Buying a new computer can be a nerve-wracking experience. With so many things to consider, and so much money potentially on the line, here’s where to start.
A new computer is a major purchase. It can be among the most expensive electronics that money can buy, potentially functioning as the center of your media, gaming, and productivity setup for the next half decade at least. That’s quite a long time. If you are 18 years old and fresh out of high school, your next computer purchase will likely last you for your entire college career. Thus, it is important to take a while to sit and really think about what you want to buy.
There are a ton of different ways you can go. Many people enjoy the portability and utility of a laptop, while others prefer to have a static workstation like you get with a desktop. Many don’t mind spending extra to get the best specs, while others are perfectly fine with the cheapest Chromebook that can do the job. With such a large variety, it makes sense to have analysis paralysis when it comes to purchasing a new PC.
It’s almost impossible to gainfully recommend something to a total stranger, since everyone’s needs are different. So, instead of recommending a specific machine, let’s go through a list of questions you should ask yourself before you pull the trigger on a new purchase. These are things that many people think about anyway, but it doesn’t hurt to go over it once more to really make sure that you’re picking the right item since you’ll likely be stuck with it for a long time. Consider your intentions
This is arguably the single most important thing to think about when shopping for a new computer: What is your computer actually going to be doing? Virtually everything on the market today is suitable for basic stuff like web browsing, streaming video, answering emails, and things like that. Some folks even do this on their tablets or smartphones more than their computers.
Once you get into more specialized uses, you have to look for more specific things. For example, gamers shopping for a laptop will want to make sure that it has a dedicated graphics card that can run the games they want to play. Productivity uses like 3D modeling and video editing will also perform better with dedicated graphics for hardware acceleration and more RAM to run the software better. Any productivity use will be improved with a more powerful CPU.
You can easily and quickly remove contenders from the race based on your individual use case. If you intend to use your machine for more complex work, you can pretty much eliminate budget computers from consideration. Those who game can immediately remove any laptop or desktop without a dedicated graphics card. It’s also worth checking what software you intend to use. If it doesn’t work on a MacBook, for example, then you obviously won’t be buying a MacBook.
