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All Reviews > Hardware > Desktops

Desktops

With so many factors to consider, deciding which desktop PC to buy can be a real challenge. From components to software to accessories, new PCs offer a bewildering array of choices, and, for some people, sifting through the large number of options can be daunting.

At PC Advisor, we test new desktop PCs every week. What follows is the collective knowledge of our editors and Test Centre analysts.

Before you go out shopping for a new desktop computer, you have to decide what you want to use it for. We'll guide you through the options. From CPUs to RAM to optical storage, we'll break down the jargon - and tell you which specs are most important to your purchase. Want some advice before you head to the store or visit a website? Our recommendations will help you build a system that fits both your needs and your cheque book.

The Big Picture

Today, almost any PC on the market can more than adequately handle such standard office chores as word processing and spreadsheets, as well as basic internet functions such as email and general browsing. So for £500 or less, you can get a PC that will suit most people's needs.

If you're a more demanding user who wants to edit digital video or manage a large database, however, you may need more than the basics. You're better off looking at systems in the £750 to £1,000 range.

The best way to pay only for what you need is to carefully consider what you want to do with your system now and anticipate what might interest you next year. Specific applications call for certain types of hardware, whether at home or in the office.

Key Features

Processor: If you plan to use your PC for standard office productivity and basic internet tasks, most any processor will do. But if you want more power, an Intel Core 2 Duo chip or an Athlon 64 X2 processor is your best bet. Both are dual-core processors, which will allow for faster multitasking and speedier performance on certain kinds of graphics and video applications. To save a couple of hundred pounds, buy one or two levels down from the top - you're unlikely to lose more than 5 to 10 percent per tier in performance.

If you need top performance, choose a PC with a high-end Core 2 Duo chip or perhaps the Athlon 64 FX-62 processor. These CPUs are best for the most demanding applications, such as video editing or high-resolution game play. You can find some reasonably priced PCs with these chips, but to get the lower price you may have to sacrifice graphics performance, hard-drive size, and possibly monitor size (among other things).

If you want to future-proof your PC, keep an eye out for quad-core chips, which will work with multithreaded applications set to become available over the next couple of years. At the moment, however, quad-core chips are likely to cost more, but bring little tangible benefit.

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