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Whether it be for just your home or for your business, choosing the right computer system before you buy is a must.  I can speak from a professional point of view and also personal experience as I have bought multiple computers, helped friends, relatives and clients choose computers and also written various computer reviews.  I can speak from personal experience of making mistakes as I have picked the WRONG system a couple of times too!

Now, when it comes to buying a computer, most people will simply think about the one they have recently seen advertised on the television, in the local paper etc. and head down to the shop that stocks said computer.  That can be mistake number one.  Buying a ready-made computer setup can be very tempting and especially for an inexperienced computer user but it is certainly not always the best option.

When purchasing a computer, you should only really pay for what you know you will need.  Many people go out and buy a very expensive, high end specification base unit often costing  upwards of  £2000 (Two Thousand pounds), when really all they plan on doing with the computer is some office related work and some internet surfing.  Some people buy expensive computers just for the re-assurance that they will not go wrong and are more reliable than cheaper computer systems, but again, this is mistake number 2.

I will now run through the buying scenario as a new(ish) computer user or a first time buyer:

Firstly, you  should assess exactly what you need to use the computer for.  Get a pen and some paper and write down a list of everything you think you will need to do with your computer.  You might run out of ideas fairly quickly or not know at all, so it is a good idea to sit infront of a computer when doing this either at work, or at a friend’s house etc.  Or alternatively, sit with someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes down to the nitty-gritty.  My advice would be to not go straight to a computer shop without any idea of what you want as you will no doubt be coaxed into buying an expensive system that you neither particularly want at first, or need at all!  Computer shops sell computers for one thing, to make money.  So naturally, the staff aren’t going to be honest when it comes down to telling you that you do or do not need things.  Going to a computer shop without prior ideas / knowledge is mistake number 3.

Secondly, using your list; try and now find some computers that do exactly what you need them to do, without being capable of tracking space satellite dishes(!)  There are many different ways to look for a decent computer that does just what you need.  You can try websites like Ebay, Amazon, Google or your local paper and classifieds.  Although understanding what all of the computer related jargon means can be tough, below I have written out two examples, one of my own computer to show what I’ve got and why I need it, and also a basic example showing just what you will need for day to day browsing of the internet, chatting to friends and general office work.  To understand the statistics I have posted below, it may be useful to read our latest article – Understanding Computing / Desktop PC Jargon.

MY Computer:

• 1 Terrabyte Hard Drive + 350Gig removable HD.
  I need all of this space as I store a lot of things on my computer such as my designs, graphic designs, photographs, archives etc.
    
• Dual Core Processor
  It’s not the fastest processor in the world, but to be honest it works and it works well.  I am hoping to upgrade to quadcore soon!
   
• 3Gig RAM (Memory)
  Quite important for me to have a good amount of this due to having many things open at the same time.
    
• 512mb Radeon Graphics Card
  To ensure I get a good, quality picture.
   
• A High-Resolution flat screen monitor
  I can’t remember the exact size, 24″ or something similar.  Mainly to save space, it being a flat screen, but also for great picture quality.
     
• Lots of Software relating to business needs (web development, office processes etc.)
  For obvious reasons really, costing me a small fortune!
    
• To top it all off, running on Windows Vista Professional Operating System
  I’m not a fan of Apple Macs (I must be the only webdesigner in the world saying that!) and I only use Linux on our servers.  Windows is the option I have chosen for years and will probably be  the one I stick with.  I don’t particularly like change!
    

Basic Computer for everyday use: (I’d recommend)

• 120Gig Hard Drive
  Plenty enough to store all of your work, photos, music, movies and what ever else!
     
• At least, Pentium 4 or similar processor
  There really isn’t much point in splashing out for an expensive processor when you aren’t going to be running much on your PC at any one time.
    
• At least 1Gig of RAM (Memory)
  You do not need more than 1Gig of RAM for most things and you can actually design Full Flash websites for example, of computer with only 512megabytes (half a Gig) of RAM as I proved on a temporary computer earlier this year!
     
• Standard Graphics Card, Standard Sound Card, Any related software and Operating System.
  Using the standard, on-board graphics and sound cards are fine for most things if you don’t want to play high-res games etc.  Software necessary to you such as office software should only be bought if you do need it (which most people do), Anti-Virus systems should be installed to protect your PC and you should pick an operating system.  Me being biased, I would say windows.
       

All together, you can pick up a perfectly good second hand computer for less than £200!  If you want a new one you’re probably looking at around £399.  Building your own PC is an option but only really advised for experienced users.  Although it does work out much more performance for your money!  I build all of my machines from the ground up.

I hope this article has helped you to understand better buying a computer.  If you need to ask any questions, please email us on enquiries@4heroes.co.uk or if you would like us to recommend you some systems or even build you a custom one, please email us and we will arrange something tailored around you.

Computers are a very confusing subject to many people.  You have categories of people ranging from computer genius’ to computer literate to first-time-users and computing novices.  I’m here writing this blog article today to try and clear up the jargon used with desktop PCs & laptops to help you to be confident with your choice in computer, understand how your computer works and to eventually help you to purchase a computer.

I will start with each component in a computer and write a small description of what they are there for.  I will not list EVERY component, nor will I write exactly what they do but I will give you a good idea to help you to understand computers / Desktop PCs / Laptops just that bit more.
 

Case:

The computer case or shell is the basis of any computer unit.  Inside, is where the internal components sit to be connected to each other and guarded from dust and anything else potentially dangerous.  Cases come in many different shapes, sizes and styles.  Many cases are plain, some are big, some small, some thin, some wide, some cases, usually bought by online gamers and flashy technical people contain colourful neon lights inside the case and have glass side windows to show off the interior components being lit up by the neon lights.
 

Power Supply:

Some computer cases will come with a power supply pre-installed inside them, but most do not. As a result, it is necessary to get a power supply that works with your components and has sufficient power. Newer features such as modular cabling and efficiency ratings are also something to consider.  Remember, not all power supplies work with all motherboards and components, so it is best to ask a professional or anyone who definitely knows what they are doing.
 

Motherboard:

The motherboard is the backbone of the system. It determines the type of components that can be used with the system and the number of internal peripherals the system can support. It will directly impact the processor used and total amount of memory that can be supported. The motherboard is basically the large coloured board that sits up usually against the inside wall of the case and has all of the other components clipped into it.  They often come in different colours and again, depending on manufacturer, some are not compatible with other components especially components of different brands.

Processor:

The brain of the computer system. The processor tells the computer what is going on and handles any processes requested byt the user such as opening a software program, or running a virus scan etc.  The selection of processors used to be fairly simple but now, processors are sold with hundreds of different names and the jargon can be hard to understand.  You will probably heard of Dual Core, Quad Core, Pentium, Athlon etc etc.
 

Heat sink:

If the processor was purchased via the retail packaging, it will include the manufacturer heat sink. But for those who purchased an OEM processor, it will also be necessary to have a CPU cooler. Without it, your CPU will quickly burn itself out. Make sure that any heat sink you use is properly rated for your processor as well because again, not all are compatible with different branded CPU’s.
 

Memory:

Without memory, the computer will not be able to function. The CPU needs it to store the code to tell it how to properly process data. You will need to know the type that your motherboard uses and also determine how much as it directly impacts performance.  As a general rule, the more memory ( and this is not storage and hard-drive memory), the faster the computer and the more processes it can handle at any one given time.
  

Hard Drive:

The Hard Drive is the primary method of storage in all desktop computer systems.  They come in many different sizes running from very small 20 gigabytes all the way up to 20 Terabytes which is more than I could ever even think of using!  Hard drives come in a 3.5″ format and you will probably read this figure more times than just on this blog when it comes to looking at different drives.
  

CD/DVD Drive:

Optical drives are the component used to install 99% of all software now on a computer system. Without one, it will be hard to even get an operating system installed. Most drives these days are DVD burners that can also playback and record CDs as well.  Pretty much ALL computers you buy nowerdays come with these installed already.  They are inexpensive and a definite necessity!
  

Floppy Disk Drive: (Optional)

Once the primary means of removable storage and installing software, floppies have all but vanished from desktop computers. They still have their uses at times, but are no longer required. They are generally very small and have limited storage space.  They are rendered almost obsolete these days due to CDs/DVDs and removable storage such as USB pens etc.
  

Video / Graphics Card:

Unless the motherboard comes with a video connector, it will be necessary to install a video card into the computer system. Most graphics cards use the new PCI Express interface, but you may still find some motherboards that still use the older AGP interface that is rapidly being discontinued.  When buying a computer for gaming or entertainment purposes, it is recommended to buy one with a good, high specification graphics card.  As a rule, the higher the memory on the card, the higher the standard of graphics and the better the picture.
  

Sound Card: (Optional)

Most motherboards now feature some form of built-in sound controller on them. As a result, sound cards are not required unless you want higher fidelity computer audio or less reliance upon the CPU to assist with the computer audio. Using a computer when requiring high quality sound such as for music production or again gaming purposes, sound cards are easily upgradable and you can now buy external sound cards that often plug straight into USB slots.

Network Card: (Optional)

Ethernet has become such common media for networking computers, that this should be a standard feature on all motherboards. Some motherboards even feature wireless network adapters built in. If your motherboard does not have an Ethernet connector, it may be necessary to install a PCI Ethernet board or maybe a 802.11 wireless card.

Modem (Optional)

Broadband has become more and more popular, but there are still a number of people who can only get connected to the net through a dial-up modem. Be sure to get a PCI based card as few motherboards now feature any of the old ISA clots.
 

USB Slots (Universal Serial Bus)

USB slots come as standard in pretty much all common, modern PC systems now.  They are a fast, updated way of connecting removable storage and media to your computer and also a great and fast way of transferring and moving files about.  USB is allot like Firewire but can be faster and is more common.  Firewire is found on some older computers but is again, like many older features, becoming almost obsolete.

  
I realise the above guide is all about the hardware and there are a few components missing.  Please remember that hardware is not the only thing to think about as you also need software of various kinds.  Firstly, your operating system.  An operating system is what your computer runs on.  Examples of these are Microsoft Windows, Apple’s MAC and various Freeware such as Linux.  After operating systems, you must think about software to suit your purposes such as office software and definitely, anti-virus software.  Many of these cost money but there are plenty of Freeware alternatives if you search around a bit.

I hope this article has cleared things up abit for you and I hope you now understand the basic jargon on a desktop PC / Computer.  If you have any questions or would just like a general chat about anything you do not understand and would like to know, please email us on  enquiries@4heroes.co.uk

Our Next article will be about choosing which computer is right for you and buying a computer.