A desktop computer buyer should first identify the purpose of buying the computer. It is always
advisable to note down the purpose clearly in a notebook, so as to add(or) delete the same before
you come to a final decision. A computer which is used at home does not require a high end
configuration which is used by a professional Graphics maker in cinema films.
Similarly a person who is using a computer for desktop publishing, word processing and for
creating animations professionally for business purposes need a different configuration. In the
similar line, a computer used by a school / college student need different configuration. To put
it in simple words, configuration is nothing but the hardware components required to assemble
a computer which is very optimum for the purpose of using a computer.
In most of the cases, people fail to understand / discuss the purpose of buying a computer,
thereby keep on spending money on the computer to upgrade(or) resell it for a meager amount as
a result of getting frustrated. Identify the purpose of buying a computer is most important one for
those who are planning to buy a computer.
It is always advisable to understand the various components of the computer and its
purpose. Although a master knowledge is not required, a basic understanding at an overview
level will be very useful. The next thing to do is to jot down the configuration which you think is
suitable for your need in the notebook.
Ask different people regarding the configuration and its purpose and thereby getting their
experience. After getting the feedback from say 5 to 10 person, you will modify the configuration
which you have earlier jot down in your notebook. It is important to consult two (or) three
professional computer assemblers. The knowledge which you have gained by Internet, reading
books, friends etc will put you in a comfortable level to judge your decision on component
requirements.
Once a final decision on the requirement is clearly written, the next step is to choose
a branded computer(or) an assembled computer. A fact to remember in this regard is that all
branded computers are costly, when compared to an assembled computer for the same
configuration. The advantage of picking a branded computer in most of the cases is only for quality
and service, although the same can be done in assembled computer.
A good hardware engineer, can easily assemble, upgrade and repair a computer. So in my
point view, assembling a computer using a good hardware engineer is highly appreciable.
It also saves huge cost when buying a computer. If a good hardware engineer is not available for
you(or) you are unable to understand about the suitable requirement for your purpose, the best way
is to go for an assembled computer. In this case also, you need to consider four(or) five different
vendors to discuss your purpose of buying a computer. You can also get their catalogue /
pamphlet to compare different brands at the surface level.
It is really good to consider your friends(or) relatives regarding your option of going for a
branded computer. If any of them have a branded computer, they will tell you about the pros and
cons of a particular brand. They may also recommend a configuration which is more suitable
for you. By this way also, you can judge your approximate cost of going for a branded computer.
In the present market, each and every piece of hardware components is available with good
standard and limited warranty. Anyone who is involving with the computer assembly for a long run
of more than 3 to 5 years knows very well about the good component to be chosen for an
assembled computer. Also there are so many websites available such as https://techtree.com
to review each and every hardware component that are presently available in the market with
their complete statistical details such as quality of the product, No. of test(s) conducted on the
product and their results, comparison with other products of similar nature etc.
For example, if you take a pen drive "Transcend Jet flash 120: 4 GB", the statistics in
http://www.techtree.com shows the result such as feature of the product such as size, durability,
Data read / write speed, accompanying software(s), comparison of other pen drive features, cost
etc. These information although keep on changing based on the new products available in the
market helps the buyer to judge much better which is more suitable for his / her need. Also
a buyer cannot predict the exact features of the product in terms of various tests, since he is going to
buy one (or) two product(s) for which taking a huge survey is really impossible.
Magazines such as PCQuest, DataQuest have frequent articles which specify the new
hardware products available in the market, survey of different hardware components, market rating,
statistical survey of the hit ratio, cost etc, which facilitates the buyer to take a deliberate decision.
Along with these surveys, you can consult your hardware engineer to take a final decision regarding
which components to buy.
The final thing is to select an UPS(Uninterrupted Power Supply). Most of the computer
users think that UPS is not required for a computer. If you ask me, I will recommend going for it, as
your hardware component such as hard disk will get affected in the long run due to fluctuation in
power supply(or) sudden start and stop of power supply to your computer. The main purpose of
having an UPS is to save the hardware components in your computer. It also acts as an stabilizer.