The images above show the two standard types of desktop PC. The image on the left shows a desktop PC housed in a midi-tower case, and the image on the right shows a desktop PC with a horizontal case that the monitor can rest upon.

There is another much less popular category called a barebones PC.

Computers that use SFF motherboards and small square cases are often called barebones systems.

Note that a barebones system is also a term generally used to designate computers (ATX and SFF) that have only the essential components installed, such as a case with motherboard, RAM, and hard disk drive, and CD/DVD drive, etc. You have to buy and install the other components, such as the monitor, video and sound cards, etc. You should find out which components are installed and then work out which components you'll have to buy and install before you buy a barebones system.

More than meets the Eye - Barebone PC for Quad-Core and Crossfire -

"High performance, small footprint - Shuttle's SX38P2 Pro can house two graphics cards, three hard drives and a four-core processor..." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Shuttle-SX38P2-Pro,review-30107.html

The major international desktop PC manufacturers are: HP, Dell, Gateway, Lenovo, Compaq, and Packard Bell. However, in any particular country there are local PC manufacturers of excellence.

For example, in its 2007 survey of its readers in the UK, Computer Shopper magazine the following results were returned:

Best PC Manufacturer: Dell

Commended PC Manufacturers: PC Nextday, Mesh, Fujitsu Siemens

PC Nextday and Mesh Computers are local UK PC manufacturers.

Note that PC manufacturers, such as Dell and HP, have tended or still tend to make the components of their machines to their own specifications, not standard PC specifications. This means that in most cases you would have to buy replacement or upgrade internal components, such as motherboards and power supplies, from them instead of from PC-component stores, usually priced at a premium compared to standard components. The installation could be done at inflated prices by their technicians, or purchased directly from them and installed by the computer's owner. However, a local UK PC manufacturer, such as Mesh, uses standard components in its PC, which means that they can be upgraded and repaired using standard components that can be obtained very easily by private third-party technicians, or by the machine's owner from retail PC shops or online businesses.

The great advantage of building your own desktop PCs is that you can choose the components yourself, which means that you don't have to scrap a non-upgradable system, or buy sub-standard hardware components from the brand-name manufacturer when you need to upgrade. However, Dell, one of the biggest offenders when it comes to this issue, announced at the end of February 2008 that the use of proprietary parts in its desktop PCs, such as power supplies and motherboards are to be a thing of the past.

Here is what an annonymous person on a computer forum had to say on the subject: "That was always my whole problem with buying anything from a major manufacturer! I came into possession of a Dell [PC] a while back, and I had to cut up the case to get a better power supply to fit. I went through hell to change the CPU cooler because the damned montherboard had a proprietary clip for the heat sink. Dell sucked! But if this is really true [Dell's abandonment of using proprietary components], I might not be as adverse to modding the hell out of a pre-configured system of theirs in the future."

You should be able to tell if the components of a Dell PC are standard or propertietary by viewing the specifications of a particular model on Dell's website. If the manufacturer of a particular component is named, then it is probably a standard part.

The information on this page goes through a desktop PC's hardware specifications one at a time.

The main components of a desktop PC are: a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a processor, a power supply unit, a motherboard, one or more RAM memory modules, one or two video/graphics cards, a sound card, hard disk drive(s), and optical CD/DVD drive(s). If the PC is online and networked it might also have a dial-up modem or an ADSL or cable modem-router. A modem-router can connect a single computer to the Internet or network several computers together, using cables or wirelessly, enabling them to share an Internet connection.

Apart from wired or wireless keyboards and mice, desktop PCs can also be connected to many different kinds of peripheral devices, such as external hard disk drives and external optical CD/DVD drives, printers and scanners, multi-function peripherals (MFPs) that contain a printer, copier, and scanner in one unit, webcams, digital cameras, camcorders, and internal and external TV tuners, memory card readers, etc. The most common connection interface for these devices is USB and FireWire.

Note that all of the main components that make up a desktop PC are dealt with in their own sections of this site, which can be accessed via the links and the drop-down menu on the orange left-hand navigation bar, and the Google site-search box provided at the top of each page.

A desktop PC with the minimum recommended hardware shouldn't cost more than £500/$1000. It should be able to run any standard office, multimedia, or education software. It should also be able to play DVD movies, but it won't be able to play the latest PC games, because it won't have the kind of graphics card that is required.

Note, however, that there are different types of PCs that you should know about.

Most desktop PCs currently have a standard ATX midi-tower case that provides as much space for upgrades as its motherboard supports with expansion slots, etc. You can buy mini PCs that are housed in a small case. Generally, because they use miniaturised components, mini PCs cost a little more than standard midi-tower PCs, are less upgradable, because they have very little room in their cases to accommodate additional hardware components, but they take up less space and usually look more attractive. Media Center PCs are designed for entertainment purposes and can be connected to the other entertainment equipment you have, such as a TV or a Hi-fi. By definition a Media Center PC must have a TV tuner card. You can read the information on them on the Media Center PCs section of this site.

The brand-name PC maufacturer's website should provide a full list of the specifications for every model that it manufactures. Dell sells desktop and laptop PCs directly to the public from its websites in various countries. Only recently has Dell decided to sell its machines via retail outlets. You can have a look at the specifications of all of its current models on its website.

All except the cheapest desktop PCs now come with widescreen LCD monitors, which are ideally suited to watching (widescreen) movies, and also feel more natural when working with panoramic photos and expansive spreadsheets. Standard CRT and LCD screens have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (width 4, height 3), which makes them almost square, and widescreen CRT and LCD usually have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which makes them rectangular.

If you are thinking of buying a desktop PC which has a particular make and model of processor, you can visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.

Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0

Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4

Visit the following pages of the same guide to view tables of all of the PCI, AGP, and PCI Express video/graphics cards made by ATI and nVidia, the two major manufacturers of graphics chips (that other graphics-card manufacturers use) and their own graphics cards.

Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide - nVidia cards -

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=3

Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide - ATI cards -

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=1

The operating system (Windows, Linux, OS X), bundled software and trialware

The vast majority of new desktop an laptop computers now come with Windows Vista preinstalled and operate some kind of recovery system, be it via access to a genuine Vista DVD, a Recovery Disc that usually restores the system to its factory state, or a recovery partition on the PC's hard disk drive that the recovery system uses from within Windows.

Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on it.

Microsoft will stop selling licences for Windows XP after 30 June 200, but support for it will continue for many years to come. Visit the Windows Support section of this site for pages that deal with Windows XP.

Microsoft: June 30 not end of Windows XP support -

"Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014..." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably. Therefore, it is a good idea to remove it by making use of a particular program's own uninstall option, or by using Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP in the Control Panel. In Windows Vista, that feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel. If you have a retail copy of Windows XP or Vista, you could also remove any partitions on the hard disk drive, format it, and install Windows and any other software that you use.

Refurbished desktop PCs

Some brand-name PC manufacturer's, such as Dell and HP, sell refurbished desktop PCs from their websites, so if you're looking for a bargain with a warranty, visit the major manufacturers' websites to find out what is on offer.

Dell Outlet - http://www.dell.com/outlet

HP Refurbished products -

http://www.hp.com/united-states/refurbished/how_to_buy.html

If the above links don't work, try entering refurbished + dell + pcs or refurbished + hp + pcs (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Other companies also sell refurbished PCs made by the major PC manufacturers. To find them for Dell and HP PCs, make use of the same search terms provided above, or enter a suitable search term of your own.

Computer diagnostics: How to solve or fix common PC problems

Click any of the relevant links below to visit the information it describes on this site.

1. - Recover and repair Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Windows XP: How to troubleshoot and fix shutdown, restart (reboot), and startup problems

3. - Typical DLL (Dynamic Link Library) device driver problems

4. - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities

Also visit the Software pages on this site for more information on specific software-related information and problems.

5. - Motherboard and power supply problems: How to fix common problems with faulty motherboards (mainboards) and power supplies (PSUs)

6. - RAM memory problems: How to fix problems with the Random Access Memory

7. - Hard disk drive problems: How to fix computer hard disk drive (HDD) problems

8. - CD/DVD drive problems: How to fix problems with CD and DVD drives and discs

9. - Processor problems: How fix common processor (CPU) problems

10. - Video/graphics card problems: How fix common computer video and graphics problems

11. - USB and FireWire problems: - How to fix common USB and FireWire problems

12. - Network problems: How to fix common wired and wireless networking and internet problems

13. - Laptop/notebook problems: How to address or fix the most common laptop/notebook problems

Should I upgrade my desktop PC or buy/build a new one?

Question 1

February 29, 2008. - I have an HP Pavilion t850.uk Desktop PC. It has an Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz processor, an ATI Radeon X300SE graphics card, and 512MB of RAM memory. It runs Windows XP Home, but I want to upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium. I want to upgrade it to play the latest PC games. My budget is £300.

Answer

This is a reasonably current PC, so, apart from the memory and the graphics card, its upgrade options are limited. The PC's Asus PTGD1-LA motherboard has an Intel 915 chipset, which means that you have to use a single-core processor, because the first Intel chipset that supports dual-core processors is the 945 chipset. The fastest single-core processor that is compatible with that chipset is the 3.6GHz Pentium 4 661 processor, which isn't much faster than the existing processor. It would probably be best to stick with the current processor, because it can play the latest PC games. You should replace the 512MB of memory with a 2GB DDR two-module kit from Crucial. You can make use of the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors below this table to find that upgrade by choosing ASUS from the drop-down menu, then selecting ASUS Motherboards from Step 2 => Select a Product Line => Asus Motherboards. If you can't find that board, email Crucial from the UK or US site, asking for advice on compatible memory for it.

You can upgrade the graphics card with any single-slot PCI Exress card, because the motherboard has a single PCI Express x16 slot. The EVGA GeForce 8800GTS has 320MB of graphics memory, is very fast playing most current games, and it is DirectX 10 compatible, which can be made use of after you upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium, which supports it (Windows XP only supports Direct X 9). You can make use of the Google search box (with its Web radio button enabled) to find reviews and vendors. That card requires to be connected to a six-pin PCI Express power plug from the PC's power supply unit. If the power supply doesn't have one, you can use a Molex-to-PCI Express converter cable for use with a standard molex power cable from the power supply, or you can buy a new power supply. The powerful Hiper Type M 530W unit is suitable.

The graphics card, memory, and power supply upgrade would cost under £300. If you want a PC with a dual-core or quad-core processor, it would be best to buy or build a new PC that has the fastest processor you can afford, because you would have to upgrade the motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card and power supply of your existing PC. It would be a better option to buy a new PC, or the components for a new one, if you want to build your own.

Question 2

December 31, 2007. - My current desktop PC has a 3.2GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, 2GB of RAM memory, an Asus PV4800D motherboard, an nVidia GeForce 7800 GT graphics card, and Windows Vista Business Edition. I can still do everything I use a PC with it, including playing PC games, but it is ageing, so should I upgrade it or build a new PC based on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor?

Answer

Your current system is all right for playing DirectX 9 PC games, but it will struggle with the next generation of DirectX 10 games. You'll need Windows Vista Home Premium or higher, because DirectX 10 only works with Vista, and a DirectX-10-compatible graphics card to get the most out of games such as Crysis. Your current motherboard has a PCI Express graphics card slot, it only runs at x4 speed, not the x16 speed required by the latest PCI Express graphics cards, which means that you'll have to upgrade if you want to play DirectX 10 games.

You can buy a motherboard that runs an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor. I would recommend the E6750 model of processor. Have a look at the Asus, Abit, MSI, Gigabyte, and ECS sites for a suitable motherboard. Good examples are the Asus P5E64 WS Professional and the Abit IP35 Pro motherboards. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate vendors and reviews for a particular board.

You will notice the difference in gameplay as more games begin to support both cores of the dual-core processor.

You will have to buy new memory for the new motherboard. You can make use of the Crucial UK and USA Memory Advisors a little further down this page. All you have to do is use the drop-down menu find the manufacturer of the motherboard. Crucial guarantees the compatibility of memory that is sells for a particular make/model of motherboard. Shipping is free.

The following article should provide you with a suitable graphics card:

GeForce 8800 GT 256 and late 2007 3D Cards Roundup -

"We continue to recommend three cards: the HD 3850 (256 MB) for those that can’t afford more than $150, the HD 3870 (512 MB) at $200 and the GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB) at $230-250 (don’t spend more than that)..." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/GeForce-8800-GT-256,review-29841-14.html

The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK

USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Optimising/optimizing PC performance

The web has many sites that provide PC optimisation information, or that provide or run optimisation programs from their sites. You can make use of the Google search box (with its Web radio button enabled) at the top of this page to locate them. Use a search term such as pc + optimization, xp + optimization, vista + optimization to locate US sites. To find UK sites, use the British English spelling - optimisation.

PC Pitstop Optimize -

"Run our free Optimize scan and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware." -

http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/optimize.asp

5 ways to speed up your PC -

"By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online." -

http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/speed.mspx?tapm=A47S01D05

DESKTOP PC NEWS

Windows XP SP3 is available to everyone at last

May 6, 2008. - Microsoft has made Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) available to the general public. However, some users are already experiencing problems with it. Read the following articles for more information.

How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack -

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389

Microsoft releases Windows XP SP3 ... again -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Microsoft faults OEMs for some XP SP3 endless reboots -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Microsoft begins automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1

April 23, 2008. - On March 18th 2008, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) was made available to users who choose to download and install it manually from the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese.

In mid-April, the remaining languages were made available, allowing Windows Update users to download SP1 in any of the 36 supported languages.

Today, the automatic distribution of SP1 in the English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese versions was made available. Over the next few months, Microsoft will distribute SP1 automatically to computers that have Windows Update in Vista's Control Panel enabled to install updates automatically for English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese versions. If you want one of those versions immediately, you can download it manually from the Microsoft Download Center and Windows Update. The automatic distribution of the other supported languages will begin some time in mid-May.

The new version of the Apple OS X operating system now available

October 26, 2007. - The latest update of the Apple Mac operating system OS X, called Leopard, is available in shops from today.

The company is marketing Leopard as a superior operating system to Windows Vista by highlighting new features it has that are not found in Windows Vista.

The new version has a 64-bit architecture that can make use of the latest generation of 64-bit Intel processors used in Apple computers, while also being able to run 32-bit applications.

Many of the features that were previously add-ons, such as Apple TV, are now integrated into Leopard, thereby competing directly with the Media Center provided by Windows Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate.

Apple ready to set Leopard free -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7062593.stm

In Depth: Apple's Leopard leaps to new heights -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Microsoft extends the shelf life of Windows XP by five months

September 28, 2007. - Microsoft has extended the shelf life of Windows XP due to customer demand. The software company had scheduled itself to stop selling Windows XP on 30 January 2008, but the date on which many sellers of that version of Windows will no longer be able to offer it has now been extended to 30 June 2008. Microsoft says that the change was necessary in order to ease the transition of its customers that require more time to make the switch to Windows Vista. In April 2007, PC manufacturer, Dell, was also forced by customer demand to restart sales of computers with Windows XP pre-installed.

Microsoft has also extended the availability of the cut-down version of Windows XP, called Starter Edition, until 30 June 2010, because of increased demand for it to run on low-powered computing devices made for the developing world.

Five-star and four-star desktop PCs as rated by Computer Shopper

You can read the available reviews for desktop PCs that can go back twelve months here:

Desktop computers -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/2/Desktop-computers

Alternatively, visit http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper to read the the current reviews under PRODUCT REVIEWS, or enter the make and model in the site's Search For: box.

Click the make/model link to visit the manufacturer's website.

Issue 241 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 January 2008, reviewed the following desktop computer:

Mesh G92 Pulse Pro - Five stars - Best Buy award - Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 dual-core processor - 2GB RAM memory - 500GB hard disk drive - 512MB nVidia GeForce 8800GT graphics card that is a single-slot card, so it does not block adjacent expansion slots - SLI-capable - DVD writer - 22" widescreen LCD monitor - Suitable for playing the latest PC games - Priced at £800 in January 2008.

Issue 240 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 December 2007, reviewed the following £600 desktop computers:

1. - CyberPower Gamer Ultra 650 - Five stars - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition dual-core processor, 2GB RAM memory - 250GB hard disk drive - 320MB EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card - DVD writer - 19" widescreen LCD monitor - Great for PC gaming - Very quiet, but its Windows Vista Home Premium performance is relatively slow - Priced at £600 in December 2007.

2. - RL Supplies Modula 4300OC - Five stars - Best Buy award - Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 dual-core processor - 2GB RAM memory - 320GB hard disk drive - 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600GTS graphics card - DVD writer - Superb Asus VW193S 19" widescreen LCD monitor - The processor has been overclocked to run at a stunning 3GHz - Two-year RTB (return to base) warranty - Priced at £600 in March 2008.

Issue 239 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 November 2007, reviewed the following desktop computer:

Cyberpower Gamer Infinity XT Ultimate DDR3 - Four stars - Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 dual-core processor overclocked to 3.2GHz - One of the first PCs to come with DDR3 RAM memory - 2GB DDR3 memory - 1GB version of the ATI HD2900XT graphics card. Another HD2900XT graphics card Crossfire dual-card technology won't fit unless the Creative X-Fi sound card is removed - Two 250Gb hard disk drives - DVD writer - 22" widescreen LCD monitor - Priced at £1,499 in November 2007.

Issue 235 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 July 2007, reviewed the following gaming desktop PCs costing £800:

1. - RL Supplies: Modula 4400 OC - Five stars - Best Buy award in July 2007 - Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 dual-core processor - 2GB RAM - 320GB hard disk drive - 640MB BFG nVidia GeForce 8800GTS graphics card - DVD writer - 22" widescreen LCD monitor - SLI motherboard - Priced at £800 in December 2007.

2. - Eclipse: Matrix Quad Sli i66n88s - Five stars - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 quad-core processor - 2GB RAM - large 500GB hard disk drive - 320MB XFX GeForce 8800 GTS Extreme graphics card - SLI capable - DVD writer - small 19" widescreen LCD monitor - Disappointing keyboard and mouse - Priced at £800 in July 2007.

Issue 235 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 July 2007, reviewed the following desktop computer:

PCNEXTDAY Zoostorm 2-3413 Versatile - Five Stars - 1.8GHz Pentium Dual Core E2160 dual-core processor - 1GB RAM memory - 250GB hard disk drive - 256MB nVidia GeForce 8500GT graphics card - DVD writer that supports DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RW/ Double layer (DL) discs - 19" widescreen LCD monitor - Priced at £499 in July 2007.

Issue 234 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 June 2007, reviewed the following desktop computer:

PCNEXTDAY Zoostorm 5-7404 - Five Stars - Best Buy award - Intel Core 2 Quad quad-core processor - 2GB RAM memory - 500GB hard disk drive - 320MB nVidia GeForce 8800GTS graphics card - DVD writer that supports DVD+R/-R/+RW/-RW/ Double layer (DL) discs - 22" widescreen LCD monitor - Priced at £1,299 in July 2007.

Issue 232 of Computer Shopper, available from around 20 April 2007, reviewed the following budget desktop computers priced at £599/£600:

Eclipse Fusion SLI i6300-VSTA (Five stars, Best Buy award) - Gladiator Kronos CSX23800 (Four stars) - PC Nextday Zoostorm 2-4408 Starter PC (Five stars) - RL Supplies Modula 4047CS (four stars).

Also reviewed -

Mesh Elite E6600 GTS desktop PC - Five Stars - Best Buy award - Intel Core 2 E6600 dual-core processor - 2GB RAM memory - 320GB hard disk drive - nVidia GeForce 8800GTS graphics card - DVD writer - 19" LCD monitor - fast in Windows and PC games - Priced at £999 in June 2007.

ARTICLES ON DESKTOP PCs

5 ways to speed up your PC -

http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/speed.mspx?tapm=A47S01D05

18 simple, free fixes for your Vista or XP PC -

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=12762

Apple's 24'' iMac - All-in-One with OS Options -

"...On top of that, the iMac offers a high degree of flexibility thanks to its Intel insides. Thus, you can either dual boot Windows and OS X using Boot Camp or run Windows within OS X through virtualization applications such as VMWare or Parallels Desktop. Both allow the seamless integration of Windows applications into OS X, providing a safety net for those not quite ready to leave the PC world behind entirely..." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Apple-iMac-24-inch,review-30618.html

Get yourself an XP system while you still can -

"With Windows XP scheduled to disappear from store shelves on June 30, time is running out to buy a computer with that venerable OS preinstalled." -

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/080306/

Dell XPS 630 Review: Affordable PC Gaming? -

"The typical answer to the question “How can I save money on a new gaming system?” involves a bunch of component suggestions, instructions for home building, and the idea of carrying over as many inconsequential parts as possible from a system you already own. But what if you have neither the skill, nor time, or even the left over parts to follow such suggestions? Dell thinks it has the answer in its new XPS 630 gaming PC series." -

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/dell-xps-630,review-1064.html

First Look: Dell XPS 630 -

"Dell launched its XPS 630 gaming PC today in Central London. The event was timed to tie in with the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) World in Conflict Championship. Despite games developers and pro-gamers being present, Dell was keen to concentrate attention on more mainstream gaming." -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/news/172260/first-look-dell-xps-630.html

My Thumb is My Passport: Using Biometrics -

"You can add a fingerprint reader to any PC, either as a USB peripheral that can cost as little as $30, or a unit built into a keyboard or mouse. Typically these work with Windows and Internet Explorer; some support Firefox as well..." -

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/security-biometric-fingerprint,review-1062.html

All you need to know about: Desktop Computers -

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/theme-Desktop-Computers,107.html

Simple tips save power and the environment -

http://windowssecrets.com/2007/11/15/03...

The ultimate tweaker's guide to Windows [XP and Vista] -

"Our tips, tricks and hacks will let you customize XP and Vista in a multitude of ways." -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

22 essential Mac utilities -

"Right out of the box, your Mac can do a lot of things. With these utilities, you can make it do nearly everything..." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Must-have Windows utilities for 20 essential tasks -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...9025855&intsrc=hm_ts_head

Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up? - Everybody knows PCs are cheaper than Macs, right? Wrong! (At least sometimes.) -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Read the Upgrade Checklists section of this site for information on upgrading desktop PCs of varying ages.

You should also read the Laptop PCs section of this site, because much of the information it contains also pertains to desktop PCs.

I have both laptop and desktop PCs. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage with laptop PCs, as far as I am concerned, is that if one of the hardware components fails in a laptop PC, you usually have to send it back to its manufacturer (or to a reputable laptop repair service). However, because of the modular design of desktop PCs, if a component fails, all you have to do is diagnose which component has failed and buy a replacement from a retail or online store. The only parts of a laptop that you can replace easily are the memory modules and the hard disk drive. If the optical CD/DVD drive fails, you might be able to find a replacement, but removing the old one and fitting the new one could be difficult. Obtaining and replacing the processor, power suppy unit, motherboard, memory modules, video/ graphics card, sound card, hard disk drive(s), and optical CD/DVD drive(s) of a desktop PC is fairly is usually a fairly trouble-free business.

Click here! to read a Q&A on the pros and cons of desktop and laptop PCs.

Visit the Build Your Own PC section of this site for information on how to accomplish that.

Most desktop PCs come with a version of Windows as the operating system, plus some bundled software. You should only buy a desktop PC if it comes with Windows XP (Home or Professional Editions) or Windows Vista Home Premium edition pre-installed on it. The Windows Vista Home Basic edition is pre-installed on budget desktop PCs. If a PC comes with Windows XP pre-installed, you should only buy it if it also comes with a free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium edition, or a higher edition, such as Vista Ultimate, or Vista Business. You should only install the upgrade after you know that Vista device drivers for your modem or modem-router, etc, are available, otherwise you won't be able to go online after you install it, etc. The PC should also come with either a Windows XP/Vista CD/DVD disc, or a Recovery CD/DVD disc that can restore the PC to the state it was in when it left the factory. A Windows XP/Vista CD/DVD disc is the superior choice.

If you want to know about Windows and the software applications that PC use, read the information on the Software section of this site.

If you want to have a preview of the kind of desktop PC that will soon be standard, read this article that reviews three PCs that have a quad-core (four-core) Intel QX6800 processor. The systems are very expensive at the moment, but this kind of will become cheaper as soon as quad-core processors become the main type in the same way as dual-core processors are now in desktop and laptop PCs. -

Overindulge Yourself with QX6800 -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-2142.html

AMD Live!

AMD Live! is AMD's branding for computers designed for digital entertainment. It is the equivalent of Intel's Viiv.

Intel® Viiv™ technology - "Intel's new platform designed for the enjoyment of digital entertainment—Intel® Viiv™ technology—delivers the multitasking power of a dual-core processor and enables sleek new designs that fit your lifestyle." -

http://www.intel.com/products/viiv/index.htm

An AMD Live! PC has to meet several hardware and software requirements, including a dual-core AMD processor, such as a Turion 64 X2 for laptop/notebook PCs and an Athlon 64 X2 4200+ for desktop PCs. AMD Live! computers should come with Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Windows Vista Ultimate, which all run the Media Center. A suite of software should also be included that can, for instance, allow the user to share files online. This software pack can be downloaded from http://www.amdlive.com/gb-en/free_downloads.aspx.

Your rights under the Sale of Goods Act in the UK

It is well worth noting that the Sale of Goods Act in the UK protects the purchase of goods over their expected useful life.

This is valuable protection for goods that have an expected useful life that is longer than the standard 12-month warranty. It means that if the product, such as a desktop or laptop computer, has an expected useful life of four years, its owner can get it repaired or replaced if it dies within that period, regardless of any warranties, standard 12-month or extended. All computers should have a useful life of at least four years, so it is a waste of money to buy an extended warranty for a desktop or laptop computer. However, the vendor or manufacturer will probably try every trick in the book to avoid having to repair or replace a computer that is out of its warranty period and which has no extended warranty. That said, if you have the product examined by a reputable third party and then insist on your rights under the Sale of Goods Act, if the product fails within its expected useful life, you will always be entitled to having it repaired or replaced.

Sale of goods -

"While laws concerning sale of goods date back 100 years, the only phrase you need to memorise is 'The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)'." -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/guides_to/law_goods.shtml

How powerful must a PC be to play HD video?

June 14, 2007. - There are a large number of screen resolutions, video file formats, data tranfer rates, and file-compression methods to be taken into consideration when attempting to answer the question how powerful a PC needs to be in order to play HD (high definition) video. Since h.264-encoded HD DVD and Blu-ray movies are the hardest to play back smoothly, it seems sensible to say which PC specification would be required to play it, because, if a PC can play it, it can play anything less demanding.

You should aim for a PC with at least either of these two dual-core processors: a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or an 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2. The PC should also have a fairly recent PCI Express video/graphics card - an ATI Radeon X1000 series DirectX 9 card, or a nVidia GeForce 7000 or 8000 series DirectX 9 card. The graphics card should have at least 256MB of RAM memory. Visit the following site for a list of current and obsolete graphics cards.

The Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide -

"These days, there are so many graphics card models that it has become quite impossible to keep up with the different configurations. Therefore, we decided to compile this guide to provide an easy reference for those who are interested in comparing the specifications of the various desktop GPUs in the market as well as those already obsolescent or obsolete." - http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=0

You should be using the most recent version of DVD software, such as Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.5, or InterVideo WinDVD 7.5.

Windows Vista and security software

June 11, 2007. - Before upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista, you should check that your security software (firewall and spyware scanners, etc.) support Vista, because, although Vista was released at the end of January 2007, there are still security products, such as ZoneAlarm, that don't yet support it.

Visit the PC Security section of this site for more information on the subject.

How to make sure that you get your PC returned in the same state it was in after you send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair shop

If you have purchased a brand-name PC, or built your own, you might have to send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair shop to diagnose and fix a problem. During its stay away from home, its components could be removed and replaced with old or cheaper ones. To be able to prove that your PC is returned in the state it was in before it was sent off, you should name a note of the makes/models of the hardware components.

If you don't know the makes and models of the hardware components installed in your computer, a good free utility called the Belarc Advisor creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer that you can print out. Look for it under FREE DOWNLOAD on http://www.belarc.com/. You would the just have to run the utility again when the PC is returned and match the two printouts to find out what has been changed.

How to save power

Read these two articles if you're interested in finding out how to go about saving power with regard to using computers. The first article starts off by discussing "power requirement differences of idle and load system states, and how to save energy on an existing system by utilizing power saving options and paying attention to certain components." -

The Power Saving Guide -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/the-power-saving-guide-uk,review-2311.html

The Power Saving Guide, Part 2 -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/the-power-saving-guide-uk,review-2318.html

And here is another article on power-saving:

Simple tips save power and the environment -

http://windowssecrets.com/2007/11/15/03...

Surge-protection for computer equipment: Surge protectors

Most power lines are buried underground, so lightning-induced power surges are more likely to strike through TV antennas and telephone lines, etc. Large electrical motors, such as power tools can generate 'spikes' when they start up. The electrical cables that serve a building often run next to one another through the same conduit boxes. A surge through one circuit can induce surges in neighbouring circuits, so a surge through a power line to which power tools are connected can spread to a power line to which electrical equipment is connected. Therefore, it is the best policy to place surge protectors as close as possible to the equipment that they are protecting, with the shortest possible cable between the equipment and the surge protector. Good surge protectors come with free insurance policies that cover any failure to provide protection, and have an indicator light that shows if they are working properly. Surge protectors are available that protect network, telephone, and TV/cable line. The best brands are Belkin and APC, which also manufacture UPS units.

Click here! to go to information on this site on Uninterruptible Power Supply units (UPS).

Desktop PC specifications

Now I will go through the specifications of a desktop PC one at a time.

The PC processor

You should only consider buying a desktop PC that has a dual-core processor made by Intel or AMD, because a dual-core processor (effectively two processors in a single unit) can be set so that each of its two processor cores run particular applications, and software is being written now that can take advantage of using two processor cores instead of the standard single-core processor that all PCs used to have.

If you are using software that hasn't been written to take advantage of two processor cores, you can make use of SMP Seesaw by Mike Lin.

"SMP Seesaw is a small utility for dual CPU workstations that allows the user to finely tune how Windows balances the processing load between the two CPUs."

You should not consider buying a new desktop PC unless it has at least a dual-core Intel Pentium D 820 processor, (preferably an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor), or an AMD Athlon x2 3800+ or higher dual-core processor.

If you intend to use the PC to run very demanding video-editing and CAD applications, etc., you should buy one that has the most powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor that you can afford.

The Processors section of this site deals with processors in detail.

Video/graphics cards

If you want to play PC games, budget video/graphics cards based around the nVidia GeForce 7300 GT and ATI Radeon X1600 graphics chips can play the current games. However, if you want to be able to run the games that come out a year to eighteen months from now (July, 2007), you should consider a desktop PC with a more powerful video/graphics card based on the nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2 or ATI Radeon X1900XTX graphics chips. Better still is a system with a dual-graphics-card solution. nVidia's dual-card technology is called SLI and ATi's dual-card technology is called CrossFire.

You should avoid purchasing a desktop PC that has its graphics chip built into the motherboard, because integrated graphics, as that is called, usually uses system RAM memory instead of its own dedicated memory that most graphics cards provide. Moreover, integrated graphics is usually an inferior choice even when it has its own dedicated memory.

The Video/Graphics section of this site deals with video/graphics cards in detail, and the PC Gaming section deals with that subject in detail.

How can I upgrade the video/graphics card of my Dell Dimension 3100 desktop PC?

Problem

I have a Dell Dimension 3100 desktop PC. I upgraded the RAM memory from 1GB to 2GB and installed a wireless network card so that I could connect it to my wireless router in order to share an Internet connection with a laptop PC. I wanted to upgrade the graphics card to an ATI Radeon X1950 card for video-editing and PC gaming, but, to my horror, when I opened the case, I found that the 230W power supply unit is inadequate for the upgrade and that the motherboard has no AGP or PCI Express graphics slot. Should I upgrade the motherboard in order to be able to upgrade the graphics card?

Answer

The Dell Dimension 3100 has integrated graphics, which means that the graphics chip is built into the motherboard. The Dimension models labelled 2400, 3000, and 3100 (renamed E310), were designed for basic home or small office use - emailing, word-processing, and surfing the web, etc. The model numbers starting with 4xxx and 5xxx provide a slot for a graphics card, but the above-mentioned models do not. The 230W power supply is meant to provide enough power for the upgrades that are possible, some of which you have already done.

It would not be cost-effective to upgrade the motherboard to one with a graphics slot, because Microsoft licenses the OEM copy of Windows XP that the computer was supplied with for use only on that computer. If you install a new motherboard, Microsoft calls it a new computer that requires a new license for Windows, which you would have to pay for. You can only reactivate Windows XP (or Windows Vista) in a PC with a new motherboard if it is an exact replacement (make and model), or the original motherboard died and an exact replacement was not available.

Dell supplies BIOS-locked versions of Windows that recognise a signature in the computer's BIOS. After you installed a new motherboard, Windows would refuse to run until you called a Microsoft Activation hotline to explain why you are running a Dell copy of Windows on a non-Dell motherboard. If you told the truth about your situation, you would not be given an activation code over the phone, but you would probably be given the code if your PC is out of warranty and you said that the motherboard had died and an exact replacement was not available.

In any case, the best option would be to sell your computer and buy a more upgradable model. You could remove the wireless network card for use in a new computer.

RAM memory and disk-drive storage

If you want to do video-editing or run applications such as CAD or flight-simulation software, your desktop PC should have as much RAM installed as you can afford. If it comes with 1GB of memory, make sure that it has at least two free DIMM memory slots that can each accommodate a 1GB to 2GB memory module.

If you save large video files and digital photos, etc., you should consider a desktop PC with two or more 250GB to 400GB large-capacity SATA hard disk drives. If the PC only comes with a single large-capacity hard drive, you can always install another one internally, or make use of a large-capacity USB or FireWire external hard disk drive.

Visit the Hard Disk Drives section of this site for information on internal and external hard drives.

You should also consider using a RAID array of drives. Click here! to read the information about RAID solutions on this site.

If you need to archive plenty of files or many large files, you'll have know how best to store them. The most popular method is to burn data and graphics files to recordable DVD discs. Click here! to read the information on CD/DVD drives and discs (media) on this site.

Note that some desktop and laptop PCs are now coming out with internal Blu-ray optical drives. The recorded and recordable Blu-ray discs have a very much higher capacity than recorded and recordable DVD discs. A BD-ROM drive is a Blu-ray drive that can only read Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray Disc (BD) is Sony's optical disc format designed to replace the current DVD format that beat its competitor, Toshiba's HD DVD. Toshiba is no longer developing HD DVD, soyou should not buy an HD DVD drive or player. A Blu-ray writer uses BD-R (record-once) and BD-RW (record multiple times) discs. Visit the following site for the latest information on Blu-ray.

"Welcome to Blu-ray.com, your source for everything related to Blu-ray Disc (BD). We offer Blu-ray reviews, releases, news, guides and forums covering Blu-ray movies, players, recorders, drives, media, software and much more. For more information about Blu-ray, see What is Blu-ray? or the Blu-ray FAQ."

LCD PC monitors

Current desktop computers come with a 17" or 19" LCD TFT monitor. The old-style CRT monitors can still be purchased, but they have become almost redundant. You can buy 26" LCD monitors, but the larger the screen, the more expensive the monitor, so, if you can find a desktop PC with a 26" monitor, it won't be cheap, because it will also have to have a graphics card that is capable of delivering its native screen resolution.

20" LCD monitors have a native screen resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. They are useful for users who want to edit large digital photos, documents, or spreadsheets, and run two applications side-by-side.

For mainly entertainment purposes, a widescreen LCD monitor is the best choice. They can be used to watch widescreen movies and to edit two documents side-by-side.

The table below shows the main specifications of LCD TFT monitors.

Diagonal measurement (visible screen size)	15", 17", 19", 20", 22", 24", 26"
Native screen resolution	1280x1024 pixels , 1680x1050 pixels, etc.
Contrast ratio	500:1, 800:1, 1000:1, etc. (the higher the better)
Brightness	250 cd/m2, 300 cd/m2, etc.
Aspect ratio	4:3 or 5:4 (standard square screens), 16:9 or 16:10 (widescreens)
Pixel response time/latency	25ms, 16ms, 12ms, 8ms, 4ms, 2ms
Colours	16 million, etc.
Horizontal/vertical viewing angles	160°/160° [Means that the screen can be viewed horizontally and vertically from angles of 160° to the screen without significant distortion of the image]
Connectivity/supported connections	VGA D-sub, DVI, audio-in, TV tuner, remote control

Details of those specifications and other information are provided on the Monitors section of this site.

PC sound and sound cards

In order to hear the soundtrack of a DVD movie or to hear a PC game's sound effects as they should be heard requires a 5.1 speaker system. However, if you're not interested in using your desktop PC for watching DVD movies or for playing PC games, all you need is a PC with a pair of quality 2.1 stereo speakers.

Many desktop PC come with the sound chip integrated on the PC's motherboard. This solution can be used to play music to an acceptable standard if the PC comes with a set of quality stereo speakers. However, if you demand high-quality sound reproduction, or if you want to use a microphone, you'll have to buy a PC that has a dedicated sound card.

For more information on PC sound, read the Sound section of this site.

USB, FireWire, and memory card readers

Most devices, such as printers, keyboards, mice, memory sticks, etc., are connected to a desktop PC via USB ports, so the more of them a PC provides, the better. If you make use of a USB memory stick, it is handy to have USB ports provided at the front of the PC case, otherwise you'll either have to plug it into the back of the case, which is usually hidden out of the way, or make use of a USB hub that has an extension cable. It connects to one USB port (probably at the back of the case) and provides four or more USB ports.

FireWire ports are used for devices such as external hard disk drives, external DVD writers, and digital video (DV) cameras. You can usually connect external disk drives to a USB port as well, but you can't use a USB port instead of a FireWire port for a digital video camera (camcorder), so, if you have one, make sure that the PC has a FireWire port.

Read the USB/FireWire section of this site for more information on those standards for serial PC peripheral devices.

If you have a digital camera and you want to transfer your digital photos to your PC in order to save them to recordable DVDs, you should make sure that any PC you buy has a memory card reader that supports the type of memory card that your digital camera uses.

The operating system (Windows XP/Vista), bundled software, and trial software

Most new desktop and laptop PCs currently come with Windows Vista Home Premium edition pre-installed. A Recovery DVD is usually used to recover the system to the state it was in when it left the factory. However, if you pay extra, the manufacturer can probably provide you with a Windows Vista installation CD.

You should be aware that budget desktop and laptop PCs can come with Windows Vista Home Basic version, which can run on low-specification computers that have only 512MB of RAM memory.

Many desktop PC purchased new come bundled with software packages. A common bundled package is Microsoft Works, which, at the time of writing (February, 2008) was at version 9. Note that MS Works 2006 contains Word 2002 (not Word 2003). Other common packages are Digital Image Standard, Money for personal finances, AutoRoute Essentials, and the Encarta encyclopaedia. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to look for information on any of the packages.

Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and plain junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably.

When first booting a new Gateway laptop, which came preloaded with Windows Vista, it not only took an age to load, but produced at least six trial-ware notices and buy-now windows. There were three different anti-virus software trial running on the machine, one of which was Norton Anti-Virus that screws a system up more often than not.

Windows, its device drivers, and a free lightweight anti-virus scanner and an office application is all you need on a brand new machine. You don’t need a third-party HP/Gateway utility to manage wireless connections, because Windows Vista You don't need Google Desktop, which indexes everything in the data files on the machine, and you don't need Vista’s sidebar.

Most people with the technical know-how who have purchased a PC usually remove all of the unnecessary software, or delete all of the partitions on the hard disk drive and the perform a clean installation of Windows.

Having as much trial software as possible installed reduces the cost of the computer, but at the expense of performance. Indeed, most brand-name PCs come with so much junk installed on them that Windows Vista is somewhat unjustifiably getting a reputation for being slow. Vista is slower than Windows XP, but it is not significantly slower.

For information on Windows Vista, visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site.

For information on Windows and software in general, visit the Software section of this site.

TV tuners

Some desktop PCs come with an internal PCI TV tuner card or an external USB TV tuner. All Media Center PCs come with a TV tuner, because they are media centres that provide television, etc.

If your PC doesn't come with a TV tuner, you can always buy and install one yourself.

You can also use a TV tuner to capture video from a camcorder, or capture VHS video and convert it to a DVD format. Read: USB TV Tuners/PCI Tuner cards: What is the easiest and cheapest way to copy VHS video tapes to DVDs?

Click here! to go to the information on TV tuners on this site.

Upgrade checklists

Visit the Upgrade Checklists pages on this site for checklists and useful information that cover upgrading the main components of desktop PCs of various ages.

Printers, keyboards, and mice

Click here! if you want to read some very useful information on printers, keyboards, and mice.

Build your own desktop PC

Once you have an understanding of all of the aspects of personal computers, there should be no reason why you could not build your own computer.

A step-by-step guide on how you can build your own PC can be found by clicking Build a PC.

Click here! if you are looking for information on dial-up modems.

In my opinion, my guide is better than most of the other guides I have come across, because it leaves no stone unturned, whereas most of the other guides tend to leave out many of the finer details, obviously out of an erroneous assumption that the reader already possesses that knowledge. An all-too-easy thing to do if you have been involved in building computers for many years, as most of these writers have.

COMPUTER SECURITY

For PC security information, visit the main Security section of this site, or make use of the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages to search for references to specific information on, say, viruses, firewalls, etc.