7 Things to Look for in a New Desktop PC If you're not a techie, buying hardware can be an arduous task. Follow these tips for buying a machine that best suits their business needs.

Does your old pileup making hissing noise when starting? Has your writing to be faster than the computer? Tired of watching the clock of Windows for a few minutes at a time?



Maybe it's time for a new desktop computer.



Computer manufacturers continue to struggle with weak enterprises. Meanwhile, component manufacturers are making their products smaller, faster and cheaper. The result: You can get a good deal on a powerful machine.



I can not recommend individual machines. I could be in the market when you read this. Instead, let's go through the components that make up the teams. Use these to help decide what you need.



After seven points to consider before buying:


The microprocessor

This is one of the most expensive parts. Windows computers are microprocessors made by Intel and AMD. The apples are manufactured by IBM and Motorola. So here's my first tip: Do not worry so much about making the chip. All four are good. For Windows machines, you have the choice of AMD Athlon XP, Intel Pentium 4 and Intel Celeron processor, a chip of the economy. The Pentium 4 and Athlon XP chips are high end. The fastest Pentium 4 runs at 3.2 Gigahertz - a very fast speed indeed. It is also very expensive. The comparable AMD chip, the 3200 + is a little less expensive.



You may have these fire breathers, if you are doing a lot of video editing. The same if you are working with computer aided design or playing advanced games. Otherwise, look for the chips running at 2.4 GHz to 2.6 GHz (or 2400 + and 2600 + in AMD-based machines). They are cheaper, and perform nearly as well as high-end chips.



Intel Celeron is a budget chip. If you do typical office tasks and surfing the web, you probably would not notice the difference between a high-end Celeron and a Pentium 4 running at the same speed. But you could save some money.



Apple and AMD chips run at speeds lower than those made by Intel. AMD uses the + symbol, as in 3200 +, which implies that its chips are faster than comparable Intel microprocessors, despite running more slowly. In fact, evidence shows that it is often the case.



Apple says its high-end machines are faster than those running Windows. That is a matter of controversy, there are websites devoted to debunking claims of Apple. Apple chips run at speeds much lower, making them difficult to compare. If you are interested in an Apple computer, a test in a store, then test a Windows machine. Apple computers are more expensive than comparable Windows machines.



Both Apple and AMD have new 64-bit microprocessors. Crisis can be twice as much data as 32-bit chips. But there are virtually no programs that take advantage of this ability now. That will change in the future, but these expensive new chips do not offer the best value today.


The operating system

Windows XP and Apple OS X are also difficult to compare. But there's really no need. Both are stable and fast. You will probably be satisfied with either.



Windows XP comes in two versions: Home and Professional. Windows XP Professional Home has all the goodies, plus some other things. Most of the networking capacity. Professional costs more.



But it has some interesting features. One is Remote Desktop, which lets you access a computer from another. For example, you could sign on your office computer from home and check your e-mail. It also allows you to encrypt files and folders.


Random Access Memory

You will need a minimum of 256 megabytes of memory. If you can afford it, have 512 MB. I went to one gigabyte for demanding applications like video editing. Memory is relatively cheap, so do not skimp.


Hard drives are bigger and bigger

If you do a lot of video work, you need a large hard disk. Video files are huge. Hard drives from 200 to 250 GB are common and relatively inexpensive.



Otherwise, huge drives common today far exceed customer needs. Even low-end machines today have 40 hard drives. Is unlikely to fill that. I recommend putting your extra money elsewhere.


Video System

The system sends the video image to monitor. Many of the computers use the main system RAM to run video. The video processor built into the motherboard (the main circuit board). This works but is less desirable.



best teams have a separate circuit board, called a video card. This includes video processor and memory. For video cards, 64 MB of RAM is pretty standard. That's more than enough for everyday computing.



However, if you're doing a video or advanced games, get a card with 128 MB of RAM. Truly hardcore players can get cards with 256 MB of RAM.


The Monitor

Do I need to buy a monitor? Most people get one without thinking. But monitors do not necessarily have computers. Often you can reduce your cost by refusing the monitor. If you are satisfied with your current monitor, it should work fine with his new team.



There are two basic types of monitoring, as mentioned above: CRTs and flat screens. CRTs are the cheapest option: I would not buy a CRT monitor that was less than 17 inches. Note that this measure is diagonal, and includes a portion of the screen hidden behind the cover. A 17-inch CRT will have a visible screen size of 16 inches or less.



flat screen monitors are more expensive than CRT. They come in two flavors: analog and digital. Digital signals are produced natively by the computer need not be converted. Analog signals are converted from digital video system. Some consider digital signals clearer.


CDs and DVDs

All computers come with optical drives - either CD or DVD. All except the cheapest have burners. ("Burning" is the process of developing a CD or DVD.) CD-RW recorders are still the most common, but DVD recorders are available in more expensive machines.



DVD is very popular, but remains concerned about inconsistent standards. You may see DVD + R / RW or DVD-R/RW on a computer. They are incompatible, but most players can handle R discs made on either. A: The disc can be recorded once. RW means rewritable, ie, a disc can be recorded multiple times. DVD recorders can also create CD.



I recommend you buy a CD-RW, at least.




One final point: I heard from many people asking when is the best time to buy a computer. There will always be something faster, better, hotter, colder, bigger or smaller coming. If you need a computer, buy now.