Assignment on computers

[cj]

My daughter has a Technology assignment which requires her to choose a computer, and explain why she chose that particular one.  She must mention speed of processor, graphics capabilities etc. - in other words, support her choice and list good points.  Can anyone help with some info on what would be a good PC standard for processor, graphics etc.? 

[wdrc_ncc]

I get asked this sort of question a lot by people who know not very much about computers. My standard answer is: "It depends what you want to do with it."

Just looking at Notebooks (there are some good deals out there at present), you can buy something with an Intel i5 2.26GHz processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD & 1GB Dedicated Graphics for around the $1,000 mark right now. Such a machine would probably suit the average person, but a hard-core gamer or someone using a PC for Multimedia would want much more!

Not sure I have actually answered your question here though...

[The Radio Geek]

Wow - it sounds like a good assignment, BUT:

I think this is a classic case of the education system lagging behind the real work unfortunately.

Sorry - I can't help you with processor speed, or other specs because they are not useful to "most" computer purchasers.

Most commonly I see people purchasing computers that are at a price point, rather than a technical specification these days.  The reality is that most modern machines will easily be able to do most tasks that users throw at them - the main differences being comfort and style factors.  (eg. shiny black case with 32inch monitor!)

I could offer some advice however, in general terms:

1) Buy to your budget.  These things are rarely worth going in to debt for, and as the life of a computer is around 2-3 years you want to make sure you can afford it!

2) Processor - faster/bigger is better.  Simple.  I would tend towards the newer architectures rather than a cheap discounted old model  For example I would tend towards a lower end "core i?" rather than a cheap dual core.

3) RAM - more is better ... this is usually the best add-on you can buy if you have a few extra bucks.  Minimum these days is around 2Gb, noting that you need to change to 64bit operating systems to take advantage of more than 4Gb

4) Disk space - mostly more is better.  It's relatively cheap these days so we see many systems coming out with 0.5Tb  (that is 500Gb) disks.  The exception is if you are in a networked environment (like an office) where all the files are kept on a central server.  In our office, I run a machine with a 40Gb of disk space.

5) Case - I tend towards lots of big fans in the tropics, its hard to keep these things cool.  Gamers cases are particularly handy with lots of big fans.  I  particularly like cases where there is one larger/quiet fan which is ducted throughout the system.  It make the system more efficient, and more importantly it makes it quieter.

6) NIC (Network Interface Controller)  Gigabit Lan connections are almost universal now.  You might want to consider a wireless adaptor if you plan to place you machine in a location where there is no cables.

7) Screen - bigger is basically better (assuming you have the space to put it). If you are a gamer you will look at refresh rates etc... but for more people they all look nice.



The exception to the rule here are extreme computer users.  Those that do cutting edge gaming, graphics, or other intensive uses will definitely be wanting to ensure that they have fast processors, disk space, RAM... they will probably even be looking at the architecture (32 bit vs 64 bit) , RAM speed, Bus speed, processor cache and a whole host of other variables.

Hope that helps :)RG