Computers, Hardware

Top 5 Tips for Buying a Desktop PC

PC desktop

AMD or Intel, building VS buying pre-built, SSD or HDD, these are just some of the most frequently asked questions about buying a desktop PC. There are many decisions to be made, but we are here to help! Check out our guide for buying the best PC for your needs.

Before we begin, you must ask yourself: "What will I do on my computer?" - knowing your primary use for the machine will ultimately determine the components you will need, thus affecting the price and power of the PC.

5. AMD or Intel

CPU-s

Choosing the CPU can be very scary for some, but it is a very important decision. Here I will give you some suggestions depending on usage and price.

Video and Photo Editing:

If price is not a concern, the best option is the Intel® Core™ i7-5820K. It features 6 cores and an amazing 12 threads which will increase the rendering speeds dramatically. The CPU also features the base frequency of 3.3 GHz and the maximum turbo frequency of 3.6 GHz and has a TDP of just 140W, saving you from having to buy an expensive power supply. It retails for about $500.

Basic Use Like Editing Word Documents, Surfing the Web and Multimedia.

Here you can save a lot. Any CPU around the $60 will do the trick and I recommend the Intel Pentium G3240.

Gaming

Although, there is the traditional Intel i7 route that everybody knows about, here I will suggest an AMD CPU. Why? Because of the price, which will save you money to buy a better GPU. Just go for a FX 8350, it has 8 cores, it is fast and has proven to be very reliable, and you just cannot beat it for the price! It retails for about $200.

4. Don’t Skimp out on RAM!

RAM memory

This is an important one, although RAM is easy to upgrade, save yourself some time and hassle with a single 8GB stick of Kingston Fury 1866 MHz memory. It also looks and works great and there are multiple colors to choose from to perfectly fit your rig. These modules usually cost about $80.

3. Graphics Card or Not?

GPU card

Not buying a GPU can save you a lot of money, but be careful, only do this if you do not plan to do much more that surf the web, do some multimedia and word processing. And for you gamers I have a few suggestions.

For AMD fans the de-facto best buy card at the moment is the R9 380. Costing about $250, this thing delivers, with its 4GB of memory and fast core clock this GPU can run all games at 1080p at about 60FPS, which is what every true gamer needs.

And for all of you Nvidia lovers, you just cannot go wrong with the ASUS STRIX GTX 970. This GPU can be totally silent when not under heavy load and can run all games at ultra-settings. The only downside with NVidia has always been the price. Some say it is fair because of the quality, and while I agree on the quality side of thigs, there is still room for lowering the price. This card currently retails for about $400.

2. The Monitor Is Important!

Monitors

The thing you will be looking at for long periods of time should be of some quality. The best cheap option here is the LG 22MP47D-P IPS monitor. With the now standard 1080p resolution and an IPS panel it will provide a great experience for work and play. The price of this model is currently around $150.The most Important thing here is to always go for an IPS panel monitor, if it is not IPS do not even bother to look at it, no matter how cheap and great the salesman says it is.

1. Don’t Be Cheap!

While this one is not related to a specific product it might just be the most important thing on this list. What do I mean by not being cheap?

Well it simply means that buying that $5-10 cheaper PSU or that $20 cheaper CPU is just not a good idea. Going down a price bracket is just fine, do not get me wrong, but saving small amount of money to get cheaper parts like the power supply and/or case or even graphics card can seriously hurt your computer's performance. Always buy quality parts, do not cheap out.

PC gamer

In the end, for a good PC, you will need somewhere from $500-1500, depending on your needs. Just follow this little guide and you will have no problems. Have a nice day!

If you have any questions, please ask below!