I am interested in buying a second hand computer for my grandchildren to play games. Can you provide some advice on the specifics of the computer I should purchase, such as the amount of RAM, hard drive size, and the processor speed (is a Pentium 3 alright, or should I look for more recent models)?

These are very good questions, but are also very subjective depending on who you ask. However, I am more than happy to provide my opinion. Firstly, I would strongly recommend against purchasing a second hand computer. The price of entry-level computers today is so competitive you can get quite a capable brand new computer for between $1000 - $1500. The primary advantage of buying a new computer is that they should come with a warranty, which is very useful should something go horribly wrong. In contrast, you would be lucky to find a second hand computer with a warranty, and even with a warranty they are unlikely to be as reliable as a new computer (given the age of such second hand computers). Also, since you want to buy the computer so your grandchildren can play games, most older computers would not be particularly capable of playing most recent games, and something like a Pentium 3 is very old technology (originally launched over seven years ago).

Therefore, since your best option is to purchase a new computer, the next question is what sort of specifications would be best. First, the computer should have at the minimum 512 MB RAM. In fact, I would recommend 1 GB of RAM. Generally the more memory the better, as this will increase the performance of the computer quite significantly, since more programs and data can be loaded into RAM, which is much quicker for the computer to access than off the hard drive. Second, the hard drive should be around 160 GB. This should provide ample storage, especially considering many games occupy a large amount of hard drive space (e.g. some games can occupy around 4 GB of space). Third, make sure the computer comes with at least a DVD drive, as many games come on DVD instead of CDs. This should be pretty well standard, and you will probably find computers actually come with a DVD writer, allowing you to both read and write DVDs. Fourth, many low-end computers come with on-board video/graphics card. This means the graphics card is built onto the motherboard. In this case, the graphics performance is not as good compared with the graphics being on a dedicated card in the computer. This is because on-board graphics use the computer processor (CPU) and computer memory (RAM) for graphics processing. In contrast, dedicated graphics cards have their own processor (GPU - Graphics Processing Unit) and their own memory, making graphics performance higher. However, if you can only get on-board graphics on your computer that should be fine. Finally, you need to consider the computer processor. You can now get dual (and even quad) core CPUs, which essentially mean there are two (or four) processor cores on the one chip. So while it looks like only one chip, it actually has multiple ‘processors’. Multi-core processors would not be essential for your purpose, but you should be aware of this aspect. Furthermore, the trap many people are caught in when choosing between a single or multi-core processor is the speed of the processor. You will notice some multi-core processors run at a slower speed (e.g. 2.4 GHz) than single-core processors (e.g. 3.2 GHz). However, don’t forget the multi-core has multiple processor cores, so despite it having a slower clock speed it should outperform the single-core. Some computer manufacturers are also now offering Intel or AMD chips in their machines. For the average consumer, the difference between these two types of chips is not great, as they are just produced by different manufactures. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but this aspect should not greatly affect your purchase.

You now need to consider the operating system for the computer. The latest version of Windows, called Windows Vista, was released earlier this month, and is now bundled with many brand name computers. Be aware, some games may not work properly with Vista, so you may wish to check the system requirements for games you intend to load onto the computer to see whether they work with Vista, or whether they come with a patch or upgrade to support Vista. If they do work with Vista, then definitely get this on the computer. Otherwise, you may wish to get a computer with Windows XP. However, this may become increasingly difficult given many computer manufacturers are only offering Vista on their computers, since Windows XP has now been superseded.

So, the next question is where is the best place to find a computer at a good price. A good starting point is Dell, as you can configure your own computer on their website and get a price immediately. To give you an idea, when writing this column, I had a look at the Dell website and found a good computer with a AMD 2.4 GHz processor, Windows Vista, 1 GB RAM, 19′ flat panel monitor, 160 GB hard drive, DVD writer, and separate video card for $1499.00. This gives you an idea of the deals to be had, so have a shop around and see what you can find.