•Other speed boosters. Separate graphics chips, sometimes called "discrete graphics," can vastly improve a PC's performance by crunching images separately, instead of relying on the main processor to do it. Discrete graphics are a must-have for video games, says Brian Bruning, director of handheld content for graphics chipmaker Nvidia. But they can also speed up tasks such as dragging a photo across the screen, he says.

That does not make sense.

Processors are still usually the most expensive — and often the most important — component in a PC. But nearly all entry-level computers are more than fast enough to handle e-mail and Web surfing, says Gartner's Reynolds. Casual users should "look for the lowest-priced machine and see if there's any reason why it doesn't meet their needs," he says.

That does not make sense. A 5 year old computer can handle e-mail and browsing. Are you trying to tell me any new one sold anywhere can't? The article is so poorly written, and so poorly researched I can't stand to point out mistakes anymore. They also talk about AMD Game, which I also can't handle.