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Buying a Computer

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the-big-m@the-big-m

May 07, 2001 11:52 PM, 20820 Views

(Updated Nov 16, 2001)

Need help in buying a PC? (updated)

Buying a computer can sometimes be a hazardous job. So, I decided to write a review to make the job easier.

PROCESSOR

Out of the Intel and AMD processors, Intel is more renowned and famous around. If you want a processor for home use, a Pentium III processor @ 833 MHz would be adequate, for those who want a PC for casual gaming and for typing work. If you want a PC for casual Internet browsing and email, and are a hardcore gamer, then an Intel Pentium III @ 1 GHz to Pentium IV @ 1.3 GHz would suit your requirements. If you are a power user, and have a lot of professional work to do, then you should definitely go for Intel Pentium 4 @ 1.4 to 2.2 GHz.

For home use, the AMD Duron 800 or 900 are good options. For the performance hungry users, the Athlon 1.4 GHz or the 1.8 GHz is the one for you.

RAM

For most home users, 64 MB RAM would be adequate. But because technology is advancing so much, I would advise you to go in for 128 MB RAM. 256+ MB RDRAM would be appropriate for professionals.

MOTHERBOARD

The 810 chipsets are not hot enough any more, but most people prefer it for its low price and commendable performance. The ASUS P3WE scores high on build quality and performance. The Intel CA 810E is also very good but its high price is a letdown. The Mercury 810E FST motherboard is a good balance between price and performance.

Out of the 815 chipsets, motherboards of the ASUS CUSL2 series are the best motherboards because of their unbeatable performance. Go in for this motherboard if you have the money. Other good choices would be Mercury KOB-815 FST or Intel D815 EEA.

If you have the current fastest processor i.e. Pentium 4, then you will need an 850 chipset motherboard to support it. You have the choice of the Intel D850 GB, AOpen AX4T or the ASUS P4T motherboards, which are based on the i850 chipsets. The ASUS P4T is the best motherboard for the Pentium 4 processors. It is expensive, but the performance is incomparable. You also have 845 chipset motherboards, which use SDRAM instead of RDRAM used by the 850 motherboards. That is why, the performance of the 850-based motherboards is better.

For AMD processors, ASUS A7 PRO is the best, but even VIA KM-133 is good enough.

HDD & FDD

You can choose between IDE and SCSI Hard disks. In the IDE category, Seagate and Samsung 5, 400 rpm HDDs are good for home users. Office users should go in for the 7, 200 rpm or 10, 000 rpm drives. The best options are the IBM Desktar and the Seagate Barracuda drives.

Professionals can go in for the SCSI drives from Seagate Cheetah Series.

A 1.44 MB FDD from Sony would be adequate for all types of users and PCs. You also get Super Drives and Zip Drives, which have storage capacities from 100 to 250 MB! The best option for such a drive would be the Iomega drives.

CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or CD-Writer

ASUS and Acer CD-ROMs perform very well. Only those who want to watch movies on their computer choose a DVD-ROM. 12x or 16x read speeds for a DVD-ROM are the maximum required. Pioneer and AOpen DVD-ROMs are very good when it comes to performance.

CD-Writers from the HP, Plextor and Acer companies are the best.

MONITOR

14’ monitors are wiped out now. 15’ monitors are good, but people now a days prefer 17’ monitors as they support very high resolutions, feature a smaller dot pitch, etc. Sony CPD-E100 is a good 15’ monitor, but is very high priced. So, you can go for a ViewSonic E53 monitor.

Out of the 17’ monitors, View Sonic PS775 tramples over all competition with its Max. Horizontal and Vertical Freq. being 95 kHz and 180 Hz respectively, and a high resolution of 1600x1200. But because it is a bit expensive, LG 77M, Philips 107T and Samsung are good models. Samsung Sync Master 753DF is also a good buy.

19’ and 21’ monitors are also available in the market. The Samsung SyncMaster 995 DF and the LG Studioworks 955E are good 19” monitors. If you are looking for a 21” monitor, go for the LG Studioworks 221U.

GRAPHICS PROCESSOR, SOUND CARD & SPEAKERS

If you want a high-end graphics card, then the latest ASUS V7700 GeForce2 Ultra 64 MB, ASUS V8200 GeForce3 or the Voodoo 5 are the best options. But they are very expensive. So I would recommend a Creative 3D Blaster GeForce2 GTS, or even the ATi Radeon cards, which are more affordable. For the average user, an ASUS v3800 Riva TNT2 Pro or the AOpen PA256 GeForce2 MX Graphics card would be enough.

For the hardcore user, the Creative SoundWorks Cambridge DTT 2500 or the Logitech XTrusio DSR 100 speakers along with the Creative SB Live! Platinum 5.1 soundcard is a very good choice for a sound system. But this pair is very expensive.

For average users, the Jetway Artis speakers coupled with the Creative SB Live! Value soundcard would be adequate. The Artis speakers are surround sound speakers, and cost the same as most 2 speaker sets.

You can go in for a more economic 2-Speaker system, too. The best pairing would be the Samsung SMS 8320 or the Creative PC Works 2.1 speakers coupled with the Creative Vibra 128 soundcard.

With gaming increasing a lot, Graphic cards, soundcards, and speakers have gained a lot of importance, and so the prices are quite high. So I would advise you to get a good motherboard instead.

MODEM

For a fast Internet connection, you NEED a 56.6 kbps modem. An external modem is more expensive than an internal one. So, you can take your pick. Modems from Motorola(Dlink) are the best. You can also go in for a 128 kbps ISDN modem.

KEYBOARD & MOUSE

You get a variety of keyboards, now-a-days. But you should look for the one that suits your typing style the best. You can get keyboards with a split outward down the middle. They cost Rs.3000 and up. Newer keyboards come with programmable keys. Cordless keyboards with an integrated mouse trackball are also available.

Regular keyboards range from Rs.600 up whereas ergonomic ones cost approx. Rs.3000 – Rs.7000.

I would advise you to buy an optical scroll mouse. Although they are priced higher than an ordinary mechanical one, they reduce the risk of getting spoilt.

The keyboards from Logitech, Maple, Samsung and Microsoft are the best. Mice from Logitech and Microsoft again are the best.

Here are a few ideal connfigurations.

BASIC HOME USERS

Intel Pentium III @ 933 MHz

128 MB PC800 RD RAM Hyundai

Seagate ST 340810A – 40 GB HDD(5, 400 rpm)

1.44 MB FDD SONY

ASUS P3WE 810 chipset Motherboard

15’ View Sonic E53 Monitor

ASUS v3800 Riva TNT2 Pro Graphics card.

Creative Vibra 128 Soundcard

Creative PC Works 2.1 Speakers.