Some like Microsoft (Windows). Others prefer Apple (Unix). Ever try Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, or ... ) ?

[Borg Refinery]

I bet you could find more up-to-date hardware on a rubbish pile. The trick of course is intercepting it before it's returned to the bio-assimilation pile.

I have noticed that with equipment that's marginal for a graphics task, some graphics software is more efficient than others. But within the budget, might make sense to try a few graphics options.

I had Blender 3D installed as I like to do 3D stuff and my Mac was perfectly sufficient - this PC with lbetter hardware (supposedly) than my Mac can't even run videos my Mac can, let's just forget 3D stuff. And Cubase (I make music) barely works on this PC either - it's LE so not even the full version - again Logic worked like a dream on my Mac. Go figure.

Had a look at prices for those models and it appears you're right about the rubbish heap thing. I guess it's my perceptions that were out of date!

 

[sear]

It's complicated.
The hardware thing is usually fairly easy to figure out. If the software system requirement is 2 Gigs of RAM, as long as you can count all the way up to two, you're good to go. BUT !!
Microsoft Windows may qualify as "bloatware". When I got my first desktop PC in 1981 the industry standard for RAM was 64K. That was plenty to run the software of the day. These days 64K probably couldn't boot Windows Vista (an obsolete version of MS Win).

One complication:
If there are Unix and Windows versions of an application, and the windows version is more efficient, it might then seem computers with identical specs would run the Win version better. But Windows inefficiency as an OS ("bloatware") may tilt the advantage to Unix.

I appreciate efficiency. I don't need an 8 cylinder engine in my car. My car has 4 cylinder. It's fine. But with computers I've found it's just better to strive for overkill. Spending many $hundreds if not $thousands on a computer that's almost powerful enough to run your application is not merely $money wasted, but an exercise in frustration as well. Complicating matters further, if the software license applies to only one computer, and that license clings to a computer that won't run the software properly, it may then be necessary to both replace the hardware, AND the software. So bitter experience has taught me not to be penny wise and pound foolish in matters of computing.