Buy the Best Stuff
We share 41 timely tips for choosing the right computers and peripherals right now.
It's part of working at
PC World: Whenever relatives, friends, or
friends-of-friends are in the market for PC hardware, they call us for advice.
Rarely can we instantly recommend one perfect product, though. Instead, we ask
what they want to get out of their new PC, monitor, or peripheral. Then we tell
them which features are critical for meeting their needs, and which ones they
can skip to save some money. We also point them toward places or Web sites
where they can find the best deals. The right product isn't always one of our
Best Buys. We choose chart toppers based on a mix of performance, price,
features, and service that best represents what the average buyer is looking
for. But when we talk to people, we invariably discover that each person has
slightly different preferences.
We can't provide a one-on-one consultation for each of our 6 million readers, but this article is the next best thing. Here, the PC World Reviews editors and Test Center analysts, who track the latest developments in hardware month after month, tell you the 41 most important things you should know before buying a desktop system, notebook PC, monitor, graphics card, or optical drive. These tips, together with the information in our monthly Top 100 product charts, should sufficiently prepare anyone to make the right buying decisions--but we still expect to get telephone calls from our mothers.
The Perfect PC
Alan Stafford, senior editor
PCs are getting to be like automobiles. At some point, everyone must trade in an old clunker for a zippy new model. Like car salespeople, some PC vendors will say anything to close a deal: "You shouldn't buy anything smaller than a 100GB hard drive." Yeah, I need room for at least 2500 music CDs. "Buy now before we run out." More like, buy now so we can make room for faster, cheaper systems. We can't change how salespeople talk, but we can share a few shopping secrets.
>>TIP Home PCs differ from business PCs--usually. Home PCs typically offer the hottest new hardware and include applications that appeal to families, such as games. And they tend to have no-haggle prices; you probably can't negotiate. Business computers, such as HP's Vectra, Dell's OptiPlex, and Compaq's Evo, typically offer components that aren't cutting edge but are known for reliability and backward compatibility with older systems. Vendors often include software that allows an IT department to install applications and diagnose problems over a network. If you buy these PCs in bulk, you can probably negotiate a discount, but you may pay a premium for just one.
Some systems straddle the fence between home and business use. Dell's Dimension line, for instance, offers configurations and software suitable for either small-office or home users. Poking around a manufacturer's Web site can reveal deals on such PCs: For example, you may sometimes be able to get a PC for your home less expensively if you buy it from the small-office section of the site.
>>TIP Buy a system, not a processor. We won't--and can't--recommend a PC based solely on its CPU. While machines using AMD Athlon XP processors typically score higher on PC WorldBench 4 than systems with Pentium 4 processors, few vendors allow you to choose one CPU make or the other, and most name-brand vendors (notably, Dell, Gateway, and IBM) don't sell Athlon systems at all. Shop for a computer as you would shop for a car: Base your decision not only on top speed, but also on price, the overall mix of components, service options, and the manufacturer's reliability record.
>>TIP Clip coupons. You can trim up to several hundred dollars (but more typically, about $50) by applying a virtual online coupon. Web sites such as Dealnews track these coupons; you can usually add them on top of other offers. OfficeMax.com and OfficeDepot.com also provide coupons for PCs and peripherals, and you may find more by entering a term such as "HP coupon" in your favorite search engine.
>>TIP Spend 10 percent more on some components, 10 percent less on others. Sometimes you get more than your money's worth. When we shopped, stepping up from Gateway's standard 17-inch shadow-mask CRT monitor to a flat-screen 17-inch Diamondtron model cost $80 extra. That's a very reasonable premium for a product you'll stare at every day. But for RAM, we found it cheaper to do the upgrade ourselves. Gateway charged $180 more for a 700SE system with 512MB of RAM instead of 256MB. We found several third-party vendors selling the extra RAM for less than $100.
>>TIP The total cost of a new system may include the price of compatible new peripherals. Though you can order some business PCs with older operating systems, most new models come with Windows XP--and many older peripherals may lack drivers that work with the new OS. Find out ahead of time whether your older printer, scanner, or other peripheral will survive the upgrade by checking its manufacturer's Web site for XP-compatible drivers. --Ulrike Diehlmann, Test Center director
A Superior Screen
Kalpana Narayanamurthi, associate editor
Should you get an oh-so-sleek LCD or a regular old CRT monitor? You can find a 15-inch LCD for as little as $350--about the same as a 19-inch CRT of comparable quality. So which one is the better buy?
The answer depends on how you use your monitor. CRTs have faster refresh rates that are better for displaying rapid motion, as in games. But bright, flicker-free LCDs usually display text better, and they save both power and desk space. Whichever type of monitor you prefer, keep the following tips in mind.
>>TIP Pricier CRTs are often worth it. Shadow-mask displays, in which a screen with tiny holes keeps errant electrons from hitting the wrong color dot, are usually cheaper than aperture-grille monitors that use vertically aligned wires. But in our tests, aperture-grille models tend to display brighter, richer colors. Regardless of tube type, you'll get better image quality from a more-expensive, flat-faced CRT because it reduces glare and tends to render images more accurately. You'll also pay more for a monitor that has convergence rings hand-tuned by skilled technicians, rather than adjusted by machine.
>>TIP Trust your eyes, not specs like dot pitch. In theory, the lower a CRT's dot pitch, or the distance from one phosphor dot to the closest dot of the same color, the sharper the image it renders. But there are two ways to measure dot pitch for shadow-mask tubes, and yet another method for aperture-grille monitors. Rather than wrestle with these numbers, judge image quality with your own eyes. To best gauge sharpness, look at a screen of text, rather than colorful graphics.
>>TIP Pricier LCDs are often worth it. Some expensive models use complex pixel technologies, such as multidomain vertical alignment, to minimize distortion when the screen is viewed at an angle. Cheaper models frequently use only a less-effective light-diffusing film. Other features that add cost include a screen that can turn from landscape to portrait orientation; USB ports; and stands that allow you to adjust the height of the screen.
>>TIP Digital-input LCDs offer better image quality. You'll get the best quality with a graphics card that sends digital images directly to an LCD. Digital (or DVI) outputs are rare on older cards, but quite common on newer models. Buy a digital-ready LCD even if your current PC does not have a DVI port--your next system (or graphics card upgrade) probably will.
>>TIP Get the right controls. Every monitor has brightness and contrast controls, but usually only higher-end models provide other key adjustments. Look for CRTs with convergence and moiré controls. For LCDs, all you really need is an auto-adjust button. Messing around with more-complex settings--such as phase control--can do more harm than good. --Jeff Kuta, senior performance analyst
The Graphics Game
Alexandra Krasne, associate editor
Every six months or so, graphics chip vendors release new products that promise higher frame rates, better image quality, and all sorts of new special effects. But not everyone needs the latest gee-whiz features. And even dedicated gamers will find that some features are worth more than others. Before you upgrade, follow these pointers.
>>TIP Know what you have: card, integrated, or NForce graphics. Graphics cards with dedicated memory for storing 3D images offer the best performance. By contrast, budget PCs often integrate a low-performance graphics engine onto the motherboard--usually in the PC's main chip set--and they typically borrow a few megabytes of RAM from the computer's main memory. These systems are not suitable for playing any but the simplest games, and they often don't provide AGP slots for upgrade cards. However, "integrated graphics" doesn't always mean "low-end": For example, NVidia's NForce system chip set, available in Athlon-based PCs from vendors including Compaq and MicronPC, has a not-so-shabby integrated GeForce2 MX processor, and it's often paired with 32MB of dedicated memory.
>>TIP Don't spend a lot if you aren't a game fanatic. For business tasks such as e-mail and spreadsheet work, any graphics system--even a low-end integrated one--will do. If you're a casual gamer, a budget board--for example, one with a chip from NVidia's GeForce4 MX or ATI's Radeon 7500 lines--will perform well with current games.
>>TIP Cards that have the same graphics chip offer about the same performance. You can't buy a graphics board from NVidia, but you can buy cards from several companies that use the same NVidia graphics chip and reference design. ATI makes graphics chips for both its own and other companies' cards. Once you decide on a graphics chip, you won't see big performance differences from one card to the next, so base your decision on price, support policies, and features such as digital outputs.
>>TIP Graphics cards are always ahead of the game(s). New technologies appear in the cards first; the games come later. For example, cards supporting Microsoft's DirectX 8 programming interface appeared in early 2001, but the first major games to fully utilize its enhanced rendering effects are just now appearing. However, you aren't necessarily throwing your money away by purchasing the latest graphics card--it will likely provide smoother play not only with upcoming games but also with older titles.
>>TIP Upgrade to DDR RAM cards. Faster graphics memory will yield higher frame rates and smoother game play at higher resolutions. If your current board uses SDRAM, you'll get a considerable boost by upgrading to a new card that has DDR RAM. New boards (such as cards that are based on NVidia's GeForce4 line) typically come with DDR RAM, but older SDRAM cards may still be on the market. The amount of memory is less important: Even new budget cards have plenty. --Elliott Kirschling, senior performance analyst
The Superb CD-RW
Melissa J. Perenson, associate editor
Maximum CD-R write speeds have increased by more than 100 percent in the past year. A new CD-RW drive will definitely boost performance--but perhaps not as much as the specs indicate. And upgrades may involve hidden costs.
>>TIP You can add a cutting-edge CD-RW drive to your older PC. Plextor, for example, says that its top-end 40/12/40A upgrade kit will work in systems as old as a 300-MHz Pentium II PC.
>>TIP Faster is better--up to a point. You can save $20 to $40--and lose only 20 to 40 seconds burning a 650MB disc--if you buy a 24X/10X/40X or a 32X/10X/40X model instead of a top-of-the-line 40X drive. The drive reaches its maximum speed only when writing to the outer portion of the disc, because CD-RW drive lasers start near the center of the disc and work their way toward the outer edge, increasing the write speed as they go.
>>TIP Buy the software, get the drive for (almost) free. If you're upgrading your operating system, you may also want to upgrade your drive. Roxio's Easy CD Creator 4.x, for example, won't work with Windows XP, and the price of a new drive with the basic (but more than adequate) edition of Creator 5.1 is only about $40 or $50 more than the full-featured Creator 5.1 Platinum software by itself.
>>TIP External drives are only as fast as the interface. If you choose an external drive for its portability, buy one with a USB 2.0 interface. You'll also need a USB 2.0 add-in card if your PC doesn't have the port (very few currently do). You can run a USB 2.0 drive from a USB 1.1 port, but our tests show that write speeds won't get beyond about 4X, regardless of the drive's rated maximum speed. --Thomas Luong, performance analyst
>>TIP Buy brand-name CD media. Poorly manufactured discs can take longer to write and sometimes fail to record data accurately. Be sure to use media rated for your drive's maximum speeds, too.
Pick the Right Portable
Carla Thornton, contributing editor
It's tough choosing a notebook PC these days because you have so many options. Short on cash? Even $999 machines have 12.1-inch screens, 20GB hard drives, and built-in floppy and CD-ROM drives. Spend twice that amount, and you'll find a notebook packed with a 1.2-GHz Pentium III-M CPU, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive, a 15.1-inch screen, and a 30GB hard drive. Even the top-end models--such as 1-inch-thin, 3-pound ultraportables--shouldn't cost over $3200. In any event, you can get more for your money today, no matter what. Here are tips for getting the most.
>>TIP You don't need the latest Intel processor. Unless it has other features you want, don't spend the extra cash on a laptop with a brand-new Pentium 4 chip. Our PC WorldBench 4 tests show that 1.7-GHz P4 notebooks perform no better than models with a 1.2-GHz Pentium III-M chip. You can save an additional $200 or $300--and get at least 90 percent of the performance of a Pentium 4 processor--by opting for a 900-MHz or 866-MHz Pentium III-M CPU. --Tony K. Leung, performance analyst
>>TIP Wireless is a good investment. If you want a wireless laptop, buy one with a built-in antenna and receiver, instead of relying on an easy-to-lose $100 PC Card. The 802.11b wireless standard will be around for a while, so you don't have to worry about obsolescence. Just be aware that it will be another year or two before you find many public places where you can surf wirelessly.
>>TIP You'll pay a premium for a gaming machine. In general, only portables costing $1700 and up have the 32MB or 64MB of graphics memory and the sophisticated graphics processors, like NVidia's Geforce2 Go and S3's SuperSavage, that you'll need for smooth play and high color in 3D games. And notebooks still lag desktops in game performance.
>>TIP RAM upgrades have less kick than they used to. When most laptops came with 64MB of main memory, doubling RAM was a surefire way to boost performance by a respectable 10 percent. Now that most come with at least 128MB, doubling RAM typically gets you only a 2 to 5 percent speed increase, and it will cost an extra $50 to $150.
>>TIP Big hard drives are one of the best deals going. If you're buying a new notebook today, every additional 10GB of storage costs about another $60--not a bad price for enough extra space to store over 10,000 high-resolution digital photos or two dozen huge applications. But notebook hard drives top out at 60GB, versus the current 160GB maximum in desktop drives.
Features Comparison: Should You Buy New or Upgrade?
Is it better to buy new components for an old desktop PC or to replace the whole system? That depends on how much you want to change. >>TIP If the total cost of upgrades is over 40 percent of the price of a new PC with everything you need (including expandability), you're probably better off buying a new system--with a fresh warranty. But before you upgrade even one part, make sure it will provide the full benefit in your current PC. >>TIP Some components add functionality independently of overall system performance. CD-RW drives, for example, should run the same in both newer and older systems. >>TIP A new graphics board, however, may not provide better game play if paired with an old CPU. >>TIP And if you need a new processor (which generally entails a new motherboard), it's probably time for a new system.
Features Comparison: Should You Buy New or Upgrade? (chart)
| Check each item you want to replace | Rule-of-thumb upgrade requirements |
| Functionality enhancement | |
| Monitor | Any PC built in the past five years can power even the largest monitors. |
| CD-RW drive | A 300-MHz or faster CPU, an available 5.25-inch externally accessible drive bay, an IDE connector, and a power connector. |
| Hard drive | An available 3.5-inch or 5.25-inch bay (the latter requires special mounting brackets) and an IDE connection. |
| Performance enhancement | |
| Graphics board | At least a 2X AGP slot (not available in most systems with integrated graphics). |
| RAM | An available DIMM socket. |
Save on the Processor
>>TIP To get the best value when you buy a desktop
PC, look at the top-of-the-line model (or the one with the fastest CPU), and
then go about two models cheaper. Add memory to the cheaper model and add hard
drive capacity to match that of the top-of-the-line machine. And if you're
buying a new monitor, remember that you'll probably use it with your next PC,
so you might want to spend a little more for a higher-end display--if you can
get a good deal.
--Matt Carlson, science teacher, Brookline, Massachusetts
More Tips
>>TIP Need more storage? Most systems can accommodate a second hard drive that you can easily install on your own. >>TIP Windows XP Professional has built-in support for wireless networks. >>TIP Most monitors' integrated speakers sound tinny. >>TIP Graphics card drivers are notoriously buggy and often updated. Check the manufacturer's Web site for new versions.
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