Best Buy Desktop Computer

You are probably planning to buy a desktop computer for use at home or office. Well, the good news is that you are in the right place, Best Buy Desktop Computer will analyze the desktop computer and some aspects that make it attractive to the user including:

Table of Contents

What is a Desktop Computer

As the name suggests its type of computer that is designed for use at a single location mostly near or on top, beneath or beside a desk. They are not easy to move around with from one place to another, unlike laptops which are portable.

The most common devices included are monitors, keyboards, mouse, system unit, speakers, and sometimes a printer.

The system unit is a case that houses several other components inside including processor, power supply, motherboard, storage devices e.t.c. System unit may be vertically oriented like the one shown and its referred to as tower style and when horizontally oriented is referred to as minis, While some computers’ comes with all devices integrated together i.e all in one.

Why Buy a Desktop Computer – Popularity

Desktops are still popular to many people for several reasons:

They are easier to assemble and reassemble. This means its easier to connect or add an extra device like HDD unlike a laptop or other portable devices. This is important for maintenance purposes and for computer enthusiasts who would like to customize it to their taste.
You can add more features to it without removing the existing devices since they have a large space to accommodate many devices. This is not so for laptops since you may have to choose between the old device and the new upgrade but not both.

Spare parts and extensions tend to be standardized resulting in availability and lower prices when compared to those of laptops.

It’s much easier to Overclock ( pushing the processor speed beyond its normal rated speed) desktop processor with fewer risks since it has space for more cooling fans for dissipating excess heat

They are effectively used for Ncomputting due to their ease of expansion. This is where several users share a single desktop computer operating system. Also in the case where you want to use a desktop as a server for a small network.

Challenges of Desktop Computers

We expect to have several cons for desktops as well, this includes:

They are not portable. If you are the moving type, from one town to next, or love moving your work home from the office, then this is not the type for you.
They don’t have a power backup battery. While you can be able to use a laptop for several hours without electricity, for desktop the best you can do is to push it for several minutes using Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
Most laptops come with additional features being standard e.g. Bluetooth, WiFi e.t.c as standards, unlike desktops. Although modern desktops are being manufactured with these devices as well.
You don’t need any special skills to assemble a new laptop, unlike desktop which needs to be interconnected to work.

**Which other disadvantages have you noted about desktops, please leave a comment below

What Features to Look For – Best Buy Desktop Computer

Very well, now that you have decided to buy a desktop what should you look for to determine its usefulness.

This is a summary of features that you can consider.

The Processor

This is the device responsible for the overall computer speed and performance.

The higher the processor speed the better for performance. You may not however need a very powerful computer if you are planning to use it on normal office tasks.

If you are a gamer, or you plan to use a lot of multimedia then consider a fast processor from the word go.

The RAM

This forms the working bench of a computer. The bigger the working bench the faster you will perform activities. However, this is easily upgradable in case new needs arise.

This should be a top consideration for gamers and multimedia users, who needs a large RAM

The Internal Storage

Depending on the amount of information you will store you need to make a wise selection on the best storage device.

You need to select between SSD and HDD as well. (click the link to see the difference)

Internal storage may also affect the speed of the computer since that’s where all programs are launched from.

Monitor

For the best experience consider a comfortable monitor, bright enough, and big screen size. You need to select between different types of monitors available in the market, e.g. LED vs LCD.

Multimedia activities may need a high-resolution monitor for clarity of images.

Ensure your monitor has adjustable height and brightness as well

Graphics Card

Graphics cards are responsible for processing images and videos before being outputted through the monitor. A good graphics card should have a fast processor as well as adequate memory for storing images and videos.

This is more so for people with multimedia usage and gamers since poor video cards affect the execution of videos.

You may have a very good monitor but it fails to perform because of the video card.

New or Refurbished/Renewed

Brand new computers are more expensive but have more reliable performance than Refurbished computers. You may need an expert to evaluate for you especially if its renewed and read the reviews thoroughly if buying online or when doing your research.

Other Features

These features though they may not affect computer performance but may disadvantage the user in some cases. They include features like:

WiFi card-Feature used to connect your computer to a wireless network that may be sharing the internet. Check the type and speed of the WiFi connection provided.
Bluetooth – A feature used to connect to other devices wireless at a shorter range and lower data transfer rate over WiFi.
Ports available – Ports are the connectors found at the back of a system unit. There is a wide variety of ports and it would be good to consider specific ports like HDMI for clearer video among others. This will depend on your existing devices to be connected to your new computer and other needs.
Speakers – Does the system have quality speakers of you will need to buy external ones.
Keyboard and Mouse -This may not be very vital for some but you may need to evaluate between the wireless and wired devices and ergonomics of the keyboard and mouse.
Softwares included – You need to consider the Operating system and other vital software that you may need for your daily work to prevent an upsell later on.
Optical Drive available – If you need to use CDs and DVDs then consider purchasing one with an optical drive, although you can buy an external one later.