Are you buying a new desktop computer?

Here is what you should look for when purchasing a new desktop computer.

The basic components that you must have to complete a working system are the processor, motherboard, memory, power supply and case, video card, hard disk drive, CD-Rom drive, floppy drive and of course the operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Millennium Edition or Microsoft Windows 2000. I hope that the following explanation of the different components will assist you in your selection of a new computer. If you have any questions that are not answered here you can reach me by email at peter@aboriginalcomputersolutions.com

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Processors: The first decision that you need to make is what manufacture of processor do you want to use. There are two mainstream manufactures, Intel and AMD. Both of these manufacture boast’s that there is better that the others, so do not rely upon information provided by the manufacture. It is better to review information from an independent source. Once you select a manufacture, you need to determine what speed the processor needs to be. If you were to go with the Intel processor line, then I would recommend the Intel Pentium 3-1000 MHz. The cost difference between the lower speed processors (800MHz) is less than $100.00. If you have a larger budget and need the extra processing power then the Intel Pentium 4 processors will provide the horsepower that you need.

Motherboards: The motherboard that you choose must be capable of supporting your choice of processors. ASUS, the largest motherboard manufacture has a wide variety to choose from. You can choose motherboards that can support single or dual processors, motherboards that have onboard video, sound and network cards. Motherboards with onboard video, sound and network cards can be a good choice, especially if you have a limited budget. I prefer motherboards that do not have integrated components. Also look for a motherboard that will provide AGP 4X capability.

Memory: The cost of memory has drastically been reduced for the newer motherboards. So when determining the amount of memory that you would like, first take a look at the maximum amount that your motherboard can support and the populate a single slot with the total amount of memory supported divided by the amount of slots. Example: For a motherboard that support 1 GB of total ram and has four SDRAM slots, you should put at minimum a single piece of 256MB SDRAM. 1000 MB (=1GB) / 4 = 256MB.

Power Supply and Cases: Ensure that the power supply is suitable for the motherboard and CPU that you selected. AMD Athlon/Duron and Intel Pentium-4 processors require special power supplies while Intel Pentium 3 processors will work with a standard 250-watt ATX power supply.

Video Cards: Most motherboards will have an Advance Graphics Processor (AGP) slot, with 4X capabilities. Your selection of video cards should be based upon you computer usage. If you were going to do lots of graphics generation then I would suggest a video card with at lease 32 MB of onboard memory.

Hard Disk Drives: The latest a greatest hard drives around are 73 GB in size, run at 10,000 RPM’s and are Ultra 160 SCSI compatible. But they sure are expensive, $1.300.00. These drive are typically out of most individual’s budgets and are primarily used for server applications. The more affordable hard drives are 40 GB in size, 7200 RPM, Ultra DMA 100 and are IDE compatible. Typically $240.00.

CD-Rom Drives: This is not and expensive component and you should go for the fastest drive available, 52X.

Floppy Drives: Not a big choice here, the 1.44 MB drives are about it.

Operating Systems: The Microsoft Windows operating systems are pretty standard when it comes to the Intel or AMD processors. The available Operating systems are Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition and Windows 2000. Although Windows 2000 is the newest product, it may not necessarily be the best choice. Windows 2000 is actually the replacement for Windows NT Workstation and is ideally used in conjunction with a Windows NT Server. For most situations either Win 98 or Win ME is a better choice. One nice feature of Win ME is the ability to go back in time…. Revert to a previously saved profile. This is a great feature because if you install an application that for some reason causes a lot of problems with your computer then you would simply revert to a profile that you had saved prior to the software installation. Go back in time.

Who you purchase from: I suggest that you purchase from a reputable company that has been in business for at least 5 years. Typically if a company has been around for this length of time then its likely that they will continue to stay in business and honour any warranty that they offered at the time of sale. Most systems have a minimum of two years of warranty; we offer a three-year warranty on all of our pre-built, custom-built computers and monitors. Prior to purchasing you should also ask what additional support is offered. Its always nice to be able to give someone a call and get some free advise, rather that spending hours of frustrating time in trying to solve the problem yourself.

We recently replaced one of our desktop computers, and our configuration was as follows.

Motherboard: Asus CUV4C-D with dual CPU, AGP Pro/4X and ultra DMA/100

Processor: Single Intel Pentium 3-1000 MHz, 133 MHz FSB with ATC cache

Memory: 384 MB of pc133 SDRAM

Hard drive: 40 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra DMA 100

CD-Rom: 52X speed LG Electronics

The reason why we chose to go with the Intel Pentium 3-1000 MHz system was because the Intel Pentium 4 is still very expensive. Also a year from now when we need to increase our processing power, the Intel Pentium 3-1000MHz processors will be really cheap. The Intel Pentium 3-1000 MHz processor is approx. $370.00, a year from now they will likely be half.

If you spend a little bit of time now to understand the technology then it will save you money and frustration in the future.

Peter Wealick is a citizen of the Sto:lo Nation, TZEACHTEN reserve located in Sardis BC and is the president of Aboriginal computer Solutions Ltd. He has a diploma of Technology in computer systems and has been in the technology industry for over twenty years.

Aboriginal Computer Solutions Ltd. is a technology company specializing in the supply of computer products and related services. Aboriginal Computer Solutions Ltd. can be contacted at 604-925-8106

By email at support@aboriginalcomputersolutions.com

Or visited on the web at www.aboriginalcomputersolutions.com