COMPUTERS are getting more advanced by the day. The best today may not be in the top ten in a month’s time. But you do not need ‘top of the line’ products in order to have a quality and fast computer. Today, I will give you tips on a few things you should look for the next time you are buying a computer. With this guide, you won’t need to ask for information from the staff at the store, who most times do not know much. Before you start looking at computers, you need to know what you will be using the computer for.
First and foremost, you need to know what you are going to use the computer for. Are you going to write papers for class? Surf the World Wide Web? Play 3-D computer games? You need to know what it is you want to do with the computer, as this will often dictate minimum system requirements.
HARDWARE
The first thing we will discuss is the processor. That is what makes the computer do all the calculations really fast, in order to make the computer do what you are telling it to do. When looking at the processor, speed doesn’t mean as much as it did years ago; the main thing to look at today is cores. Today, cores are better, because it is like having multiple processors in one. Instead of one processor working hard really fast and getting hot, multiple cores allow the processor to work with two or more calculations at once. Once you see that the processor has more than one core, you can look at the speed of the processor; this is 2.2GHz that you will see. It may look easy to find a good processor just by looking at those two things, but you’d be wrong. The next thing to look at is which manufacturer you choose and which kind of processor type you choose. The main manufacturers are AMD and Intel, and both manufacturers have multiple types and speeds, ranging from low end basic CPU to high end 8 core processor for gaming. Once again, this makes a difference with what you want to do with your computer.
The next thing to look for is the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) that the computer has. Today, the minimum is 1GB, and this is now considered a small amount of RAM. It doesn’t mean that if you see it you should skip the computer you’re looking at. 1GB is enough memory for the average user. The good thing about RAM is that — desktop or laptop — it is pretty easy to swap out for more memory. Most memory now is DDR3 memory, which is fast memory, but these have different speeds as well. Many people will not see the difference in the speed. The main thing to look for in RAM is ‘more is better’, but only if your operating system can handle it. What we mean by this is that you need a 64-bit operating system for the high memory to be seen and used properly. If you are an average user, then 1 to 4 GB is a good amount.
A high end graphics card is not necessarily needed in a computer if you are only going to be using it lightly. Graphics cards are used to display everything that you see on your computer screen, so one is needed in a computer; and if there isn’t a dedicated card in the computer, one is integrated into the motherboard. Graphic cards are now being used to help run the computer by taking the load off of the processor. There is a new technology, called GPGPU, which stands for General Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Unit. I suggest that you get a graphics card that is made by either NVidia or ATI, as these are the main manufacturers of good quality cards. A common card that you will see in integrated Intel graphic media accelerator. This type is integrated into the motherboard, and is not as good as NVidia or ATI.
Hard drives are an important part of the computer. This is where all of the data and operating system are stored. Hard drives come in different sizes and speeds. The main thing to look for in a hard drive is the speed. You will see 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM, and ranging in size from 120 GB up to 2 Terabytes. The good thing about a desktop computer is that there are multiple bays for hard drives, and you can get a smaller one at first, then add a larger drive later on, as you lose space. The hard drive size is up to you and how much data you will store on the computer. Data comprise photos, music, movies, and documents. All of these are getting bigger in file size, so if you have a lot of them, get a big drive.
Ports on a computer are important these days, with so many peripherals that are out. One important port to look for is USB port; this is what many peripherals use, like phones, external hard drives, and keyboards. If you already have peripherals that use a certain port, and you do not want to buy new peripherals, then ports are more important when looking at a new computer.
SOFTWARE
Purchase a computer that runs Microsoft Windows XP, Vista or 7, as virtually all consumer software is 32-bit software, and there may be incompatibility issues with using the 64-bit version. Linux is not widely used in Guyana, hence it will be difficult to support and maintain such. However, it is an excellent Operating System (OS).
SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
If the PC of choice comes pre-loaded with software, such as Microsoft Office, know that the software that is purchased with the new computer often has a special OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) licence. That OEM licence is tied to that specific PC, and cannot be transferred (uninstalled/reinstalled) to another computer. So, if you replace your PC in a couple of years, you will also need to purchase all of the OEM-licensed software. This is another reason for selecting an initial system that is expected to have a long, useful life.
If you plan to replace the computer every couple of years, consider purchasing a retail copy of the software, rather than buying the software with the new computer. With a retail copy of the software, you can easily uninstall and reinstall the software and licence between the old computer and the new computer. Depending on the application, retail software is going to cost you about 50% more than the OEM software purchased with the computer, but it will save you money in the long run.
Now you are armed with a better knowledge of what to look for when you are buying a new computer. You won’t have to count on the store employees to lie to you about what is important. When going to buy a new computer, you should do research and know what you want to use your new computer for. There is an old Guyanese saying that, “cheap thing nah good and good thing nah cheap!” You will get what you pay for!
