How to Choose a Computer

Choosing a computer can appear to be a difficult task, but if you focus on what you want your computer to do, you'll find that choosing your components is quite simple. This will help you choose your ideal computer without paying for more than what you have to. It will also go over where to buy a computer, which type to buy (Macintosh or Windows), and how powerful your parts will be.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Set a budget. In general, buying a computer pre-built from a company like Hewitt-Packard or Dell will tend to cost less than buying all of the parts separately and putting the system together yourself. A nice starting point for any basic computer is $500. While it's true that you can buy a computer for slightly less than that, most of those do not come with the office software, like Microsoft Office, by default. The price does not also include any shipping or tax either, so be sure to account for that.

2. Decide what you want your computer to do and whether or not you want a desktop computer or a laptop. Most people want to do basic tasks with their computer, such as word processing, Internet browsing, and e-mail. More advanced requirements are used for video production, digital photo editing, and high-end games. The more you want to do with your computer, the more it will cost. Laptops come with the convenience of portability, but there are several factors to consider. First, almost all laptops cannot be upgraded, which extends the life and power of a desktop. Second, they cost more overall, starting at or around $700, and gaming laptops get into the thousands.

3. Choose performance components for your computer carefully. You don't want to waste money on parts you don't need and you don't want under performing specs. The first thing to choose is the processor type and speed. Most basic programs only need no more than 1 Gigahertz (GHz) of performance and will take either AMD or Intel. Having a dual-core processor is better for high performance, but few programs require or recommend this feature. Digital editing software will run more effectively with processors running above 2GHz and most games run best at speeds around 3GHz. Quad-core processors also increase performance, but usually have a high cost. The number of cores will increase in time, but the important thing to note is that more cores yields better performance.

4. Memory and storage space are the next decision to make. Memory stores the temporary information that is used when the computer is on. In this case, higher amounts of memory and a higher frequency speed yield a higher performance. The average memory size for computers is 1 Gigabyte (GB), for any computer, but that number will rise as time goes on. Performance computers will need anywhere between 2 and 4GBs running at 400 Megahertz (MHz) or higher. Storage space includes how many Gigabytes your hard drive must be and determines how many files your computer can hold. For the most basic tasks and programs, most computers can use from 80 to 160GB and still last quite a while. For users with many digital photos, music, or programs, 160 to 250GB is more ideal. For installing games and downloading large files, like movies, 250GB and higher is a better choice.

5. Graphics play a larger role in gaming and video editing computers, but are not as important for basic ones. Most computers come with 32 to 128 Megabytes (MB) since most programs do not need more than that. For high performance computers, this option can make or break an application. The more megabytes means a higher-performance (an ideal range is 256 to 512MB) but also consider the type of card and the speeds it runs at. Some games only run on certain types or versions of video cards, so check the requirements of applications and games before making this choice. Video cards can be an expensive component, so choose carefully.

6. External devices, like monitors, keyboards, and mice are easy to distinguish and choose by the details listed under the product. Monitors are based on size and type (i.e. CRT or LCD flat panel), keyboards have the same number of keys, plus any added buttons that some carry, and mice are based of number of buttons and whether it optical or laser. Laser provides more accuracy than optical, but costs a little more.

7. Most computers come with a DVD burner, which in turn burns CD's. The only features to examine are how fast the drive burns discs and what types of CD's or DVD's they burn. Most of this is self-explanatory when buying your computer.

8. If you are building your own computer, you have to choose a motherboard. Motherboards, or main boards, are the heart of the computer and connect all devices together. When choosing this component, do not only consider price, but it is important to remember that your parts MUST be compatible with the motherboard. You can determine this by accessing the web sites for each part and comparing compatibility features.

9. Make sure you computer has the right power accessories after you've chosen your parts. Most computers need only about 300 Watts of energy, but high performance machines need anywhere from 400 - 700 watts.

10. The last decision to make is to choose your operating system. There are two versions of Windows, XP and Vista, and Macintosh OS X. Most pre-built systems run Windows, but you can buy Mac OS X computers direct from Apple's web site. Each operating system has its own set of compatible programs, though most games do not run on Apple computers.

Tips & Warnings

• Think carefully about what you want your computer to do before buying. If Internet browsing,digital photos, and word processing are some of the options you want your computer to do, then you only need basic components and nothing too high-end. Some components have strong performance qualities without raising the base cost of a computer. If you can get a high-performance parts without raising the cost too much, it's okay to do so. For example, most pre-built computers have processors running above 2GHz, which is still okay and will keep the computer's performance up to date for a long time. Additionally, ball mice and floppy drives are neither necessary or efficient, so do not bother with either.
• These specifications are based around the published time of the article. 1GB of memory may not be nearly enough to run anything in five years. As time goes on, numbers will increase, but the basic formula stays the same: the higher the performance numbers of a component, the better the performance.