Decided on the computer usage

Once you have determined what you will be using the computer for, the next question for you is, how much can I afford for a home computer? If you are looking for a high-end system, say an Athlon XP 3000 or a Pentium 4. Expect to pay around $1000, which is around £600 if you are in the UK.

For the above price you are likely to get some software thrown in and a decent monitor also. You will often see systems being advertised for a lot less than this, however there is always a good reason for this. I will discuss why computer systems can be a lot cheaper later on in the guide. Remember you get what you pay for; this applies to almost everything in today’s world.

Personally if I were buying a computer for the first time, I would look at the best system available for my budget and base my decisions around reviews and guides. I wouldn’t cut any corners on the main desktop unit, for example the processor, motherboard memory, disk space etc.

If your budget is tight don’t get a printer or a certain software package right off the bat, this will be worth the small sacrifice in the long run. You don’t need the hassle of running out of disk space or not having enough memory to run a new printer or software package because you decide to get a tiny hard drive because something was thrown in to cut the price down.

Next page

Low cost buying guides

Choosing cheap computer systems
Choosing cheap computer cases
Check out cheap hard drives
Buying the right cheap used computer
Choosing cheap computer monitors
Buying cheap computer memory guide
Choosing the best cheap flat panel monitors
Check out my cheapest laptop reviews here
Choosing cheap computers
Cheap computer parts guide
Choosing cheap scanners
Cheap laptops
Cheap computer books
Cheap computer desks guide