Hi!
So U want to buy a computer.
First and foremost categorise Ur usage as home-use, office, entertainment(like gaming, music) etc.
Branded OR Assembled?
There are a number of branded computers available for the uninitiated. Unless U really know how to assemble a computer, self-assembly isn’t recommended. Actually, assembling a computer and installing O.S. and other software isn’t that difficult. The catch lies in the fact that U can mess up with your(new) computer with small mistakes.
As for the branded nes, I would recommend U go with well established brands like Compaq or IBM, despite higher prices, mainly due to their excellent services and warranties. IBM has some very good performance based PCs on offer but at a cost. Zenith PCs, though not much known, carry very attractive price tags specially on entry level systems.
Now some specific advice-
Processors-
Intel is the best one around. For home purposes, Celeron is good whereas for office PCs a P4 will suffice.
For a P4 go for an 850 based chipset preferably from Intel. The chipsets from Asus and Mercury are good but not quite in the same class as Intel.
Also available are the new 64 bit processors from AMD which are worth a look. But remember to check the compatibility with your other selected specifications and software.
RAM-
For home 128 MB will be good while for professional and gaming purposes, U’ll need at least 256 MB(preferably 512 MB).
Hard Disk Drive-
Seagate and Samsung lead here. Go for 40 GB for minor and 80 GB for major useage. Give attention to the drive’s rpm rating as it has a bearing on the performance.
Graphics Card-
ATI Radeon 9600 is a good option for budget based PCs. For pure performance go for Ge Force FX5200 or ATI Radeon 9800 Pro cards.
Monitor-
15’ ones are the highest selling and most preferred. Samsung is the leader(in India). Sonic, LG and Microtek don’t quite offer as wide a range. Nowadays flat screen ones are also a very viable option.
Modem-
Since u are reading this U must be needing a modem. Here 56 Kbps will do . I’d recommend an Intex or a Motorola.
Keyboard and mouse-
Nowadays a host of shortcut key-enabled keyboards are in the fray. These don’t cost much and save U some effort. The mice come best from logitech especially the iBall.
CD Drive-
Go for 56x CD drives from LG or Samsung. I’d also suggest Samsung DVD CD-RW combo for value for money(2.6 grand) and usability. Writing CDs is really very useful as opposed to the general conception.
OS-
As for the OS its a personal choice really. Go for open source(I mean Linux) for dependability(it just won’t hang!) and cost effectiveness or go for tried and tested Windows. A word of caution here- Win XP might encounter problems on a Celeron with 128 MB RAM due to lack of memory.
Buying-
Do a little market hogging before deciding what’s best for U. Branded ones will cost U almost the same wherever U go but U might observe variations in price and offerings in case of individual components.
For more on PCs or Gaming(my passion), M2M or email me.