• Determine Your Desktop PC Needs

• Meet Your Desktop PC System Requirements

• Explore Common Desktop PC Components

• Choose Your Windows Version

• Find Desktop PCs on eBay Singapore

• Buy Desktop PCs with Confidence

• Need More Help?

• Legal Disclaimer

Determine Your Desktop PC Needs

Determine Your Desktop PC Needs

Become a savvy desktop PC shopper simply by following the four basic steps:

Meet Your Desktop PC System Requirements

Meet Your Desktop PC System Requirements

Below you'll find some suggested processor, memory (RAM), and hard drive capacity specifications to use as a starting point when you shop for desktop PCs on eBay Singapore.

Buy a basic home PC

People looking for a basic home desktop PC want to work in word-processing and spreadsheet applications, send/receive emails, surf the Internet, perform basic photo editing tasks, and transfer data to and from gadgets like MP3 players and digital cameras.

Find a desktop PC for your home office

Desktop PCs that are designed to fit into your home office allow you to bring your work home.

Immerse yourself in a 3-D gaming machine

Experience fast 3-D gaming action on your desktop PC and online with a 3-D gaming machine.

Create music and movies on your desktop PC

Multimedia powerhouse desktop PCs can be used as sound studios, digital darkrooms, or video production houses.

Explore Common Desktop PC Components

Explore Common Desktop PC Components

Desktop PCs are only as good as the parts that come inside them. When looking at these parts, also called components, know that:     

• 1GB equals 1024MB.

• 1GHz is faster than 1MHz.     

• Faster processors offer faster performance.    

• As you increase memory (RAM), program performance also improves.    

• Larger hard drives allow you to store more files.
  

Compare desktop PC processors

The processor is your computer's nerve centre. Sellers provide information about the type of processor a computer contains and its speed in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). Here's how to compare them when you shop.    

• Processor speed: 1GHz processors are faster than 1MHz processors. Faster processors offer better system performance and usually cost more than slower processors.

• Intel & AMD: Intel and AMD use different speed naming conventions for their processors. Intel uses processor speed while AMD compares its CPUs to their Intel counterparts. When you see a 2.8 GHz Pentium processor, know that it's comparable to an AMD 2800+ processor. Higher numbers offer better performance.     

• Celeron & Pentium: Intel makes two lines of processors: Celeron and Pentium. Celeron is an inexpensive, no-frills alternative to Pentium processors. You trade off some speed for a lower price.     

• Hyperthreading (HT): Hyperthreading (HT), an Intel technology, lets processors in the 3GHz and faster range work on two separate threads of data at the same time. Your software needs to be optimised for hyperthreading in order to see improved performance. More software will support the technology in the next few years.     

• Dual processors: Some computers contain two processors that can take turns working with data. You will only see improved performance if the software you run is optimised for dual processing.

Make sure you have enough memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory (RAM) stores data in a temporary holding area so that your desktop doesn't have to access slower hard drive memory when programs request information. Programs, including operating systems, need a certain amount of RAM to run, with more RAM providing better performance. For example, Windows XP requires at least 128MB RAM to run according to Microsoft. Most people find the number closer to 256MB and see even better performance with 512MB RAM, 1GB RAM, or more.

Select your hard drive capacity

A computer's hard drive stores all your programs and files. You can save more data with a drive that has a higher storage capacity (measured in GB) compared to one with a lower storage capacity. You only need 20GB to 40GB of hard drive space if you only plan to store your operating system, programs, documents, and a few photos. If you plan to save a lot of large files like high-resolution images, movies, or music you'll want at least 80GB. Additional external hard drives also work well for data backup purposes and for storing large files.

Back up with a CD or DVD burner

CD burners and DVD burners allow you to back up your data, create your own music CDs, or burn your home videos to DVD.

• CD-R: Write to CD-R media and create your own audio CDs. You can only burn and finalise a CD-R once.

• CD-RW: Back up your data to a rewritable CD-RW.     

• DVD+RW/-RW: A DVD can hold more data than a CD, which makes it a great backup data storage option. A combination DVD+RW/-RW burner can write to the popular DVD+RW and DVD-RW media formats.    

• Combo Drives: Combo drives can read or write to two media formats. They may also include a read-only media format such as CD-ROM (to read CDs) or DVD-ROM (to play DVD movies and read CD-RWs).

Connect to your network

In order to connect to a home network or broadband Internet service, you'll need a 10/100 Network Interface Card (NIC), which comes standard on many PCs.

Interact with your favourite gadgets

Digital cameras, MP3 players such as the iPod, video cameras, and other gadgets transfer data to and from your computer over a high-speed USB 2.0 or FireWire (also called IEEE 1394) connection. Many also work over slower USB 1.1 connections.

Get great graphics and sound

Enthusiastic gamers will want one of the latest video cards and sound cards. They process video and audio, freeing up memory for other system tasks. You may also need separate cards if you buy an older PC that does not have a motherboard with onboard sound and video processing.

Notes on upgrading: Desktop owners can easily replace old components or install new components to improve performance and add functionality. For example:   

• Add more memory.

• Install a FireWire (IEEE 1394) card, USB 2.0 card, or FireWire/USB combo card so that your computer can connect to your MP3 player, digital camera, or digital video camera.

• Upgrade your video card.     

• Install a new sound card.

If you plan to upgrade components, ask the seller to provide you with a manual for the desktop. The manual specifies which hardware the computer's motherboard supports.

Choose Your Windows Version

Choose Your Windows Version

Microsoft currently offers three versions of its Windows operating system for home and home office use:

• Windows XP Home: Windows XP Home offers a clean and simple interface that works well for most home users and provides more stability than previous versions of the Windows operating system.

• Windows XP Media Centre Edition: If you want to connect your computer to your TV, or use the computer as a media hub, buy a Media Centre PC running Windows XP Media Centre Edition.     

• Windows XP Professional: Windows XP Professional is designed for business users and provides extra support for networking. It also includes a Remote Desktop feature that allows you to access the computer over the Internet.

You will also find computers that run older versions of Windows on eBay Singapore, including Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, and 2000.

Find Desktop PCs on eBay Singapore

Find Desktop PCs on eBay Singapore

Now that you know exactly what you want, go to the Electronics & Computers portal, click 'Desktop Computers' under Computers & Office Products and start searching for items on eBay Singapore.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Dell PC with a 2GHz processor, type "dell 2GHz" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay Singapore's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores or saving a search on My eBay and eBay Singapore will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Desktop PCs with Confidence

Buy Desktop PCs with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay Singapore and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it posts.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay Singapore (with a bid or Buy It Now). Transactions conducted outside of eBay Singapore are not covered by eBay Singapore protection programmes.

• Never pay for your eBay Singapore item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay Singapore sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay Singapore and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorised payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to US$1,000.

• eBay Singapore Security Centre: Visit the Security Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay Singapore's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Need More Help?

Need More Help?

Visit our help pages or start a thread on one of our Community Discussion Boards - If you have a quick question that needs answering, try posting it on our community Answer Centre - there's bound to be a seasoned eBay Singapore veteran with just the information you're looking for!

Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Buying Guides are intended merely as a guide or review for members when considering what products or services they may be interested in bidding on or purchasing. eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the accuracy of the information or content contained in these Buying Guides. Furthermore, eBay does not make, and nothing in these Buying Guides is intended to constitute, any warranties, guarantees, representations or assurances about the nature or performance of the products or services appearing in the Buying Guides. eBay is not affiliated with nor does it endorse the use of any particular product or service.