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Before shopping for new information technology, you need to set a realistic budget based on your needs. Here’s how to do it.

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Do research on the best computer to purchase

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Do research on the best computer to purchase

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The best computers offer power and affordability right on your desktop, with systems suited to everything from remote work and school to photo and video editing, gaming, and even virtual reality.

Whether you want the uncluttered design of an all-in-one computer, the compact size of a mini PC or a gaming desktop that can handle the latest titles with ease, we've got you covered. Be it Windows or Mac, these are the best desktop computers we've reviewed.

To help you choose the right PC that meets your unique needs we've got recommendations for systems that will meet your budget, whether you need lots of power for content creation or a more affordable system for projects and education.

The best computers we recommend right now

The Apple iMac 2021 (24-inch) is a breath of fresh air for the aging iMac line, arriving with a beautiful display, an excellent webcam and an array of bright new color schemes. This is also the first iMac to incorporate Apple's M1 chip, a custom bit of silicon that's already proven itself to be powerful and efficient in the M1 MacBook Air, the M1 MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini with M1.

Here it gives this 24-inch all-in-one enough power to handily run all your favorite apps with power to spare, though if you want to play the latest games you're probably better off with the 27-inch iMac and its discrete Radeon graphics card. But if you just want a powerful, beautiful machine for getting things done, this M1-powered iMac is more than capable of handling whatever tasks a family, student, or working stiff might throw at it.

A judgment of the Aurora R13 is in large part a judgment of the new Legend 2.0 chassis, since so much of Alienware's business is based on building you a PC with the specific components you want. And after spending a couple of weeks working, playing and mucking around with our review unit, we can tell you that the Aurora R13's new look is a winner.

The redesigned chassis is easy to access, offers plenty of ports and has enough ventilation that even after gaming in 4K for hours, I noticed only a mild hum and a pleasant warmth emanating from the PC. Since the computer weighs up to 35 pounds, it's a bit hefty to move around (watch those fins) or plop on a desk. But if your desk can accommodate it, the space-age design and customizable RGB lighting are sure to turn heads.

If you can afford it, Alienware will fill the Aurora R13 with top-of-the-line components that make it a top-tier gaming PC. At nearly $3,000, our review unit is far from cheap, but it's powerful enough to play the latest and greatest games in 1080p for years to come. Just don't expect blazing-fast framerates at 4K for that price -- the Aurora R13 gets as expensive as any other PC on this list if you fill it up with top-tier components.

Make sure you check our Dell coupons page to find the latest discounts.

The 27-inch iMac remains an impressive all-in-one

The Apple iMac 27-inch (2020) is the last Intel-powered all-in-one from Apple, but it still has plenty of power for most people. The 27-inch iMac boasts Intel 10th-generation processors, AMD Radeon Pro 5000 series graphics, and perhaps most importantly, a 1080p webcam - a big step up from the 720p cameras used in older iMacs. Other highlights of the 2020 iMac included enhanced speakers and optional nano-texture display that reduces glare.

The iMac design remains unchanged, complete with thick bezels around the screen and a prominent aluminum chin below the display, but the screen in question is a Retina 5K display, which has 5120 x 2880 pixels of colorful detail, as well as P3 wide color gamut support. It also has TrueTone color temperature adjustment, which automatically shifts the color on screen to look best for the ambient light in the room.

Best gaming PC for first-timers

Reasons to buy

The Acer Predator Orion 3000 ($829 to start, $1,949 as reviewed) is a mid-sized gaming PC that's attractive, (relatively) affordable, and great for playing games at 1080p to 1440p.

It's not a great choice if you're looking to play games at 4K, however, and its packed-in keyboard and mouse leave much to be desired. The Orion 3000 also fared slightly worse in our suite of performance tests than some similarly-priced gaming PCs, perhaps because our review unit arrived with just 16GB of RAM.

The case is well-organized and easy to open though, so it should be pretty easy to upgrade this machine with more RAM when you need it. With its sub-$2,000 price, beefy components, and stylish, accessible case, Acer's Predator Orion 3000 is a great first gaming PC for someone looking to get into the hobby.

The Azulle Access3 takes our favorite tiny stick PC and makes it even better. With a compact design that's almost small enough to put on a keychain, and flexible enough to be used with any monitor or TV, the Access3 gets a faster processor, speedier USB 3.0 ports and adds Gigabit Ethernet for better performance and connectivity than any other stick PC we've reviewed. The zippy performance even supports 4K video output, making it great for streaming.

Whether it's for use in your home theater, powering digital signage or just giving you a way to watch Netflix on your hotel TV, the Access3 presses forward in a form-factor that larger manufacturers have largely forgotten. The Azulle Access3 is our new favorite stick PC, and the best mini PC you can slip into your pocket.

Apple outdid itself with the Mac mini M2 ($599), a pint-sized powerhouse that's cheaper and faster than its predecessor thanks to the speedy M2 chip. The option to upgrade it with an ($1,299) sweetens the deal, turning this into a decent Mac for gaming or light photo/video editing.

Of course, you get more than just speed when you pay for Pro: the entry-level Mac mini with M2 Pro is not only more powerful, it also has more memory and storage than the entry-level Mac mini, as well as more ports. It's a great mini PC for Mac fans, one that showcases macOS Ventura to good effect.

The best PC for artists and photographers

The Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is the best thing around for anyone who does digital art, thanks to a gorgeous touchscreen that drops down low for comfortable touch and pen use. The better-than-4K display looks amazing, the touch screen supports both the Surface Pen and Surface Dial and the design is top-notch. The design alone would make this the best touchscreen all-in-one for drawing, but the addition of best-in-class pen support takes it up another level.

The updated Surface Studio 2 gets beefier processing and graphics hardware, switches to all-solid-state drives for storage, and gets an even better version of the PixelSense display that offers enhanced brightness and contrast. It's one of the best all-in-one computers we've seen, and our top pick for media creators and artists.

The best high-end gaming PC to buy if you need gorgeous design and powerful performance

The first thing you'll notice about the MSI MEG Trident X is that it's absolutely gorgeous. This small, angular machine fits easily into just about any gaming nook, and is ideal for either desktop or living room setups. The second thing you'll notice is that it runs games absolutely beautifully, whether you want to experience them at full HD, QHD or UHD settings. With a variety of processor, GPU and RAM options from which to choose, you'll be able to customize a machine that works for your games, and for your monitor.

Just be aware that no matter how you design the MEG Trident X, it's going to be expensive. Furthermore, the accessories it comes with - the MSI Clutch GM11 Mouse and MSI Vigor GK30 Keyboard - are mediocre at best, and disappointing at worst. Still, in terms of both physical design and raw performance, the MEG Trident X is one of the most gorgeous and functional gaming PCs on the market today.

The Raspberry Pi ushered in a new era of DIY tech, and the latest model, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, pushes that to new heights with a more powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection. The latest model, the $35 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B offers enormous value for projects ranging from simple to complex, from its enhanced processing and graphics to offering broad compatibility with older accessories.

If you want to do something different with your technology, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the best mini PC for tinkering and experimenting. Whether you buy it alone or in a kit, the Raspberry Pi is hard to beat.

Since our review, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has been updated with a new model that has 8GB of RAM, significantly improving on the 2GB memory of the base model.

How to choose the best computer for you

Finding the right computer is mostly about form and function: What do you want it to look like, and what do you want it to do? In our roundup of the best desktop computers, we look at a free different styles of computer, each offering unique designs and tailored to specific use cases.

Standard PC towers are often the most affordable desktop option, as well as the most basic. With simple designs and plenty of configuration options, a basic desktop tower is still the best option for cost-effective computing power. And thanks to the flexibility of the design you can outfit these standard computers for everything from basic web browsing and media streaming to incredibly demanding uses such as gaming and animation.

All-in-one desktops, as the name suggests, provide a combination of PC and monitor in the same device. These all-in-one designs give you a powerful desktop without the bulk of a tower or the tangle of cables that come with a separate monitor. The best all-in-one computers range from budget-friendly systems to high-powered workstations, so check out our in-depth reviews of the best all-in-one computers.

Gaming desktops, by and large, use the traditional tower design, but are outfitted with powerful components optimized for high performance gaming. These high octane systems are built to accommodate the latest discrete graphics cards, potent processors, large volume storage, and all of the cooling necessary for a high performance machine. There are several options for gaming, whether it's your choice of hardware, or the stylized design that fits your taste. check out our in-depth reviews for all of the best gaming PCs.

Mini PCs take a very different approach, leveraging the tiny components used in laptops and tablets to provide a desktop experience that fits in the palm of your hand or into a pocket. These pint-sized or smaller desktop computers can be easily stashed out of sight or incorporated into less traditional arrangements, such as into a home theater system for streaming movies. Whether it's a small box on your desk or a stick PC in your pocket, our reviews layout the features and performance of the best mini PCs.

Once you know what type of computer you want to get, it's a question of what you want to do with it. While any of the systems on the list above can be used for web browsing and basic productivity uses like typing up documents or putting together a PowerPoint presentation, different use cases have slightly different demands.

The best desktop for gaming will feature graphics cards built for gaming performance, while systems for video editing or animation may use equally powerful GPUs, but with models that focus on reliable performance and certification for different applications. A great desktop for kids will keep things fairly basic, focusing on speedy web browsing and streaming capability, with less of an emphasis on raw horsepower.

How we test computers

As we evaluate and review all sorts of computers, we run a series of standardized tests to measure how each machine performs, what uses it's best suited to, and what sort of capability you get for the price.

These standard tests include generalized performance benchmark tests, like Geekbench 4 and 5 (for processor performance), 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (for graphics), and a custom file transfer test to measure hard drive performance.

Gaming-oriented benchmarks test the performance of systems using current games, measuring the frame rates each desktop will produce in games like Tomb Raider, Far Cry: New Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. We'll also run individual game tests and the SteamVR performance test to evaluate how well-suited they are to the unique demands of virtual reality.

Most importantly, we spend a ton of time simply using each desktop computer for everyday activities. We watch movies, do work, play games, and blast music on the speakers, all to get a better sense of which ones are worth your money.

For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.

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The best computers offer power and affordability right on your desktop, with systems suited to everything from remote work and school to photo and video editing, gaming, and even virtual reality. Whether you want the uncluttered design of an all-in-one computer, the compact size of a mini PC or a gaming desktop that can handle the latest titles with ease, we've got you covered.

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Should You Build Your PC Or Should You Buy A Prebuilt One? | PC Bonus

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If you are looking to buy a new PC, whether it's for playing games, editing, work-related, or something else. There are a few different choices to choose from, and none of the choices are wrong. You can buy a pre-built PC where everything inside is already put together and it's ready for use.

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Find and easy "How too" on building your own PC

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Find and easy "How too" on building your own PC

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One last piece of advice before we get hands on: reference your manuals. Or put another way, don't be afraid to search for more info while building your PC if you are uncomfortable.

Building computers- especially for beginners- can get overwhelming and fast. Thankfully, if you are uncertain about how to do a particular step, there are a lot of resources.

Of course, you can reference your manuals, go to the website for the part in question, search forums, etc. Moreover, you might find that the visual aspect of YouTube videos helps you better understand exactly what you are supposed to do.

Well, not literally it- more like stripping it down. Taking the Phanteks P400S ATX Mid Tower Case as an example...

Step 1: Unscrew the front panel and 2 side panels using the #2 Phillips screwdriver

Step 2: Place the screws in a bowl or a mini magnetic parts tray

Step 3: Remove the panels and place them on a safe surface or just put them back inside the case box

Step 4: Remove the top magnetic dust filters

Now at this point, you'll want to familiarize the case's layout (like I usually do), such as where the SSDs and HDDs go, the direction where the power supply's exhaust should be facing, the mounts, and which standoffs to use to fit your motherboard.

This should give you a general idea where things should go and which holes the cables should be routed to.

Further Reading: Best PC Cases

2. Power Supply Unit (PSU) Installation

Get your power supply and check which cables you'll be using for later (if you're using a semi-modular or fully modular PSU). Unlike other parts, non-modular PSUs are pretty uniform, so if you've installed one PSU, you've installed them all... sorta.

Don't worry though if you are first time builder, just:

Step 1: Open the bracket from the back of the case.

Step 2: Place the PSU so that its exhaust is blowing out of the case

Step 3: Secure the bracket back to its place.

Step 4: Screw it back in place.

If you're using an old case, then you might need to push the case firmly against the inside wall of the case before you lock it in place with the four screws.

The power supply we're using as an example ( Corsair CXM 550W 80+ Bronze PSU ) is semi-modular. This means that some of the cables can be removed to help keep things clean, but some of the other cables, like the one that leads to the motherboard and which will always be needed, can not be removed from the PSU.

Further Reading: Best Power Supply for Gaming

3. Processor (CPU) Installation
During the next 3 steps, we will be outfitting the motherboard prior to installing it.
Before you even unbox the CPU, be aware that you should never touch the bottom where the pins are; it's always best to hold it by its sides. Intel and AMD processors largely install the same way, but there are slight differences as covered below.

Step 1: Slide the spring-loaded retention arm out and up.

Step 2: Lift the bracket up (don't bother taking off the plastic cover).

Step 3: Gently place the processor on top of the socket by matching the golden triangle located on the bottom-left corner of the Intel processor chip with the triangle on the socket bracket.

You shouldn't need to press down on it. If it doesn't align properly, then pick it up and make sure it's placed properly and that none of the pins are damaged.

Step 4: Slide the bracket back to its original position

Step 5: Slide the spring-loaded retention arm back down and lock it back in place

Note: It's perfectly alright for the plastic cover to pop off when doing Step 5, so you shouldn't worry about a thing if it flies off.

It's also worth noting that the plastic cover at this point has served its purpose. Personally, I like to keep it somewhere safe so I can use it to protect the pins on the motherboard CPU socket in the future in case I want to remove the CPU for upgrade purposes.

Step 1: Lift the spring-loaded retention arm out and up.

Step 2: Gently place the processor on top of the socket by matching the golden triangle located on the bottom-left corner of the AMD processor with the triangle on the socket.

You shouldn't need to press down on it. If it doesn't align properly, then pick it up and make sure it's placed properly and that none of the pins are damaged.

Step 3: Make sure it's in place before lowering the retention arm back down and locking it in place.

Once everything is locked in place, it's time to install the RAM or memory sticks.

Further Reading: Best CPU for Gaming

4. Memory (RAM) Installation

The RAM are probably the easiest to install.

Step 1: Push the latches on either end of the RAM slots on the motherboard.

Step 2: Line up the notch on the bottom of the memory with the notch in the RAM slot.

Step 3: Gently push both sides of the memory into the slot.

The motherboard we're using in this example ( MSI H310M Pro-VD Micro ATX Motherboard ) only has 2 RAM slots. If the motherboard you have has 4 or 8 slots, refer to your motherboard's manual to see which slots to fill first to ensure you are running it in Dual Channel. Placing the RAM in the wrong slots would mean you're not using Dual Channel mode, and thus wasting its capacity.

Further Reading: Best RAM for Gaming

5. Mounting the CPU Cooler

While some components are highly standardized, CPU coolers come in a lot of different shapes and sizes; many third-party CPU coolers even require installing a backplate. As such, you should follow its installation guide.

The overall idea is to affix the backplate that comes with the CPU cooler (with the four pins) through the back of your motherboard first so you can mount the cooler in place later after installing the motherboard inside the case ( 5. Motherboard (MOBO) Installation).

When you're done installing the motherboard with the CPU mount backplate, it's time to install the cooler on the CPU. Keep in mind that most CPU coolers have pre-applied thermal paste. If yours doesn't, add a small blob of thermal paste, ideally, around the size of a pea, on the center of the CPU. This will then spread out evenly as you mount the cooler in place.

It's also important to note that installing an air CPU cooler is different than installing a liquid CPU cooler.
Air CPU Cooler
Ideally, you want to install an air CPU cooler with the fans unattached, installing the heatsink onto the pins of the mounting plate first before installing the motherboard inside the case.

When done, all you need to do is to simply reattach the fans to the mount and plug in the 4-pin PWM fan header into the motherboard's CPU fan slot, which is usually located at the top side of the motherboard. There's more than one way to find the CPU fan slot:

1. Read the label on the motherboard.

2. Refer to your motherboard manual to see where the CPU fan slot is located.

Liquid CPU Cooler
Installing a liquid CPU cooler follows the general process of installing the mounting plate first before attaching the heatsink onto the CPU.

Taking the liquid cooler and the case we used as an example, put the 240mm liquid CPU cooler at the front of the case as an intake fan and screw it in place using the #2 Phillips screwdriver along with the included radiator.

This acts as two intake fans at the same time, so using the 2nd included fan as a second exhaust will balance the airflow (2 intake fans/2 exhaust). More of this in the 7. Fan Installation section.

Also, you may need to plug in a second 4-pin cable dedicated to the AIO cooler for the pump or even a Molex connector if you're going to use the CPU cooler ( Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240 Liquid Cooler ) on our example for the RGB lighting setup and whatnot.

If you're unsure or confused, always refer to your CPU cooler manual. When done, it's time to install the motherboard inside the case.

Further Reading: Best CPU Coolers

6. Motherboard (MOBO) Installation

Installing the motherboard is kind of tricky. In fact, you will need to have patience with this step. The standoff screws and I/O shield can be notoriously annoying. Both tasks represent a balance act between power and dexterity. Still, it's nothing too complex, just annoying.

Step 1: Grab the I/O shield and install it by pushing it into the rectangular slot found in the back of the case. Push on the edges- not in the middle- otherwise, it could break. You need to do this first, because you can't put it in place once the motherboard is installed.

Step 2: Check for pre-installed motherboard standoffs and see if it's in line with the holes found on your selected motherboard.

Note: Some motherboards, like the Phanteks Eclipse P400s, have pre-installed motherboard standoffs for ATX sized boards while some don't. Make sure you double check.

Step 3: Lay the case down and carefully lay your motherboard on top of the standoff screws as you line it up with the ports and respective holes in the I/O shield.

Step 4: Use the #2 Phillips screwdriver to tighten the screws that came with the case to secure the motherboard in. Don't tighten them too much at a time, though, as you can crack your motherboard.

It's very important to refer to your case's and your motherboard's manual to identify which screw to use- or if you're simply confused.

Further Reading: Best Motherboards for Gaming

The Phanteks P400S ATX Mid Tower Case comes pre-installed with 2x 120mm case fans (1 intake and 1 exhaust). But since we included a Cooler Master MasterLiquid Lite 240mm Liquid Cooler in this example, we want to balance things out for maximum airflow.

Step 1: Unscrew the included 120mm intake fan from the front panel using the #2 Phillips screwdriver.

Step 2: Move it to the top (further to the rear side) as a second exhaust fan and screw it in place. As mentioned above, you want to equalize the number of intake/exhaust to achieve quality airflow inside the case.

You should remember that not all cases have included fans. So, if it only comes with 1 fan, then your best bet is to place it at the rear to act as an exhaust. Just make sure you get another 120mm fan as an intake later on.

Further Reading: Best Case Fans

8. Storage (SSD or HDD) Installation

Now, it's time to install the hard disk drives (HDD) and the solid-state drives (SSD)- or even the M.2 SSD if you decided to use this instead. If we go back to 1. Breaking the Case, you should already have an idea where the drives should go in your case.

And if we use the case from our example ( Phanteks P400S ATX Mid Tower Case ), we can put the Hitachi Ultrastar 7K3000 2TB HDD inside the hard drive bay found at the back of the case (not the rear). We can also put the ADATA Ultimate SU800 512GB SSD on this side by screwing it in its respective place.

If you have an M.2 SSD, refer to your motherboard manual to see where it should go. These things go directly into your motherboard and is not designed to be placed in any drive bays.

As always, refer to your case manual if you're confused or unsure where to store your storage devices. And remember that there are computer cases that may restrict access to specific hard drive bays if you use a radiator-type cooling system as an intake. As such, make sure you do your research prior to making any selection.
Further Reading: Best Budget SSDs
9. Graphic Card (GPU) Installation

After installing the storage devices, it's time to install the graphics card- the heart of every gaming PC. When you first take it out from the anti-static bag, place it on a safe, non-metal surface and make sure you do the following:

Step 1: Locate the PCIe slot on your motherboard that is closest to your CPU.

Step 2: Remove the 2x PCIe slot covers with the help of the #2 Phillips screwdriver.

Step 3: Take the graphics card and line it up with the PCIe slot closest to your CPU. The GPU I/O ports should face out the back of the computer case.

Step 4: Gently push the graphics card into the PCIe slot until you hear a sound, indicating it's locked in place.

Step 5: Screw the PCIe slot cover you just unscrewed to secure the rear end of the graphics card.

Don't forget to always check the dimensions of the graphics card before purchasing so you can evaluate and see whether or not it'll fit just right inside the case. In particular, some of the high-end GPUs have large, dedicated coolers that can make it hard to squeeze into cases, even the standard ATX Full-tower cases.

Further Reading: Best Graphics Card for Gaming

10. Hooking up the Buttons and I/O Ports

Along your motherboard, you will have a lot of different pins and ports and what have you. You will need to use these to hook up your power, reset, and other I/O buttons and ports.

Honestly, this can be one of the most challenging tasks when building a computer. You have a lot of small cords with sometimes very similar connectors all going to different places. In fact, I still have problems with this from time to time.

To make sure you're plugging the right cables to the right ports, refer to your motherboard installation manual. Some cases come with LED lights (like the Phanteks P400S ATX Mid Tower Case ), and they have to be oriented correctly with the + and - pins on the board.

11. Connecting The Cables

Now that everything's in place, it's time to hook the cables to the motherboard ports. You probably have a general idea which cables go to which ports by now if you followed the very first step. So do that if you haven't already or proceed and check which holes the cables should be routed to.

Step 1: Connect the 8-pin EPS from the PSU through the cable routing hole to the EPS connector on the motherboard, usually located at the top portion of the motherboard

Step 2: Get the 24-pin cable from the PSU and slide it through the cable management hole to get to the 24-pin ATX port of the motherboard, usually located at the right side of the motherboard

Step 3: Take the SATA power cable and SATA data cables and connect it to the hard disk drives. If needed, route the cables through the cable management holes to get to the SSD storage device. The SATA data pins are located at the lower right portion of the motherboard just below the 24-pin port.

Step 4: Connect the PCIe 6-pin connector from the PSU to the graphics card through the cable management holes

For now, the cables don't have to be orderly. First, we need to test that the machine is actually running as intended.

12. Testing it Out and Cleaning up the Mess

At this point, you will need to bring some of your peripherals into the picture, like monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Connect the power supply to an electrical outlet or an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) and turn the computer on. (Don't forget to turn the switch behind the power supply on! It's very common for builders- including me!- to forget about this.)

If it turns on, hit the delete key until the BIOS screen pops up. Try to check the CPU temperatures and make sure it operates somewhere around 30-40 degrees Celsius (86 - 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Similarly, check if the drives are registered and whether or not your memory is operating at the right frequencies.

If you get to this part of the building process, you're good to go. But if you didn't get any of this, check everything from the start and make sure you didn't miss a thing.

Now that you're sure you have a working computer, you can now tidy up the cables at the back and use the Velcro straps and zip ties to secure everything in place.

Now that your computer is working, you can bring it to where it'll spend the rest of its life and hook up all of your peripherals for good this time. Now, we'll install the operating system.

Modern PC setups don't have optical drives so you'll need to download the OS onto a flash drive from another computer. To do this, download the Windows 10 installer from this link . Keep in mind you will need a product key if you wish to install a paid version of Windows.

And in case you can't afford Windows 10 right now, you can install a Linux distribution ( or ). This obviously lacks many common Windows features and most software native to Windows, so most software, including games, so you will likely want to get Windows 10 eventually.

When you're done, make sure the computer is turned off and follow the steps below:

Step 1: Plug the flash drive that has the OS installed in your computer.

Step 2: Turn the computer on and constantly hit the key to enter BIOS.

Step 4: Change the boot order by prioritizing the flash drive that contains the OS.

Step 5: Save the changes and restart your computer.

Step 6: Follow the instructions indicated to complete the OS installation. Remember, this will take a little while.

NOTE: It'll take some time to complete the installation process but once installed, you're one step closer to finally completing the build.

14. Installing the Drivers

After you've completed installing the OS, download the right chipset driver for your motherboard and graphics card. To do this...

Step 1.1: Head over to the motherboard manufacturer's website and download the respective motherboard drivers. Here are some of the more popular motherboard manufacturer websites:

Step 1.2: As for GPUs, it is a little more straightforward since there are really only two viable competitors. Click this link to download NVIDIA graphics card drivers or this link to download AMD graphics card drivers .

Step 2: Open the setup file and follow the on-screen installation instructions.

NOTE: Your screen may flicker when installing the graphics card drivers so don't panic when it does so.

Step 3: Restart your computer after installation (or it may automatically do it for you) and you're done!

At this point, you're basically done so CONGRATULATIONS! That wasn't so hard after all, right?

From here, you'll want to install the programs you need. For instance, if you're a gamer, online gaming platforms such as or are probably at the top of your list.

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How To Build A PC: The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide This 2019

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One last piece of advice before we get hands on: reference your manuals. Or put another way, don't be afraid to search for more info while building your PC if you are uncomfortable. Building computers- especially for beginners- can get overwhelming and fast.

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Find the best place to purchase your parts with a full list of all the needed parts as well. 

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Find the best place to purchase your parts with a full list of all the needed parts as well. 

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Shop PC parts for building your own computer or upgrading your current system. Whether you need a CPU, GPU or Motherboard, Micro Center is your trusted source of computer parts and accessories to take your build to the next level.

Shop PC parts for building your own computer or upgrading your current system. Whether you need a CPU, GPU or Motherboard, Micro Center is your trusted source of computer parts and accessories to take your build to the next level.

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hard drives; video cards; blu-ray burners; water cooling; sound cards; controller cards; processors; cpus; motherboards; drive enclosures; ram; desktop memory; ddr; ddr2; ddr3; dimm; sodimm; so-dimm; computer cases; case accessories; solid state drives; ssd; computer memory

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Computer Parts: Shop PC Parts and Build Your Own | Micro Center

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Shop PC parts for building your own computer or upgrading your current system. Whether you need a CPU, GPU or Motherboard, Micro Center is your trusted source of computer parts and accessories to take your build to the next level. Shop PC parts for building your own computer or upgrading your current system.

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look for the best output devices to help you get the best out of your computer. 

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look for the best output devices to help you get the best out of your computer. 

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Introduction to Computers Output Devices

Computers Output Devices are a part of the output unit, which is one of the three main components to form a functional computing device. These devices are intended to deliver the processed data from the other computer components to the computer users. The output devices are designed in such a way that it should be able to transfer the output in any user desired format. It is typically a hardware device used for communicating the output data, gathered as a result of the computations performed inside the central processing unit, to any other peer devices from the same network or the user.

Types of Computers Output Devices

Generally, the output devices are aimed to be used as a secondary device that can be operated by the users to retrieve the processed information. The output data can be of any format, and the choice of output device depends on this output data formats. There are several types of output devices available, and the below are few of them,

1. Monitor

Monitors are the habitually essential parts of the computer systems, which is capable of showing any kind of data formats on their display elements. These devices are available for retail purposes in a range of forms, sizes, and screen qualities. Monitors can be categorized as both Input and Output devices, as it can collect input from the users and display the results as well. It comprises of various parts that include the display screen, internal circuits, provisions for power connection, operational buttons for display adjustment, and an outer shell to cover these hardware parts.

2. Printer

Printers are the output devices used for converting the visual outcomes from the monitors into printed hard copies on different material surfaces. The computer transmits the image data to the printer, which then physically recreates the image, typically on paper. As Printers can only print the already processed data, these devices can only be treated as output devices. It is classified into multiple types, depending on the speed, printing patterns, type of ink used, etc.

3. Audio Devices/Speakers/Headphones

The outgoing audio data requires the sound amplifying devices, and a few such audio output devices are Speakers & Headphones. These output devices are connected to the main computing devices in order to get the output audio data from the processing unit. An important hardware unit is required or enabling a smooth function between the computer system and the audio devices are the Sound card.

4. Projector

Projectors are another type of display devices, which are used for displaying the outcomes from the computer system on to a different exterior surface, by reproducing the same computer's contents for projection. It is a common understanding that the output data can be displayed clean and clear if the display surface is a plain hard surface white in color. This process is made possible using an extra hardware card, known as the Video Card. A very common usage of Projector devices are Movie Theater and Business Presentation.

5. Plotter

Plotters are the output devices used for making graphic prints, similar to a normal printer, widely used for vector graphics. It helps in creating real-life illustrations for the designs processed by the computer system. For the Plotter to carry out the plotting process, in a precise and accurate manner, it requires an enhancement called the Graphic Card. This device consists of a pen-like hardware component, which is used for printing the design identical to the processed output data. It uses any type of writing an object to replicate the design on to the printing material.

6. Television

Televisions are the most famous and commonly used output devices, which are used to display the video content and for playing the audio files. It is a well-liked way of exhibiting the videos, images, presentations, etc. for domestic as well as the technology-related industries. It is generally called as TV or Telly that has had evolved over the years from CRT screens to LCD displays to LED screens to the latest Plasma displays.

7. Braille Reader

Braille Readers, as the name says, are used to facilitating the computer functional handling for blind users. The workings of this device involve the central processing system to deliver the processed data in the Braille format, so as to make it recognizable for the visionless disables. When the Braille Reader receives the processed data, the data is converted to push the pins against a flat surface. When the visually disabled use this device, they can run their fingers through these Braille script and understand the outcome easily. Similar to other output devices, this device comes in a variety of sizes as well.

8. GPS

GPS can be expanded as the Global Positioning System device. This device uses the satellite resources for capturing the geographical position of the device. Hence, if the user holds this device in his hands the geographical location of the user can be captured accurately. It involves the calculation of exact latitude and longitude points for the location required and share the outcomes to the user. In the evolving technological world, all the portable devices are equipped with GPS systems, as it helps in locating the device when lost or stolen. The devices that come with inbuilt GPS units are mobile phones, wearable digital tracking devices, laptops, tablets, cars, bicycles, watches, and even shoes.

9. Video Card

Video Card is a hardware device that can be placed in the dedicated sockets provides inside the motherboard of the computer's processing unit. It is typically used for improvising the appearance of the digital content displayed in the other display based output devices. In recent days, this has become an indispensable element to keep up with the growing quality of content in the latest systems.

Conclusion

The Computer Output Devices are the critical units in the whole computer architecture, as it's the only way to get the results to the user after the required computations and operations are complete. Also, these output devices allow the users to verify the data to see if they have received what they wanted from the computer system in the first place.

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Computers Output Devices | Example & Uses of Computer Output Devices

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Guide to Computers Output Devices. Here we discuss the introduction to Computers Output Devices along with its different types in detail.

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Try out different set ups for you computer, that are most comfortable for you, as well as the most functional. 

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Try out different set ups for you computer, that are most comfortable for you, as well as the most functional. 