Buying a PC Things to Know: Spending Less on PC Hardware

Very few people aren't constrained by budgets when shopping for computer hardware. Most people are looking for the best bang for their buck. There are some circumstances where they don't want to spend more than absolutely necessary, and they are looking for something cheap. For many though, modest computing needs or budgets dictate focusing on cheap hardware exclusively.

The less you know about computers, the less performance you are likely to need, and the less money you are likely to spend. The problem is, anyone willing to drop $2500 dollars can get a decent computer, from the local outlet of a large consumer electronic store (online retailers like Amazon.com are almost always cheaper), without doing any research. Buying cheap means you have to understand what you need and what you don't. That way, you know which corners you can cut and which you can't.

Buying Open Box, Refurbished, and outright used, computer hardware can save money, but it is even more important to know what you are getting into. Buying cheap without doing your homework almost guarantees disappointment, and won't save money if you are forced to replace equipment much sooner than expected.

The first thing you need to know if you are looking to save money on computer purchases is this: upgrading is cheaper overall. Computers are highly modular; so you can often buy just the component that will get the performance you need. Upgrading isn't always the best way to do things, depending on what you are upgrading from and to. You'll need to:

• Find out what equipment is in your PC.
• Decide which upgrades can be performed with your PC.
• Decide which PC upgrades are best for your needs.

You'll need to know how to perform the upgrade in question, or get someone else to do it. This series is on how to build a PC, start to finish, but the individual articles each focus on the installation or connection of a particular component. Head to the appropriate article for instructions on your particular upgrade.

If your current PC is not worth upgrading, you will need a new one. Building a PC (instructions for which are in the series just linked to) allows savings up front, and, with some good choices, you can leave yourself better routes to upgrade, over a ready made PC. Choosing parts and having a PC built will cost you a modest service fee and a little research, but you know what you are getting; and, perhaps more importantly for a cheap PC, what you aren't. Any small bricks-and-mortar store will be happy to provide advice, and many online retailers have Configuration tools to guide you through the process.

Still, if you don't know a Gigabyte from a Cheesybite, and want to get "a computer" and leave it at that, here are 3 cheap PCs that can fit the bill. If you are building your own PC or choosing parts for it, the next page contains recommendations for the different components you'll have to choose.