Computer Advice + Monitor

[jacob12_1993]

This topic has probably been covered millions of times however I will ask again

Im after a computer to edit my photos using photoshop etc, as im still at college my max is £400 is it possible to buy a pre-built PC (or may consider building one) or suitable laptop? (im not clued up on laptops but like the versatility) the problem im having is with spec

1. Processor do I need duo core or quad core??
2. Ram 1gb,2gb or 4gb
3. Graphics Card is an expensive one needed
4. Hard drive is it worth getting a big one or should i buy external

Any suggestions for pc would be really helpful, another thing i was thinking was going second hand, any thoughts??

Finally I have a decent canon inkjet printer is it worth buying a scanner?? I also have a monitor atm but eventually in the future will need to upgrade, what will I be looking for??

 

[dacads]

Quad core and 4GB RAM would be wise
You won't need an awesome card for photo editing, hard drive wise it depends really how many files and programs you will have/store
Also I'm guessing your looking for a pre-built?
What monitor do you have at the moment?

 

[MarkE19]

1. Processor do I need duo core or quad core??

If budget allows then Quad is going to offer some advantages IF the software you use can make use of the cores. If budget is tight then a dual core is probably going to be good enough for general PC use and even photo editing.

2. Ram 1gb,2gb or 4gb

Yet again it depends on budget allowances. 2Gb is the minimum these days, but 3Gb - 4Gb will speed things up a little, especially if running a few programs at the same time.

3. Graphics Card is an expensive one needed

Just go for something half decent, you don't state that you want to play the latest games and so spending a fortune on a gaming GPU will be a waiste for the uses you stated.

4. Hard drive is it worth getting a big one or should i buy external

HDD prices are very low, so a 1Tb internal HDD is only going to cost about £50 (guessed as have not checked recent prices) and 1.5Tb approx £80. Also consider an external HDD as they give you the option of backing everything up just in case the internal HDD fails (and they do!).

Any suggestions for pc would be really helpful, another thing i was thinking was going second hand, any thoughts??

Have a look in the classifieds section of the forum to see what others have up for sale. Second hand will get you a lot more for your money.

Finally I have a decent canon inkjet printer is it worth buying a scanner??

Do you have any use for a scanner? I use mine once in a blue moon, but when I do need it it does come in very handy.

I also have a monitor atm but eventually in the future will need to upgrade, what will I be looking for??

Depending on a lot of different requirements you can get a smallish TFT for well under £100, or get a large quality TFT for many hundreds. You state you will be doing photo editing so a quality monitor will be an advantage as it will give better colour reproduction and consistant colours with no light bleed. I highly recommend the Dell 2209wa monitor as it has an eIPS panel that is far better than the cheap standard TN panels and at approx £200 is a real bargain.

If space is an issue then have a look at some laptops as well as desktop PC's. They are normally a bit more expensive and are difficault to upgrade, but they offer other benefits and may be a better choice for you.

Mark.