Desktop PC's

For many, the computer industry seems like an impenetrable, jargon filled jungle. This guide will help demystify the personal computer and provide the information you need to make a good shopping decision on a new PC.

A few years ago, if you were looking for a computer with enough power to edit video you needed to spend several thousand dollars on upgrades. Now video editing is standard fare for the latest generation of personal computers PC's are less expensive with more capabilities than ever before.

So what will your new computer be used for? Work, surfing the internet or playing that hot new game you heard so much about? Who will be using the computer and what are their interests? Likely, you'll need to accommodate a combination of these requirements, if not all of them.

Since most personal computers sold today offer similar capabilities, the decision about which one has to do with specialty. If you're looking for the best gaming experience you'll spend more on a 3D graphics card. If you want to mix your own music you'll buy a better sound card. If you will be using it for work all day, you'll invest in a better monitor. To get the best value, spend your money on the components that best suit your needs.

Processor
The CPU (central processing unit) is the brains of the computer. The performance of the processor, which is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz), determines how quickly the computer responds to the requirements placed on it and the higher the number, the faster the processor.

The two major players in the CPU market are Intel and AMD. While each have individual strengths and weaknesses, both companies offer processors with comparable levels of performance. Here's a breakdown of their offerings:

While it might be tempting to buy a PC with a 1.7 GHz Pentium 4 instead of a 1.4 GHz, it's not necessarily the most economical decision. The newest processor to hit the market usually does not have enough of a performance improvement over its predecessor to justify its high price. You can find a better deal by buying a couple of speeds below the leading edge.

Monitors
There are two types of monitors available for PC's: the traditional CRT and the newer LCD. The CRT (cathode ray tube) is used for both televisions and computers The most common monitor sizes are 15", 17" and 19". For people buying a CRT display for normal use, a 17" is the ideal balance of price and performance. If you are doing a lot of desktop publishing or image editing then a 19" or larger monitor is better suited. The advantages of flat panel displays come at a price, costing two or three times more than CRT's. For an LCD, 15" or 17" is the optimal size for most applications.

Ram
If the CPU is the brains of the computer, RAM (random access memory) is the muscle. It is the place where the operating system, programs and data in current use are kept, ready to be accessed by the processor. The more RAM you have, the quicker and more powerful your computer is.

If you're faced with a choice between buying a faster processor without much memory, or buying a slightly slower processor with more memory you should take the memory. Having extra RAM will provide a much bigger boost to system performance than a few extra MHz of CPU speed.

While Microsoft's consumer operating system, Windows ME, has a stated requirement of 32MB of RAM you will find the user experience slow and prone to crashes. Any new computer you're considering should have a minimum of 64MB but preferably more. Most retailers offer an upgrade to 128MB for under $100 which is money well spent. If you like to run multiple large applications then 256MB is worth having.

Hard Drive
While RAM stores information for a limited period of time for instant access to the processor, the hard drive is the place where data is stored on a more permanent basis. All software, from operating systems to word processors, has grown tremendously in size over the last few years. Media files such as MP3 and digital photos are big and require a lot of disk space. This has led to a corresponding need for high capacity hard drives where all this data can be kept. Hard drives in new systems range from 20GB to 60GB in size.

If you are buying a computer for the whole family, you're going to want to go for the biggest hard drive you can afford. All those MP3 and video files that people like to download can quickly fill a smaller hard drive. The less need you have to accommodate large media files and games, the safer you can feel going with a smaller hard drive. For typical office use, 10 to 20GB is plenty of storage.

Sound, Graphics & Storage

Sound & Graphics
At one time quality sound and video components added hundreds of dollars to the price of a PC. Now, people can expect to find satisfactory performance from the components that come standard with most models. Here's an outline of the minimum quality you should accept and what to look for if you want greater performance.

Video Cards
Also known as graphics cards, these components are responsible for displaying 2D and 3D images on your monitor. 2D graphics are the regular pictures and images that appear on your screen while 3D graphics are mostly used in games and imaging. Most computer systems come with video cards that produce acceptable 2D results but there are reasons to upgrade.

Unless you have at least 8 MB of video RAM you can experience some image stuttering on your monitor when performing tasks like moving windows around and scrolling through text. This can become even more of an issue if you have a 19" or larger monitor. Most people with these monitors use a resolution greater than the 800x600 and maximum possible resolution is a function of the amount of memory a graphics card has. Therefore if you are getting a 19" or larger monitor you should have 16 MB of RAM.

Sound Cards
The sound card is either attached or built in to your PC's motherboard. Its job is to control the quality of audio in and out of the computer. There should be input jacks for speakers, headphones, microphone and line-in for audio components like a tape deck. Beyond that, most sound cards that come with a new computer system will offer a suitable level of performance for average use.

If your audio requirements are more advanced or you play a lot of games, you should consider a PCI sound card with a wider range of features. At the top-end there are cards with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and S/PDIF digital output, the audio format that is used in many home theatres.

Positional or 3D audio is offered by higher-end sound cards and can make games and music come alive. For example, when an enemy is about to attack, you can detect which direction he's coming from by the sound of his footsteps. Advanced sound cards also support midi devices and come bundled with better audio software (encoders, editors, mixers, etc.).

Speakers
If you plan to take advantage of any of your PC's multimedia features, you'll want to invest in a decent set of speakers. At the very least you should make sure that they are powered by an external source. Speakers powered by the sound card are incapable of producing rich and dynamic audio. Gamers and serious audiophiles will want at least 30 Watts of power with a separate subwoofer for ample bass reproduction.

The more money you spend on your speakers the closer you can come to approximating the dynamic audio of a home theatre.

CD-ROM/CD-R/DVD/Data Storage
While the humble CD-ROM drive continues to perform its duties well, a number of other devices have arrived over the last few years that build on its strengths. CD-R/CD-RW drives can read CD-ROMs as well as write data to discs, providing the user with a huge amount of personal and portable storage space. 

DVD drives are faster while storing many times more data than CD-ROMs and are not much more expensive. DVD drives can also play CD-ROM discs. The most popular media available in DVD are movies. Some software is available on DVD but the vast majority is still published on CD-ROM.

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