Every now and then, my friends always seem to have good news for me: “I just got a new computer”. Then a few days later, some of them come back with questions like: “Do you have any spare RAM which I can add on my PC? What about a sound card? How much can it cost me to add a new hard disk to my PC?” Have you been tempted to ask, or actually asked such a question? Please read on carefully.
This guide is aimed at ensuring that potential PC buyers get just the right PC that suite their wants and needs, by providing detailed info as to the things to consider before purchasing a new PC. Going back to the “questions thing”, the best way to avoid asking such unappealing questions is simply by answering a few questions yourself before going PC shopping.
Pentium 3 or Pentium 4 (P3 or P4)Which do I buy?
Yes some people might find this question funny, but remember that in some parts of the world, P3 computers are still used. The prices of P 3 PCs tend to be very attractive, so much so that they drag people to the payout desk without a second thought. The main difference between a pP3 and a P4 is the processor speed (read on to learn more on processors). P3 PCs though getting outdated, could be very useful, especially for people who want to do light weight tasks like mainly Word and or Data processing, or mainly Internet surfing. A problem sets in when there is need for using more sophisticated and large programs. P3 computers will not support most recent large programs, and even if they do, their performance is likely to be poor. P4 computer are capable of efficiently handling most heavy and recent programs, and they are virtually faster than P3s. Most people who start off with P3 PCs tend to upgrade to a P4 after a few weeks of usage. The price range between most P3 and P4 PCs is very minute, as compared to their level of performances.
How Much Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed?
The CPU is like the brain of a PC. It determines how much data a PC is capable of handling per second. Most CPU's are capable of executing billions of processes in a second. The measuring unit for a CPU's speed is Gigahertz (GHz). A good PC should have a minimum of 3GHz. There are two main types of processors: Intel processors and AMD processors. Both processors perform well, and it is not an easy task to make a clear distinction as to which is best between the two. We would give guidelines on how to choose a CPU, in subsequent posts.
How much memory (RAM) is needed?
The memory or RAM of a computer greatly defines it's speed. The RAM is used to store information on all the ongoing processes that are being executed by the PC. All information contained in the RAM is lost when the PC is turned off. The higher your RAM, the faster your PC will be. A good PC should have at least two Gigabytes (2GB) of RAM. Nevertheless, if you want to get the most out of your PC, I recommend a 4GB RAM.
How much Hard Disk space?
This is a good question to ask yourself; how much hard disk space do you need? Ok let me help you out here. The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is the storage media in which you store all your documents, music, films, programs, and all other data. Well the HDD is usually measured in Gigabytes (GB). 1000 Megabytes (1000 MB) make up 1GB. On the average, an MP3 music file has a size of 5mb. If my math is correct, this means a 1GB of disk space can contain about 200 MP3s. This example is just to illustrate the way storage space is calculated.
Now you have to understand that your HDD has to harbor all the running programs on your PC, both system software and application software. In order to ensure that you do not run out of space in the long run, you should buy a PC with a HDD that has much more space than you require immediately. We are talking about a disk space of about 400GB and above. The speed of your HDD also matters, most HDDs now run at about 7200 rpm (revolutions per minute), though some can be faster, this is ok for now.
Optical drives (CD, DVD, CD/DVD-RW, CD/DVD+RW, Blu-Ray. Which do I choose?
Well there are many types of optical disk drives to choose from. The main thing to understand is that CD drives cannot read DVDs, though most DVD drives will read CDs. Hence to be on the safe side, it would be best to own a DVD drive. CD/DVD-/+RW drives will be fine if you intend to burn or reproduce CDs and or DVDs. (Note that it is wrong to burn copyrighted material, and doing so shall be at your own risk. This author shall not be held liable in any way.)
Video and Audio/Sound Cards which are best?
This is something many people neglect which tends to pose a lot of problems in the long run. Most PCs already come packaged with an integrated video car. This can serve well if you do not do any 3D graphics related stuff such as gaming, advanced video production, or graphics design. If you intend to do any of these things, then you would have to upgrade your video card to one of the Direct X 10 3D graphics cards, with at least 512MB of graphics memory on-board
What else does my PC need?
Extension ports are very important for every PC. You should ensure that your PC can easily accommodate new hardware such as additional USB ports and other add on chips. You should also check on the possibility of getting a PC speaker, else you might have to get an extra speaker for your PC. You do want to neglect the type of screen you get for your PC. The best screens on he market now are LCD screens. Anyway, the color of your screen should match your with your PC box. It looks very odd to have a black PC box, white screen, with red PC speakers. At least your apparels should be uniform and organized in color.
