Computer Buyers Guide
Is your company looking to save money on XP
workstations?
Tronlogic has access to many used brand name computer
systems which cost considerably less than buying new. If your company is
interested in such computers then contact us with your needs as supply
changes daily.
What do you want a computer for?
First of all you need to determine what you want to do
with your computer. Most computers come with similar capabilities but
some models may be better at certain tasks. Will it be used for work,
writing letters, Internet access, video editing, playing the latest
games, or mixing music? Knowing what you want to do helps determine what
computer you
should buy. If you play 3D games you may want a better
video card. If you mix music you may want a better sound card. If you
will work all day on the computer you may want a better monitor. Make a
note if the computer you are considering to buy has any PCI or AGP
expansion slots.
The Parts of a Computer
Processor
- (CPU) The Central Processing Unit
determines how quickly instructions are executed. The speed is
measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). The two main
suppliers are AMD and Intel and both offer comparable performance.
Remember that processor speeds are so fast compared to just a few
years ago that the fastest CPU is often not necessary. The
latest and greatest CPU's are also priced at a premium and this may be a
waste of money.
Memory
- (RAM) Random
Access Memory is used to store programs and data that you are
currently using. Having more memory is often the best bang for your
buck. If you must choose between more memory or a slightly faster
CPU go for the memory.
Video
- Many computers
have shared onboard memory. If the computer is typically for office
use this is probably both economical and sufficient for all your
needs. If you are editing video or playing graphic intensive games
you may want a 3D video card. If you want to use the onboard video
for now but may want to upgrade later then you must make sure the
computer has an AGP slot for a 3D video card.
Monitor
- A 17" CRT monitor
is an average size, good price and takes up less space. A 19"
monitor is very nice to have if you have the space and a little
extra cash. A 19" monitor that is in your face because you have no
desk space can be very annoying. A quality monitor is important no
matter what you are doing because this is what you will have to look
at.
Hard Drive
- Hard disks store
information even when the power is off. If the computer is for
typical office use 20GB is probably plenty. If you will have music
or video files you will want a larger drive. Hard drives are very
affordable compared to just a few years ago and the difference
between a 40GB drive and a 120GB drive is about $50.00. Generally if
you have a few extra dollars you may want to buy the larger drive.
If you encode 2000 songs to MP3 format it may take up about 10GB of
hard disk space.
Sound
- Many computers
have onboard sound. For most people this is all you will ever need.
Unless you are playing high end games, using voice recognition
software or mixing music or videos, an onboard soundcard
should be fine.
Speakers
- If you just need
sound for everyday things then you probably don't need much. If you
want more you can go all the way up to a five speaker speaker
provided your soundcard supports it.
Compact Disk Drives
- I would recommend
everyone get a CD drive that can write CD's so you can backup
critical data. DVD writers are quickly becoming faster and cheaper
and will probably replace CD's one day. For the extra $50.00 or so
this is also a wise place to spend your money. A DVD can also hold
more data than the contents of 6 CD's.
Modem
- A modem is needed
for dial-up access to the Internet or for faxing from your computer.
Most modems will get these jobs done with comparable ability.
Network Card
- A network card
comes with just about all computers because they are used for
networking and accessing high speed internet.
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