We have been buying computers for over 20 years and sometimes it's overwhelming to know what to look for in a new laptop or desktop computer.

These results are a product of our defining a number of standards that you should follow when purchasing your new machine to make sure you get the most from your investment:

• Processor: Intel (Core Ultra 5 or 7 series... or i5 or i7) -- Do not settle for AMD or Celeron. "Accept no substitute" in this area is a good philosophy. Skimp here, and you will not be happy after 18 months.

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Professional -- There are two features that separate Pro from Home: backup and remote desktop. You can save some money up front, but the first time you need one of these features, you will really miss them.

• Memory: 16 Gigabytes of RAM for an absolute minimum these day; we are now recommending 32 GB as a good upgrade for our executive clients who need a little more from their machines. In certain circumstances, we even suggest considering even more -- RAM determines how much capacity your computer's "brain" can use... and how many things it can focus on at any given time. Operating systems, antivirus utilities, Office and productivity programs like Outlook or other e-mail, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Internet Browsers like Internet Explorer (Edge) Firefox or Chrome or any other browsing, and multimedia are all faster with more RAM. Don't settle for any deals you see in fliers or online for cheap machines: check to see if they only come with 4 GB, even 8 GB is barely enough for Windows 11 these days. You can run the OS, but after opening two windows, you'll see the slowdown. You will likely be disappointed in the results.
  
  Also, we always try to leave room for upgrades. If you build a machine to order, don't just ask how much ram is in the machine, ask how many chips they will be using to deliver that ram, and how many total slots for ram there is. If you get an 16 GB machine, but open it up and find there are 4 x 4gb chips to give you that 16, and no empty additional slots, and someday you decide to upgrade to 32 gb, you'll have to throw out all of the 4 gb chips to put in 4x 8gb chips. If you buy the machine with 2x 8gb chips, that upgrade will cost you half was much because it will only need 2 more 8gb chips.

• Architecture: Business Class Machines -- Most computer manufacturers build two lines of machines, Consumer Grade, and Business Grade. Dell's Business class is, to start, physically stronger. Metal Cases, more robust laptop hard drives, etc. It is also engineered for the highest levels of software compatibility and has a lower failure rate.

• Warranty: On-Site, Next Business Day (At least 3 years, available up to 5 years) -- If you accept mail-in support, you can be without your machine for days, even weeks while it travels to and from the depot. They will take their time to work on it, and mail it back, a process over which you have no control and which gives no protection for you data while it is happening. Worst of all, if they somehow determine that the issue is caused by something you may have done, they may say it is outside the scope of your warranty coverage, and hold your machine until you pay for their time diagnosing or repairing it.

These upgrades may make your machine cost a little more in the short run, but they will help you get the most from your investment in the long run.

Now, you're probably asking...

What can I save on?

• Graphics Cards. If you're not playing World of Warcraft or Unreal Tournament III on your PC, the standard chipsets will be fine.

• Hard Drive Space. What are you going to use your machine for? Email? Web Surfing? Unless you're ripping an entire music collection to MP3 or downloading movies and TV shows, you don't need a terabyte hard drive. Be smart and logical, take inexpensive upgrades. Anything 80 GB or up should work for most users just fine.

• New Monitor / 2nd Monitor. Your new machine may come with new ports on the back, your old monitor may not be compatible, so factor in an adaptor, or consider a new monitor because with some manufacturers, when purchased with a new machine, the warranty covers the monitor as well! Why two? Everyone we've ever given a second monitor to has told us they are twice as productive because of it.

Ok, what else should I be getting on my machine?

• A Camera Built into the Bezel or Monitor (especially for laptops, if you don't get it now, you'll probably end up wishing you did)

• Bluetooth (again, if you don't get it now, you'll probably end up wishing you did)

• Microsoft Office

• Anti-Virus Software (Don't buy from manufacturer... buy after, but include in the budget.)

How important are these things?

Almost everything on this page can be upgraded, while most items on the first page can't be, other than warranty, and RAM; however, even with those, if you do them wrong the first time there are limits to how effectively they can be upgraded.

Note: Some components are more difficult to upgrade on Laptops. Take that into consideration when placing your initial order.