You can save money on a new computer by getting only the features that you need. A lot of computer companies put out ready made computers with a bunch of different features, some of which you don't need but pay for anyway. There are four main areas that you should concern yourself with; the processor, hard drive size, operating system and video.

The processor should be big enough for what you are going to use the computer for. Stay away from Intel Celeron, AMD Sempron and AMD Duron processors, they're old and slow. Otherwise consult the sales person about what type and speed of processor you may need.

The hard drive size is going to depend on how much data you are going to have on the computer at any one moment in time. Unless you are downloading very large files (i.e. movies, music, software (legally, of course!)) you don't need a very big hard drive, 80 gig should do you plenty. Some PC companies will try to force a 250 gig hard drive down your throat even if you don't need it. The bigger the hard drive the more expensive it is.

The operating system gets tricky because as I'm writing this there are still computer manufacturers still trying to sell PCs with Windows XP. While XP is nice, you should go with Vista because in a few years you will want to anyways. There are different versions of Vista and each has a different price that the PC makers have built in the new computer's price. You can check out the different versions of Vista at Microsoft's Windows website. When you decide which version is right for you then you can make a better choice when it comes to buying a new computer.

There are many different video options out there today. Most cheaper new computers will have video built-in. This is completely fine for most people as long as it's at least 128MB. Anything less, and Windows Vista won't run as nice. If you find a computer with an actual video "card", then please be warned that you will be paying a higher price than one with just built-in video. Video cards are not needed for regular folks, they're more for the PC gamers. All of this video talk is moot if you are a gamer (one who plays graphic intensive computer games) because then you will NEED a dedicated video card for your computer (at least 256MB). Of course if you are a gamer and you're reading this then you already know about how important video is to you ;-) All the other people can be happy with just built-in video that comes on the motherboard.

Now, how can you save money when buying a new computer? Knowledge, that's how. Don't let a sales person tell you that you need a big hard drive, or a video card when clearly you do not! I can't tell you how many stories I've heard about retarded sales people telling customer that they NEED this and they NEED that. The truth is only YOU know what you need, and the more information that you can gather on the internet the better choice you'll make when it comes time to buy a new computer.