This guide will provide you with some background information into what's involved when purchasing your first personal computer. I will explain what you need to do and know to avoid being sold a system equipped with high end specifications you may not need. I will also explain the differences between buying refurbished and new personal computers. I also explain basics of computer warranties and why you should look into purchasing an extended warranty with a manufacturer.

Introductions And Overviews

There are several things you should know before you go out and purchase any type of personal computer. After all, computers are big expensive boxes of metal. If you don't understand the basics you could end up with a system that's not what you wanted. Whether you choose to upgrade an existing machine or you purchase an entirely new system bundled with a monitor, printer, and other accessories, you will need to understand a few basic concepts associated with the pricing of personal computer technology.

First, computers are a lot like cars in that they depreciate in value the moment you take it out of the box. You should aim at spending anywhere between $600 and $1000 on an above average PC. Other users feel it best to build systems equipped with used parts. I personally don't like buying any system that's classified as refurbished or used. Why? Well to start off with you're not even 50% guaranteed that the part you get will work in a system properly. Secondly, buying used parts does not guarentee you to any type of warranty whatsoever which basically means you are on your own to replace the particular device in the event of a malfunction. Purchasing an entirely new system from a manufacturer guarentees you a warranty for a duration specified by the particular company. You will also get a good feeling knowing that if the part you bought is defective or malfunctioning, that you'll get a refund or at least a working replacement. You should be aware the most fly-by-night computer stores will take advantage of people, and build systems equipped with used parts and sell them as new. These style of parts could also be referred to as stolen products. Some small computer repair shops often purchase computer mechandise, systems, and peripherals off the back of trucks and resell the parts making it look like the parts are genuine, often discarding the rest of the components that they have no use for.

General Things To Know

1. Always ensure that the product your thinking about buying comes with a good warranty and technical support lines where you get answers to the common questions you may have in case problems arise. The best companies to purchase systems and components from are the ones that offer leading edge customer service and support.

What Do You Need The Computer To Do?

As stated in the opening page of this article, purchasing your first personal computer can be a fairly daunting task if you're not equipped with the proper background knowledge and know how about what is required when making purchase decisions. If not educated properly you may find yourself trapped into a corner by a pushy computer salesman who wants you to shell out extra money for a high end system when in fact you may only need the computer to complete basic tasks such as online banking or purchasing merchandise through an e-commerce enabled webstore. Whatever you need the computer to do, it's up to you to decide what you want the computer to do. Answering this basic question will save you money when you are ready to make a purchase.

Laptops VS. Desktops

    You'll also want to think about whether portability is something you need. Laptop computers offer a high level of portability, but this freedom comes at a price. Although desktop computers are cheaper they are big and bulky, and you can't exactly take it with you on your next business trip or vacation. You'll need to decide wether portability is something you need out of your system.

Build Or Buy?

If you are technically sound enough to build your own computer, chances are you know that it costs more to build a system than it does to purchase a pre-ready machine. The benefit to building your own machine though is you choose what parts go into the machine, and what parts don't. So the customizable options you have when building a computer depend solely on what technologies exist. However, building your own PC requires a large investment in time, money, and patience. You need to have a solid understanding of PC architecture, and become familar with the nuts and bolts of putting an entire system together completely from scratch.

Although most manufacturers such as Dell, IBM, and Gateway offer a method for customizing a machine based on the specifications required by the end-user, these machines are mass produced built with generic parts and according to the manufacturer's specifications. These systems may not include all the bells and whistles that power users who build their own machines would need.

 Although building your own system is a far more expensive undertaking than purchasing a refurbished or new system you do have the ability to customize the system to your hearts content. Add as much or as little RAM and hard drive space as you require, choose the exact model of CPU and mainboard for your system, and choose the kinds of video, sound, and other additional expansion boards to further customize your entire setup.

New Or Refurbished?

New systems are pre-built fully loaded personal computers with specifications outlined by the manufacturer and are marketed by major computer manufacturers such as IBM, MDG, and Dell. These systems are typically fully loaded Pentium IV based personal computers and are normally equipped with large amounts of RAM, hard drive space, and adequate video and sound cards. These systems are normally built network ready and have capabilities to connect to dialup and broadband Internet Service Proiders. These systems also come complete with other brand new peripheral devices including an LCD monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers.

Additionally, you would normally get the the most recent version of Windows pre-installed at the manufactuer's factory, as well as receive an original CD-ROM indicating you are a registered owner of the version of Windows that has been installed in the system, entitling you to free security updates from Microsoft. Being a registered owner of a particular Windows operating system such as Windows XP will legally permit you to update your system with the latest security patches when you get the system home.

The benefit of purchasing a new system direct from a manufacturer is knowing that the computer you are purchasing is equipped with brand new components and you typically have a warranty period that lasts much longer than the warranties included with refurbished systems.

A refurbished PC means that you are buying a used system that may contain used components. Although these components would have been vigorusly tested by the computer dealer before the actual components are assembled into a system these components are considered used parts and typically do not include any type of warranty direct from the manufacturer.

Additionally, when you purchase a refurbished setup you will more than likely not get adequate phone and home based technical support that you would when purchasing a brand new system. Keep this in mind if you feel that you are going to need some kind of in-home service if something goes wrong with your system and you are unable to take the system to a technician to get the problem fixed. Paying extra money for an extended warranty will give you piece of mind if something goes wrong with the system as a computer technician for the appropriate company can be dispatched to your home to resolve the problem.

In addtion to the points noted above, buying a refurbished PC is a more difficult and questionable task because these computers contain used parts and depending on the ethical nature of the computer manufacturer or store you are dealing with chances are you may not be aware of the true parts they put into systems. You could end up paying for a Celeron based system when in fact you order a true Pentium IV based system. Or, the dealer could simply mis-represent the kind of RAM or hard drive that's in the system to save money. You do need to be careful when purchasing a refurbished system to ensure that the parts you want are being used to put the system together.

I recommend that you have the computer dealer give you a printout of the specifications included in the machine, before you actually commit to purchasing so that you can avoid potential problems in the long run. There are a variety of software applications that will allow you to obtain detailed specifications of a particular machine. All you need to do is ask the computer dealer to complete this task and provide a print-out to ensure you know what parts are being used in the refurbished.

One final point about purchasing a refurbished PC is that you can probably purchase a brand new fully equipped Pentium IV desktop computer for less than $700, so it really doesn't make much sense to get a refurbished system.

Key Terms And Definitons:

So that now you have an understanding of what you want from a PC, you find the key terms and phrases outlined on this page helpful when deciphering all that technical jargon your computer salesman throws out at you.

AGP

• AGP (Accellerated Graphcs Port) is a type of video card connection technology. This technology is older technology but still a very popular format for connecting a computer's display system.
  
• The speed of this interface can either be AGP1X, AGP2X, AGP4X, or AGP8X with the last of the four being the fastest and latest technological standard.
  
• The first two AGP standards can be considered obsolete yet still highly effective in systems built from scratch
  

Composite Video Out     

• Composite video out is a type of connection for display computer output on a television set.

Expansion Card     

• An expansion card is simply an electronic circuit board that plugs into fitting sockets on a motherboard.
  
• Expansion cards do just what their name implies: they do neat things.
  
• An expansion card can play music, output video to a monitor, capture live video from a digital camera, and connect to networks such as the Internet.
  

Motherboard

• Perhaps the most important part of a PC. The motherboard (aka mainboard) is the central nervous system of a computer.
  
• Basically it’s the motherboard that determines what you can do with a computer.
• The mainboard in a computer controls everything from number crunching to accessing a floppy or hard disk drive.
  
• The motherboard determines the kind of CPU and memory that can be put into the system.
  

PCI-E

• PCI-E (Peripherial Component Interconnect Express) is the latest video card technology and best suited for systems equipped with dual video cards.
  
• PCI-E is considerably faster than its predecessor, the AGP interface.
  

S-Video Out     

• S-Video out is a type of connection for displaying computer output on a television set.
  
• S-Video connections offer a higher quality connection to a television set and results in a much clearer picture.

TV-Out     

• The term TV-Out refers to a video card that has a capability for displaying video simultaneously on a computer monitor and television set.
  

Video Card     

• A video card, also known as video display adapter or graphics processing unit is responsible for displaying image on a screen.
  
• There are several key components that make up a video card including the amount of video memory equipped on a particular card.
  
• A good video card contains at least 64MB (megabytes) and usually has support for TV-Out, for viewing information on your television via Composite or S-Video Connection.
  
• Other bells and whistles exist on some cards, but if all you need a computer for office style work or general Web browsing, then a video card with 32MB of memory should be sufficient.
  

Identifying Your Needs

You will need to answer some general questions yourself before shopping and making a purchase for a new computer.

1. What do you need a computer for?

If all you need from a computer is basic web browsing and Internet functions such as online banking and visiting e-commerce enabled websites then your best off to purchase an entry level system or one that has good enough specifications to complete non multimedia intensive tasks. If you want the PC for playing video games or encoding digital movies then you'll want to step up your budget a fair bit and get a system loaded with high end components.

2. How much are you looking to spend on a PC?

Setting yourself a budget will help you decide on a type of system to purchase. An entry level system typically costs anywhere between $400 and $600; a high performance machine suitable for gaming will run you anywhere betwen $700 and $1500.

3. Is portability something you need?

If you are looking to buy a computer that can be taken with you on vacations or business trips, you'll need to purchase a laptop also referred to as a notebook PC. Bear in mind though that portability comes at a much higher price because the cost to produce notebook PCs is far greater than desktop PCs. The components required to put together a working notebook computer are far more expensive than desktop peripherals and if something goes wrong with a notebook PC and your warranty expires you'll be on your own to find assistance in resolving problems.

CHOOSING A SYSTEM TYPE

As stated earlier in this article, it is vital that you know what you need from a computer before making any purchasing decisions. This section will introduce you to the different types of computer systems that manufacturers make available to their customers:

( A ) OFFICE / SMALL BUSINESS STARTER SYSTEMS

* Typical desktop tower as in a budget PC.     

* A small business / office computer is best suited for people that need a way to manage their small business and complete general office work such as writing letters and sending out invoices via electronic mail.

* These types of systems have limited computing power and include very low amounts of memory in addition to smaller hard drives, and slower central processing units to bring the overall cost of the system down.

* Like most systems described in this article, office systems have Internet capabilities so that you can browse the World Wide Web and check e-mail accounts.

* These types of PC's are considered entry-level systems and are not suitable for users requring a high level of performance in their computing tasks.

( B ) INTERNET / EMAIL STARTER SYSTEMS

* An Internet E-mail starter system typically has the same specifications as an office or small business machine described in the previous section.

* These systems are low cost, middle-of-the-line systems that have limited computing power and best described as an entry level system.

* If you are looking for a lower end machine that can complete standard office type work and Internet functions such as browsing the Web and sending/receiving e-mail, then you'll more than likely benefit from accepting the default mainboard that would be included with your system purchase.

* Typically your local computer shop wil give you the option of adding a more expensive kind of mainboard, but bear in mind that adding a better mainboard, will increase the total cost of the system.

( C ) GAMING SYSTEMS

If you need a system that's best for playing the latest 3D based video games you'll want to purchase a high end machine equipped with the fastest processor you can afford, tons of memory, and an extremely high-end video card supporting the latest standards.

* As for the CPU in a gaming machine, don't cut yourself short by purchasing a system equipped with a Celeron processor.

* The Celeron is fine for an office or Internet only machine and will work adequately in a gaming machine, however, for increased performance you will want to choose a true Pentium IV CPU as these processors include twice the amount of primary and secondary cache memory than what is included on a Celeron.

* Again remember that the faster the CPU can think the faster games can be run.

* One final note about choosing a procesor in a gaming machine is that some people often choose an AMD based Athlon or Duron processor because they are cheaper to implement into a system.

* AMD processors are well equipped to handle the latest 3D games.

* If you are going to be a heavy duty gamer then you will want to choose a video card that supports the lastest video card standard. The lastest standard is referred to as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-E).

* Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is the cheaper alternative to PCI-Express video cards. The third generation of AGP is referred to as AGP 8X. Older standards include AGP 4X, AGP 2X, and the oldest AGP 1X with each geneartion increasing the speed at which it can transfer data. Obviously one generation improves over the other so if you want your system to keep up with the latest specification, then choose a video card that supports AGP 8X. You also need a mainboard that supports the standard.

Bottom line is if you are looking for a machine strictly to play video games with and not worried about doing any other tasks, ensure you get the fastest Pentium IV based system that you can afford. Bear in mind that the CPU probably accounts for half the cost of the entire system, but the investment is well worth it in the long run.

BUILDING A GAMING PC

Okay so you've got the dedication, motivation, and cash to build a Gaming PC. Gaming computers require very hi-end equipment as the last thing you should want to deal with during game play is bottlenecks.

The better the PC game, the faster the system must run. Of course you’ll be able to run Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and RIOT on a obsolete 386 PC, it’s simply impossible to run the latest version on Quake on the same machine.

In addition to picking the best components for the machine, you'll also need to understand the best Windows operating system for playing games. Believe it or not the older Windows 98 system that Microsoft doesn't provide support for is better at handling games than it's predecessors Windows ME, 2000, and even XP.

The only drawback in one system that I built in the past running Windows 98 was it could have been faster if I put in a true Pentium IV based processor. Because I was on a small budget, I was forced to build a 1.7 Ghz Celeron based computer. Although a Celeron processor is adequate for gaming power users require an extra bit of juice during gameplay will need a true Pentium IV processor.

Choosing a Processor Type

Choosing the processor to put into a gaming machine requires a fair bit of attention. A Pentium IV processor running at a 2.4 GHz clock speed is lot faster than a Celeron processor running at the same speed. In addition to the clockspeed true Pentium IV based processors have double the amount of cache memory than its counterpart. Cache memory is short term memory storage for a processor to store data while it's completing instructions and number crunching. The more cache memory in a processor chip itself, the more data the processor can work on at any given time.

More specific details about the central processing can be found in the page Principles Of The Central Processing Unit.

Choosing A Video Card

When selecting a video card for a system you have two choices: AGP8X or PCI-Express. A high end video card card is equipped with at least 128 MB of video memory. The type of memory should be the lastest that the technology supports, currently DDR-2 technologies. PCI-Express is twice as fast as the lastest AGP

ATI and Nvidia are two of the top manufacturer's of video cards and each produces equivalent high end, low-end, and budget based video cards.

The Radeon family of cards are excellent performers in addition to the Geforce family of cards produced by Nvidia.

Choosing A Mainboard

The mainboard in a personal computer system is what is required to connect everything properly inside of the computer. When shopping around for a computer you will hear the term ATX. All mainboards are manufactured using an ATX form factor and is the most popular choice for gaming machines.

Upgrading or Starting Fresh?

If you already own a computer, and simply want to get something better you may be able to save money by doing a trade-in if you can find the proper computer store. Whatever computer you have you might be able to put towards a new system, as stores will just fix the original computer up and sell at as a used/refurbished system. Bear in mind that the trade in value of your existing system will only make up a small fraction of the cost towards a new system.

Not all stores do trade-ins as well but many do. I recommend trade-ins only if you're computer is obsolete because you can't do much with a system that doesn't meet system requirements of newer software.

If your motherboard supports an upgrade then you are okay. But bear in mind that you can't take a Pentium IV chip and work it into a Pentium III style motherboard as they are just not compatible. Pentium IV chips are the latest processor technology, but you have to know what kind of motherboard you want as well as identify other needs for the system.

This continues in part 2.