Tips for purchasing or upgrading a new computer
Buying a new computer can be a
daunting task. There are so many choices and technologies change so fast.
However, with some planning and
by setting priorities you can select the computer that's right for you at the
price you want to pay. This way it won't be obsolete in 6 months.
Avoid Feature Creep
Set a budget and don't exceed it more than 10%. When shopping for a new computer, you will be offered upgrades for only a few dollars more; i.e0 GB Hard Drive standard, and for only $20 more you can upgrade to 80 GB drive. If this continues, the cost of the original package can jump from $1000 to $1500. Remember, you want to purchase the computer you require with the ability to upgrade and avoid obsolescence.
The only exception is the motherboard and your monitor discussed below. The monitor is your window to your work. Staring at a poor quality monitor for hours can give you eyestrain and headaches. A monitor is the one PC peripheral that has a long life span and does not become obsolete. So if everything else in your new system is sufficient, but if the monitor is low-end, spend the money to upgrade to a better model. Your eyes will thank you.
Why Are You Purchasing A Computer
How you use the computer should define the components on which you spend the most money.
§ Gaming PC - Fast video card with plenty of memory, high quality monitor and fast CD ROM or DVD player.
§ Database or spread sheet analysis - Plenty of system memory (512 MB minimum, ideally 1GB) and a large Hard Drive.
§ Graphic Design – The fastest processor affordable, large Hard Drive, fast video card, and a large high resolution monitor (17" monitor with a .25 dot pitch minimum, ideally a 19" or larger monitor with a minimum dot pitch of .26).
§ Internet and Email - Fast modem or high-speed service from a phone company (ADSL or cable) and fast CD Writer (this allows you to save downloads to a CD ROM to save memory on your Hard Drive).
When looking at new computers the focus is usually on CPU speed, system memory, peripherals (Hard Drive capacity, CD ROM, etc.). The Key component in your PC is the Motherboard. The motherboard is the road network over which the data travels. If you own a Ferrari (fast CPU) but you are driving over gravel roads you are never going to travel at the Ferrari's top speed. This is where you want to spend your extra 10% of your budget. If the system has everything you want, however, the motherboard is a low-end model, upgrade. How do I know if it’s a good Motherboard? There are many Motherboard models with myriad designs. You do not have to know the technical specs for those boards. Just look for the following.
§ If your motherboard is an "all in one board" (built in sound & video), ensure that it has an AGP slot (video slot), this will allow the addition of a faster video card. The onboard video is never the fastest and video technology changes rapidly.
§ Check to see how much memory the onboard video uses. There are problematic issues with this. Check if the onboard video has its own memory or uses the system memory. If it uses the system memory, it will say something like "up 64 MB of memory". That means you could lose up to half of your system memory if your board comes with 128 MB; i.e. 128 MB of system memory and the video needs 64 MB, then 64 MB is left for your applications. The amount of memory available for applications effects system performance. So determine the maximum system memory your onboard video will use and add the memory you require for applications; i.e. if you need 256 MB of memory application use, then you will require at least 320 MB. This depends on the RAM – (Random Access Memory) slots configuration. You will more likely require 512 MB of memory as explained below.
§ When purchasing memory for your PC, check for the number of RAM slots. You should have at least two or more. The easiest way to speed up a PC is to add more memory. Newer applications require more memory. More RAM slots allows you to add memory without having to replace your RAM. If there are only two slots, make sure that only one is used; i.e. if you require 512 MB of memory, purchase a 512 MB memory board rather than two 256 MB boards. This will leave one slot free for future expansion.
§ Does your Motherboard have sufficient expandability (PCI slots)? The Motherboard should have at least 4 PCI slots or more. If your Motherboard has a built in Ethernet card (for networking) and modem that leaves two PCI slots free.
§ What about CPU speed? Unless you work as a high-end graphic designer or play cutting edge games, any CPU over 1 GHz (Gigahertz) will be more than sufficient. You always pay a premium for the latest and greatest which is not always faster than the last generation.
Should I Upgrade
Your computer just doesn't seem to have the speed is used to and technologies are changing so fast. Do I need to buy a new computer with latest technology or should I upgrade?
That is not an easy question to answer. There are so many variables to consider and the cost of a new computer is dropping, narrowing the cost difference between upgrading and buying new. Below are some guide lines to assist you with that decision
3 Strikes And Your Out!
If you have to upgrade more than 3 major components then a new system may be in order. One exception is if you don't exceed 50% of the cost for a new system.
Speed - Speed
When your computer seems to be slower, the best way to see a dramatic and cost effective improvement in performance is more RAM (Random Access Memory). At the very least double your memory. If you have 256 MB add another 256 MB.
If your screen scrolls slowly and the screen image ghosts frequently, a new Video card with the latest processor and fast memory is an option to consider.
Are you running out of Hard Drive space? If files are slow to load, then a new and faster Hard Drive may be in order. Depending on the controller you have built into your Motherboard you may need to buy a PCI slot controller card, to realize the benefits from the larger and faster Hard Drive. Look for one with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm and cache of 2 MB.
The most cost effective option, if all your other components are performing fine, is either a new CPU or Motherboard. If your old Motherboard supports the voltage and clock speed of a new CPU, then you could look at an upgrade of the CPU. This can be problematic because the new CPU / Motherboard / Memory combinations use a faster bus speed. If a new CPU will function in an older Motherboard you still may not realize its full potential. While it is working at a higher speed internally it communicates with the system peripherals at the slower bus speed of your Motherboard, plus your memory will likely have a slower clock speed than the latest memory. This upgrade path usually defines that with a new CPU you will also require a new Motherboard and more memory to realize the CPU's full potential.
Hard Drives
It takes longer to load my files and applications
The most common cause of files and applications being slow to load
is a fragmented Hard Drive. As Hard Drives become larger this is more
problematic. Not only does it take longer to find and load files but your Hard
Drive is working harder, shortening its life span. When a Hard Drive saves data
it searches for free space. As you delete files and save data it scatters. On
a large drive this means frequent jumping for the reader heads as they search
for your data. The solution is regular optimization of your Hard Drive. You
can use the Windows utility or buy a third part utility.
I bought a new CD
ROM drive and my Hard Drive seems to be slower
Check how the CD ROM and Hard Drive are connected. Your CD ROM and Hard Drive should not be on the same cable. There are two cable connections on your Motherboard. One is the primary channel which should be used for your Hard Drive or Drives, and the other is the secondary channel used for CD ROM drives and removable storage devices; i.e. zip drives.
CD ROM
devices are slower than Hard Drives. When both devices are on the same cable,
the calls and checks to the drives are slowed down to the slowest device on the
cable. This doesn't slow data throughput only the response time before the Hard
Drive starts sending data.
Also
recording to a CD-RW while accessing a Hard Drive on the same cable can be a
problem. There can be interruptions in the data flow and cause the CD recording
process to fail, and at the very least cause request conflicts and freeze your
system
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