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Desktop Computers

Buying a desktop or laptop computer may prove a challenge to the inexperienced person. As the market for computers grows, consumers must consider not only the specifications of their future computer, but also brand name, compatibility and ease of use. In this guide, we will attempt to guide you through the main factors to look at when making your purchase.

What will you be using the computer for?

This is the most important question to ask yourself before buying a computer, and the answer will be the main determinant in what kind of desktop you will be acquiring. Of course, price is also a factor.

If you are looking for a multi-task computer to have at home for activities such as surfing the net, checking e-mail, using simple software, listening to music or transferring pictures from a digital camera, you should look for a mainstream, middle-range computer.

If you simply need a computer for work or studying, a budget system may be more appropriate. These are less powerful, but cheaper and good enough for running simple, not graphic-intensive software. You could also consider a laptop for added mobility.

Finally, if you are concerned about gaming, using graphic design software or using your computer as a multimedia center, you should aim for a top-end desktop, and should pay special attention to the graphics card you will acquiring.

Choosing a processor

A desktop’s processor is its most important component, essentially the brains of any computer, and it determines how fast applications are run and tasks are performed. There are two things to consider before choosing your CPU: The processor’s chipset and its clock speed.

The most common processor brands on the market are Intel and AMD, and both are a safe choice for most users. Consumers looking for budget computers can opt for AMD Sempron and Intel Celeron processors. Mid-range users should consider AMD’s Athlon 64 or Intel’s Pentium 4. Finally, for top performance, look for AMD’s Athlon 64 XP or Intel’s Pentium 4 Extreme Editions.

An even more advanced option for serious performance-seekers is to use a dual-core CPU. These CPUs actually make use of two processors at the same time, instead of a single one. Needless to say, prices are also higher. Both AMD and Intel have already released dual core processors on the market.

Besides choosing between kinds of processors, consumers should also take clock rates into consideration. A CPU’s clock rate determines the speed at which the processor executes many tasks. Clock speed in current computers is measured in Gigahertz. Low-end users can settle for anything between 1.5 and 2GHz. Mid-range and top-end users can opt for anything between 2 and 3.8GHz 

How much memory?

After the processor and its speed, RAM memory is the main determinant of a computer’s overall performance. The quantity of RAM memory is measured in Megabytes, and its speed in Megahertz. The minimum amount of RAM for a computer to run Windows XP is 256MB, but 512MB is recommended for a smooth performance, even for low-end users.

RAM memory prices have been dropping in recent years, so the cost-benefit of investing in a good amount of RAM is quite big. Mid-range users should go for at least 1GB of memory, and top-end computers really benefit from 2GB of RAM.

The two most common types of RAM memory in the market are DDR SDRAM and DDR2 SDRAM. DDR is cheaper than the more advanced DDR2, but it operates at lower speeds. DDR2 is, therefore, the optimal choice for high-end computers, but not really necessary for low and mid-range users.

It is important to note that only the newer AMD processors support DDR2 RAM, and it is possible that there are still some compatibility issues around. AMD users may therefore opt to stick with standard DDR memory for awhile. 

There are many manufacturers of RAM memory chips around, and most are reliable and compatible with most processors. When in doubt, ask your retailer for compatibility advice just in case.

Hard Drives

A hard drive, or hard disk, is the device used to store all the information used by a computer. They come in various sizes, and storage space is measured in Gigabytes. HD speed, which determines how quickly information is read, recorded or copied, is measure in RPMs.

Regarding HD capacity, it is hard to find desktop HDs with less than 20GB in the market, and currently the largest HDs can hold 500GB of data. Naturally, storage capacity and prices go hand-in-hand.

The need for storage space is quite subjective. Even low-end users may have the need to store large amounts of data. As a general rule, when choosing between HDs, think about how much pictures, music files, games and videos you want to keep in your computer, as these files are the ones that occupy the most space in a hard disk.

Only top-end users should really concern themselves with the speed of their HD, as performance is not affected as much by it as it is by quantity of RAM memory or processor speed. Usually desktop HD speed varies between 5,200 and 10,000RPMs.

 

Extensive Description

Graphics

Graphic chips come in two varieties. The less powerful ones come integrated in a computer’s motherboard. These should suffice for low-end users that need only the basic functions of a computer.

For better graphic performance, you can opt to buy a dedicated graphics card. These vary greatly in price, going from €100 to almost €500.  The power of a graphics card is measured by the amount of video memory – from 128MB to 512MB – and the kind of chipset being used. The two main manufacturers of graphic chips are NVIDIA and ATI.

Mid-end users that only wish to occasionally play some games or watch videos can greatly boost performance with one of the cheapest cards. Hardcore gamers and users dealing with graphic editing programs are the only ones that really need a powerful graphics card. In addition, there are also multimedia cards that allow, among other things, for a user to watch and record TV directly through their computer.

Graphic cards connect to a computer through AGP or PCI slots on the motherboard. Without getting into much detail, users should be aware of what slots their motherboard possesses to avoid compatibility problems after buying a card.

Additional Drives 

Pretty much every desktop these days comes with at least a CD reader/recorder drive. Although this is enough for someone using a computer only to work, most users should consider getting a driver that can also read DVD, especially if they wish to watch movies in their computer. In addition, DVD burners have been dropping in price lately, so users should consider getting one according to their needs.

Hardly anyone uses diskettes anymore, but some computers still come with such drives, since they are very cheap and can be handy in emergencies when solving problems.

Monitor  

The main questions when choosing a monitor are screen size, maximum resolution supported and whether to get a LCD or CRT one.

Adequate screen size is a subjective issue, but of course, bigger is more expensive. LCD monitors are generally more expensive than CRT ones of the same size, but have a more attractive design, are not as bulky. On the other hand, CRT monitors tend to be less fragile than their counterparts.

Finally, maximum resolution is only an issue top-end users should concern themselves with. It does you no good to have a top-of-the line graphics card if your monitor cannot support resolutions higher than 1024x768 pixels.

Personal Computer vs. Macintosh

One final point to consider is whether a PC or a Macintosh computer would be more adequate to you.

A decade ago there was a big difference between PC and Mac users. Macintosh computers were for the people that worked with video and graphic-editing. PCs were for gamers and casual users. These days, the distinction isn’t as apparent, as PCs equipped with Windows can do as much as Mac computers.

Still, buying a Macintosh may be attractive due to its ease of use compared with PCs, much fewer compatibility issues with different parts and slightly better multimedia performance. In addition, Macs tend to be much more stylish than the average PC.

Desktop Computers Deciding Factors

Term	Explanation	Priority	Quantity	Range Home	Range Advanced
CPU	Central Processing Unit, the component in a computer that interprets instructions and processes data contained in programs	1	Ghz	2,5 - 3,5	3 - 5
RAM	Random-Access Memory, affects overall computer performance	2	MBs/GBs	512MB - 1GB	1GB - 2GB

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