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How Do I Choose the Best Home Desktop Computer?

Daphne Mallory
Daphne Mallory

A home desktop computer can be an investment for a home based business, or it can be used for personal computing and storing important data such as photos and videos at home. It allows users to have Internet access, and serves as one of the main forms of entertainment in many homes. Choosing a home desktop computer is often a difficult task, because there are so many options and variables available to select from. Buyers usually intend to keep a home desktop computer for several years, so durability is often as important as the many features that a PC offers.

The best home desktop computer should have enough storage memory to serve the user’s needs. If the buyer takes many family photos and home movies, and has a large collection of MP3s and digital videos, a high amount of memory is necessary. Many desktop computers come equipped with a minimum of 500 GB of memory, which may not be sufficient if the buyer wants to store a wide collection of music and other digital media. Memory can sometimes be upgraded in a PC, although an easier option is to purchase an external hard drive.

Before making a purchase, make sure that a computer's technology is up to date.
Before making a purchase, make sure that a computer's technology is up to date.

A home desktop computer should have enough RAM to support the applications and programs the user has. A higher amount of RAM is necessary in order to edit videos, run sophisticated video games and carry out other tasks. Computers often come with 2 GB, 4 GB, 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM, and users have the option to upgrade this if they want to.

The graphics card is an often overlooked component in a home desktop computer. A more sophisticated graphics card can allow the user to run a larger and more powerful monitor, stream movies, play games and run multiple applications at once. A computer can be upgraded to run a more powerful graphics card after it’s purchased, but a new internal power supply is often required for the computer to be able to run the new card.

Installing additional RAM may help increase computer speed.
Installing additional RAM may help increase computer speed.

Since a home desktop computer is often used for entertainment purposes, it should come equipped with the ability to play the latest types of digital media. Buyers often look for a computer that can run CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs, and the ability to write CDs and DVDs for media storage is often important as well. The best home desktop computer should also come with sufficient USB ports for attaching cameras, video cameras and other peripherals for uploading personal pictures to it.

Discussion Comments

Terrificli

@Markerrag -- There are still some applications that really call for a good desktop computer. For one thing, it is important to point out that you can build a very powerful desktop system for much less than a comparable laptop.

If you want a good gaming system, for example, you can get a gaming laptop that costs a ton of cash or simply put a good, high end graphics card in your desktop system. That graphics card won't be cheap, but you will probably save money compared to what you'd spend on a gaming laptop.

And here's something else. The biggest hard drives and fastest CPUs are exclusively for desktop systems. If you need the most horsepower you can get and a hard drive that is ridiculously large, there is only one choice when it comes to what computer to buy.

That's not to say that most people can't get buy with a laptop (they probably can). But I am saying that the day of the desktop computer isn't quite finished.

Markerrag

A lot of people are choosing not to get a desktop computer at all. Laptop computers are a great alternative because they are often as powerful as desktops and are more flexible because they are portable.

If you want to use a bigger monitor, mouse or other peripherals on it, simply change your power settings so the computer keeps running when the lid is closed and then use your USB and other connectors to attach whatever you need.

Remember back when you could choose either portability or power? You don't have to make that choice any more. You can have both with a decent laptop.

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    • Before making a purchase, make sure that a computer's technology is up to date.
      By: Dmitriy Melnikov
      Before making a purchase, make sure that a computer's technology is up to date.
    • Installing additional RAM may help increase computer speed.
      By: vinsen
      Installing additional RAM may help increase computer speed.
    • A home desktop computer needs enough memory (RAM) to support the user's programs.
      By: Oleksiy Mark
      A home desktop computer needs enough memory (RAM) to support the user's programs.
    • A good home desktop computer should have a keyboard that is comfortable to use.
      By: Alexey Laputin
      A good home desktop computer should have a keyboard that is comfortable to use.
    • A home desktop computer should have a large enough hard drive for its intended use.
      By: merydolla
      A home desktop computer should have a large enough hard drive for its intended use.