Power Consumption Tips for new Desktop PC

Power consumption: Look at Energy Star

Technology News : We'd all like to cut our power bills, and Energy Star-qualified computers could be part of that process. If you're upgrading computers and your new machine uses more energy than your old one, you're increasing your so-called carbon footprint; but a system that meets Energy Star guidelines at least increases your power use less than does a comparable system that hasn't been designed to meet the marks of this Environmental Protection Agency program.

With a laptop -- or a refrigerator, for that matter -- a specific model with more or less the same features can be tested and its usage estimated. But when you can upgrade a processor to double the baseline model's speed and stick in four hard drives instead of two, the baseline numbers help only a little in calculating the final energy bill.

Still, because Energy Star's rules for desktops and workstations -- tightened in 2007 -- require an efficient power supply and intelligent power reductions in standby and idle modes, you're still moving in the right direction.

Our verdict: Energy Star shouldn't be the deciding factor, but it's worth crunching numbers with your local electrical rates against other models you'd be considering.

Warranties: Check out the differences

Warranties are complicated beasts, and it's not ideal to recommend spending several hundred dollars extra for "24-hour business day" service when that can actually be interpreted in different ways by different companies.

For on-site repair, you'll typically see a service technician wearing a company tag just for that visit; they work for firms that contract out the local work. If you have a problem that's beyond their ability to repair on the spot, they may lack spare parts, and you may still be out of commission for a day or two or over a weekend.

Visit the official support forums on a manufacturer's site -- Apple and Dell seem to delete few, if any, of the complaints that aren't abusive or obscene. (If they're removing the worst stuff, I'd be scared to see it.) Find out what each warranty option means in practice, and ask around in your area to see whether the local service techs who might appear for any maker's model you buy are up to the task.

Our verdict: You almost certainly will want to spend the few hundred dollars to get improved warranty over the included offer, but research to find out what level is worthwhile.

Pre-installed programs: Remove the bloatware

Every computer maker should offer the option to provide a computer with no co-marketed, pre-installed software packages that generally serve more to slow down your new system's performance than to enhance your computing experience. Yes, antivirus and firewall software trials can make sure you're safe out of the box, but this is also a lock-in strategy with marketing dollars involved, not something that has your interests directly at heart.

It's surprising that PC makers haven't embraced such an option, despite the potential revenue loss from business partners supplying the trial apps. After all, Sony recently endured a public embarrassment when it briefly attempted to charge for removing all the trial software and Sony applications not needed for a system's operation on one of its ultramobile PCs. (The Sony people quickly changed their minds, and you can now get the "Fresh Start" option -- shades of "1984" doublespeak -- on applicable laptops at no cost.)

None of the major makers, including Sony, offers this option for desktops except Apple, which doesn't install trial software from other firms, and has just one inducement for a service -- its .Mac subscription hosting option -- during the setup process.

Our verdict: Manufacturers should offer this software-free option, and removing bloatware should be one of your first tasks after buying a computer.

What to Look For in a New Desktop

By Glenn Fleishman, PC World

When buying your next PC, you should select -- and avoid -- certain key features.

Buying a desktop PC might seem to be a straightforward process, but choosing an ideal configuration requires some important decision making. Should you choose a SATA drive or an SAS drive? Should the PC include a Blu-ray drive? Many newer features are increasingly affordable and increasingly necessary, while others are things you can definitely wait on. To help you decide which options are must-haves, and which you can bypass, we've put together a checklist of options to consider. Read on for help in deciding how to configure your next desktop purchase.

Operating system: Go forward to go back

Let's face it: Microsoft Vista has suffered some black eyes from people and businesses that have had serious trouble getting it to operate consistently, reliably and quickly, as well as from those who simply prefer the XP interface.

That's why you may find the option for an XP downgrade on new PCs welcome, if rather odd. You're essentially buying Vista, but getting XP for free, and obtaining an upgrade disk for Vista when and if you want it. If you buy the Vista Business edition, models and makers that support this option will impose no additional charge; if you buy a cheaper Vista version, you may have to pay additional fees, or an XP downgrade may not be available.

Dell's arrangement is typical: By choosing its "bonus" edition of Vista Business or better, you can opt to have the factory install Windows XP and include an upgrade DVD for that flavor of Vista. Dell offers support through the computer's lifetime warranty for both XP and Vista. You can even downgrade back to XP if you choose.

Since most businesses haven't standardized on Vista, you're unlikely to have problems with co-workers or other companies you work with if you stick with XP; operating systems rarely affect compatibility, either, only tech support.

Our verdict: For your operating system, buy Vista Business with XP pre-installed for the greatest flexibility.