Making Headlines

They are common fare on television, newspaper and online mediums: the bright, compelling ads for electronics shops and computer repair centers advertising "bargain" PCs.

It's not uncommon to come across a deal for a PC for $600, with a dual core processor and a bunch of add-ons, that sounds too good to be true. More often than not it is.

Fort Lauderdale computer repair experts say that the processor and price shouldn't be the only factors considered.

"It sounds obvious, but the question of performance should hang over everything else," says one expert. "A buyer should consider why they need a computer. Surfing the Internet or running Microsoft office applications - any computer can do that."

Indeed, the difference between dropping $1,000 and $2,000 on a computer shines through not only in how it will stand up to wear and tear (and thus avoid costly computer service trips), but in its ability to handle games, graphics, multiple programs and applications requiring a lot of RAM.

To that end, Broward computer repair experts say "on-board" graphics chips that lean on the computer's own RAM aren't powerful enough.

That means everyone from gamers to graphic designers to online marketing professionals often have to buy more expensive machines.

Anyone with a experience knows RAM is not an area where a professional - or even a serious recreational user - can skimp on costs.

Operating systems like Microsoft's Windows Vista also place high demands on the system, so by and large, our Fort Lauderdale computer repair team recommends not bringing home anything under two gigabytes of RAM.

There are also other factors that go into cost. For myriad reasons, a cheaper computer tends to be louder than more expensive models.

A quieter fan is going to be more expensive, for example, though a bevy of applications are unlikely to make a noticeable difference. The loudest scenario involves heavy processing tasks as video conversion.

One trick Ft. Lauderdale computer experts recommend to keep both repair and purchase costs down is to install older processors, like Pentium D or Celeron. Of course, there's always the flip-side: Newer chips save a good amount on electricity, and boot up faster.

Another important difference comes through network support.

• Consumers hoping for a two-year guarantee with on-site repair service in Broward County or throughout South Florida will end up paying more.
• In exchange for that, obviously, there's the peace of mind knowing you won't need to bring the PC anywhere if it malfunctions.
• Also of interest are computer service packages (of varying cost) that include a replacement machine for the length of the repairs.