Post by drcard on Mar 3, 2019 20:22:42 GMT -5
How To Select a Computer For Your Needs
Overview:
A consumer desiring to buy a new computer faces an extremely large selection to choose from with numerous different components and prices that range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. If we let price be the sole consideration, then we are often disappointed. Either we buy cheap and don’t get what we really wanted or we spend more and buy features we may never use. The guide below will explain what the different components do, thus help you decide if that component is needed for your usage and worth the extra cost. This guide is written for the average user and not for graphic designers and gamers. I also based this guide on using the Windows OS. This will help you decide what components you need and don’t need; and thus, buying only what you need and not buying too little or too much. I do not promote one brand over another. I have listed the considerations in order of priority from highest to lowest.
Laptop or Desktop?
Processor and Chip set
Ram and Motherboard
HDDs and CD/DVD/Blue Ray players/writers
Monitor
1) Laptop or Desktop
Laptops will cost way more (1 ½ -2 times) than a desktop with the exact same specifications. Consider where you spend the most of your time using the computer…at home or away from home.
If at home, then the computer that does all you desire should be a desktop. Some think that by buying a laptop they save money by being OK to use a laptop at home and having the ability to take the laptop with them when they travel, even if they don’t travel very often. This often results in their main computer not doing all they desire, not having enough port connections, and smaller screen; yet they did spend a lot of money. For at home users it is better to get a desktop that does what you desire and then a cheap laptop for the occasional travel. Often the desktop that does all you want and the cheap laptop will cost the same or less than a laptop that does only part of what you want.
If away from home when you spend most of your time using the computer, then bite the bullet and get a laptop that does all you want. You’ll be happier in the long run. If you travel a lot, then I strongly suggest spending the extra money for military grade laptop. Military grade means the housing and components inside the laptop are supported by steel framing. This means it can take a lot of blows, drops, etc. without the internal parts being jarred loose. Even the USB and other ports are reinforced to stand many connects and disconnects. The only con to military grade is more cost and weighs more. A military grade laptop will last 2-3 times longer than a regular laptop.
Desktop components will last longer than laptop components simply because desktops are better ventilated than laptops which keeps the component from overheating and operating at a lower temp…lower temp = longer life. Thus a desktop is a cheaper, loner lasting option.
2) Processor and Chip set
The heart of a computer is processor, but the chip set (also called bridge) is what controls the processor. The main consideration for a processor is the number of cores the processor can make use of. To understand cores think of smaller processors (cores) connected together in the same housing. In such a setup the cores can work together as one large processor or work as individual processors, which allows the processor to handle a large project or several smaller projects at the same time. This allows the computer to handle several programs running at the same time without any running program slowing down or stopping to wait for processor access. The key point to know is having a program open does not mean it is using a lot of processor time. The programs must be trying to use the processor at the same time for multiple core benefits are seen. Example: Having several documents open at the same time will not use but one core because you edit, search, or other word processor task on one document at a time. If you have a background task running such as copying a large file and editing a document at the same time, then you would be using two cores. Nearly all basic processors start with 4 cores. More advanced processors will have more cores with the current top of the line processors having 12 cores. Most users will be more than happy with 4 cores. The amount of background processes running such anti-virus, automatic updating, indexing, etc. has dramatically increased so that even a user that doesn’t considered they multi-task are multi-tasking and will need multiple cores to prevent a slow responding and often hanging experience doing simple tasks. Users with 2 or less cores often experience slow performance and hanging due to the 2 cores not being able to handle all the background tasks and what they are doing. This will also slow down downloading from the Internet as the anti-virus software will use a lot of processor time to check the download for safety. If you do a lot of multi-tasking such as ripping or burning CDs or DVDs in the background while viewing other photos or videos at the same time you will see a slow down with 4 cores. If you do a lot of this multi-task then you should look for 6 cores.
The second consideration is the chip set. This is a big consideration as the user will see a big difference in the performance and speed of the computer between two different chip sets with the same processor. This is more important than the speed of the processor in terms of what the average user will experience. Many times a lower speed processor with the newest chip set will out perform a faster speed processor with an older version chip set. The chip set controls the processor and as each new version is released, the newer version increases control over the processor; thus increasing the performance of the processor and the performance boost observed by the user.
Using the above information, how do you tell from the many different processors out there which one has what you want? Actually it is a lot easier than you think. There are two major manufacturers…IBM and AMD. Both these manufacturers indicate the processor and chip set in the model number of the processor. The first classification is the series for that line of processor such as i series for IBM or FX for AMD. Next is the family group within a series such as i3 and i5 for IBM (AMD uses names for its family groups). Family group also indicates number of cores and the higher the number the more cores (i3 has 2 cores, i5 has 4 cores). The number of cores in an AMD family is indicated in the model number. Each new version of a chip set is called a generation and the higher the number, the higher the generation, and the newer the chip set. Example: An IBM model i5 6012 means…i series family 5 (4 cores), 6th generation chip set (the first number after the series & family (i5)). The “012” at the end of the model number have little meaning for the average user. An AMD model FX 8370…FX series, the “8” means 8 cores, the “3” means 3rd generation chip set, and the last two digits have little meaning. Any letters after the model number indicate options for the processor such being able to over clock or uses hyperthreading. Most users will never use these options and are not worth the extra costs for those functions.
As the manufacturers release their newest and best processor, a drop in price occurs for previously released processors and continues for previously released processors. Example: the latest release processor sells for $500 one week, but the next week after the newer and better processor is released it sells for $289 and the one that was released before the now #2 drops to $189. Processors release before these will already be a a low prices and do not drop much from a new release. This results in a sweet spot where you can get the biggest bang for the buck…a second or third release processor with the newest chip set available….almost as good performance as the top of the line at less than one half the cost. Remember you will get a better performance experience from the newest chip set than a larger, faster processor.
3) RAM and Motherboard
The kind of RAM and motherboard will be mostly determined by the processor chosen. The consideration here is how much RAM and motherboard ports. How much RAM depends upon how many programs you have opened at the same time. Processor time depends upon processing requested by the program doing something, but RAM is reserved (not available) for an opened program even if the program is not doing anything at that time. Thus if you keep a lot of programs open (don’t forget the programs running in the background), then you will see better performance with more RAM. Most users can get by on 8GB of RAM, but will like the better performance with 16GB of RAM. Consider 32GB if you keep a lot of programs open at the same time. More important is can more RAM be added (available slots and max RAM the motherboard can accept). If at a later date you see that you need more RAM you can easily add it IF slots are available.
Motherboard choices, after the above choices have been made, will be the number and kinds of ports (places to plug external components into). This is current and future planning. Make sure there is enough ports of the right kind to allow you to connect all your external components such as wireless keyboard and mouse, printer, external HDDs; and empty slots for camera, flash drive, phone, or other external components you may add. Make sure you have at least one port for each of all the different kinds of ports. USB ports come in four kinds…2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and Type-C. You’ll need to check the specifications of the PC since 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 look almost alike. USB 3.1 is backward compatible, so it will handle 3.0 and 2.0 devices. Type-C is a new type connection that many new external components require.
4) HDDs and Players/Writers
There are two types of HDDs to choose from…platter type (traditional SATA) or SSD (solid state drive – think a very large flash drive). The difference is vast in terms of how fast the drive works and how that affects the performance of the PC. A SSD will access data 100 times faster than a platter HDD. This relates in that the system will boot faster and programs will launch quicker with an SSD. My system using an SSD takes about 15 seconds from a cold boot to ready to use. The major drawback with SSDs is the cost. Usually a SSD will cost about twice as much a HDD of the same storage capacity, but will really jump in price for the large capacity SSDs. The choice usually is faster response or larger storage capacity. A simple solution to this is a smaller (and cheaper) SSD to load Windows and your programs onto and a large capacity platter HDD (internal or external) to store your data like photos, videos, and documents. This combo will give fast speed and large storage space at a lower price than an SSD with large storage capacity.
Many PCs are sold without a CD/DVD drive because more and more users use Internet downloading instead of CD/DVD reading. Think how often you use your CD/DVD drive and decide based upon that usage. If you use the CD/DVD once a week, you will miss it if it’s not there. Know that if you decide not to get the CD/DVD drive you can always get an external CD/DVD player and writer. You can even get an external player that plays blue ray disks, which is hard to find as an internal part of a PC.
5) Monitors
The monitor is a separate purchase that has nothing to do with the PC purchase unless it is a laptop. Nearly all monitors will work on nearly all PCs. Monitors should be purchased after looking at the demo monitors playing at the store. Buy according to what looks better to you and feels comfortable to your budget.
I hope the information above will help you get just what you want and need at a price that you can live with.
Overview:
A consumer desiring to buy a new computer faces an extremely large selection to choose from with numerous different components and prices that range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. If we let price be the sole consideration, then we are often disappointed. Either we buy cheap and don’t get what we really wanted or we spend more and buy features we may never use. The guide below will explain what the different components do, thus help you decide if that component is needed for your usage and worth the extra cost. This guide is written for the average user and not for graphic designers and gamers. I also based this guide on using the Windows OS. This will help you decide what components you need and don’t need; and thus, buying only what you need and not buying too little or too much. I do not promote one brand over another. I have listed the considerations in order of priority from highest to lowest.
Laptop or Desktop?
Processor and Chip set
Ram and Motherboard
HDDs and CD/DVD/Blue Ray players/writers
Monitor
1) Laptop or Desktop
Laptops will cost way more (1 ½ -2 times) than a desktop with the exact same specifications. Consider where you spend the most of your time using the computer…at home or away from home.
If at home, then the computer that does all you desire should be a desktop. Some think that by buying a laptop they save money by being OK to use a laptop at home and having the ability to take the laptop with them when they travel, even if they don’t travel very often. This often results in their main computer not doing all they desire, not having enough port connections, and smaller screen; yet they did spend a lot of money. For at home users it is better to get a desktop that does what you desire and then a cheap laptop for the occasional travel. Often the desktop that does all you want and the cheap laptop will cost the same or less than a laptop that does only part of what you want.
If away from home when you spend most of your time using the computer, then bite the bullet and get a laptop that does all you want. You’ll be happier in the long run. If you travel a lot, then I strongly suggest spending the extra money for military grade laptop. Military grade means the housing and components inside the laptop are supported by steel framing. This means it can take a lot of blows, drops, etc. without the internal parts being jarred loose. Even the USB and other ports are reinforced to stand many connects and disconnects. The only con to military grade is more cost and weighs more. A military grade laptop will last 2-3 times longer than a regular laptop.
Desktop components will last longer than laptop components simply because desktops are better ventilated than laptops which keeps the component from overheating and operating at a lower temp…lower temp = longer life. Thus a desktop is a cheaper, loner lasting option.
2) Processor and Chip set
The heart of a computer is processor, but the chip set (also called bridge) is what controls the processor. The main consideration for a processor is the number of cores the processor can make use of. To understand cores think of smaller processors (cores) connected together in the same housing. In such a setup the cores can work together as one large processor or work as individual processors, which allows the processor to handle a large project or several smaller projects at the same time. This allows the computer to handle several programs running at the same time without any running program slowing down or stopping to wait for processor access. The key point to know is having a program open does not mean it is using a lot of processor time. The programs must be trying to use the processor at the same time for multiple core benefits are seen. Example: Having several documents open at the same time will not use but one core because you edit, search, or other word processor task on one document at a time. If you have a background task running such as copying a large file and editing a document at the same time, then you would be using two cores. Nearly all basic processors start with 4 cores. More advanced processors will have more cores with the current top of the line processors having 12 cores. Most users will be more than happy with 4 cores. The amount of background processes running such anti-virus, automatic updating, indexing, etc. has dramatically increased so that even a user that doesn’t considered they multi-task are multi-tasking and will need multiple cores to prevent a slow responding and often hanging experience doing simple tasks. Users with 2 or less cores often experience slow performance and hanging due to the 2 cores not being able to handle all the background tasks and what they are doing. This will also slow down downloading from the Internet as the anti-virus software will use a lot of processor time to check the download for safety. If you do a lot of multi-tasking such as ripping or burning CDs or DVDs in the background while viewing other photos or videos at the same time you will see a slow down with 4 cores. If you do a lot of this multi-task then you should look for 6 cores.
The second consideration is the chip set. This is a big consideration as the user will see a big difference in the performance and speed of the computer between two different chip sets with the same processor. This is more important than the speed of the processor in terms of what the average user will experience. Many times a lower speed processor with the newest chip set will out perform a faster speed processor with an older version chip set. The chip set controls the processor and as each new version is released, the newer version increases control over the processor; thus increasing the performance of the processor and the performance boost observed by the user.
Using the above information, how do you tell from the many different processors out there which one has what you want? Actually it is a lot easier than you think. There are two major manufacturers…IBM and AMD. Both these manufacturers indicate the processor and chip set in the model number of the processor. The first classification is the series for that line of processor such as i series for IBM or FX for AMD. Next is the family group within a series such as i3 and i5 for IBM (AMD uses names for its family groups). Family group also indicates number of cores and the higher the number the more cores (i3 has 2 cores, i5 has 4 cores). The number of cores in an AMD family is indicated in the model number. Each new version of a chip set is called a generation and the higher the number, the higher the generation, and the newer the chip set. Example: An IBM model i5 6012 means…i series family 5 (4 cores), 6th generation chip set (the first number after the series & family (i5)). The “012” at the end of the model number have little meaning for the average user. An AMD model FX 8370…FX series, the “8” means 8 cores, the “3” means 3rd generation chip set, and the last two digits have little meaning. Any letters after the model number indicate options for the processor such being able to over clock or uses hyperthreading. Most users will never use these options and are not worth the extra costs for those functions.
As the manufacturers release their newest and best processor, a drop in price occurs for previously released processors and continues for previously released processors. Example: the latest release processor sells for $500 one week, but the next week after the newer and better processor is released it sells for $289 and the one that was released before the now #2 drops to $189. Processors release before these will already be a a low prices and do not drop much from a new release. This results in a sweet spot where you can get the biggest bang for the buck…a second or third release processor with the newest chip set available….almost as good performance as the top of the line at less than one half the cost. Remember you will get a better performance experience from the newest chip set than a larger, faster processor.
3) RAM and Motherboard
The kind of RAM and motherboard will be mostly determined by the processor chosen. The consideration here is how much RAM and motherboard ports. How much RAM depends upon how many programs you have opened at the same time. Processor time depends upon processing requested by the program doing something, but RAM is reserved (not available) for an opened program even if the program is not doing anything at that time. Thus if you keep a lot of programs open (don’t forget the programs running in the background), then you will see better performance with more RAM. Most users can get by on 8GB of RAM, but will like the better performance with 16GB of RAM. Consider 32GB if you keep a lot of programs open at the same time. More important is can more RAM be added (available slots and max RAM the motherboard can accept). If at a later date you see that you need more RAM you can easily add it IF slots are available.
Motherboard choices, after the above choices have been made, will be the number and kinds of ports (places to plug external components into). This is current and future planning. Make sure there is enough ports of the right kind to allow you to connect all your external components such as wireless keyboard and mouse, printer, external HDDs; and empty slots for camera, flash drive, phone, or other external components you may add. Make sure you have at least one port for each of all the different kinds of ports. USB ports come in four kinds…2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and Type-C. You’ll need to check the specifications of the PC since 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 look almost alike. USB 3.1 is backward compatible, so it will handle 3.0 and 2.0 devices. Type-C is a new type connection that many new external components require.
4) HDDs and Players/Writers
There are two types of HDDs to choose from…platter type (traditional SATA) or SSD (solid state drive – think a very large flash drive). The difference is vast in terms of how fast the drive works and how that affects the performance of the PC. A SSD will access data 100 times faster than a platter HDD. This relates in that the system will boot faster and programs will launch quicker with an SSD. My system using an SSD takes about 15 seconds from a cold boot to ready to use. The major drawback with SSDs is the cost. Usually a SSD will cost about twice as much a HDD of the same storage capacity, but will really jump in price for the large capacity SSDs. The choice usually is faster response or larger storage capacity. A simple solution to this is a smaller (and cheaper) SSD to load Windows and your programs onto and a large capacity platter HDD (internal or external) to store your data like photos, videos, and documents. This combo will give fast speed and large storage space at a lower price than an SSD with large storage capacity.
Many PCs are sold without a CD/DVD drive because more and more users use Internet downloading instead of CD/DVD reading. Think how often you use your CD/DVD drive and decide based upon that usage. If you use the CD/DVD once a week, you will miss it if it’s not there. Know that if you decide not to get the CD/DVD drive you can always get an external CD/DVD player and writer. You can even get an external player that plays blue ray disks, which is hard to find as an internal part of a PC.
5) Monitors
The monitor is a separate purchase that has nothing to do with the PC purchase unless it is a laptop. Nearly all monitors will work on nearly all PCs. Monitors should be purchased after looking at the demo monitors playing at the store. Buy according to what looks better to you and feels comfortable to your budget.
I hope the information above will help you get just what you want and need at a price that you can live with.
