I need a "new" spare pc
I know we look at this issue too often, but I'm in the market for advice about a new spare pc.
My main study pc is fine. (Intel i5, 2500, @3.3, 8gb ram, ati radeon. Win 7. About 21/2 yr old)
The great benefit to me of this pc is that it will genuinely do 2 or 3 things at once. - e.g. Malwarebytes is running as I write this, and switching to anything else that is open is a breeze.
However, for a spare I do not need that level of spec. (And my shortly to arrive Air will do for most casual browsing).
BUT - I do want the spare to be able to do different things at once. My now switched off (XP) spare would not run either malwarebytes or defender whilst I was, say, on the net and/or doing mail and/or using Office.. Playing with video creation was an exercise in patience - and could only be done when nothing else was switched on.
So my question is how well specced up does my new spare need to be?
I have googled this excessively and have ended up very confused. PC marketeers are very clever - they keep driving me to higher and higher price points............suggesting that I am a classic mug for them. I start off at UKP 250 and in 3 minutes I'm up at 500, ............and why not get this gizmo for an extra.....etc.
Help. Please.
Er, and no, I am not going to build one. Thank you for the thought.