How to Build a Cheap PC or Cheap Laptops

Cheap computers can be seen as a common necessity for a large portion of the population. When we look at the computer deals available from most distributors, we get less and less enthusiastic about purchasing a computer. Could it be we are accustomed to looking in the same places for cheap laptop deals and discount computers? In order to save money, we may need to try different avenues when purchasing our next discount computer. Finding Cheap Computer Deals
They do still exist. In this age of online marketing, advertising, and revenue sales, more and more companies have taken to placing their items in the online marketplace. This means more discount computers for your to choose from online. A person can build a machine to suit their needs through online sites like New Egg or off customary providers like Dell. For still others, a more advanced alternative exists—find discount computer parts to build a machine.

Many sites offer discount computers, discount laptops, and discount computer parts. Refurbished computers and laptops give the discount computer deals an added zing. A refurbished computer is one that has parts replaced to make it work like new. Many computer manufacturers offer refurbished computers to those looking for discount laptop computers and cheap computers. A refurbished computer often times may be far from cutting edge technology, but can save money when focusing on a discount computer.

Coupons and Savings from Major Computer Deal Players

We all have seen the deep discounts available from time to time at Dell or others. These computer deals seem to come out of thin air, but there is a governing principle behind them. Sales. The company is trying to boost their sales by offering steep computer deals to their customers. These savings usually come near the end of the fiscal quarter, and, if successfully marketed, can boost their share prices by increasing quarterly sales and revenues. Before looking for your next cheap laptop or cheap computer, consider the time of year and maybe hold off until the fiscal quarter comes to an end. A fiscal quarter is a three month period that does not traditionally run in line with a calendar year. We have listed the fiscal quarters for the most recent fiscal year in the United States.

· 1st Quarter: October 1, 2006 – December 31, 2006
· 2nd Quarter: January 1, 2007 – March 31, 2007
· 3rd Quarter: April 1, 2007 – June 30, 2007
· 4th Quarter: July 1, 2007 – September 30, 2007


Building a Cheap Computer or Laptop

A cheap computer can be found by first finding discount computer parts and putting those together to create a machine. This process can be done by even those with limited knowledge of the inner workings of a computer. For a cheap computer, the basics to purchase are as follows (we use a standard desktop as our guideline).

1. A case for the computer. These can be found at steep discounts from New Egg, Frys, and many others.
2. A motherboard. This component acts as the brain of the machine; it must fit into the purchased tower case.
3. A video card (only if one is not built into the motherboard).
4. A sound card if needed (again this may be built into the motherboard).
5. An Ethernet card, if one is not built into the computer.
6. A hard drive. A drive around 200GB is standard nowadays, but for increased discounts look for one with less space.
7. Memory, also called RAM. This should be in the range of at least 512MB for Windows Vista and as little as 256MB for Windows XP.
8. An Operating System.


Many sites online can help you to put together these discount computer parts to build a complete computer. They offer training videos and more to assist you with building a discount computer from scratch. We suggest you look through the material online before building a system from scratch. It may not be the option for you.

The Cheap Software Solution -- Open Source Software

We are all familiar with Microsoft and their suite of software, including their popular Office applications, as well as XP and Vista operating systems. What we may not realize is that the steep cost of those operating systems can be forgotten with open source solutions. Open source refers to the code behind free applications online. Linux is an example of the open source software solution. The operating system is free of charge, with most distributions, and can have as much flexibility and ease of use as Windows. The open source community works on the software to make it better for users and all the software for the operating system is free. What can be a better discount software price than free? If you build your own computer, consider the free Linux distribution Ubuntu to get you started in the open source community.

As we look for cheap computers and cheap laptops, we can find better cheap computer deals when we know the facts and where to look. If we have the gumption, we can even create our own cheap laptop or cheap computer. And we cannot forget about the open source software with the free price tag. All of these options are there to save you money.