Buying a Desktop Computer
-Important Things To Consider

Things to Consider when buying a Desktop Computer?

What do you need to consider when buying a desktop? There are many things to consider, but it depends if you're in business, engaging in gaming, or need a computer for basic computing tasks.

Power Supply

Your power supply supplies the electrical power to your system-which includes every component and peripheral you put on a hard drive - adds 25 watts usage CD Hard drive - adds 20 watts on your computer.

So what happens is you do not have adequate power to your system? It will be running at peak capacity all the time. This is not a good thing.

Why? It can cause data corruption, random crashes, and eventually complete power failure. So how much should you consider? It depends upon your situation. For example:

250 to 300 watts is adequate for normal use.
500+ for road warrior type of work or gaming (for all the heavy duty use in gaming 500 is only adequate should go higher-900)

Note: If you're thinking about upgrading your power supply you will need to consider the following:
1.Must be compatible with system
2.What peripherals you have and may buy in the future
3.Purpose of computer

Warning: A power supply carries an electrical charge. Even after disconnecting the power supply it can still hold a charge for up to a week. You need to bleed the power supply of it's electrical charge before removing it. Translated: Enlist the service of someone that is knowledgeable about electricity and computers when removing and adding a new power supply.

Processor Speed

The processor gives you the speed you need to run applications, load images and download images. In other words, your processor is the brains of the computer.

Things were not as complicated when you had the single core processor, because you could see by the GHz how faster your computer would perform.

But now there is another element to performance-and that is the multi-core processor. A multi-core processor might operate at a lower GHZ, but because of its performance benefits, it can outperform a faster GHz single-core processor. Thus, you should choose a processor that will meet your long-term goals. And remember, the higher the bandwidth and clock speed and the greater the number of cores you have, the higher the performance level of your computer.

1. Quad processors - Gives you strong multitasking power. Gives you the power if gaming or need it for multimedia use. Quad Processors gives you four independent cores in a single package.

2. Dual Core Processor - Power to multitask with common applications and large files. Example: Pentium Dual-Core. The dual core is just the stripped down version of the Core 2 Duo. They perform like the Core 2 Duo but the price is lower.

3. Core 2 Duo processors - Capable of running business applications while handling background programs-most notably your Internet Security or Anti-virus software. The Core 2 Duo processors offers you energy efficiency without compromising your system speed or performance. The Core 2 Duo is faster than the Dual Core.

4. Celeron and AMD Sempron - Cost-effective for basic business computing tasks.

5. Intel Core Duo 2 - Samples of the Intel Core Duo 2 are as follows:

Intel Core Duo 2 E7600- Two Cores, Clock Speed of 3.06 2.93 Ghz, Cache 3 MB, FSB 1066
E7500 - Clock speed 2.93 Ghz, Cache 3 MB, Two Cores, FSB 1066

As The "EXXXX" goes down so does the clock speed, cache and FSB

6. Intel Core - The newest Intel Core is the i3, i5 and i7. These processors use the Nehalem, Westmere, and soon, Sandy Bridge micro-architecture. However, these processors are not based on specific technical features, but on level of capabilities.

i7-Used for business and high-end users
i5-Intended for everyday applications.
i3-Intended for entry-level-This processor is to replace the Core 2 brand

7. 2nd Generation Intel Core - the 2nd generation Intel Core is Intel's newest core processor. It is often referred to as the "Sandy Bridge" mobile and desktop processor, or simply the Intel Core 2011 processor.

Intel's second generation i3, i5, i7 processor improvements entails a higher level of CPU performance, while reducing it power consumption. Since Intel has put both the processor, memory controller and graphics on the same die, the consumer can see faster processing of video and graphics.

8. Intel Atom - Intel Atom processor is used mainly in netbooks and mobile Internet devices. Performance of a single core Atom is about half that of a Pentium M clock rate. The future for the Atom chip may be improving. It's been rumored that the new chip that Intel is creating will boast higher clock speeds and double performance, and double the graphical power. The direct competitor of the Intel Atom is AMD's Athon Neo.

9. AMD Athlon - AMD Athlon producing different processors for different needs:

AMD Athlon X2 - AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor - gives you two processing cores, residing on one chip. Enables you to increase efficiency and speed while running multiple programs (In other words it allows users to switch from one program to another without pausing for the computer to catch up).
AMD Athlon II
AMD Phenom and AMD Phenom II

As you can surmise, AMD Athlon is in direct competition with Intel.

****FSB Defined-Front Side Bus-connecting path between the processor and other key components. Measures in GHz and/or MHz

****Clock Speed Defined - Clock Speed is the speed at which a processor executes instructions. The faster the clock speed, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second.

Memory and your Operating System

Memory is important-it is the ram that allows you to work with more open program files without your system crashing. (Ram-the temporary storage place of data that flows from your computer and processor. It is lost when you shut down your computer).

Operating system - How much memory does your operating system need to run efficiently? It depends upon the system you want to use:

XP Professional - 512 MB memory
Vista - 1 Gig of memory
Vista Home - 512 MB memory
Windows Vista - 2 gig
Vista Premium - 1 Gig
Windows 7 - 16 Gig or hard drive space with (Ram: 1 GB for 32 bit, 2 GB for 64 bit)

Many were skittish about Vista and opted for XP, now comes Windows 7. Microsoft's plan is to retire Vista and XP. Only time, and Windows 7 success will determine if that will happen in the future.

Those going with Vista or Windows 7, should seriously look to 2 Gig of Ram and a dual processor. If you can afford more memory, get it, it will give you better performance.

Hard Drive

Your hard-drive has to be large enough to store your operating system, applications, and the additional files that you add to your computer. It is said that many applications can take up to 1 GB of space, while your operating system can take up to 10 GB. And folks, operating systems are not getting smaller.

Hard drives are getting bigger and it's a good thing. You can find 80 gig - but the common size of hard drive are running 160 on up. Most typical drives are around 160 -320 GB. But they go much bigger.

RPMs of your hard drive is important. If you are going to be using your computer for word processing and surfing the Internet than 5400 RPMs is adequate.

But if you are going to be using your computer for multimedia, video applications, or data-intensive applications go with 7200 RPMS. The 7200 RPMs will give you faster data read/write speeds to work with.

Tip: If your hard drive is half full and you find that your computer is beginning to run slowly, then it's probably time to start saving your money for a bigger hard drive. My advice, get as large of a hard drive that you can afford.

Monitor

If you buy a new computer system in many cases the monitor is included in the price. Monitors come in different sizes. For example Dell have monitors from 17" on up. But the life of a monitor is based mainly on personal preference, or let's just say boredom of the user. But the LCD monitors offer you a better viewing experience and it does cause less stress on the eyes. For more information on LCD monitors, check out LCD Monitors-What's Right For You

PC Hardware to Consider

A desktop computer is not of much use to you, unless you have the pc hardware you need to get your job done. So, what are some additional hardware computer accessories should you consider?

As you will see, things are not as simple as it was many years ago.

1) Graphics card- graphics cards are also dependent on need and the money you can afford to pay. As to be expected the higher the cost, higher the quality.
2) Optical Drives-DVDs and CD drives- I prefer the DVD/CD RW combo-saves space.
3) USB ports - the more the better in the back-(more power)
4) Available memory slots-to expand ram memory if needed
5) USB ports on front or top - nice to have. However, remember the front or top USB ports do not have the same power as those in back of the unit.
6) Audio-on the newer systems audio comes on the motherboard.
7) Speakers - Question you need to ask-does the unit have internal speakers or will you need to purchases speakers or does it come with the unit. Or does the monitor come with speakers.
8) Secondary Storage for backup of main drive. Some people have put a second drive on their system that mirrors there original drive. So when one goes down-the other is up and running. Mirroring from one to the other is okay-however, my fear is that if you catch a virus on one, you've just mirrored it to the other drive. For me, I'll go with the second drive as storage only.
9) Floppy or media reader or floppy/media reader combo - Though the floppy drive is not needed often, you will find some programs that you have to place on your computer still using floppy drives. You have the option of either installing an internal floppy drive or utilizing an external floppy drive. Or, the new option, which I utilize, is a floppy drive with a media reader and USB2.0 all in one. The floppy/media reader combo is really reasonable.
10) Modem/wireless capabilities.
11) Hard Drive Docks - Allows you to hook up internal hard-drives without opening up your computer.

Secondary Storage

Hard Drive - If you're working online secondary storage is a necessity if your computer goes down. There are many backup programs free and those that you have to buy that create a complete image of your computer or just the specific files that you want to copy onto your secondary storage device-be it a portable hard-drive or a slave hard-drive. (Note: Always make your new hard-drive the main hard-drive, because your old hard-drive (if you're using it for storage) in most cases will be moving at a slower rate). But for storage-it's ideal for what you need and want.

However, you also must remember how long you have had the old hard drive. If your hard drive is about 3 years old-I'd say maybe it's time to replace it.

Flash Drives- Another option for secondary storage is the flash drive. You can find flash drives that are available in capacities up to 16GB, allowing you to store and transport your digital files, documents, music, and photos for use on virtually any PC. And for those watching their pocketbooks, they're reasonably priced.

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Buying a Desktop Computer -Important Things To Consider

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-Important Things To Consider