When purchasing a PC today, you have more options than you can shake your finger at.  You have options on where to purchase, you have options on how you want your system to be, options for type, size, speed, etc.  All these options can make even the most sane person question their sanity.  We are worried that we are spending too much for a system that is too beefy for our need, or just the flip side of that, where we are worried that we aren't getting a strong enough system.  So, what are you to do?  Well, this guide is intended to help you make an educated choice for your next system.

In today's market, the availability of PC's is greater than ever.  We can take a short trip to the closest national retailer and find a PC to buy.  However, this convenience comes with a price, and it is usually systems that are 2 to 5 generations behind what is available online, for about the same price.  When considering purchasing from a retailer, ask yourself if you are making a planned purchase, or is it an impulse buy?  Stay away from impulse buys in the computer market, you may not get what you need.

This guide is designed to help you ask the questions that matter the most.  The very first question everyone should ask is, "What will I be using my new computer for?"  If you are planning on high intensity work or gaming, your best bet is to go online and conigure your system.  If you are just going to use your new computer for Internet, Email, and some word processing, than an inexpensive, off-the-shelf system may be OK.

The second question you should ask yourself is, "How much am I willing to spend?"  If you are looking for a laptop, figure about 25% higher cost for a similar system that you could get as a PC.  Please remember that if you take the best possible PC money can buy and the best possible laptop money can buy and compare them side by side, the PC will always win in the performance category and the laptop will be about $1,000 more expensive.

This table is intended to help you make that choice properly, regardless of a desktop or laptop purchase.  It is designed as a point scale, so at the end you can compare your points to what type of system you should purchase.  What this table won't do is give you extremely specific setups.  If we keep it general, than it doesn't matter if you use this scale today or next year, you will always get the system you need.

The idea is this, for every '+' that is listed, you add 1 point.  For every '-' that is listed, you subtract one.  Double +'s add 2.  At the end, each section will be added up and then compared to a chart to give you an idea of what to look for and the associated cost of the system.  Pick only the 5 you will use the most often and that should give you a good idea of the system you will need.

 * - If one or both of these are selected than your best bet is to get the best machine within your budget.  Do not expect to spend less than $1,500 for a machine to handle these tasks.

The price estimates are just that, an estimate.  This is meant to give you an idea of the price differences of the various parts of your computer. In every case, you can go way higher or way lower depending on timing and exactly which technology you choose.