When shopping for a desktop PC, there are a wide variety of setups to choose from, but it is very easy to get off track unless you have a budget planned. So think about how much money you plan to put into buying a computer. Determining how much you wish to spend on a desktop PC will readily place into view the various options you can pursue. This budget applies equally to systems you plan to build yourself as well as pre-built systems.


Budget desktop PCs offer the biggest bang for your buck, especially if you don't plan on doing anything other than check emails and surf the web. Starting at $300, these machines are very affordable for those on a tight budget. These types of desktop PC normally have the lowest priced processors, smaller hard drives and only about 1 to 2GB of system memory, plus you'll have to buy a monitor separately in some cases. Despite all of this, you will have a bargain system that should serve you well for quite some time.
 
At the $500 mark, you'll have the mainstream desktop PCs. These machines are pretty much the middle-of-the-road in terms of specs and features. You'll get more system memory, bigger hard drives and faster processors than budget desktop PCs, but you won't have as many features as more expensive machines. These desktop PCs are for those who want to take on light multimedia tasks or just want a machine that has more oomph than the average budget PC.
 
As you go higher in price, you'll find more desktop PCs will even more features, such as dedicated video graphics cards for better graphics performance and dual CD/DVD/Blu-Ray burners. Premium processors such as Intel's Core 2 Duo and AMD's Athlon are commonly found in these premium PCs. For around $1000, you can find plenty of these desktop PCs.
 
At the $1500 and above mark, one can find powerful desktop PCs that are built for power users in mind. These computers can handle large-scale multimedia editing and 3D graphics programs such as 3D Studio Max and AutoCAD. These machines often have a lot in common with gaming desktop PCs, but they are geared more towards business applications than they are towards gaming.
 
For those who want to have a machine that can play the latest games without missing a beat, gaming desktop PCs are the perfect answer. These machines have the fastest processors, the best video graphics cards and the largest and fastest hard drives available on the market, all dressed up in a special desktop tower case designed for maximum airflow. Of course, these machines often cost a pretty penny, with prices soaring beyond the $3000 mark. If you're comfortable with building your own desktop PC, it's possible to build your own machine to the same specs as a $3000 for half the cost.
 
 
Microsoft's Windows operating system is the standard OS that nearly all desktop PCs come with. Newer machines may come with the newest operating system, Windows 7. A small minority of machines come preloaded with any number of Linux operating system variants. Nearly all of these desktop PCs will come with recovery CDs and other tools for quick operating system repairs.When shopping for a desktop PC, there are a wide variety of setups to choose from, but it is very easy to get off track unless you have a budget planned. So think about how much money you plan to put into buying a computer. Determining how much you wish to spend on a desktop PC will readily place into view the various options you can pursue. This budget applies equally to systems you plan to build yourself as well as pre-built systems.
 
Budget desktop PCs offer the biggest bang for your buck, especially if you don't plan on doing anything other than check emails and surf the web. Starting at $300, these machines are very affordable for those on a tight budget. These types of desktop PC normally have the lowest priced processors, smaller hard drives and only about 1 to 2GB of system memory, plus you'll have to buy a monitor separately in some cases. Despite all of this, you will have a bargain system that should serve you well for quite some time.
 
At the $500 mark, you'll have the mainstream desktop PCs. These machines are pretty much the middle-of-the-road in terms of specs and features. You'll get more system memory, bigger hard drives and faster processors than budget desktop PCs, but you won't have as many features as more expensive machines. These desktop PCs are for those who want to take on light multimedia tasks or just want a machine that has more oomph than the average budget PC.
 
As you go higher in price, you'll find more desktop PCs will even more features, such as dedicated video graphics cards for better graphics performance and dual CD/DVD/Blu-Ray burners. Premium processors such as Intel's Core 2 Duo and AMD's Athlon are commonly found in these premium PCs. For around $1000, you can find plenty of these desktop PCs.
 
At the $1500 and above mark, one can find powerful desktop PCs that are built for power users in mind. These computers can handle large-scale multimedia editing and 3D graphics programs such as 3D Studio Max and AutoCAD. These machines often have a lot in common with gaming desktop PCs, but they are geared more towards business applications than they are towards gaming.
 
For those who want to have a machine that can play the latest games without missing a beat, gaming desktop PCs are the perfect answer. These machines have the fastest processors, the best video graphics cards and the largest and fastest hard drives available on the market, all dressed up in a special desktop tower case designed for maximum airflow. Of course, these machines often cost a pretty penny, with prices soaring beyond the $3000 mark. If you're comfortable with building your own desktop PC, it's possible to build your own machine to the same specs as a $3000 for half the cost.
 

Microsoft's Windows operating system is the standard OS that nearly all desktop PCs come with. Newer machines may come with the newest operating system, Windows 7. A small minority of machines come preloaded with any number of Linux operating system variants. Nearly all of these desktop PCs will come with recovery CDs and other tools for quick operating system repairs.