Insider Secrets for PC Buyers

52 smart tips for getting exactly the right machine at a price you'll like.

Laurianne McLaughlin

Before you buy a car, you probably talk to your trusted mechanic about which models are really reliable. If you're planning to invest, it's great to have a friend working in the stock market who will help you find some winners. At PC World, we may not be able to help you choose an SUV or a blue-chip stock, but if there's one thing we do have the inside scoop on, it's computers.

In this guide we give you the latest information, as well as the top tips you need to make your next PC purchase perfect. We tell you which specs to seek out and which to ignore. We give you advice on how to save money without getting a chintzy PC. And we help you avoid problems with shopping, warranties, and returns.

Hardware

From processors and storage to graphics cards and LCD monitors, here's the inside information you need to know.

CPUs & RAM: Memory Matters

Hyperthreading Hype: Sales reps may pitch you on the multitasking virtues of hyperthreading, a technology found in the newest Pentium 4 chips. But PC World tests indicate that you won't see significant benefits from hyperthreading in many current applications. It may even slow down performance in some instances. Intel says, however, that you may see more of hyperthreading's advantages with future apps.

Count Your Cache: Get as much Level 2 cache on the processor as possible; the CPU uses it to store bits of frequently used data. A large cache helps you gain the fastest response from programs. AMD's top Athlon XP CPU and Intel's top Pentium 4 chips have 512KB. (For more information on AMD's newest chip, code-named Barton, see "AMD's Latest Is a Winner.")

MHz vs. Memory: Systems equipped with the top Intel and AMD processors produce similar performance scores on tests using common PC applications, but the type of memory makes a big difference. For top power from a Pentium 4 system, be sure to look for PC1066 RDRAM (Rambus memory). In systems with high-end AMD Athlon XP chips, choose 333-MHz DDR SDRAM. Fast memory is worth the money if you want every bit of speed you can get in everyday applications, or if your work involves demanding tasks such as image editing or video playback.

Coordinate Speed: Make sure that the motherboard in your system supports the main memory's top speed. For example, older motherboards may not support 333-MHz DDR SDRAM. This isn't an issue if you go with a top PC maker; but if you buy a budget or generic system, it may be.

Hard Drive: Focus on RPM and Cache

Speed Check: For top performance, pick a hard drive with a rotational speed of 7200 rpm, instead of one rated at 5400 rpm. Visit the drive maker's Web site if the PC vendor's list of components doesn't specify the speed.

Cache In: The hard drive's buffer size deserves scrutiny. Because the data you'll want next usually follows the data you just asked for, hard drives gather more data than requested and store the extra amount in a buffer. This prepares the data for transfer to RAM without the PC's having to read the disk if data in the buffer is indeed requested next. An 8MB buffer will improve performance over a standard 2MB buffer.

Ignore Both Serial ATA and ATA/133: If you're a typical user buying a power system that contains one hard drive, a Serial ATA hard drive is no big deal: It's just easier to fit in some PC cases because it uses smaller cables. Likewise, you won't perceive a difference between an ATA drive with a 133-MHz interface (ATA/133) and one with a 100-MHz interface (ATA/100), because a single hard drive isn't fast enough to take advantage of the extra bandwidth. For more on this topic, see "The Whole Drive Guide."

Double Up: For optimum hard-drive speed, consider a power system with RAID-configured hard drives. Using a technique called striping--a RAID "Level 0" hard drive setup that includes a controller card and two drives--can supercharge system performance on tasks like file copying and image editing. Vendors like Falcon Northwest and Alienware now pop these into gaming PCs.

Money Saver: Pick the second- or third-biggest hard drive. You'll land the sweetest deal by avoiding the top choice.

Is An 80GB Hard Drive Big Enough?

Type & Design: PC Choices

Possible Notebook Pitfall: Several computer makers--particularly those that sell in retail stores--put desktop CPUs into notebooks. These chips run fast, but they're also hot and noisy, burning more power and requiring bulkier cases than do mobile CPUs. Notebooks with desktop chips work fine if you stick mostly to your desk. Otherwise, wait for cooler notebooks with thinner cases; they should arrive soon, incorporating Intel Centrino technology (formerly code-named Banias). Centrino includes Intel's Pentium M processor, its 855 chip sets, and its Pro/Wireless Network Connection.

Quieter PCs: If you're in the market for a desktop PC, why should you choose a big-name vendor? Because you can hear the difference. Companies like Dell and Gateway put a lot of engineering into their tower cases--including quiet cooling systems and plastic and rubber drive rails that prevent components from vibrating. (For details, see the Tech Trend section in our latest Top 15 Desktop PCs article.) Smaller PC companies don't focus on maintaining quiet like this.

All-in-One-PC Warning: Systems such as Sony's VAIO W series pack the hardware onto the back of a 15.3-inch LCD, so they look sleek and save desk space. But what you see is what you get for graphics power: Almost all such models use integrated graphics on the motherboard, forgoing the AGP slot necessary for upgrading to a swankier card. If you do opt for integrated graphics, consider purchasing a PC that has dedicated graphics memory; PCs that rely on main memory run graphics slower and also have sluggish overall system performance.

Cosmetic Surgery: Unusual tower cases (often for gaming systems) have funky colors or Plexiglas panels that show off the desktop PC's innards. Such features usually appear in top-of-the-line systems that carry a $100 to $400 premium for their fashion-forward design. For an alternative, check out upgrade kits from online shops like PC Case Gear that let you enhance the look of a bargain desktop PC.

Buying Decisions: What Type of PC Is Right for You?

Monitor: CRT for Graphics

Specs to Ignore: Vendors measure dot pitch in one way for CRTs and in other ways for various types of LCDs, so you often can't make useful comparisons. Specifications for luminance, stripe pitch, and contrast ratio don't match up for precise evaluation, either.

Reality Check: Even the best 19-inch LCDs can't match the color richness and spectrum of the best CRTs. Graphics pros should stick with CRTs. If you're a text person, you'll like the sharpness of LCDs.

Wider Is Better: You want as wide an LCD viewing angle as possible. For example, NEC's 17-inch LCDs with XtraView Technology offer a viewing angle of 160 degrees; a perfectly flat viewing angle would be 180 degrees. This matters if you gather people around the LCD. But because there's no industry standard, vendors measure LCD viewing angle differently. So use this spec to compare models within a company's line, not products from multiple vendors.

Digital-to-Digital Connections: Most LCDs provide both analog and digital (DVI) interfaces, because some graphics boards still don't include DVI ports. For best LCD quality, get a graphics card with DVI-out talking to a digital LCD. That way, you won't lose image nuances that can disappear in analog conversion.

Rapid Response: Check the LCD's rated response time: Faster is better for video and motion. (If the PC configuration does not list this spec for the LCD, consult the display maker's Web site.) A rating of 25 milliseconds or less is best. LCDs with 16-ms response rates, new to the market, are not worth the extra money, because you probably won't perceive the small improvement when watching movies or playing games. A traditional CRT monitor beats any LCD for smooth, fast game action--which is one reason gamers shy away from LCDs.

Graphics: DirectX 9 Delivers

Top Guns: If you want the best graphics, look for a card that offers hardware (instead of software) support for DirectX 9--Microsoft's latest application programming interface. Hardware support helps the card achieve the best speed, lighting effects, and textures.

Match Game: To see the truly smokin' side of a graphics card, you'll want the speed and large cache of a top PC CPU. Don't combine a high-end graphics card, such as ATI's Radeon 9700 Pro, with a sub-1.8-GHz processor.

DDR Memory Scores: If you play PC games or watch video clips over the Web, look for a card with DDR memory; it has a fast pipeline that allows it to communicate with the computer quickly. Some low-end graphics cards still use SDR SDRAM.

Optical Storage: Better Buy Two

Double Dip: Having two optical drives permits the most convenient copying, because you avoid copying large chunks of data to the hard drive. So get both a CD-RW drive and a rewritable DVD drive when you buy a PC. Plus, it's cheaper overall to buy these drives in a system than afterward: You'll save as much as $200, depending on the models.

Avoid Driver Hell: Need another reason to buy optical drives up front? The PC maker is responsible for ensuring that all the software drivers work. It's certainly no small undertaking to install these drives after the fact, download the driver updates, and make sure everything works together.

The Software Angle: Ultimately, your machine's video editing speed with a DVD-RW drive may depend more on the software you use than on the speed of the drive. That's because not all video-editing programs use the same compression technique. Look for a top-notch application like Adobe's Premiere ($500) if you need real speed.

Rewritable Drives: DVD Demystified

Sound System: Look Beyond Watts

DVD Support: If you want to play DVD-Audio discs (whose fidelity exceeds the quality of standard CDs), you need a sound card that supports two channels of 24-bit/192-kHz audio or six channels in 24 bits/96 kHz. If the PC configuration list doesn't identify this spec of the sound card, check the card maker's Web site. Some older cards, such as early models in Creative Labs' Sound Blaster Audigy line, have only partial support.

Ignore Cumulative Wattage Ratings: The specs for some speaker bundles add the combined wattage of each speaker and the subwoofer, but you can't accurately compare these ratings among vendors. On top of that, the ratings don't say much about the quality of the audio you'll hear. Do confirm that the subwoofer has 100 to 150 watts by itself.

Cheap Is Cheap: The basic speakers bundled with most PCs sound lousy. Either upgrade for an extra cost of $70 to $90 or shop around online for better speakers.

Surround Sound Decoded: Get a sound card and speaker setup that supports 5.1 or 6.1 surround sound. (The 5.1 spec refers to the number of speakers plus the subwoofer; 6.1 adds a rear-channel effect that you'll notice during movies.) Don't buy more than you need. If you don't have the space to position rear-channel speakers behind you, don't waste money on a high-end, 7.1 multispeaker setup.

Reality Check: Serious audiophiles and gamers will want to see and hear speakers and subwoofers in person in order to judge their quality and heft. If possible, test them by playing music you know.

Wire Hazard: Stringing thin speaker wires all over a room to maximize surround sound can look ugly or tempt pets. Headphones fix the problem.

Bundled Software: Suite Prices

To Office or Not to Office: Is it cheaper to purchase Microsoft Office with the PC or to buy it separately? Buying it with the PC usually saves money. Office XP Professional runs $300 to $380 with either Dell Dimension or Gateway 700X desktops, for example, but alone costs $500 from Computers4Sure.com.

Money Saver: If you use only Word and Excel, and don't need the fancy features of these applications, check out Microsoft Works Suite 2003, bundled in many budget PCs and available for $70 to $100 by itself. (Works' Word and spreadsheet programs are compatible with their Office counterparts, though you must be careful to choose the.doc and.xls formats, and you won't have access to some advanced functions.) Or consider Office XP Small Business Edition (usually $129 to $199), which is sold only with new PCs and lacks PowerPoint. Alternatively, some vendors bundle a basic version of Corel's WordPerfect suite with budget PCs.

Do It Yourself: For other applications you may be eyeing for your new PC--say, the latest version of Adobe Photoshop--a preinstalled app from the PC vendor usually won't be the least-expensive option. You'll find better deals by comparison shopping online.

Update Pronto: Be on the lookout for updates to your bundled software as soon as you get your PC. The discs from which the programs were loaded may be months old. Visit the software company's site and download patches to avoid bugs and security holes.

Shopping

The lowdown on retail and Web shopping: Get the most out of a warranty and know what to do when something goes wrong.

Where to Buy: Retail, Online, or Both?

Retail vs. Online: Retail shopping has its advantages: the comfort of being able to drive the PC back to the store and deal with a human in case of trouble; the chance to touch and feel the machine before buying; and walking out the door with a PC right away. But you won't find rock-bottom prices at retail chains. Computer customization options are also more limited at retail stores.

Best of Both Worlds: If you like the comfort of a physical store but prefer to compare systems on the Internet, a hybrid shopping approach may be perfect for you. This method lets you order a system online and then pick it up at the store (Circuit City offers this option, for example). You avoid shipping costs this way, but you still pay applicable sales tax. Or choose a seller like Best Buy, which lets you purchase the system online and receive it by mail, but return or exchange the PC in the store.

Before You Buy: Read all the fine print on the retailer's site before hybrid-shopping. Store policies vary. At CompUSA.com, you can't return any clearance item to the retail store. Also, you have only 14 days during which to return or exchange; and you can get hit with a 15 percent restocking fee on any opened item, unless it's defective.

Parts Pitfall: Confirming exactly what's inside a PC can be tricky or impossible at a retail store or bargain-basement online store. Always take the list of the PC's specs and carefully research the parts online. Be especially cautious with parts like graphics cards: A midrange card and a bottom-of-the-line version can have very similar names. Check the component maker's Web site to make sure you don't get stuck with a less powerful or older version.

Generic PC: Deals Galore

Think Cheaply, Shop Locally: A local store is the smartest place to buy a white-box computer--a no-name, built-to-order system. Buying a PC from independent retailers also gives you access to store owners, many of whom have earned a reputation for being responsive to users' questions or complaints. Web shops--including some listed through Amazon, EBay, and Yahoo--sell generic PCs, too, but many of them mix new and refurbished items, and use enough bad grammar to make anyone nervous.

Check the Power Supply: Beware of cheap power supplies: A bad power supply can wreak havoc on your PC. Local stores may be more inclined than others to skimp on this component. Get one that generates 350 or 400 watts of power; anything less than that could cause problems. For more on this topic, see Hardware Tips.

Beware of Switcheroos: If you're at all suspicious, ask the store to open the PC and prove it contains the parts you ordered before you take the machine home. A store might try to substitute one brand of hard drive for another.

Choose Name Brands: Brand-name motherboards (like models from Intel, Asus, or Abit) and memory modules (such as ones from Crucial or Kingston) last longer and have fewer problems than their no-name counterparts.

Quiz: Should I Buy a Generic PC?

Warranty: Easy to Void

How to Kill Your Warranty: If you reformat your PC's hard drive or bring the computer to a local store for repairs, you can void your system's warranty. Read the details in the warranty agreement before you buy the system.

No Transfers: Many computer warranties don't transfer from one PC owner (who originally registered the machine with the manufacturer) to another. This is a good reason to purchase a new system instead of a second-hand one. However, some PC companies, including Dell, will allow you to transfer the warranty over to a new owner if you pass the machine on to another user. The company will also let the new owner buy an extended warranty if the standard warranty is still valid but is about to run out.

Extended Warranties: These are being pushed harder than ever. Heck, you'll even be offered a $70 extended warranty from Kemper Insurance if you buy a PC through a Yahoo Shopping site. (The fine print on that one will make you dizzy.) Only in a few special cases (for example, with delicately built portable devices like notebooks) do extended warranties make sense. Of course, if the PC maker offers a promotional deal on extended warranties, the peace of mind may be worth the money.

Disappearing Acts: Be especially skeptical of extended warranties from small PC companies. Many of them went out of business in 2002, and more will in 2003. If a company goes belly-up, you'll be stuck with a useless extended warranty and no hope of getting a refund--or worse, no service.

Returns: Money Back or Bust

The "Defective Clause": Many companies will do almost anything to avoid returns for refunds. The safest thing to do is to find a vendor that offers a money-back guarantee and no restocking fee. Make sure you understand the return policy's "defective clause"--what happens if you want money back because the product doesn't work as promised. For example, certain stores will only exchange the defective unit for a replacement.

Refurbs as Replacements: Most PC companies provide refurbished parts as replacements. That means you can buy a new PC and be given a refurbished part in place of a defective component. The other option? Buy a PC from a mom-and-pop store that may provide new parts, but ask before you buy.

Compare Deadlines: Return time frames vary more than you might guess. Suppose, for example, that you order a cheap PC from a warehouse club's Web site. Costco.com lets you return computers for up to six months, while Samsclub.com requires you to return PCs within 15 days.

Check the Exceptions: Web sites that sell many computer brands have varying return policies for different vendors. For example, CDW states that due to manufacturer policies, returned Apple, Compaq, HP, and IBM PCs are accepted for repair only--you can't get a credit or an exchange.

Not-So-Special Delivery: If you order a system and the box arrives looking damaged or roughly handled, refuse the delivery. (The shipper will have to return the package to the PC maker, and the PC maker will have to send you a new one.) Then follow up with the PC vendor to ensure that it knows you refused delivery. Don't just accept the box and figure you'll return it if something goes wrong. You'll likely get stuck with refurbished parts under most warranties.

Set Up Smart: Most of us set up our new computers rapidly, ripping open a plethora of unlabeled little bags and boxes. If you lose any pieces (such as cables, manuals, or discs), you must pay a higher restocking fee or put up with a hassle if you return the machine. Consider labeling the bags with sticky notes as you open them. If you're left with an empty bag at return time, you'll know what to search for in your office.

Laurianne McLaughlin is a freelance writer in Massachusetts. Click here for additional buying guides.

Support Policies: Waning Warranties