Buying a PC

Guy Cortesi

8/31/2010

Why Do You Need a PC?

• What do you plan to do with it?

• Do the online questionnaire at http://compreviews.about.com/od/buyers/l/blcompqstart.htm

• This survey asks questions dealing with portability, price, functionality, graphics, peripherals, etc.

Sample Specs

• Your Recommended System Specifications:• CPU:Any CPU listed in the Ultraportable CPU category• Memory:2GB• Hard Drive:At least 500GB• Optical Drive:DVD Burner• USB:2 USB 2.0 Port(s)• Firewire:Yes• Display:12.1 inches or smaller, 1024x768 Resolution• Video:A non-integrated solution with DirectX support• Wireless:802.11a/n/g

Systems

• Two basic system configurations– Desktop– Laptop

• Three basic Operating Systems– MS Windows 7 or XP Pro or Home or Vista– Mac OS X– Linux – Ubuntu, Red Hat, etc

Desktops

• Processors (CPUs)– For processors there are two basic choices to

make: brand and speed. Both Intel and AMD provide dual core processors, but they aren't really needed required for most people.

– Budget CPUs can be found around the 2.4 to 3.0 GHz range, mid-range at 2.8 to 3.2 GHz and high-end processors at or above 3.4 GHz

Desktops

• Memory (RAM)– RAM is important because if you have enough, your

system won't run optimally (hard disk caching). – The minimum amount of RAM for today's systems

should be 1GB even for budget systems. 2GB+ of RAM provides better performance.

– DDR memory is now used by all current systems with the most common being PC3200. DDR3 can be found on newer Intel systems. Budget systems may still use older PC2100 or PC2700 DDR.

– When buying memory, try to buy as few DIMMs as possible to allow for future memory upgrades if needed.

Desktops

• Frontside Bus (FSB)– The FSB connects the computer's processor to the

system memory (RAM) and other components on the motherboard. It is also called the "system bus.” It is KEY to system performance.

– The speed of the frontside bus is measured in Megahertz or Gigahertz, just like the processor.

– Most computers' processors run faster than their system buses, so the FSB speed is typically a ratio of the processor speed. For example, a Pentium 4 processor that runs at 2.4 GHz may have an FSB speed of only 400 MHz. The CPU to FSB ratio would be 6:1.

Desktops

• Storage– Hard Drives

• Consider capacity and speed. Most hard drives available now will provide you with more than enough storage. Look for 160 GB drive as the minimum.

• If you feel you need more space or the extra space doesn't cost more, get the upgrade. As for performance, 7200 rpm drives are the best choice currently.

• If you really want high performance, look for drives with 8MB or 16MB of cache. Drives will either be Serial ATA or IDE but performance levels are roughly the same.

Desktops

• Storage– Optical Drives

• Most systems sold now include DVD burners, even the budget systems. It is best to make sure that you get a multiformat DVD burner that can support both the +R/RW and -R/RW formats.

• Speeds should be 16x for the recordable speed. Dual or Double Layer media support is also a common feature although less likely to be used due to media cost.

• If you don't need a DVD burner, try to at least get a CD-RW/DVD combo drive of 24x recording speed to allow for CD media storage and DVD playback.

Desktops

• Video– Video cards are changing all the time, so selecting the

right one is difficult. – If you want to have future capability, go for a card that

supports DirectX 10 and has at least 256MB of memory. If don't have to be on the cutting edge of video technology, pretty much any card will do. Be careful of systems with “on-board” video that shares system RAM (and reduces its availability).

– Things to consider on video cards are DVI connectors for digital LCD panels and multi-monitor support. Newer cards use PCI Express graphics cards over the previous AGP interface.

Desktops

• External Connectors– Many upgrades and peripherals to computers now

connect through external interfaces instead of internal cards.

– Check to see how many and what type of external ports are available on the computer for use with future peripherals (and where they are located – front/back).

– Look for systems that have both USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 or FireWire ports. It should have at least six USB 2.0 connectors and one FireWire ports.

Desktops

• Monitors– Choose an LCD monitors.– LCDs take up less desk space, use less

power than CRTs. Regardless of type of monitor, look at getting at least a 17” monitor capable of displaying a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Size and Weight– Ultraportables offer light weight and sizes but sacrifice

items such as drives and ease of expansion. – Desktop replacements have equivalent power to

desktop systems, but they are heavy and bulky making them difficult to carry around.

– When shopping for a laptop, make sure to pick up the systems and verify its something you are willing to carry. Don't forget to also consider the weight of accessories such as AC adapter when carrying around the notebook.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Processors (CPUs)– Notebook processors typically were slower

than desktop CPUs, but that has changed. – Dual-core processors are starting to become

common and help with multitasking. The type of processors found in the notebook will vary based upon the size and purpose of the notebook.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Ultraportable Processors – – Ultraportables are systems that are designed to be as light and

compact as possible yet powerful enough for most common business applications such as e-mail, word processing and presentation software.

– These systems are geared towards those people who travel a lot (often called road warriors) who want a system that is not very cumbersome. They are willing to sacrifice computing power and peripherals for portability. Below are the processors found in ultraportables:

• Intel Pentium M LV and ULV Series • Intel Core Solo U1300 and U1400 • Intel Core Duo L2300E through L2500 • Intel Core Duo U2400 and U2500

Laptops/Notebooks• Desktop Replacements Processors-

– Desktop replacement systems are designed to be a complete system that has the equivalent processing power and capability to a desktop system, but in a mobile package. They tend to be larger and bulkier to fit all the components to allow the system perform at almost the same level as a desktop in all aspects of computing.

– In general a desktop replacement will perform exceptionally well and will even be able to run 3D games. Mobile gaming is getting close to desktop performance, but the cost is much greater and still not the same as the top end desktop graphics.

– Here are some of the processors that can be found in this category of machine:

• AMD Turion 64 MT-34 and Higher • AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56 and Higher • Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 or T7200 and Higher • Intel Core Duo T2600 and Higher

Laptops/Notebooks

• Memory (RAM)– Notebooks are generally more restricted in the

amount of memory they can have compared to desktops.

– When looking at computers make sure you check out the maximum memory the system can handle as well as the amount that is installed in the computer.

– It's also useful to find out if a memory upgrade can be done yourself or if it has to be done by a tech. Some are a bit tricky. 2GB should really be the minimum amount of memory to consider.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Displays and Video– The video on a notebook computer is comprised of

the display and the video processor. The display is comprised of the screen size and the native resolution.

– The larger the display, the higher the resolution will typically be, but it also will impact how portable the system is.

– Wide screen displays (16X9) are also becoming more popular. The graphics processor will determine the performance of the computer in things such as 3D graphics and PC gaming.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Drives– Look for 250GB – note RPM.– Optical drives can either be fairly simple CD-ROM

drives for installing software all the way up to the latest high definition DVD burners. Drives are small, fragile and expensive.

– In most cases, it is best to at least get a drive that is capable or reading DVDs and burning CDs or DVDs.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Networking – – The ability to connect to the net is built in to most

notebooks today. Look for systems that include a built in 56Kbps modem and Fast Ethernet.

– With the rise of wireless networking, this is also found in most new notebooks. For the minimum amount of wireless connectivity, look at getting a notebook with 802.11g.

– Systems with an 802.11a/b/g/n will give you the most amount of connectivity.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Battery Life– Portable computer relies on battery life and will be

ineffective if you only get 30 minutes of computing time on a single charge. Find the manufacturer’s listed battery life and cut that in half.

– Look to get a system with at least 2 hours of battery life under normal conditions.

– If you need extended time unplugged, look for laptops with media bays that can double as extra battery slots or have extended life batteries that can be purchased.

Laptops/Notebooks

• Warranty Plans– Laptops take a lot of abuse and are more prone to

breakdowns due to their portability. When buying a system, make sure to get at least a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer.

– If you will be using the system heavily, a system that comes with a 3 year warranty might be a better choice but it will cost more. Third party extended plans are not a good choice unless service is done through the manufacturer.

Operating Systems

• Windows 7– Windows 7improves upon earlier versions of Windows

in many ways– Looks a lot like Mac OS X with similar features.

Windows 7

MacOS X

• Unix-based and relatively free of viruses

• Very different that prior versions of the Mac OS though it looks similar

• Latest version is “Snow Leopard – 10.6”

Mac OS X

Linux

• Ubuntu – open source (free) distribution from http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop

• Includes apps such as Open Office with full MS Office compatibility

• Excellent for general purpose PC – email, messaging, browsing, office docs.

• Suitable to consider instead of upgrading an older PC to a newer Windows release.

Linux – Ubuntu Desktop

Linux – Open Office