Last week I talked about the different components that make up a computer. This week’s post will hopefully help you decide what you need from these components, and how to judge pricing accordingly.

What do you use your computer for?

I’ll start by saying the Dell commercials are a little misleading. Saying that you use your computer for photos does not tell you what you need in a computer. In today’s market, I would recommend a dual core processor with speed of at least 2.0 GHz. This will provide great processing for almost everyone and the technology is not outdated. A quad core is only necessary for the most advanced computer users who run video games and other intensive programs.

As I said last week, 2 GB of RAM is suitable for most and will sufficiently run Windows Vista. With websites like Dell and HP, it should cost about $50 per GB to upgrade. I also explained picking the standard hard drive. Most packages will include a 200 GB or similar hard drive. The amount of space a hard drive holds has increased so dramatically in the past few years that the average computer user would have a difficult time filling it. It should cost between $50 and $100 to upgrade this by 100 GB or more.

The price of video cards is hard to judge. Normally, I suggest just buying the integrated one. If you want to run dual monitors, I suggest buying the first step up for about $40. If you want to edit video or play video games, definitely consider upgrading further. If you choose a more expensive option when building the computer you can expect to pay more than if you bought it separately and installed it yourself. However, it is less work for you.

A great way to save money is through internet coupon codes. Doing a Google search for coupon codes and the brand of computer you are looking at purchasing can help you save 10% or more. Patience when waiting for bargains can help you get an incredible deal on an impressive computer.

As a general rule, if you are looking for the cheapest new/refurbished computer you can, expect to pay around $300 without a monitor. Anything under $600 with a monitor is low-end, but should work fine if you are not a heavy computer user. For $800 you can purchase a quality computer with a monitor. Higher-end computers run about $1500 and the most tricked out computers can run around $4000.