Desktop PCs Features explained

CPU

The processor determines the speed of the computer

Central processing unit, or processor. This is the main brain of your computer.

CPUs are made by either Intel (which makes Celeron, Centrino and Pentium) or AMD (maker of Sempron, Athlon and Turion). Celeron and Sempron are usually found in lower-spec budget PCs.

GHz (gigahertz) refers to the speed the chip runs at. In general, any chip of around 2.5GHz for desktops and 2GHz for laptops will be fine for average users.

Typically, desktop CPUs are multi-core (dual core or even quad core), which means they are actually several processors on one chip that share the workload between them. CPUs are continually advancing in terms of power, and prices of high-performance CPUs continue to fall.

Graphics card (or graphics chip)

The graphics card is most important if you want to play games

This is responsible for displaying images. Integrated graphics means the chip shares the computer’s Ram, which makes it slower.

Graphics cards usually have their own dedicated Ram – the amount you need depends on what you plan to do but try to ensure you have at least 256MB if you're buying a desktop or 128MB for a laptop.

The graphics card is most important if you want to play games. To get the most out of the most up-to-date games being released, make sure your graphics card is DX 11 compatible.

Hard disk (or hard drive)

Most PCs come with 300GB or more

This is where your computer stores all your software and files. The size is measured in gigabytes (GB). Try to ensure any laptop you buy has at least 250GB.

Most desktop PCs come with 500GB or more, which should be plenty – but bear in mind what you’ll be using your computer for. Storing video (eg from a camcorder), lots of music and high-resolution photos, and installing games uses up space quickly. If in doubt, always go for more space - drives storing 1TB (1000GB) or more are now available.

Operating system

This is the software that runs your computer. Macs come with OS X, and PCs usually come with Windows 7, which is currently the latest version of Windows.

Macs come with the Mac OS operating system

Ram

Random access memory (or memory). The more Ram a computer has, the better it will run. The minimum you should get these days is 2GB of Ram – although more than this is advisable if you can afford it.

Windows 7

Windows 7 is the current Windows operating system for PCs, released in 2009. The four main versions – Starter (most commonly found on netbooks, this is the cheapest and simplest version),  Home Basic, Home Premium, and Professional (the most expensive, with the largest range of features).