What Pc Would Be Best For Me

I am still using a 13 year old desktop with Windows 7 as the OS (I know, I know). I am so used to it that I've resisted upgrading, but now has developed some hardware issues (mouse and keyboard are intermittently displaying a right-click menu). I asked a local electronics guru for advice and this was his reply:

This is what I recommend for minimum system specs.
CPU: Intel i5 or greater
Memory: 8GB or greater
Storage: Nvme 1T
If you go to Best Buy and show a customer service person the specs you are looking for (above) they can show you what they have.
Best Buy will try to upsell you with support plans and Virus protection. DECLINE THIS. Virus protection is included in Windows 11 and is the best on the market, and its FREE!
Both Dell and HP PC (towers) are very similar. And do not come with a monitor. I would stay away from All-In-One PCs where the PC is built into a monitor.

He went on to ad that a HP Envy would be his top choice. This may be overkill for what an old lady would need - I am not into serious gaming unless you consider online Mahjongg as that. I hardly need that much storage. This is a graphic of my current disk:



I am looking for recommendations. Thank you.

 

First, it is good you explained, more or less, the purpose of this computer. That is, not for serious gaming. With that, I agree with the recommended specs but would emphasize the "or greater" for RAM. I would recommend 16GB as a minimum.

Also, I like to say you wouldn't buy a brand new Porsche or Lexus then fill it up with fuel from the corner Tobacco, Bait and Cell Phone shop. EVERYTHING inside the computer case depends on good, clean stable power. So get a quality power supply from a reputable maker. I like Seasonic power supplies. "Gold" certified is good.

I definitely recommend going with a SSD (solid state drive). Do note even the slowest SSD will run circles around your current hard drive. NVME SSDs are among the fastest SSDs, but also tend to be more expensive than standard SATA or non-NVME SSDs. For your stated use, you don't "need" a NVME SSD. That said, with careful shopping, reasonably priced NVME SSDs can be found so don't rule them out either.

If you found a local electronics guru you trust, then consider asking him to build a computer for you.

As he and you correctly noted, Best Buy (and Dell and HP) will try to sell you all sorts of upgrades and extras you don't need. Not only that, they will pre-load all sorts of extra junk on your computer you don't need either.

IMO, it would be worth paying a local pro $100 to build one for you. In this way, you get a custom built computer, built specifically for you and how you use your computer. Plus you will have a local pro who you already trust that knows your computer.

Locally built custom computers do tend to cost a little more than factory built computers. This is because Dell and HP, for example, can go to their component (CPU, motherboard, RAM, drive, etc.) suppliers and promise to buy 1,000,000 units over the next year, then demand and get deep volume discounts. Self-built or local custom builders just don't have that purchasing clout. But still, careful shopping (with a little patience) with Amazon, B&H and other retailers can get some decent prices.

Speaking of prices, you need to set a budget. Your local pro can't build one without knowing how much you are willing to spend and we can't recommend a factory built either. You also need to determine what you will be bringing with you. That is, do you need a new monitor? If your current monitor is 13 years old too, you might. And if so, what size suits you? 24" is about perfect for my 72 year old eyes. What about a new keyboard and mouse?

I also agree with your guru that the security built into Windows is more than adequate. It is what I use on all our systems there. But the user is, always has been, and always will be the weakest link in security. So it is still upon us to keep our computer (and its security) current, and to avoid being "click-happy" on unsolicited links, downloads, popups, and attachments. But note those are the exact same precautions we must take, regardless our security program of choice.

Hope that helps.

 

Thank you for your informative reply, Digerati.
Unfortunately, the guy I mentioned doesn't do builds, he only services systems and designs Web pages. I could probably upgrade my system to Windows 10, but even that will be obsolete later this year. I don't know how I will learn the nuances of Windows 11 after using Windows 7 for 13 years.

 

Probably about the same way you learned going from XP to W7. Time and patience.

That said, there are ways to make W11 look and feel almost the same as W7.

Start 11 is what I use.

 

Ma'am, it all depends on what you're going to be using it for. If, like my 80 year-old mother, you use it for nothing but Facebook, email, and family photos (and a little bit of Mahjongg, of course), you can probably safely shop for a lesser-equipped machine.

Your guru mentioned BestBuy? They currently have an Acer Aspire listed with an Intel Celeron processor, 8 GB of RAM (which is probably adequate unless you are really working the machine), and a 500 GB SSD (which, looking at the graphic you supplied, should also be adequate to your needs) for roughly $400. The only problem I have with Acers is a bit of a reputation - earned or otherwise, I don't know - for running a bit warm and, as @Digerati points out in his tagline, heat is the bane of all electronics.

It's very easy to buy (or build) a machine that constitutes overkill, too much hardware (and money) for its expected use. Finding that sweet spot, though, where everything is just right? That can take a bit of time and research...and is entirely up to the individual.

 

I forgot to comment about All in One (AiO) PCs. I agree with your guru on that too. The concept for AiO is fine. They look nice and they take up less desk or floor space than a computer with a separate case. They also eliminate the rat's nests of cables and the dust they collect.

But an AiO is basically a laptop computer mounted inside a monitor case instead of a laptop case. The problem is, like a laptop, they can pack the power of a PC into that limited space, but not the necessary cooling. If you consider even a standard tower case, with multiple large fans, is often challenged to keep the interior components properly cooled, it is no wonder these cases struggle. But unlike a laptop where the computer itself is in the base of the laptop and monitor is in the lid, with an AiO, the computer and monitor occupy the same space. This can result in the heat from the monitor impacting the computer too.

Another huge (IMO) problem with AiOs and laptops alike is they tend to be very proprietary. And proprietary means fewer options and higher costs for consumers.

Factory made PCs can suffer from proprietary modifications too - but typically less so than laptops or AiOs. This is where self or local custom built computers really have the advantage because they strictly comply with the ATX Form Factor industry standards. Nothing is proprietary. This means consumers have nearly unlimited options at competitive prices and that typically allows the computer to evolve over years with compatible upgrades - a very good thing.

 

I have to agree with on this recommendation. Even the cheaper of the two, ( EQR6), is somewhat overkill for what you do, so will take longer to out date itself. Those Ryzen 5 CPU's are real work horses. I use them a lot for everyday PC's. The really small size of those things is amazing, you can mount them right on the back of your monitor. Plus they have built in Bluetooth, and 16Gigs of Crucial brand DDR5 Ram, also has 500GB crucial brand NVME 4.o M.2 Hard drive.... Whats not to like. The price is hard to beat as well. $359+ tax is a great deal. Unless you go used, one would be hard pressed to build an equivalent in a full size PC for that price.