In today's incessantly changing PC market the decision to buy a PC confuses everyone. What features are important? How much to spend? What PC fits my needs? Where to buy? What PC looks cool? You get the point. These and other questions face the PC Purchaser. To simplify the process we recommend putting budget aside and assure any PC purchase contains these minimum hardware components.
| Hardware components | Acceptable type or value |
| Processor Type | AMD or Intel Dual Core |
| Processor Speed | Single Core 3.0 to 3.4 GHz and Up Dual Core 2.0 GHz and Up |
| Amount of RAM | 1,024 MB and higher |
| Hard Drive Size | 80 GB and up |
| Graphics Card | PCI Express card with 64 MB or more of memory. |
| CD-DVD/RW | DVD-RW |
| Sound Card | Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Card |
| Modem | 56K V.92 standard |
| USB 2.0 Support | Yes |
| Monitor size and type | 19-inch Wide Flat Panel monitor |
| Software | Windows XP or Vista Home Edition and Download AVG Antivirus and OpenOffice. |
A PC containing this hardware runs between $500.00 and $1,200.00. It provides adequate performance when running most all software. A PC that goes beyond these basic specifications provide better performance at a higher cost, and anything less lowers performance somewhat to lower cost.
