How to Choose The Right Computer

How To Choose:

There are only a few main parts of the computer that truly make the difference between the others. As long as when you are looking for the right computer to buy, you pay attention to these parts and see what they are, and how fast they are, you will end up with the computer system you really want and need, instead of another computer that you will be looking at upgrading in the near future.

The Processor:

All computers only understand 1's and 0's which is the binary language. The processor does the calculations with these 1's and 0's to give you your windows, icons, folders, text, pictures, etc.. The faster your processor's speed is, the faster it can do these calculations, the less wait time or "lag" you will have. Now that doesn't mean that you have to get the latest and greatest of processors out. It just means that you have to make a decision based on understanding what that number next to the GHz means.

If you are a student or you are going to be using this computer for such purposes as: research, surfing the web, playing card games, word processing, book keeping, or anything of the like, it is recommended that you get a processor that is accommodating for these activities. You definitely do not need anything super fast, but you do not want to get too low end either, otherwise you will be left in the technological dust when the new processors come out and everyone you know upgrades. Typically a 2.6Ghz processor is as low end as you want to go, but with the new (M)obile technology that laptops have out this number changes. If you see "Mobile" or a "M" anywhere in the processor area when you are looking at a laptop, the low end in this case is around 1.7GHz.

If you are a gamer or a power user on the computer, or plan on being one, you will want to go with something a bit more powerful. Recommendation is definitely something over 3.0Ghz or 2.0Ghz(Mobile Technology) as a low end. If you are a gamer or power user you will want to be in a high end computer to best utilize the speed capabilities of your programs and games. This too does not necessarily mean you need the latest and greatest processor out there, but you do want something that will give you the power you need without killing your wallet, but also not leaving you having to upgrade as soon as the newest games or high-end programs come out. A good rule of thumb is to look around and compare a few different computer systems, and look for the best speed you can find, just before the price jumps up some crazy amount just for another 0.2 or 0.4Ghz.

Memory:

What is memory anyways? RAM or Random Access Memory is a type of computer storage where the content can be accessed in any order. It is primarily used in computer systems to hold information that you or your computer are actively using or actively changing. When you run a program or a game, all the information about that program or game are loaded into memory, but only certain parts of it are needed at a time. The computer sorts through the memory and pulls out this information as needed. The more memory you have to work with, the better off you are. Most companies now a days recommend a minimum of 256mb. This is only if you are on an extremely tight budget. The minimum of today is 512mb of memory, but it is recommended to get 1GB. Not being able to run a program or a game due to not enough memory, is one of the greatest heart breakers. Memory is fairly cheap in today