I need a new computer

[dahirsh]

I need to buy a new desktop. What are the min. requirements I should be shopping for? To give you an idea of my needs- I bought the computer I'm replacing in '03 and the one before that in '96. So I don't feel the need to be cutting edge, but I'm looking for something that will meet my needs long term.

 

[Christine]

If you want it to last awhile buy something with an Intel i5 processor. The new generation is i3, i5 and i7. i7 is mainly for gaming computers and the price on these jumps quite a bit from the i5. I think the i5 is a good value for the price right now and will get you a few years. i3 is probably fine. Anything lower and I think you will start having issues within 2 years.

 

[golfgal]

You sound like me. When I buy computers I get the one with the biggest numbers in all the "tech" categories that I can afford. I think the I7 core (whatever that is) is the most current. We got DS18 a Dell Studio for school and that is a very nice computer I think.

 

[CleoPahd]

I think it really depends on what you do with your computer. Do you mainly use it to check emails and do occasional word documents or do you do a lot of photo editing? Your needs will greatly effect the options you should be getting. If you only use it for getting on the internet, then you don't need all the bells and whistles. Nothing electronic lasts long anymore, and you'll find by the time you pick something out it will already be obsolete. Figure out what you plan to do with your computer and I'm sure there will be many people on here that can point you in the right direction to something that will suit your needs.

 

[dahirsh]

I'm not a gamer, if that isn't already obvious from my '03 computer. Mostly used for internet and some light word processing. But, as it turns out one of the things driving me nuts about my current computer is how long photo editing is taking me. I never finished editing my last disney trip for this reason and trying to edit my cruise from last month seems to be the final straw with this computer.

 

[golfgal]

You could try adding more memory. It is inexpensive and EASY to do--easy like unscrew a panel, pop out the old, pop in the new easy. There are sites you can got to that will scan your memory and let you know what you can buy or if you can upgrade. That helped our older computer A LOT for intensive tasks like photo editing, etc.

This is the site I used-for 2 different computers, fast service too!

http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

 

[dahirsh]

thanks for the suggestion, but spending money on a 7 year old computer doesn't seem like my best option.

 

[golfgal]

thanks for the suggestion, but spending money on a 7 year old computer doesn't seem like my best option.

Maybe-but we just updated the memory in our computer that we got in 2004 for about $50 and it works like a charm now.

 

[CleoPahd]

So, if the problem you are having is mostly with photos you definitely need something with more memory. In most cases you could just buy additional memory as the previous poster suggested, however in your case, your computer is 7 years old, which is pretty old in computer years. It probably won't support the amount of memory you will really need to support digital pictures adequately. Your best bet is to look for something with the maximum amount of RAM in your price range.

 

[Imzadi]

OP, you sound like me, I use my computer mainly for internet and some light word processing, extensive photo editing. Only now have I been recently watching full videos on my laptop.

I am forced to get a new PC every 5 years, even if the old one is still working fine, as the latest software out simply will not work with such an old operating system. I had to get a new machine as stuff no longer worked with Win 95, then Win ME. Now, when I do upgrades, I can't automatically click the upgrade button. I have to check to see if the newest release still works with Win XP.

 

[crewmatt]

If you're going for a desktop, and you want something that will be good for a few years to come:

1-I agree the Core i5 is the one you want. If you can get an i7 they are faster, but despite what the world wants you to think you really wont need the added power to browse the internet, deal with basic digital camera pictures/etc.

2-Memory - this is another important area, and one that is usually more directly responsible for how fast you think the computer is. I'd go for something with 4 Gigs of RAM. You can use either Windows 7 64bit (allows for more RAM) or 32bit. I'd probably go with 64 bit version as thats going to be the standard going forward. It'll also leverate the 64 bit capabilities of your processor.

3-Hard Drive - So here's where you can have wild swings. I'd go for something in the 1TB Range (thats 1000 GB). If you can find one that is a 7200 rpm drive or faster, that will also drastically increase the response you'll see day to day. Some hard drives have a few gigs of FLASH memory added on as a cache. That will help you if you're often using the same programs or documents, but dont do anything to help you if you're all over the place in the files you use.

4-Video Card - yes with an i5 and 4 gigs of RAM you can probably get away without needing a video card in the computer. Especially if you're not playing any insane games, doing video editting, 3d modelling, etc. But on the upside, one of those will free up resources from your main system.

5-Wireless card - I believe the standard for home desktops is now 802.11n (but make sure its a/b/g compatibile - if its G its B compatible, so it might not list all of the ones its compatible with).

6-DVD Burner - useful, but with the rapid decline in price on USB thumbdrives and external hard drives, backing up data and transporting it is ofen easier to use those. Still nice to have if you want to burn DVD's and CD's. All are +/- compatible at this point. I'd at least make sure you have a DVD ROM drive on the desktop - if they even still make them haha.

7-Ports - obviously the USB standards have taken over, and i'd say you want at least 4 USB Ports available. USB 2.0 is still the standard I believe. Other ports that can be useful is a new combination USB/eSATA that allows for faster data transmission to compatible external hard drives. HDMI out is nice if you want to wire it into your tv, but keep in mind HDMI cables can be expensive, rapidly approaching the cost of buying one of those air stations and a shorter HDMI cable. Hardwired ethernet is always nice too.

 

[Imzadi]

What about for a laptop? Are the specs pretty much the same?

 

[LilyWDW]

If you want it to last awhile buy something with an Intel i5 processor. The new generation is i3, i5 and i7. i7 is mainly for gaming computers and the price on these jumps quite a bit from the i5. I think the i5 is a good value for the price right now and will get you a few years. i3 is probably fine. Anything lower and I think you will start having issues within 2 years.

The i7 is actually going to see a price cut tomorrow. Not sure on what the exact difference would be due to it, but it may be worth looking into just in case.

I also don't see the point in getting a 1TB hard drive unless you do a LOT of media. There is simply no use for it otherwise. I have 2 hard drives. The first is ONLY for my operating system (Windows 7 64bit). It is 70 GB raptor. The second is 150 GB... and I am currently using 15GB. I game, I go to school, and I have a decent amount of programs on here. However, I do delete stuff if I no longer need it just to clean things up, so that helps.

For an example, here is the system I got at the beginning of the year. It cost my friend $1700 to put together (he builds computers), but due to things, I got it for a really good deal. This should last me quite awhile. Note, I did add a second hard drive as I discussed above.

Intel Core i7-220 Bloomfield (2.66ghz, 8 logical cores)
EVGA Corei7 Extreme motherboard
EVGA GeForce GTX 295 video card
12gb of Mushkin Enhanced DDR3 1600 ram (6 x 2gigs)
Antec Purepower Modular 850w PSU
Antec 1200 full tower case
Western Digital 74gb Raptor (10000RPM) SATAII hard drive
D-Link MiniPCI Wireless N adapter
RAZER Mamba Wireless Mouse

Edit: Another thing I thought of! CHECK THE POWER SUPPLY!!!!!! When I was computer shopping, I lost count of the number of times the power supply did not meet minimum requirements for the video card. I was SHOCKED at how bad it was. So always check to see if the power supply is correct for what else is in the system. It is very easy to google.