How low can you go?

Let me start by saying that personal computers these days are grossly overpowered and for a person who doesnrsquot do much gaming or machine learning it is pretty pointless spending on the latest and greatest In todayrsquos column we are going to look at producing a working PC at the cheapest cost without actually sacrificing too muchThings to avoidThere are a few things to avoid when looking for a cheap home computer Avoid userassembled computers It doesnrsquot happen as often for modern systems but in the past having RAM from the wrong company or using parts that were not specifically tested made it hard for selfassemblers to prepare a reliable computer For secondhand computers go with brands like Dell HP etchellip Donrsquot buy machines with old AMD CPUs or GPUsWhile AMD is the king right now for the last 20 years or more Intel has sat on top of the PC food chain with AMD considered a budget brand The CPUs and even the GPUs for that matter have not stood the test of time However Intel is also not off the hook here You should avoid any thirdgen or older 3000series Intel chips and definitely avoid the i3 machines even if they are newer Older hard drives could also make your refurbished PCs slowerGoing refurbishedRefurbished is a dirty word for most middleclass Mumbaikars but you donrsquot really need to add to the landfill so that you can flex with the latest computer Instead it is very green and socially responsible to consider refurbished computers I will also let you in on a little secret I upgraded my PC just a few months ago I went from a 4th Gen Intel i7 to a slightly outdated 5800x The only reason I went through with the upgrade was to update my gaming setup for WindowsBesides gaming the PC was great at handling everything I needed from it including AI applications that ran on my GPU and even some gaming This was running Windows 10 and possibly the only complaint I had with it was locating a working motherboard to go with my chip When my last motherboard died it took me a month to find a replacement I have still not removed this machine from circulation though instead it serves as a file server on my personal networkWhat to look forWhile I did say anything more than a thirdgeneration Intel chip ideally look for a sixthgeneration 6000series i5 or i7 onwards While the fourth and fifth generations will work the price difference between a fourth and a sixth is negligible If you are getting a good deal ideally near free on a fourth or fifth generation then by all means go for it Another thing to look for in refurbished PCs is SSD main hard drives Older HDD drives have mechanical parts which make them much slower and this can affect the way your computer feels during everyday tasks Make sure the machine you are buying at least has one HDMI portHopefully it supports a variety of display port types which will give you options for displays but HDMI will give you the most options including being able to connect it to a TV if you donrsquot have a monitor initially Try to get a machine with an OS included If you plan to use Windows 10 it is better to make sure your machine comes with a preinstalled copy of it Donrsquot buy machines that donrsquot have Windows 10 or 11 unless you plan to run Linux The machine should have more than 8GB of RAM While Windowsrsquo official documentation claims that it runs on lower RAM do not buy a machine with less than 8GB of RAM More RAM is better in this caseWindows or LinuxDonrsquot fret if the refurb machine of your dreams doesnrsquot come with Windows In the last few years Linux has come a long way especially Ubuntu in terms of userfriendliness I dailydrive Ubuntu on my laptop while running Windows on my desktop If this machine is meant for kids in your household as their first machine I would wipe the Windows OS off and install Ubuntu It will help them learn a lot more about computers than Windows will However if you are used to Windows already it may still make sense to keep the original OS If your refurb is on any Windows older than 10 you may still want to shift to Ubuntu for a better experienceRefurbished PCs are a great way to save the planet and enjoy some hefty discounts You can find these computers both on Amazon and in places like Lamington Road However I have also found some interesting secondhand dealers on Instagram Where you buy from should depend on the dealerrsquos warranty and return policy whether online or offline Also keep an open mind and deal hunt before settling on a machine More and newer is always better but cheaper is what you are looking for so set a maximum budget before you go find your PC A budget of around R1315000 is a nice sweet spot for something like this