Cheap Desktop Computers

Dirt Cheap Computers To Get The Most Value For Your Money

The so called top rated computer systems are expensive. You can really end up paying way too much; especially with all the bells and whistles PC's come with these days.

The good news is you can get quality dirt cheap computers, whether they're top notch cheap refurbished computers or otherwise using our PC money saving tips.

Refurbished PC Components

Quality Cheap Refurbished Computers

We hate to see anybody having to pay through the nose for a PC, so we're happy to share these tips with you. First, you don't need to buy a top of the line, brand new PC with all the bells and whistles. In fact, you can buy an excellent desktop PC with a great many features for $300 or less.

What? $300 or less for a desktop loaded up with several features. Absolutely!

If you want to buy cheap desktop computers or cheap notebook computers, then don't buy new and avoid going to a retail outlet like a Best Buy. To save big bucks, you will want to purchase low priced recertified/refurbished computers.

A refurbished PC is a computer that was shipped back to the manufacturer, for whatever reason (small scratch when originally shipped, surplus stocks and over-production items, off lease PC's, etc.). A refurb is thoroughly tested and goes through a full technical inspection and is restored to its original specifications.

The inspection is an intensive process done by factory qualified service technicians. Basically, the refurbished PC's are factory re-engineered and re-tested to the same rigorous manufacturing standards as brand new computers.

By the way, you shouldn't confuse a refurbished PC with poor quality. On the contrary, since refurbished computers have been restored to their original specifications, they're quality matches their new PC counterparts AND they are much less expensive than the new machines. Also, your refurbished/recertified PC will come with a warranty to boot.

Best Places To Shop For Cheap Computers Online

1. TigerDirect

   You can go to tigerdirect and type in "refurbished" in their keyword search box. Then on the navigation bar (on the left side) click on desktop or labtops.

   You'll find there to be a great many items in inventory to look at from various manufacturers. We've always purchased either a refurbished Dell or HP; and they're excellent PC's.

   What's really neat, is you can shop for the PC with the features you're looking for since there are so many to choose from. All the PC specs are listed along with the warranty information.

   We've found that both Dell and HP PC's come with a 12 month warranty. Again, we've purchased both over the years and not had a problem. If the PC has bugs, you're going to know certainly within 12 months or less.

2. Dell Outlet Store

   The dell factory outlet for refurbished computers provides a goldmine of cheap desktop computers. You'll find this site also has a very nice filtering system for sorting PC's by price, processor, operating system and other features.

   All PC’s purchased from this site come with a 12 month manufacturers warranty. For questions regarding the PC, warranty, or other questions you may have, you can also call 866-492-6721.

Cheap Desktop Computers

Other Places To Shop For Cheap Desktop Computers

If you're not sure what configuration will be best for you, you can call Dell's sales department at 1-800-999-Dell. What's really nice is you can talk to a live account rep that can guide you towards custom tailoring your own built to order PC.

They'll ask you your price range, what you primarily use the PC for, and several other questions to help you custom build the ideal PC configuration that will best suite your needs.

Although we're big fans of refurbished computers, we found some great deals on Dell Inspirons that were comparable to refurb pricing. So, we had one built to order and and love it!

Use Your Computer To Save Money

1. Faxing

   You can use your PC as a fax machine using the scanner attached to your computer. This way you avoid paying for faxing off-site, like at an office supply store.

2. Long Distance Phone Fees

   Using the free long distance programs that are available on-line will help you save money. There are various programs to choose from, which you'll find after googling "free long distance calling."

3. Gift Savings

   You can really save a lot of money by using your computer to create gifts. For example, you can create calendars, cookbooks, coloring books, music CD's, and movie DVD's to name a few. You can also personalize each gift to the person receiving it as an added bonus.

4. Travel

   Booking your travel plans on-line will save you money as opposed to using a travel agent in many instances.

5. Books

   You can also save a great deal of money using your computer to purchase e-books on just about any subject you can think of. An e-book is an electronic version of a book that you can download from the internet and read on your computer screen or print out for reading.

   You can find great deals on e-books at clickbank.com. Another bonus, is you don't have to pay shipping like you would for a hard copy book.

Basic PC Monitor

Save Money Protecting Your Computer

First, use a safe browser like Mozilla's Firefox. Unlike the internet explorer browser, Firefox is not as prone to being hacked and offers much more security from online downloads that can infect your PC.

By the way, Firefox is faster than internet explorer and it's free! You can go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ and click on the free download button.

For antivirus and firewall protection, we've used Mcafee for years. It's priced reasonably and you’ll find it provides great PC protection. Mcafee will also provide you with up to date security alerts and consistently updates against the latest viruses/security issues.

Another must have is a good spyware detection program. We use Spyware Terminator and you'll find its worth it weight in gold. By the way, it's free! You can go to spywareterminator.com for the free download.

Summary - Cheap Desktop Computers

Have fun with your PC!