best Buy style store and actually playing with the laptop...try typing, try the mouse (touch pad), etc. and make sure you like how the computer works. Then, look at the specs and choose the best deal. Good Luck...

Answer 3

Don't get suckered into Emachines, HP, basic Dell, etc. all the cheap computers they sell for dirt cheap prices. You get what you pay for and they still make profit off a low sale price. So that means they use cheap stuff to create the PC and sell it so low.

Would you buy a 2006 Cadillac going for $500? Doesn't seem right does it?

If you want something current and not go over your $500 limit, your best bet is to purchase the components and build it yourself. Building PCs is the cheapest way to own a good PC.

Answer 4

The best choice is to buy a HP or a Compaq computer. There is a wide range of computers. You can get a computer with the latest processor and the chipset for around 500. I own a HP computer. The support is great. I recommend HP for the kind of support they provide.

Answer 5

$500 is a little tight unless you have a monitor already - if you or anyone you know has experience building PCs, getting ahold of the necessary components, building the system, and getting your OS installed and running properly could save you some serious money.

If you ask me, I'd stay away from name brands if possible - simply because they often use exceptionally cheap, non-standard parts which makes their systems difficult to repair (if need be).

try http://www.newegg.com - they're an excellent company where you could probably at least find some answers if not a system you like.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Keep saving until you can afford one that will help you.