Confused - read on.
Aug 20 '00
As a computer consultant, I help people decide on a daily basis which CPU, how much RAM, what video card, sound card, scanner, monitor, keyboard and even mouse to use with a system. There are so many different choices that everyone becomes confused which is best or what works with what. That's where my expertise comes in.
If you're just looking for an emachine to get online, do some email, stay in touch with friends and family and you're not going to be using it for much else - then the prepackaged emachines are the route to go. For the most part, I steer people away from these items, but you just can't beat their "deals" when it comes to a simple machine just to take care of the day to day task of getting on the net to stay in touch.
However, if you're going to want your machine to also take care of some drudgery type tasks - budget, stock tracking, maybe some e-trading, doing homework and research, scanning pictures or for use with a digital camera or video camera - then the normal emachine isn't going to meet your needs and you will have to do a little more shopping.
To simplify your shopping, let's place some emphasis on what is required by the different software packages you'll be using to accomplish your list of uses in the new machine. Almost all word processing, spreadsheet, database, and like programs these days have one main requirement - loads of memory to keep them moving. Not just RAM mind you but storage space as well. So, you're first priority is going to be as large a Hard Drive as your budget will allow followed by as much RAM as you can stuff into the box which will also remain within your budget.
Here comes my first argument from other consultants and computer geeks like me who read up on hardware and software constantly. You tell people to put in all the RAM they can when most programs can't access anything above the first 128 meg. Yes - I do - because programs are changing as fast as hardware. Every 18 months or less a new and improved version of hardware or software hits the market. Each time adding more capability and demanding more of your system. Manufacturers aren't wasting any time figuring out how to use every ounce of RAM to some advantage and if you have it in place you're ready. If not, you'll be going through the drudgery of hunting down the best price once again and doing an upgrade or paying to have it done. Considering how RAM prices have fluctuated in recent years and the cost of having a tech install it if you're not the handy type - you're better off adding as much as you can now - but the minimum should be 128 meg for any system these days.
Video Cards - I may get some argument here too. You don't need that ultra high speed, high dollar, blazing xtreme gamers video card unless you're planning to play lots of games or get involved in online games that will require that extra video speed. What you need is a good quality, fast video card with plenty of RAM onboard. The more memory your video card has onboard, the less time it spends plugging into your main memory and the faster it will update screens. Most folks won't see a difference between the 8 meg variety and the 32 meg variety of video card. Hook them up side by side on identical systems and you'll be hard pressed to differentiate between the two unless you play a movie or watch clips online. Then the 32 meg version will shine and everyone will say "gimme that one". With this item I generally go middle of the road and recommend at least the 16 meg variety with Diamond Stealth or Matrox Millenium being my primary choices as good all around performance video cards at good prices.
Hard Drives - top of the line in my opinion is the Western Digital Caviar drives followed by Seagate (same company) and then Maxtor whose products have made vast improvements in recent years. Yesterday I purchased a 20 gigabyte Maxtor for about 120.00 so you can see their pricing is coming down a lot. The WDC drive in 20 gig size is considerably more (~150.00).
Here again, go for as much drive as your budget will allow and keep in mind that you can add another drive later without much problem. Of course, if you're not experienced you'll have to add the tech fee for the installation of a new drive which can nearly double the cost later as compared to doubling the size now.
CD-ROM drives - more debate expected... I'd go with the current best price on a quality drive in the 30 to 50x range with price as my guide. The quality of CD-ROM drives is basically equal with the name brands giving a slight edge more due to their warranty than anything else. Avoid the ultra high speed drives as they have more problems than the lower speed ones and anything over 18x will play music discs faultlessly, and most video discs without much degradation in the picture. Once you get above 30x everything smoothes out and you can't see much difference in the added speed. I use a 32x in my machine and am perfectly happy with it's performance.
DVD - a matter of personal preference - I'd go with a name brand, don't spend any more than you absolutely have to - there just isn't enough stuff running on them yet. Get the drive that will read CD's also so you don't have to have both.
Keyboards - In this arena the one manufacturer who has an edge over all others (in my opinion) is KeyTronic. Their tactile feel, key placement, and overall quality of products is untouched by others. However, you can buy a "decent" keyboard for as little as 5.00 and replace it 4 to 5 times for what a KeyTronic costs you. So, don't let this item take away from your budget for the more important items.
Mice - with or without tails, with or without balls, little balls, big balls, ergonomic, plain, fancy, colored, or touchpad - they all serve the same purpose - to point at something on screen and activate it. So - to start with, just get whichever one tickles your fancy and doesn't chew up your budget dollars. Now if you want some advice - skip the no tail variety unless you're prepared to keep their batteries changed cause they well give you aches and pains from over exertion. Trackballs are great for reducing hand and arm motion but put a lot more strain on finger movement and take some practice. The best for me is the mouse with no balls. It's an optical unit using light to find it's way around. Practically effortless in movement by comparison, it reduces the amount of strain on your hand, fingers, and arms. Having had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and the surgery to correct it I highly recommend the MicroSoft IntelliEye mouse.
Ok - here it goes - the CPU - the meat of the matter. I'll hold my ears as my cohorts shout at me but here it is, my opinion on selecting a CPU - the best choice is a reasonable speed, reasonable price unit without regard for name brand, or what ever is the latest, hottest, baddest little toy on the market. Let's face it, you're trying to put together a machine that will do a job, perform your tasks, and more importantly - continue to do so at least until you can afford to move up to the next better machine. So you need a good quality product at a reasonable price that will accomplish your goals without breaking the budget. AMD makes some of the finest all around performing chips with excellent speed at a great value. The only thing I really, really, strongly, and adamantly urge folks in this department about is cooling. CPU chips of all types generate heat and AMD is notorious for the amount of heat it can pump out. Therefore, along with that blazing speed you want the best cooling fan to strap on that chip you can get and don't scrimp on the $$ here. In fact, you should spend the extra $10 to $15 to have an additional case fan installed in your unit regardless of which processor you get. Keeping air moving inside the box will help every chip to work better and longer. When chips get hot, they tend to slow down. A 500 mhz chip can begin to act like a 100 mhz chip or even slower and if they get too hot, well, head for the computer store because the reason your machine is failing to boot is most likely a fried chip and we can only hope it's not the CPU chip which is the most expensive one in the box. One other thing when we talk of cooling - the case - a larger case has a greater volume of air to exchange whereas a smaller case may get way overcrowded reducing the ability of air to flow around all components. So, don't buy that cute little box, instead opt for a mid size tower case which only costs a few dollars more, allows you to spread things out for good air flow but doesn't hold an excess of hot air waiting it's opportunity to exit.
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Epinions.com ID:
daklown
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Member: Dale Eicker
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 49
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
Chemical Plant Supervisor, Professional Clown, Computer Consultant, and Jack-of-all-trades.
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