Desktop Computers

Welcome to the Computers page, this is our guide to buying a computer online and includes desktop computers and tower computers.

Buying a computer online can be a difficult task as there is so much to choose from, on this page we will explain what to look for when buying a computer. The good thing is that the price of computers has come down allot recently, there are lots of cheap deals around that offer computers for a few hundred pounds and also have good specifications. There are two main types of desktop computer, there are the ones that sit on your desk and are horizontally laid out and the tower models, these are vertically laid out and are designed to stand on the floor under your desk. The tower models are good as they save space, most modern computers have an LCD monitor so having a tower means that you will save space on your working area as the LCD monitors are very thin and do not take up much space.

There are several things to look for when buying a computer online, the main thing to look for is the specification when basically describes the different aspects of the computers performance. There are a few different things to look for here, the first is the processor speed. The processor (or CPU - Central Processing Unit) is the brain of the computer and the number stated when describing the CPU is how fast the CPU can work, the higher the number stated the faster the computer will be. The speed if the CPU is written like 2.4Ghz, the Ghz means Gigahertz and is the way processor speed is measured. Old computers used to be measured in megahertz but once the speeds went over 1000 megahertz they switched to gigahertz (1 gigahertz = 1000 megahertz) for simplicity, CPU speeds increase so much that stating them in megahertz would just be to complex.

The other main thing to look for when buying a computer online is the memory, the memory dictates how much work a computer can handle at any one time. This is beaus the memory holds all of the information that the computer is using at any one time so the more you have the more your computer can do. So the more memory you can get the better, sometimes you see computers that have a fast CPU speed but because they have a small amount of memory the CPU will still struggle and will not be as fast as a computer with a slower CPU but more memory, as the computer with more memory will be able to handle more information. The amount of memory that a computer has is stated like 512MB, MB means megabytes and is the way memory is measured. You can also get gigabytes of memory but these are not common for home use, as with the CPU's one gigabyte is equal to 1000 megabytes.  We recommend that memory should be your first consideration when buying a computer, 256MB computers are common but there are also lots of 512MB models which offer twice the memory capacity and in our opinion are much better, if getting a 512MB computer means you have a slightly slower CPU it will be well worth it as your computer will run much more smoothly.

Another important part of the computer is the hard drive, this is the internal disc that stores the information for your computer. A hard disc is different to memory as it stores the information permanently until you delete it, information in the computers memory is only present when the computer is turned on. When you install any software or computer game it takes up room on your hard drive so having a large one is a good idea, some software and modern games take up huge amounts of space. Space is also taken up by any files that you save on your computer such as MP3's or other documents, these are quite small though so are not as much of a concern. The size of the hard drive inside a computer is always stated like 30GB, the GB stands for gigabytes in the same was as the memory is measured. Basically the bigger you can get the better with hard drives, if you are planning on installing allot of software then pay particular attention to the hard drive as you will need the space.

The next thing to consider is the display, this comprises of the monitor and the graphics card. The graphics card is the piece of hardware that produces the graphics on the screen, all graphics cards produce good 2D graphics for general Windows XP use. It's the 3D performance that makes the big difference, if you are wanting to play the latest games then you will need a good graphics card included that has plenty of dedicated memory on the actual graphics card. This is stated in megabytes just like the main computer memory, graphics cards do not need as much though as they are for the one single task, producing graphics. 32MB is the least you should get if you are going to be playing games but a 64MB or 128MB card will produce much nicer results, it depends on how important gaming is to your computing.

The other part of the display is the monitor, the monitor is the screen that you use when using your computer. The most popular monitor these days are are the LCD monitors, LCD monitors are very thin so save space and generally look allot better than the old bulky monitors. LCD monitors also use much less power than the old monitors so will save you money, the main reason for getting one though is that they just look so much better and save space.

The next thing to think about is what Internet connection you want to use, do you want to use broadband or a dial-up connection? You could even go with a home network, this is where all of your computers are connected and you will need a router and adaptors for each computer, you will then be able to share the broadband Internet connection between all of your computers. If you have a broadband connection and want it for just one computer then you will probably get a modem with the broadband connection, if not then you will have to buy a broadband modem separately. If you want to use a dial-up connection then you will need a standard 56K modem included with your computer, most computers have a modem built in for this but it's worth checking. If you are unsure of which Internet connection to go for then broadband is much better, it costs a few pounds a month more but it is allot faster with speeds generally being 10-20 times faster than dial-up so it's well worth the extra few pounds.

The last things to look for is the peripherals that come with the computer, a mouse and keyboard are essential for computer use but there are many different types. There are computers that come with nice wireless mice and keyboards which look cool and are easier to use, there are also computers that come with basic mice and keyboards that may not last very long (there are also computers that don't come with a mouse or keyboard!). Other peripherals include items like a printer and scanner, these are nice if they are included but are not that important as you can buy them cheaply anyway.

So there are allot of things to consider, our advice is to look at the memory first and then the processor and hard drive. These are the main things that determine the speed and capability of your computer, the other features depend on your individual circumstances and what you want to do with your computer. The good thing is that computers are getting allot cheaper, most of the shops offer cheap packages and also run cheap special offers so having a good shop around is a good idea, you may well see a cheap special offer on a computer that is well suited to your needs.

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