Buying a PC for College: What You Need to Know

Buying a PC for college? Before you buy, do some research. Start with your college website.

College Specifications

Some colleges, like Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn., publish minimum computer requirements needed by their students. The list may cover both hardware and software. Northwestern's list covers the CPU, networking capability, memory and wireless cards among other hardware features. When it comes to software, the college mandates one of three operating systems; the college also expects students to invest in antivirus protection and a common word processing program.

It's essential to bring a list of any hardware or software prerequisites imposed by your college when you go shopping. If your college doesn't mandate minimum computer capability, take a look at the websites of some colleges that do. You'll come away with useful information about how much processing speed and memory college students typically need.

Laptops v. Desktops

Laptops are space-savers and they're portable. While a desktop may be less expensive and less vulnerable to theft, it's less versatile, so even if a desktop is an option at your school, you may want to go with the laptop. Owning a laptop not only offers the student the convenience of working anywhere on campus, its portability may help obviate conflicts between roommates when one roommate wants to work on a computer and the other wants to sleep or socialize.

Kiplinger suggests that college students forego high-end models. The business adviser also nixes netbooks because of their slow processing speeds and small keyboards.

Multiple USB Drives

Most new computers have at least three or four USB drives for good reason. Students may need to use multiple USB drives simultaneously for devices used in conjunction with their computers.

Printer

While students are often able to print documents in a computer center, the convenience of having an in-room printer is usually worth the small added expense of purchasing one. When purchasing a printer, check out the ink cartridge sizes and replacement costs. Choose a printer whose ink replacement costs are in the moderate range so as to avoid a continual budget drain. Compare cartridge yields, that is, the number of pages a cartridge will print before running dry, of the models under consideration. This information is available on manufacturer websites.

Accommodating Photo and Video Files

College students planning to use their computers to download extensive photo or video files should take those needs into account when choosing their laptop. Photo and especially video files can usurp memory pretty quickly, so it's important to assess the extent of those uses when deciding which computer to buy.

Knowing how critical a computer is to a college student, do enough research to make sure the one you buy will meet your needs.