Personal Computer Buying Guide
Personal Computer Buying Guide
Understanding Your Needs
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Hard Disks and Solid State Drives
Software
Other Considerations
Where to Buy
Our Recommended Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
Further Information

Our Recommended Specifications

Everybody has their own view on this, so these specifications are purely personal opinions on our part. However, they should provide a reasonable degree of performance to meet your needs, without costing too much. You should also only treat these configurations as a starting point, and customise them to match your needs and budget in order to get your ideal system.

Netbook Specification

Used for:

  • Email, internet access, simple word processing/spreadsheets etc.

Minimum specification:

  • Windows XP Home or Linux (Vista is too resource-intensive).
  • Single-core processor of 1.6GHz or higher.
  • 1GB RAM.
  • Hard disk or solid state drive depending on personal preference.
  • Screen size based on personal preference.
  • Integrated graphics processor.

Regular Home Use (Desktop/Laptop)

Used for:

  • Email, internet access, office applications, occasional photo editing, casual gaming, storing home video etc.

Minimum specification:

  • Vista Home Premium.
  • Dual-core processor of 2GHz or higher.
  • 2GB RAM (you could possibly get away with 1GB if you're using Vista Home Basic, but we don't recommend less than 2GB for Vista Home Premium).
  • 320GB hard disk for a desktop, 160GB (or higher) hard disk for a laptop.
  • Screen size based on personal preference.
  • Integrated graphics processor or standalone graphics card.
  • Optical drive capable of writing DVD +/- RW disks. Blu-Ray drive based on personal preference.

Heavy Home Use (Desktop/Laptop)

Used for:

  • All of the above, plus more sophisticated photo editing, more serious gaming, video editing, software development etc.

Minimum specification:

  • Vista Home Premium.
  • Dual-core or quad-core processor of 2.4GHz or higher for a desktop, a slower processor for a laptop but still at least a dual-core processor of 2GHz or over.
  • 4GB RAM.
  • 500GB hard disk for a desktop, 250GB (or higher) hard disk for a laptop.
  • Screen size based on personal preference.
  • Standalone graphics card with at least 256MB memory for a desktop, integrated graphics processor or standalone graphics card with memory for a laptop.
  • Optical drive capable of writing DVD +/- RW disks. Blu-Ray drive based on personal preference.

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