Complete Systems Design Information Technology Solutions

December 5, 2008

As many people buy their family a new PC for the holidays, I am often asked what features on a computer should they get.

Most major hardware vendors, Dell, HP, etc will custom make your PC so you don’t need to buy things you don’t want and so you can concentrate on features you do want.   Some people will say this is overkill but since I spend most of the time answering questions like – “I just bought my PC why is it so slow?” or “My computers only 6 months old, why can’t it play this game?”  or “Why can’t I burn CDs and DVDs, this is a brand new PC”.   Just because a PC is new, doesn’t mean it can do everything.   You can buy a pair of scissors for $10- that doesn’t mean they are suited to mow your lawn.     Most people tend to think I’ll only use this for browsing the web and then soon find themselves using their computer for a great deal of things.

PCs are almost always faster and cheaper than laptops.   A $1500 PC is typically much faster for many things than a $3,000 laptop.   I’ll be writing a laptop buying guide shortly but many of the same ideas hold true for each.

To be clear, the ads you see in your Sunday paper for your local electronics/appliance store are typically selling vastly underpowered systems with trial software which expires in 60 days and software is not cheap – so you may say to yourself but it is only $400 for a new PC at this store – yes and a bicycle is much cheaper than a Honda Accord.

• Operating System - I still prefer XP for performance over Vista however Vista is improving.  Now let’s get to the hardware.  If I was to go Vista and I was planning on playing cutting edge games or doing a lot of video or picture editing and creation I would go Vista 64 which allows you to access more than 4 gigs of memory.

• Case – a mid tower case may give you more upgradeability than a slim case and upgrade features may be cheaper.

• CPU – I’d recommend a Core 2 3 GHz e6850 or e8400 (core 2’s are much faster than the old core duos) for most people or  if you are doing a lot of video editing or playing cutting edge games, an  i7 940 would be a good choice.

• Memory – 2 GIGs for most people as a minimum, 4 or more GIGs for people playing cutting edge games, video editing, picture editing.

• Video Card – I would recommend a MINIMUM of a 256 MB memory card for anyone.   I’d recommend a 512MB memory card for most people.   For gamers, I’d recommend a fast video card such as an ATI 4850, 4870, 4870x2 or an nVidia 260 or 280.

• Hard Drives – I would recommend a 320 GIG, 32 MB cache, 7200 RPM hard drive for most.  If you plan on doing a lot of video editing, or storing your movies and music on the hard drive you may want larger.   Remember, a hard drive typically slows down once it is even half full so plan for future growth.   I also recommend a second hard drive or external hard drive to backup your critical data.   Synctoy is a free program from Microsoft that lets you select folders you want to copy to a second location.

• Sound card – for most the integrated sound card will do but if you are planning on playing cutting edge games or want to make your PC into a media center you may want to upgrade to a Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI.

• Keyboard and Mouse – most people will prefer a wireless keyboard and mouse so I’d recommend the Logitech Revolution 5500.   If you don’t  get a  wireless keyboard and mouse to save money at least get an optical mouse as some vendors still sell the old rollerball mice which require constant cleaning for some users.

• Screens/Monitors – Don’t skimp on the monitor.   If you have your back to a window, I would avoid reflective ones. Most people get a 20” monitor and always get excited when using someone else’s 24, 27 or 30” monitor.   Chances are you’re monitor will outlast your PC so you might as well invest now in a decent one.   I’d recommend a fast refresh and a good contrast ratio.   I think the Dell’s are a pretty good bang for the buck if you buy their good screens  - I DON’T recommend their low end models of the same size – tend to be washed out, have slow refresh and lower contrast.   There are a few quality manufactures such as Apple and LaCie as well although many get them made by the same company.    Some models I’d recommend considering are – the Dell ULTRASHARP 2408WFP,  2709W, and either of the 30” models. 

• Floppy – I don’t really recommend the floppy any more unless you need to access your old floppy discs.  For most a usb/thumb/flash drive is a great way to store a great deal more portable data and it is significantly faster and more reliable (as long as you remember to eject in Windows before physically removing the drive).

• Optical Drives – I’d recommend at least one DVD burner.  It is convenient for backing up data or your video collection.

• Speakers – I prefer headphones as I don’t want to disturb others and it is more enveloping if you are playing a game but if not you can buy some good quality speakers for a low price.  For headphones, I’d recommend Sennheisers as they are well made and extremely comfortable.   For speakers just about any vendor will sell some desktop speakers and a powered sub for between $40-$60.

• Software – chances are you want Office 2007 and some antivirus/firewall such as Symantec or McAfee.  Most people don’t need Office Professional which includes Access; you can probably save money by getting one of the other versions.  Microsoft Works is NOT the same as Microsoft Office.   If you do find yourself buying PC at a local store you’ll probably find yourself getting very upset in about 60 days (if not sooner) when the trial version of office which is included expires. If you have a student in the house, the student pricing is significantly better, typically at the student store such as your university store if it isn’t offered from your computer vendor.

• Warranty – I typically go with the standard warranty for PCs unless you live with people who might throw liquids into the PC or try to juggle it in which case accidental damage is recommended.   Replacing a keyboard is typically cheaper than extended warranties for PCs.   I do however highly recommend accidental coverage if you buy a laptop.

• Accessories – if you don’t feel like going to your hardware store, I would highly recommend a good surge suppressor such as a Belkin, Triplite or APC.   Typically only $20 more.

You can always call a rep to get the unit if you can’t find what you are looking for online.   You can typically get coupon codes and links to deals by going to fatwallet.com .   You typically get free shipping and other discounts just by asking.

To improve the performance of your new PC, I would remove the unnecessary software which starts at boot up.   You may find that a support program, trial music software, trial finance software boots at start up.   You can go to Start, control panel, add or remove programs.

Your grand total for a GOOD workstation will probably be between $1000-$2000.   Chances are you will have this at least 3 or 4 years so you might as well configure it right instead of cursing it within the first few months and throwing it out within 2 years regretting your purchase throughout the time you own it.