Things to know before buying a desktop?

I heard someone suggest dual-core... Be careful with this ever expanding market. Things are needing more power to run due to improved features and active applications. I'll have 2 scenarios: Gaming, basic desktop use.

For gaming, you should be looking at bare minimum 4GB of ram. Personally, I stick to at least 8GB when I'm asked. A quad-core processor is where you'd want to be (almost all games don't use 6-8 cores) Preferably a quick one but this depends on the game and is second to a graphics card. Graphics card is most important in a desktop for gaming. Usually builds focus this around 60% of the budget. Hard drives are cheaper nowadays so a 500GB will give you a good amount room. If you're a picture or video hoarder, then 2TB. 1TB if you're in between. Recap: Quad-core processor, great graphics card, preferably 6 to 8GB of memory, a 500GB hard drive or bigger.

As a basic desktop just look for expansion. Most* dual cores are really old and just don't leave the market. The cpu sockets can't hold a 4 or 6 or 8 core cpu. A quad core will keep you running for a very long time and allow great multitasking without lag for a basic desktop. If you have an AM3+ socket, a 6 or 8 core and be placed in but for a basic desktop this will not matter for quite some time. A basic graphics card will work or just onboard graphics. If the board doesn't have a PCI-E express x16 slot its either a itx board, or mini, or outdated and sitting on the shelf. Onboard graphics will work fine but if they fry then its nice to have the slot (seen it happen 4 times now). Hard drive is the same as gaming; 500GB or 1TB if you've got a lot to store or 2TB+ if you're a picture/video hoarder. Memory will be fine at 4GB but I believe windows 10 is using 2GB on its own at the moment. More memory = better multitasking. Recap: Quad-core processor, 4-6GB ram, 500GB hard drive, with/without graphics but with gpu slot.

A desktop can just about always be upgraded but you don't want to be swapping out the motherboard which holds the processor so if you change that then odds are you have to change the processor too. Ram is plug and play so too little can be fixed easy. You can usually add hard drives in as well. Graphics cards can always change if something happens. So basically start with a good platform: Good processor in a good motherboard.

I worked at BestBuy during college... Now I stream for a living and build, repair, and sell computers for fun. Goodluck