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Buying the Ideal Computer (Part 2 – PCs in-depth)
- By Eric Wolff
The two most important questions to ask yourself when you
decide to purchase a new computer are what am I going to
do with the computer and how much am I willing to spend.
It is possible to purchase a complete system (monitor and
all) for less than five hundred dollars, but do not expect
it to be a powerhouse computer. Computers are much like
motor vehicles in this matter. If you wanted to purchase
a car with good fuel economy, you would not be looking at
Corvettes. If you wanted a car with all of the bells and
whistles, you would look at something like a Cadillac or
Lexus.
The most important component of a computer is the micro-processor.
The Processor is responsible for performing the logical
operations that are associated with running an application.
Think of it as the brain of the computer. There are two
major processor platforms that PCs are built around, Intel
and AMD. Most people have heard of Intel as they try to
market their products as much as possible. Many computer
manufacturers build their computers around the Intel platform
because of their reputation for developing cutting-edge
technology. AMD develops the other major platform. Their
processors are an excellent alternative to Intel and they
typically set their price point lower than Intel. Because
of this, AMD is very popular with the computer enthusiast
market (People who build their own computers). Even though
AMD processors are cheaper, most manufacturers stick with
Intel because of how long they have been around.
I am going to stick with Intel's offerings in this article
as most store bought computers are based off of their processors.
Intel provides their processors in three different product
families. The first processor class is the Celeron which
is a bottom of the barrel and inexpensive product. In the
middle is the Pentium series which is what most computers
are built around. Finally, Intel has the Xeon platform which
gears itself towards high-end workstations and servers.
The Celeron based computers will perform most basic tasks
quickly and more advanced tasks at a slower rate. Celerons
can handle basic tasks such as web browsing and sending
e-mail with ease, but they lack the instructions required
to run more advanced applications. If you are planning on
doing any graphics editing or design avoid the Celeron like
the plague. Celerons make average gaming systems, but they
will not be able to handle today's cutting edge games. I
would recommend avoiding Celeron based computers unless
you are on a tight budget, or plan to use the computer for
tasks such as Browsing the internet, sending e-mail, and
basic word processing.
The Pentium platform is the Cadillac of the processor industry
and an ideal solution for most applications. It can do everything
that the Celeron can do and then some. Programs will load
instantly, graphics editing is handled with ease, and they
make good gaming systems. The current line of Pentium class
processors known as the Pentium 4, comes in a wide range
of speeds as high as 3.2ghz; and of course the faster the
processor speed, the more expensive the computer. A Pentium
based system is the ideal choice for most consumers.
If the Pentium family is Intel’s' Cadillac, then the Xeon
is the Ferrari of processors. Xeons are extremely fast and
can handle many different tasks at the same time. This comes
at a price though - Xeon based systems can be incredibly
expensive, in some cases you can buy a brand new car for
less. Although you would never have to complain about having
to wait for a program to load, the price is too steep for
most consumers. The Xeon is a good choice for consumers
who are interested in using CAD / CAM applications, graphics
rendering, and video editing. Although most major manufacturers
produce Xeon workstations, they are not sold in retail stores.
Eric Wolff,
Ulink’s “Hardware Guy”
thehardwareguy@ulink.net
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