Buying A New Computer?

Often we get asked, "Should I buy a new computer? I've had my computer for a few years and it runs slower than it used to. Do I need a new one?"
A New Computer

The answer to this question is not always simple. The user of the computer needs to consider several things before making this decision.

Do I want to use the computer for playing games? Am I going to run intensive applications like CAD/CAM or video editing programs? Do I want to watch streamed videos over the internet, or am I just using the computer to read email, surf the web and visit social websites?

There are many things the user needs to think about before making that decision. If the computer is running slow, what is the cause of the bottleneck? Does the computer contain mismatched components, such as running a high end system with plenty of ram but using 5400rpm hard drives? (A common error because the drives are cheaper.)

Often people complain about the speed after installing service pack updates that now require more memory and processor time. If this is the cause, it may be relieved by increasing the amount of memory installed in the computer or changing out the processor when possible or both. Other times, the computer may just need a thorough going through to clean up clutter left behind by software, temporary files, services running that don't need to be, spyware, viruses, fragmented or crippled hard drives, poorly managed swap files, etc.

I have seen many people that are using computers that are 6 years old and older but because of the limited use, there really isn't much advantage to replacing it other than an increase in speed at boot up. Most of those people use their computers to pay bills, surf the net on occasion and read email.

As time goes by, there are other reasons to replace computers besides speed and functionality however. The largest factor of these is SECURITY! How secure is the computer and the data contained within. Most security related applications such as anti-virus, anti-spyware/adware, firewalls, etc. now require that the user run at least Windows 2000 or greater. For Internet Explorer 7 and later, Windows XP is required as Windows 2000 is limited to Internet Explorer 6. See Information Week, Web 2.0: Internet Explorer 6 Deathwatch

If you answer these questions and you do decide you want a new computer, then that raises some more questions that need to be answered.

This is mostly a question of personal preference. What have you used in the past and were you happy with it? Do a little research to determine what manufacturers and models have the best ratings. Look for failure rates, overheating and other problems. This question is pointed more at desktop computers as notebooks and netbooks pretty much have everything integrated onto the motherboard or mainboard. Typically, the sound card, network card and modem are integrated onto most motherboards these days and a few have video integrated as well. We prefer to use boards without the video integrated so that we can customize the video by processor and the amount of memory and available options. This is entirely up to the purchaser. What kind of power and bells and whistles do you want in the computer? Some great computers can be had for a few hundred dollars or you can spend thousands for a power machine. Most computers these days either use Intel or AMD processors. It's a matter of preference for which manufacturer. As for model and speed, that usually depends again on how much money you want to spend. Celeron processors are cheap but there is a great performance hit by saving money on these. To really answer this question, you have to determine what you want to use the computer for and what software you want to run. We always recommend having enough memory for the software recommended amounts rather than the minimum amounts. Eventually, the software will be updated and those updates may use more memory slowing down the system. (Example: Windows 7 64-bit version requires a minimum of 2 Gigabytes of memory however, we would recommend at least 4 Gigabytes installed.) How much software do you want to run? What are your download habits like? What kind of data will you store? (Eg. Pictures, Music Files, etc.) Hard drives are much cheaper per megabyte today than they were years ago. Check the program requirements and then we recommend you triple it. (Example, a computer running Windows 7, Microsoft Office 2010 and Adobe CS5 Master Suite would require approximately 50 GB of drive space.) We would recommend a 150 GB or larger hard drive. Don't forget to add for antivirus and other utility and customization software. Then if you plan of storing pictures and music or other files, leave plenty of room in your calculations. Again, how much money do you want to spend and what do you want to use the computer for? Games are memory hogs and require a lot of memory to run smoothly. Streaming video also likes plenty of memory for smooth operation. The higher the resolution of your video, the more memory will be required for smooth operation. We recommend 512 MB as a starting point for today's software no matter what the resolution. This question is more for customized systems. An excellent power supply calculator can be found at Outer Vision Extreme. We recommend increasing the size to the next available wattage to leave room for additional hardware later. To low of wattage can create all kinds of unpredictable problems including burning up the board or system components. This is a matter of personal preference. How many devices will you be plugging in? Be sure to leave room for more devices later.

As you can see, there are many things that need to be addressed to really answer this question.

Feel free to contact User Friendly PC for a free consultation and to answer any questions you may have at (775) 200-6171 or by email.