Learn what facts to consider when purchasing a new PC/Computer

Most people decide to buy a brand new computer without taking into account many factors that will influence the functionality
of the PC(Personal Computer).This people need a little help so they can avoid the possible purchase of preconfigured systems
from "supermarkets".

Below are written some Steps that you should follow/considerate when you wish to purchase components or a new PC(Personal Computer).

Welcome to i-Learn2.
In case this tutorial has been taken to another site, you can find the origin of the article on this site: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/
The article written in Romanian can be found on the same site at the following link: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/2011/06/ce-trebuie-sa-stim-atunci-cand-cumparam.html
Articolul scris in limba Romana poate fi gasit pe acest site la urmatoarea adresa: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/2011/06/ce-trebuie-sa-stim-atunci-cand-cumparam.html
 Well, let's get to work  !

Step 1:

1) First of all you must establish a budget(my advice would be not to start with the maximum budget.This way, after you have finished the list
of what you wish to buy you can add/replace some more/or better components).
Important: You must establish the domain in which the PC will be used most often. In other words: Gaming PC, Multimedia PC, Office etc...

Step 2:

2) Avoid as much as possible pre-configured systems(as i specified earlyer) from stores that are not specialized("market/supermarket").
Those systems are designed for ignorants and are based very often on weak/old technology.

Step 3:

Power Source
3) Once you've made up your mind about the first two Steps, the next aspect you need to consider is the choice of a Power Source.
This component is often left as the last choice but actually, this is one of the most important component of a system wich converts the
AC(alternating current - 120V or 240V) to DC(direct current) which is needed by every component.
A short circuit/damage of a Power Source can lead to loss of many other components of you PC. Avoid purchasing a NO-NAME Power Source.
Power Sources are equipped with a big variety of internal connectors:
Examples:

a) - main connector for the motherboard which is the 20Pin,24Pin or 20+4Pin.
Important: The 20Pin connector is for old models of motherboards, you will not be interested about it since we wish to
 "upgrade" not "downgrade".

b) - ATX 12V connector which is strictly necessary for the CPU(Central Processing Unit/Processor). Usually this is a 4Pin.It can also
be a 8Pin or 2x4Pin usually required for a high-end Motherboard.

c) - 4 Pin connectors used for peripheral devices: HDD, CD/DVD-ROM, Fans. It's also called "Molex".

d) - 4 Pin connector/s for Floppy-Disk device

e) - Auxiliary connector. There are a few types of auxiliary connectors. All quality Power Sources have this incorporated.

f) - 5 Pin Serial-ATA(SATA) connectors - Specially designed only for SATA peripherals

g) - PCI-Express connectors usually needed to power the latest generation of video cards. There are: 6Pin, 8Pin or 6+2Pin.
Depending on the manufacturer, the Power Source can have 1, 2 or even more PCI-Express connectors.

Here is a LINK to a website which has a very good description of all types of connectors and their use.

What you should pay attention when you wish to buy a Power Source ?
This are the most important:
-power
-efficiency
-quiet
-cold
-constant

How much power will use the new components ? The answer is pretty simple.
On average, you should consider the main consumers, namely:

CPU(Central Processing Unit/Processor) - depending on the manufacturer and model, processor manufacturing technology can consume around/between 40W and 130W;

GPU(Graphics Processing Unit/Video Card) - depending on the manufacturer, model and fabrication technology it can consume around/between 20W and 150W. Anything that is
above 150W it is usually a Multi GPU card, CROSSFIRE(ATI/AMD) / SLI(NVIDIA)

HDD(Hard Disk Drive) - the maximum power consumption of an HDD can be up to 40W - 50W

CD/DVD-ROM - maximum power consumption is around 25W

The remaining components of the system does not consume more then 50W including some extra-Fans.

If we sum up the maximum value of all components we would get around 400W-450W.
In my opinion, all the PC's(Personal Computers) should have a well known brand of Power Source with no less than 450W.
Please do not buy a NO-NAME Power Source. You will regret it if you do !

Here is a LINK to a Power Consumption Calculator

Step 4:

4)Motherboard(MB):
Continue to think about what you want from the Final System PC when you choose a motherboard.
Why ? Because sometimes you cannot justify the price difference between motherboards if the target is not using it to the extreme(Overclocking, 3D Rendering/Applications, etc).
You should also search information about Chipset,Equipmenet,materials used in manufacturing and why not: name and design.

Chipset - Keep in mind: A newer version is more stable/developed.

Chipset Intel.

Chipset nVidia nForce.

Chipset AMD.

Chipset VIA.

Chipset SIS.

Equipment features - more the better. Still, you must consider whether or not you need all those features. Maybe you do not need to
have options like: CF(Crossfire) or SLI(Scalable Link Interface) or to support 32GB memory, etc.
I recommend for a standard motherboard to have: PCI-E 2.0, 4-6 SATA ports, RAID Support.

Materials used in manufacturing - it needs to be strong and good.Sometimes i've noticed physical damage caused by a user when he installed it.
You should also pick a motherboard which has a good cooling system construction and solid capacitors.

Step 5:

5)Processor(CPU):
All the components have their own important role to play in a system but the CPU(Processor) is usually doing most of the hard work.
It's also being in constant change/upgrade due to technological advancement.
When picking a CPU, first you must check if it is supported by the motherboard(chipset).
Here is a LINK with information about INTEL processors: http://processormatch.intel.com/CompDB/
For AMD Processors you also need to make sure of compatibility with sockets AM2, AM2+, AM3 etc.
Other types are not worth mentioning since we talk about an "upgrade" not an "downgrade".


Types of processors you must keep in mind:

Intel:
- Single Core (single core) Pentium, Celeron, hot and high frequency but low FSB and smaller cache;

- Dual Core (dual core) Pentium, Celeron, common acceptable, but lower FSB and smaller cache, some are actually single core with HT Technology (Hyper Threading) virtual design
of another nucleus, resulting in dual core;

- Core2Duo (dual core) dual core Native (incorporates two cores on the same support). Variety of frequencies, FSB and cache, E8xxx series, which includes E8200, E8400, E8500, E8600
proved to be real monsters when it comes to games;

- Core2Quad (4 cores) Two dual placed on the same support. Quad will help a lot when it comes to demanding applications processor, general multitasking, rendering video, photo, 3D applications, etc.
Many persons start choosing QUAD since future multicore applications and games are being optimized for this kind of processors;

- I7 (4 cores and HT), first native quad from intel to use and new DDR3 technology has proven once again a success. With many changes, including QPI (Quick Path Interconnect) controller
used in the famous FSB (Front Side Bus) and re-HT (Hyper Threading) that i mentioned above.

AMD:
- Single Core (single core) - was good in the past time but now it's passed, it remains an option for those really running out of money, but still in the need of a PC;

- Dual Core (two cores) - Frequency approximately equal to Intel but weaker, because of the manufacturing and design problems arising in the process. High temperature and not being able to overclock
this option was perfect for low budget. One still worth mentioning, namely the  Athlon 64 X2 7750, is a half but improved Phenom 9950 (B3 revision) without the problems caused by L3 cache (TLB);

- Triple Core (3 cores) - a relatively inexpensive solution for multitasking requirements and advanced 3D work;

- Quad Core (4 cores) - this time native, but with many problems, the famous "TLB Bug" experimented when using L3 cache;

- Quad Core Phenom II - the new processor from AMD, it is supported by motherboards with socket AM2 +, and it keeps up the pace among Quad's from Intel. Clearly an
option to consider, being more accessible because of its price and the DDR2 price platform;

Step 6:

6)Video Card(GPU):
When buying a GPU(Video Card) you should consider:
-your requirements from it(what kind of applications you will run);
-compatibility with the motherboard;
-amount of memory;
-bandwidth;
-frequency(memory/processor);
-cooling system;
-multi-GPU technology (CROSSFIRE or SLI);

Because the variety of video cards on the market is huge i will not start describing them.
I must say though, unless you intend to work with 3D Graphics or Games, considering to buy a motherboard
with an on-board(integrated) GPU is the perfect option for an Office / Web Surfing PC.

Step 7:

7)Hard Disk Drive(HDD):
The HDD is actually the devices that stores permanent information.
When picking a HDD you should pay attention to:
-writing/reading speed
-memory buffer / cache
-capacity/storage size(GB,Tb)
-reliability
-it should be silent

Step 8:

8)Memory(RAM):
When it comes to memory, quantity is important. For an ordinary user, latency and very high frequencies make no difference(Enthusiasts know
what i am talking about and they will probably already know what to choose).
Consider reading the site's motherboard manufacturer to see consistency, so-called QVL (Qualified Vendor List).

Recently, the most used memory are 4 GB dual-channel kits which have a very reasonable price/performance.
Important: 32 Bit operating systems will not user more then 3GB of memory.

There are also more types of memory such as: DDR, DDR2, DDR3;
When you pick the memory please be sure to check if your motherboard can support the quantity and the type.

Step 9:

9)Case:
Choosing the case is always up to the buyer, it depends very much on each persons taste.
My only advice is to buy a spacious case. You don't need to have special features inside, the most important thing is the airflow.
Keeping the components at an optimum temperature is what you will need. Well, keep in mind the dimensions.

From my point of view, this is all.
Thank you for reading this tutorial/guide on i-Learn2

Welcome to i-Learn2.
In case this tutorial has been taken to another site, you can find the origin of the article on this site: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/

In caz ca acest tutorial a fost preluat de catre alt site, originea articolului il puteti gasi pe acest site: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/


The article written in Romanian can be found on the same site at the following link: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/2011/06/ce-trebuie-sa-stim-atunci-cand-cumparam.html
Articolul scris in limba Romana poate fi gasit pe acest site la urmatoarea adresa: http://i-learn2.blogspot.com/2011/06/ce-trebuie-sa-stim-atunci-cand-cumparam.html