We have had several locals ask us this week what they should look for in a new PC. Is it pent-up demand after a year of hanging out at home? Is it pre-planning for back-to-school? Is it the regular paycheck again and can finally afford to replace your old Windows 7 machine? Whichever it is, here is what we recommend.

(If you’re looking for a new Mac, check out this article for Chris’ advice: https://geekforhireinc.com/ new-apple-computer/)

You’ve got several decisions to make.

Laptop or desktop: Being in the mountains makes us lean towards laptops over desktops. That way, if you need to evacuate during fire season, you can just toss it in your laundry basket and head out to your vehicle. If you do prefer to have a computer on your desk, you can always get an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. That will work just like a desktop. (That’s what I do.)

Touchscreen: We find that touchscreens add extra complexity and end up making the total cost of the machine more expensive. Unless you have a real need for a touchscreen, we’d advise against getting one.

Storage: Choose a solid-state drive over a traditional hard drive. They’re much faster than a physical hard drive. In addition, they are more robust because they have no moving parts. Check to see how much storage you are currently using, then double it or more for your new machine. You’re not going to take fewer photos in the future. As technology changes, those photos will be larger. I have a 2 TB SSD which seems to work well for me.

RAM: Get at least 8 gigs of RAM as two separate sticks, not one.

Keyboard: Do you want a 10-key keyboard? Also, think about getting a backlit keyboard.

Camera: If you do a lot of Zooming, think about getting a video camera. There is not as much of an ordering backlog as there was six months ago.

Battery: Get the largest battery offered for the machine so you can continue working a long time without being plugged in.

Warranty: We’ve noticed that computers tend to have issues with their component parts at about the 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 year mark. Get a fouryear warranty from the manufacturer, not from the store.

Processor: The Core i3 processor is pretty slow. Chris recommends the Intel Core i5 or i7.

Price: Expect to spend $1200 or more for a machine that will still serve you and that you’ll still like in three years. Like most technology, computers are a “you get what you pay for” kind of thing. There are “cheap” machines which are, unfortunately, sold for more than they are worth. Do your research and let us know if you need help. Also, most of the major manufacturers (Dell, Lenovo, HP) have payment plans. Ask!

Need help? One of our services is to work with Dell to get the best machine possible for our customers. Chris will listen to your requirements and design a machine that will work for you. Because of our long association with Dell, Chris is generally able to get you a 30-50% discount on those machines. We have a $100 design fee for this service.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc. Chris Eddy has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Macs and PCs for the past nineteen years. He provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America. Gail Eddy writes most of these articles. She’s the manager of Geek For Hire and is who you will likely talk to when you call for an appointment.

You can find more on our website www.geekforhireinc.com. Give us a call at 303-618-0154 to make an appointment.