I find many friends and family asking me what they should look for in a new (or used) computer. That question is usually followed by Should I buy a Dell? Dell typically has good and sometimes great deals but there are many other reputable computer manufacturers out there that offer a much better base system. Of course, an established company like Dell, HP, or others will offer a warranty that is, no doubt, hard to beat. In many cases though, that warranty costs money to cover more than one or two years. What most people don't realize is that almost all hardware manufacturers provide a 1 year warranty on their products. So in most cases, these companies are simply honoring the warranty on the individual components. I think that there are some basics to finding a computer that will last you and at the same time provide room for upgrades to extend the life even further. Obviously this is a reference for non-technical people that dont know the ins and outs of a computer. Component Top Ten Breakdown 1. AMD 64 Processor I think this is essential in keeping the overall cost of your computer down. Anyone would agree that the AMD processors available today are almost always less expensive than the alternative and in most cases, drastically out perform as well. This processor will become very important with the move to 64 bit operating systems and 64 bit software. Many of the newer motherboards that support the AMD processor also have up to a 2.0 GHZ front side bus which will be big bonus for improvement. 2. 1024MB RAM This is just over the industry sweet spot of 512MB. Doubling the memory in any system typically is the single most effective way of noticeably improving system performance 3. 256MB Video Adapter With the 256MB video adapters becoming more affordable, you can find the 256MB adapters at very reasonable prices. The 256MB video adapter provides quite an improvement over the 64MB 128MB adapters which seem to be the standard in most affordable systems. 4. DVD-RW/CD-RW Drives These drives are common in all systems these days and should not drive up the price of your system very much. In some cases you can find a dual layer DVD-RW that is affordable. 5. 5.1 Or 7.1 Channel Audio I know many people will argue with me on this one but I find that there is little difference (to the average user) with integrated audio and a separate audio adapter. You can spend hundreds of dollars on the latest audio adapter or you can be honest with yourself and realize that the most you will probably do is listen to music and settle for a good integrated audio adapter. 6. SATA Hard Disk Drives Most new motherboards utilize this newer technology (Serial ATA). The speed of the disk access is tremendously improved with this technology and it is becoming very affordable. 7. Keyboard and Optical Mouse Many typical computer owners will not notice a difference between an expensive keyboard and mouse set and a standard one. The optical mouse, however, is important. They are much more responsive and work on almost any surface. 8. Gigabit Network Adapter Most motherboards have integrated gigabit networking. While the gigabit network adapter doesnt provide much if you dont have a gigabit switch, it doesnt cost much more and you have the option of going completely gigabit down the road. 9. 17 Flat Panel Monitor This is the sweet spot for monitors right now. You will easily find a 17 quality flat panel with a special sale price 10. A Case With Power Supply You should be able to find a nice looking case with a 300 or 400 watt power supply for under $70.00 I went to a local computer company web site and put together this system and came in under $1100.00 ($1049.89 to be exact). Some of you might look at this price and immediately say, Thats not cheap. Well in terms of a new top-of-the-line computer, that price is very cheap. Keep in mind that it includes a flat panel 17 monitor. The only thing missing from this picture is an operating system. If you have an existing computer, you can simply use your existing copy of Windows (I would only do this if it is XP Home or XP Pro). You own the license and it does not restrict you from using it on another computer so long as you are not using it on two computers, which means you will have to remove it from your old PC. If you are really thrifty and would like to try something new, go for Linux! Its free and is loaded with software that is already part of the operating system installation. Below is my list of components: K8NSC-939 nForce3 250Gb Chipset Socket 939 Motherboard, for AMD Athlon64, Athlon64 FX Processors $109.99 Athlon 64 3200+, 2.00 GHz, 2.0 GHz FSB, Socket 939 Processor-In-A-Box $189.99 52x32x52 Internal ATA CD-RW Drive $39.99 16x16x16 Internal IDE DL DVD+/-RW Drive $69.99 Ultra Series 200GB Hard Drive, 7200RPM, Internal, SATA/150$99.99 Radeon 9550 Video Card, 8x AGP, 256MB DDR $99.99 2 512MB PC2-4200 240pin DDR2 DIMM Memory Module $139.98 Cordless Desktop EX110 Keyboard & Mouse Combo $39.99 Ninja 2 ATX & Micro-ATX Mid-Tower Case, 400Watt Power Supply $59.99 VX710 17-inch LCD Monitor $199.99 Most computer stores will assemble all these components for around $50.00. For a few extra dollars, they will also move everything off of your old system as well. It takes a little bit of extra work but it is well worth the effort. This type of a computer should get you at least 5 years with minimal upgrades. |
