There are a lot of guides and tips for buying a new computer, but anyway we decide to create another from our points of view, combining engineering, technology and the most important dozen years of experience repairing computers, so yes we talk about reliability.
You begin from the point that you need a new computer. But you don’t know what kind of a computer?
Here is worth to mention there is a group of users that the computer that wants to buy will be intended for a specific purpose, what in most of the cases means that the computer will be used for some specific software package. Some of this “specific” software packages are intended to work only on one operating system:
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
For example, most of the industrial computers work on Linux and most of the designer’s computers work on Mac. That’s why we first mention the operating system as the first thing we need to consider before buying a new computer. If you need a Mac computer, then you buy Apple, because Apple comes with the preinstalled Mac Operating system. If you need Linux or Windows, you have a lot of options, because like preinstalled, also you can buy a computer without operating system and purchase of a copy of Windows operating system and install it, or get a free copy of Linux from their official website and install it by yourself.
Next, you need to ask yourself do you need a Desktop or Laptop Computer? Each of the two types has their advantages and disadvantages. The Desktop Computer is more powerful, more reliable and more upgradeable, but the laptop is mobile, ready to use in every location at any time and easier to take it to service if some failure occurs.
Until now, you have decided what type of operating system and where to e desktop or the laptop. The next things to choose is the configuration of the computer.
When we talk about the computer configuration, the first thing we come to mind is the Processor. There are two processor’s manufacturers that make almost all processors for the computer:
- Intel
- AMD (Advanced Micro Devices)
The processor’s specifications are expressed with a couple of factors:
- Frequency (or clock) – expressed in GHz in the latest generation of processors.
Usually, good processors have a Frequency above 2GHz, and the most powerful processors have even more than 4GHz. Usually, the “extreme” series of processors from both AMD and Intel, are developed for Computer enthusiasts and Gamers that are always lack of clock and can be “Overclocked” to higher frequencies even more than 5GHz. Just to notice here that Overclocking can be made only with special more powerful cooling of the processor, otherwise, the processor can be overheated.
2. Number of Cores – Multicore processors were made after the manufacturers reach the 3GHz frequency and get stuck here. Improvement of the clock higher than 3GHz at that time was almost impossible without lowering the “degree of integration” (presented in nanometers, present the dimension of smallest transistor that can be made). That’s why the multicore processors were developed because dual-core processor clocked at 2GHz was more efficient and more stable than a single processor at 4GHz. Following this trend today we have processors with 3, 4, 6 and 8 cores for sale, and even with more cores in Lab.
3. Processor’s Cash Memory – is also one of the important processor specifications. The Cash Memory is a very fast memory that the processor uses to store some data during the calculations. So instead of saving this data in RAM memory that is much slower than the Cash Memory, the processor store the data in the Cash Memory that is based inside the processor’s case, on, the same chip. That’s why and the data transfer is so fast. The amount of Cash Memory is expressed in MegaBytes in today’s processors.
The next big component is RAM (Random Access Memory). In today’s computer is measured in GigaBytes (GB). Usually, as a minimum at the moment of writing is the amount of 4GB, 8G is something better that will please the most of the average user’s needs, and 16GB, 32GB and so on for the most advanced users. But not is all about the amount of memory, also the frequency (clock). At the moment the actual technology is DDR4. The DDR4 has a Data Rate from 1600MT/s (I/O bus clock – 800MHz) so-called DDR4-1600, ut to DDR4-3200 as the name says – Data Rate up to 3200MT/s (I/O bus clock – 1600MHz).
Next, we talk about Hard Drive. The Classic Hard Drive was the slowest component on the computer because they were the only mechanical component. But now, here is the SSD’s (Solid State Drives), that brings higher data read speeds and write speeds compared to the Hard Drives. But when it comes to capacity, the SSD’s are slowly getting up to the capacity of the Hard Drives but the price of the SSD is higher. That’s why we can see systems that have a smaller capacity SSD and higher capacity Hard Drive, combining that way the speed and the capacity of the corresponding.
Graphics Card is also an important element from the pc. There are three most famous Graphic Cards manufacturers:
- Intel
- nVidia
- ATI Radeon
Intel Graphics Cards are usually integrated into the processor and don’t have dedicated memory and share the RAM with the processor. That’s why for gaming usually are used nVidia and ATI.
At the end of our guide, we left the Motherboard. Not because that is least important, but contrary because is the most important. The motherboard is the part that connects all the parts from the computer, connects all the pieces of the puzzle. When you buy a brand pc or laptop you cannot choose the motherboard, but when you build your own pc choosing the motherboard is crucial. The most important is the Chipset. When we talk generally about chipsets, we cannot say this chipset is good or bad, but you can compare one chipset to another and see what one chipset have more than the other. Or less.
That’s all that we have to say. If any question please be free to write to us.