With rapid upgrades in technology on almost every other weekend, buying a computer equipped with the latest features or choosing between the right machines that suits your requirements the best, is indeed a cumbersome task.
You want to make sure that you do not overspend on something that was not necessary or neglect the necessary aspects of the machine while focusing on less important things. Unless you are not experienced in dealing with the machines, you might fall into a retailer’s trap. In this case, you can trust online computer store in Australia to get the best PC according to your budget and requirements.
Not all computer users have equal demands. Everyone has a preference for specific components and priorities. Therefore, it is essential to understand what to prioritize according to your needs and domain of operations.
This guide will assist you in developing a better understanding of the vital components of the computer so that you could decide on what to include and what to leave while utilizing your budget efficiently.
Desktop or Laptop
Most of the buyers are aware of whether they are looking for a laptop or a desktop. Still, they find themselves stuck in the dilemma of deciding between the two, especially when they browse the lucrative market of hundreds of exciting machines with particular USP.
Generally, a desktop is offered at a lesser price as compared to a laptop. But, it is not because the desktops are offering a lower-quality or some outdated technology. Rather the budgetary difference is due to the extra effort that goes into making a laptop.
Laptops are preferred by those users who seek comfort in using a super-portable device from anywhere without having to sit on a desk constantly.
However, modern desktops have evolved as well, and they are not all bulky machines anymore. Makers are now integrating monitors and CPUs into a single device and are also incorporating touch features to increase portability.
Getting a desktop enables you to operate with high specifications within a limited budget. Also, you can upgrade its components more easily, and the powerful fans increase the lifespan of the machine, maintaining optimum performance. If you intend to get a computer for gaming purposes or work that involves very high graphics and animations, then the desktop should be your first choice.
On the other hand, if you travel more often and want a light machine that could accompany you anywhere anytime, then laptops should be your choice as they are specifically designed for this purpose.
If you are planning to buy a laptop for long-duration works, then opt for a matte screen as it protects your eyes and has less glare. But, if you are using your laptop more as a media device, then you choose one with standard glossy LCD.
Processor – the Brain of Your Machine
Who doesn’t want a computer that boots up in a flash and completes the tasks with lightning speed? But, to boost the speed of your machine, you would need a fast processor.
The Latest processors come in the number of cores labeled within Gigahertz. The power of your chip indicates the quantity of data that it can process at a certain time. Speaking frankly, the greater the number, the better the performance. While the number of cores is the multipliers because a processor is made up of a stack of cores – each could be listed at a different speed, and their main job is to perform multi-tasking. Therefore, if you are into multi-tasking, then you should grab a higher core machine.
However, you must always ask about the number of cores on a chip and the clock speed. Because two computers can come with the same chip, yet operate at big speed difference.
Random Access Memory – RAM
Just like the processor, the job description of RAM is also to facilitate multi-tasking and accelerate the speed of computing. Nowadays, RAMs are measured in GBs or Gigabytes – the more the GB, the faster you get to access data on the computer and browse the information swiftly. For example, if you are switching between multiple webpages at a time or using various software, then a powerful RAM will make your task much easier.
Similarly, a DDR2-800 RAM is faster than a DDR2-400 RAM, as the last digits signify the per second transfer rate of millions of data. The RAM also has a clock speed just like processors – the faster the clock speed, the better. However, the speed of RAM is linked with the motherboard of the computer. This is why make sure that your motherboard supports the type of RAM you want to integrate if you are buying it separately because it would be useless to spend more if your motherboard doesn’t comply with the RAM speed.
Graphics
Lately, makers are boasting about their machines with the tags of NVIDIA or AMD graphic cards, even though there is a big difference in the functioning of these graphics accelerators.
To give a basic understanding of graphic cards, they come in two types, integrated and dedicated. An integrated graphic comes originally with the machine as built-in and relies on the computer’s processing memory while a dedicated card is not built-in and has its own processor to support its operations. Dedicated cards are high functioning and are often much more significant in graphics depth.
But, graphic processors, rely a lot on the capabilities of processor and RAM. So, if you are thinking that only incorporating a higher graphics card will do the trick for you, then you are mistaken, as you would need equally compatible RAM and processor to compliment the card.
Hard Drive
Measured in gigabytes, or terabytes, hard drives provide the storage space for all your applications and files. If you are likely to store big amounts of data on your PC, then you would need a bigger hard drive and vice versa.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the speed of the hard drive matters the most. The faster your hard drive spins, the quicker it enables you to fetch the stored information.
This is why the speed of the hard drive is measured in RPMs. For example, a 5400 rpm drive will be slower than 7200 rpm drive.
But, if you can manage to store data on a portable drive, then you can opt for a smaller hard drive and instead use a USB to manage your data. However, some applications stored separately on the USB might not run properly on the computer. This is where the hard drive comes in handy.
