PC World: A buyer’s guide to Desktop Computers

What’s it for?

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With hundreds of models on the market, you’re sure to find a desktop computer to suit your needs and budget. If you just want an email checking computer, storing photos or word-processing and spreadsheets, then a basic desktop can be yours for just a few hundred pounds.

For more specialized tasks - such as movie-making, gaming, music production or design – you’re going to need something more powerful. More demanding tasks require more memory, disc space and a faster processor.

But don’t just consider your needs today. One of the best features about a desktop machine is the ability to upgrade it in the future. So consider a model with plenty of flexibility to make sure it’ll still be a great computer in years to come.

What are the options?

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PC or Mac? Both have their advantages and disadvantages and it really comes down to personal choice. For every Mac hater there’s a PC lover and vice-versa.

With each using Intel’s central processing units (CPU), both offer an exciting computing experience. Some people prefer the Mac OS X operating system for speed while others prefer the software that Windows supports, such as XP, Vista and the latest Windows 7.

If you’re likely to want to upgrade your hardware and software regularly to keep the machine up to date, then choose a PC. Equally a PC is ideal to play games on as it’s easy to upgrade a PC’s graphics card, which is essential for hardcore gamers.

For professional use, such as editing or graphic production, a Mac will give you industry-standard results – and equip you with the skills you need.

Size and monitors: There’s no hiding the fact that you’re going to need more desk space for a PC than you are a laptop. But modern desktops are compact, slim and attractive.

The once ubiquitous tower-style desktop PC is no longer the only option. All-in-one models – both Macs and PCs – are becoming more popular and some even feature touchscreens too.

A monitor will either come with your computer or you can buy it separately. LCD flatscreens are the norm now and a 19-inch monitor will look massive compared to most laptops. But if you want to play games, edit movies or do design work, look for a screen which is at least 22 inches. Remember, screens are measured diagonally from the top corner to the opposite bottom corner of the display.

Processors, storage and memory: One of the advantages of a desktop PC over a laptop is that you get more for your money in terms of processor power and memory capacity.

The quality of your central processing unit (CPU) – which is effectively the brain of the computer – is the main factor affecting speed and performance. Anyone wanting speedy performance for downloading, gaming and video editing, should consider Intel’s i7-860 or AMD’s Phenom II X2 545 processors. These are the best of their kind, and the price reflects that. A dual-core 2.5GHz (gigahertz) processor should suffice for most tasks.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is another crucial factor when it comes to performance. RAM stores the data that the computer is working with and determines how many tasks you can do simultaneously. A good desktop should have at least 2GB (gigabyte) of RAM, but more will be required for the very best performance and speed. With a desktop PC you should be able to add more RAM to your computer if you find you need it.

The hard disk drive is where your files, such as photos, videos, music and installed programs, will be kept safe, so if you have a lot of these opt to get as much hard drive capacity as your budget will allow. 320GB (gigabyte) is a good benchmark for a desktop PC. Again, most desktop PCs allow you to add capacity.

Optical drives: Here you have six choices. A CD-ROM drive will read CDs and play music, while CD-RW will read a disc and also allow you to record on to a blank disc.

A DVD-ROM will read CDs as well as DVDs - so opt for this if you want to watch movies - and a DVD-RW will let you write to the disc also. DVDs can also hold more data than a CD, and are good for backing up large, important files.

However, if you want the best drive available, choose a BD-ROM or BD-RW. A BD-ROM will read a Blu-ray disc - good for high definition data - while a BD-RW will read and write to a blank Blu-ray disc.

Graphics card: Top of the wish-list for gamers, the graphics card will process the images you see on your monitor. And with games now delivering photo-realism at breakneck speeds, that’s quite a challenge.

A desktop PC’s graphics card will either be integrated (onboard) or dedicated (separate). Integrated cards are cheaper but perform relatively poorly. Keen gamers will need a dedicated card, which comes with its own memory, for better graphics performance. Having a dedicated graphics card also means you can upgrade it for a more powerful one, or even a 3D card, without taking up a large chunk of your onboard Ram.

Networking and ports: Look for at least four USB ports in addition to those for a keyboard, mouse, and printer. This will be where you plug in your peripheral devices, so make sure they are easily accessible. Some cameras or camcorders may have a firewire connection, and if so it is worth double checking that you have a Firewire/IEEE 1394 port, which is faster at transferring files than USB.

A VGA port will probably be used to connect your PC to its monitor while you will require a HDMI port to connect your PC to a compatible HDTV (high definition).

Unless you’re planning to stay offline, don’t forget to double check that your PC has an ethernet socket to hook up your router – virtually all of them do. If you want to go wireless, make sure that your PC is Wi-Fi enabled, and consider Bluetooth if you want to use keyboards, mice and headsets without any wires.

Home streaming: The latest in new digital technology allows users to share music, video and photos between devices around your home - wirelessly.

It means your music, for example, is no longer restricted to your computer and you can ‘stream’ your favourite tunes to your hi-fi or your DVDs and downloaded films to your living room TV.

To get streaming you will need one of the new cutting-edge media-streaming boxes along with a computer jam-packed with music files and a Wi-Fi network.

Some do no more than stream and plug into your hi-fi system, while others are separate units which can move from room to room.