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How
do you choose a proper desktop computer system that will meet your
computing needs? Regardless of whether you are building your own
PC, or buying one off the shelf, there are many factors you'll need
to look at before forking your hard-earned cash. Things like CPU,
memory, hard disk space, sound cards are essential factors to consider
when selecting the system. This article will run through each of
these factors to help you avoid the many pitfalls that one may stumble
across when purchasing a PC.
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Intended
Usage
What do you
intend to use the computer for? This is one of the key considerations
when purchasing that desktop system. The main goal here is to get
a system that will suit your computing needs. If you're using the
computer for professional or business purposes, you'll want to factor
stability and service support into your purchase decision. On the
other hand, if you intend to use the system at home, you may want
a more well-rounded PC that can handle multimedia applications,
web surfing easily.
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Budget
You'll certainly
need to consider your budget buying that PC. Low-end budget systems
will save you a lot of money and are suitable for most home users.
High-end systems with the latest Athlon 64 or Intel Pentium 4 processors
will cost more and will be more suitable for those who want to play
the latest 3D games or do heavy video or graphics editing.
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System
Features
OK, here's where
it gets complicated. A typical desktop PC has got so many components,
it's hard to decide which system is good or bad. We're talking about
a whole plethora of components from memory, video cards, sound cards,
optical drives and so on.
Here's a stab at the most essential components in the PC and what
you should look out for:
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CPUs
The CPU is the
brain of your system - so it's a key consideration when buying that
PC. The older chips like Intel Celeron and Intel Pentium 3 chips are
now starting to become obsolete. If you want your system to last for
some time, go for newer processors like the Intel Pentium 4 AMD Athlon.
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Memory
System memory
is also very important - you can never have enough of it. Typically,
look for at least 256 MB or 512 MB of memory in the desktop you
want to buy. Anything less while pose a problem for business or
graphics applications.
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Motherboards
This is less
important if you're buying the system off the shelf from vendors
like HP, Dell or IBM. It is however of paramount importance if you
want to build your own PC. Reliable brand names for motherboards
include Gigabyte, MSI and Aopen. A typical good motherboard today
should at least have features like built-in audio, LAN support,
USB or Firewire ports and support for AGP video cards.
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Hard
Drives
My advice to
you here is - get as much hard disk space as you can afford. A typical
hard disk by today's standards would be about 40 GB at least. If
you do a lot of downloading off the Internet, or edit videos or
have a huge collection of MP3s, you'd be better off with at least
a 80 GB hard disk.
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Optical
Drives
A CD-ROM drive
is now a standard feature in all computers. Make sure you're getting
at least a 40X CD-ROM read speed. An additional consideration these
days would be whether you want read-write capability - many computers
now come with CD-RW drives. DVD-ROM drives are also being bundled
in desktops. Even better, some come with DVD-RW drives which will
save you the cost of buying a separate DVD writer later on. |
Monitors
I guess the key
consideration here is whether you want a CRT or LCD display. My opinion
is to go for at least a 17 inch monitor if you want a CRT display,
and at least a 15 inch monitor for LCD displays. Good brand names
here are: NEC, Samsung and ViewSonic. |
Graphics
Computer systems
come with either integrated video on the motherboard, or a physical
video card. If you play a lot of games, especially 3D games like Unreal
Tournament 2003 or Dungeon Siege, you will not want to rely on integrated
video. Make sure the system has a physical video card with at least
AGP 4X and 64 MB of video memory. Good video cards these days come
from LeadTek and PNY Technologies. |
Sound
Again, it is common
for computers to come with integrated sound on the motherboard these
days. However, if you're a computer audio buff, go for a separate
third-party sound card like the Creative Audigy Sound Card.
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Ports
USB ports are
almost standard features in desktop computer systems today. In fact,
you'll want to check that the system comes with support for the latest
USB 2.0 specification. Even better if it comes with FireWire ports
(which are essential for video capture and editing). |
Operating
System
The majority of computer systems these days ship with Windows XP Home
Edition, which is suitable for home users. Business users should look
for Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional to be bundled
in the package |
Technical
Support
After-sale support
and warranty periods are a prime consideration especially you have
no experience in troubleshooting computers. Most basic warranty periods
last for a year or two and are sufficient for the average user. Don't
go for an extended warranty period without readin the fine print.
Most of the time, it's not necessary to have overly long warranty
periods as the reasonable lifetime of your computer will be about
4 to 5 years at most. |
Recommended
Desktop Computers
Now let's take
a look at some of the desktop computer systems I'd recommend to a
prospective buyer. |
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A
great value for money system. The BAAZ Dimension 2400 comes with an
Intel Pentium 4 2.2 GHz CPU, 256 MB of RAM and a 40 GB hard disk.
There's also a 48X CD-ROM drive, in-built audio and LAN support, as
well as Windows XP Home Edition to round off the package.
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| HP
Pavilion 735n |
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is one hot desktop. Running on a AMD Athlon XP 2.13 GHz processor,
with 512 MB of RAM and a 80 GB hard disk, the Pavilion 735n is a top
seller. Also comes with Integrated sound, LAN support and get this
- a DVD+/- RW drive! I've yet to see a desktop with a DVD writer at
such an incredible price (under $600). Windows XP Home Edition comes
pre-installed |
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| Sony
VAIO RZ16G |
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Sony VAIO RZ16G is a spectacular machine and definitely my option,
if I had enough cash :( It comes with a Intel Pentium 4 2.66 GHz CPU,
1 massive GB RAM and a 120 GB hard drive. It includes a DVD-RW drive,
in-built audio, as well as a LAN adapter. Windows XP Home Edition
also comes pre-installed. One special point about this desktop is
its Giga Pocket personal video recorder which allows you to watch
and record your favorite TV programs or create your own DVDs! |
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Conclusion
In summary, buying a good desktop PC is a matter
of doing your research and homework by considering each of the factors
above. If possible, go to the manufacturer's website to source for
more in-depth material (read the fine print too). A final note - out
of the desktops above, I greatly favour the BAAZ
DESKTOP
as I've
heard many, many positive comments about it. But that's perhaps just
my biased view - you may beg to differ. |
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