Computer Buying Guide
We want you to be able to understand each component of a computer so that you can see how each component acts within a system and how much more performance you will gain from upgrading a certain component. This is why we have created this guide it is here to help you aquaint yourself with the parts of our computers so you can make sure the next computer you buy will do the job you want it to do.
The components:
- Motherboard (MOBO)
- Processor (CPU)
- CPU Cooler
- Memory (RAM)
- Graphics Card (GPU)
- Hard Drive (HDD)
- Optical Drive (ODD)
- Power Supply (PSU)
- Internet
- Operating System (OS)
- Case
Motherboard – The foundation of a system
The motherboard is the large board inside the computer that all the other components need to connect to. The motherboard determines the type of processor you can use the amount of graphics cards you can have and the amount of memory your system will support.
The main thing to consider with motherboards is what chipset the motherboard is. Various chipsets support various different sockets and different processors. Cheaper chipsets include the Intel H81 and AMD 760G, whilst higher end chipsets such as Intel’s X99 and AMD’s 990FX suppport higher end processors and more memory.
The amountof memory slots or DIMMs is also a factor to consider when deciding on a motherboard. The more memory slots the more upgradability and memory your board will support.
It is also crucial to consider the amount of PCI/PCI-E expansion slots your board has. All graphics cards and other expansion cards use your motherboards PCI/PCI-E connections so make sure you have enough for the amount of expansion cards you plan on using.
Processor – The brain of a computer
The processor or CPU is the most important component in any system. Processors are commonly one of the most expensive part of your system and can be difficult and expensive to upgrade. A slow processor will also impact on the rest of your systems performance. We reccomend buying the best processor you can for your budget.
CPU’s all have a frequency. The freqency of a CPU measured in GHz shows the speed of the CPU’s cores. You shouldn’t use this as an indicator for a CPU’s performance as there are many other factors you should take into account such as cache, the amount of cores the CPU has and if it has an unlocked multiplier.
CPU Cooler – Don’t let your system run hot!
Having a good quality CPU cooler will help maintain your systems stability and keep it running smoothly. A good cooler is essential for machines that are going to be overclocked or used intensively. Benefits of having a good CPU cooler means that your CPU will run at lower temperatures and improve your performance.
Memory – Multitask heaven
The memory in your computer which is commonly referred to as RAM is a crucial component that is used to store data temporarily and quickly for lightning fast access. Having more RAM makes multi-tasking a lot eaiser and increasing the amount of RAM you have will instantly increase performance. Usually the more RAM you have the better for lower end or office systems we reccomend a bare minimum of 4GB however if you can it would be most suitable to purcahse 8GB of RAM. For higher end video editing or photo editing systems or if you want lightning fast multi-tasking performance then 16GB+ of RAM will suit you.
The speed of memory is normally measured in MHz. The higher the speed of the memory the faster the computer can access the data and speed up your multi-tasking performance.
Graphics Card – Time to become a real gamer
Graphics cards are crucial if you want to do any multimedia work such as photo manipulation or gaming. Graphics cards will drastically increase your FPS (frames per second) in games whilst still being able to increase quality and the games resolution. If you are a gamer or intend doing any graphics hungry things then we would reccomend investing in the best graphics card you can get as these can go out of date quickly and games are only becoming more demanding on your system.
You can also have multiple graphics cards. When you have multiple NVIDIA GPU’s it is called SLI and when you have multiple AMD GPU’s it is called Crossfire. You can’t have a NVIDIA and AMD graphics card in the same system.
GPU’s also have GDDR5. Which is the amount of video memory the GPU has. If you are playing games at 1080p or lower resolution 2GB-4GB of GDDR5 is enough. However if you are doing anything at high resolutions such as 4K then it is wise to invest in a graphics card with 6GB+ GDDR5.
Graphics cards also have different output interfaces. To make sure you graphics card supports your monitors input check the specification of the graphics card (most graphics cards come with HDMI/DVI/VGA ports).
Storage – Where are you going to put all your stuff?
The storage device you choose for your computer will be responsible for storing all of your data. If you use a lot of space or download a lot of photos and videos then a larger hard drive would be better for you. When buying a hard drive you should not only consider size but also speed. Slower hard drives mean that applications will take longer to start and files will take longer to open as well as your computers boot up time. If you are looking for speed then newer SSDs should be what you are looking for. SSDs are extremely quick however they are very expensive compared to a standard hard drive and limited in capacity. It costs approximately £0.03 (GBP) per gigabyte in a standard hard drive and approximately £0.45 in an SSD.
You can also have multiple drives. This could be used in such a way that you have a low capacity and cheaper SSD to have your operating system on so your system boots up faster but have a cheaper and slower hard drive to store your files on as it is much cheaper.
Optical Drive – Watch the best movies in the highest quality
Whilst an optical drive is no longer essential in a computer most people prefer to have one. An optical drive allows you to read and wrtie CDs and DVDs. If you spend slightly more on your optical drive and get a Blu-Ray capable drive then you will be able to write to discs with a larger capacity, watch DVDs at higher resolutions as well as better sound quality.
Power Supply
The power supply unit (PSU) makes sure all the system has stable electricity being supplied to it. If you have a graphics card or multiple graphics card we reccomend you choose a slightly higher capacity power supply as graphics cards are quite power ‘hungry’ components. All the power supplies we offer are from trusted brands and all the power suplies have a minimum of 80+ Bronze efficiency rating. This means that the power supplies are much more energy efficent and reliable.
If you choose a low capacity power supply and we think that it would not be suitable with the other components in your computers system then we will contact you to advise you.
Internet – Connect to the internet!
There are two types of internet connection your computer can have. An ethernet connection or a wireless connection. All computers come with a high speed ethernet connection this means that you need to plug your computer into your modem or router with an ethernet cable to access the internet. Wireless connectivity requires you to buy a wireless card these come in different speeds and the higher the speed the greater the price. Ethernet is much faster than wireless. If you also live in an old house or a house with thick walls then it is reccomened you use ethernet to connect your computer as wireless signals can become very weak.
Operating System – It sits between you and your hardware
This is the main piece of software sitting between you and your hardware. We offer Microsoft’s Windows operating systems as standard however if you would prefer to have Linux installed on your machine we are able to do that. The latest version of Windows is Windows 10 which has major imporvements and older hardware may run faster on Windows 10. You are able to choose between Windows 7, 8 and 10 when buying a computer from us.
Please note that if you are buying a computer with more than 16GB of RAM then you will be unable to have the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system as this only supports up to 16GB of RAM.
Case – Computers can be pretty
The computers case is important from both an aesthetic and cooling point of view. Higher end cases will have more fan slots and maximise airflow keeping your components cooler we reccomend this for higher specification computers. For more basic systems a cheaper case will do as there is less heat that needs to be dispelled.