When you set out to buy a new computer, its a pretty substantial investment, especially for the students who have worked hard to earn that money.
In most cases, I have seen people with little knowledge to shop around on their own, and get trapped by a smart salesman, who sells them what he / she wants to sell and not what you really need.
Another myth that most people get trapped by is that good “brand names” make good computers. I happen to completely disagree with this notion.
There are really three things that standout when buying a new PC :
1. What will you use your computer for
2. What are the specs of the computer
3. What value are you getting for your money
1. What will you use your computer for :
The first thing is to define as to what will you be using your computer for.This will determin the minimum specs for your computer. You could use your computer to surf the internet, write your assignments, watch videos, store images and videos, play games etc. You could be doing some or all of these things.
If you will just be surfing the internet, any modest specs PC will do. If you want to save a lot of images and videos , you probably will need a decent sized hard drive. If you are a gamer, then you will need a high end graphics card and a high resolution monitor + a good amount of memory (RAM – Random Access Memory) and a fast processor. I am not putting any specific values here, as the technology is changing so fast, that by the time you read this article, the specs will already be obsolete.
I have seen and worked with computers from the time the very first PCs came into existance. I have seen the entire history of evolution of PCs and am completely awe struck by the sheer pace at which the technology has advanced, within a few decades.
2. What are the specs of the computer :
Luckily, today even the very modest models are sufficiently powerful to handle most of the jobs of a regular user. When looking for specs the following should be checked :
Processor : (Speed and Core)
Dual core processors are actually 2 processors in a single device, so they perform much better than a single processor. Quad core processors are now becoming common too, but for a higher price. Dual core processors are powerful enough to handle even sufficiently demanding jobs (including multi-tasking). However, if you are a hard core gamer, you might consider buying a Quad core processor. Again, I will not mention any specific models here.
RAM (Random Access Memory) :
This is the place where all the programs reside when they are running. RAM is like a scratch pad where you can write the data and erase it as required. This is what really happens when you run any programs on a computer.
If you do not have enough RAM to hold all the program data, then the computer uses your hard drive as an extension of your RAM. This is called paging. At this time the computer performance slows down, as hard drive is much slower than RAM. So you want to make sure you have enough RAM to handle your work easily.
RAM chips also come in different speeds, so look for both the capacity (in GB) and speed (in MHz). RAM chips have evolved into DDR (Double Data Rate) chips. DDR3 RAMs are twice as fast as DDR2 RAMs and are not compatible with one another. So you cannot upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3 RAM. As of today, 4GB of RAM should be considered sufficient for most users.
Hard Disk Drive :
The Hard Drive capacity and speed are also two important specs to look for. Almost all new computers come with SATA ( Serial ATA) interface Hard Drives. Serial ATA has many advantages over regular or parallel ATA interface. Reduced cable bulk (80 wires ATA to 7 wires SATA) and faster and more efficient data transfer.
Today, HDD capacities normally start from 320GB, which should be sufficient for a regular user. But if you like, you can buy a 500GB or a 1TB Hard Drive. It all depends on what you need it for and the value for money you are getting.
Video card and Monitor :
Today’s PCs come equipped with sufficiently adequate video cards and monitors. However, if you are a gamer, you might consider buying a high end video card with its own processor on board and its own RAM.
Most manufacturers are now coming up with the new LED displays. LED displays are superior to LCD displays, as they consume much less power and their color and contrast ratios are much better. For resolution, look for an HD (High Definition) display.
Operating System (OS) :
As of today, Windows 7 is the standard on most new PCs. Personally, I like Windows 7 better than Vista. Vista is bulky and drains the hardware resources much more than Windows 7. Windows XP had evolved into a very stable OS, but Windows 7 takes advantage of all the new technology available on the hardware. Windows XP could only handle upto 3GB of RAM, but if you have 4GB or more RAM, Windows 7 will take full advantage of it.
Another OS, less known to normal users is LINUX. The best thing about LINUX is that its completely FREE and almost as robust as Windows 7. It comes with a full suite of free applications like Word Processor, Spread Sheet, Presentations and any other application you can think of. All these applications are compatible with its Windows couterparts. However, to work with LINUX you have to be a little tech savvy at times. LINUX is actually the UNIX OS ported to PC. Once installed, it feels quit similar to Windows. Though, you will have to get acquinted with a little different environment and application names.
3. Value for money :
In today’s market, prices are changing continuously. Don’t rush into buying a PC. Make a list of minimum specs you need. Look around and compare prices for those specs. Do not look for brand names, they are all made somewhere in China. Buy when you see a good deal.
Hope you find this information useful when you set out to buy your next PC.
Any comments are welcome.
ÂÂ