A common problem when buying a new computer is that there are so many options that a potential buyer becomes confused as to what they need and what best suits their budget. Whether it be the myriad CPU speeds and differences between Intel and AMD processors, whether or not they need a high-end video card, or how much memory the computer should have, the amount of choices can be staggering. It is also important to remember, that one person's needs and budget may not be the same as another persons, so we have to keep this in mind when picking the right computer.
With this said, we have created this forum to help advise new computer buyers as to what computer may be best suited for their needs. Using this forum you can ask for suggestions on manufacturers, models, components, and software based around your budget and requirements.
How to ask for help in this forum.
As each person uses a computer for different reasons, we felt it would be best to create a template that can be used when looking for advice when buying a new computer. This template is found below and should be used when looking for suggestions about buying a new computer. Please note that this template should be used only for purchasing complete systems and is not necessary when just asking for advice on what video card or CPU processor to purchase. For those types of questions, you can simply ask the question in the forum.
The new computer purchase template is:
Laptop or Desktop?
My budget for the new computer is:
What are the primary uses for this computer (IE: mail, web browsing, programming, games, etc)?
What software do you intend on using on the computer?
Do you play games? If so, what type of games?
Do you tend to have a lot of programs running at the same time, or do you close every program when you are done using it?
Do you store a lot of pictures or music on the computer?
Will you be overclocking?
Location for online shopping/shipment/prices?
How many monitors are you planning to use?
Do you need peripherals? OS?
Any particular reason why you are upgrading?
When creating your new topic, please start the topic with this phrase so people know that you are using the template: Purchase Template:
For example, a topic title should be something like the following when using the template: Purchase Template: Need new computer for college
What to expect.
Once you post the above template. with your answers, our members will review the information and then either ask you further questions to help narrow the choices or start suggesting computers for you. Please remember, that the suggestions given are the opinions of our members and some may have different opinions than others. We will, though, try to give you unbiased advice that will satisfy your requirements in a computer.