The price ranges for laptops and desktops vary widely, but there are a few ways to save money on computer purchases. There are many things to consider before buying a PC, so once you’ve decided how powerful you want your PC to be, you can compare prices between similar systems.

New models of the same device are often released every few months. Generally, new products add improvements to overall performance, capabilities, and features, but the improvements are usually minimal. Since most manufacturers and retailers make their highest margins selling these new systems, they sell earlier models at a discount to make room for the new ones. You can buy a computer with roughly the same specs as a newer model for half the price.

Refurbished products are either returns or units that failed initial quality control checks and needed to be rebuilt, so manufacturers sell them at discounted prices. A typical refurbished laptop or desktop computer can cost 5-25% less than the standard retail price. There are several important factors to consider when purchasing a refurbished system, including warranties, who refurbished it, and whether the discount is less than what the equivalent new system costs.

Buying a computer with a minimal memory configuration and upgrading the RAM can be cheaper than buying a newer, more powerful PC. This is especially a good idea for premium brands or performance-class systems. Manufacturers buy computer memory in bulk, which means they may be left with large inventories that they must sell at a discount.