How To Buy The Computer
For You
When I somehow manage to grace a retail
computer superstore, I listen. Most conversations near the system aisle tell me
that the vast majority of buyers don’t have a clue as to what to plunk down their
hard-earned cash on. Should I get this brand or that brand? What size monitor
is big enough? Why do I see $300 video cards when entire systems cost less than
that? Rarely do I ever recommend a store bought system when you can indeed have
just what you need…or want. Just like those other twelve step programs, here is
a computer buying twelve stepper.
Step 1: (Gimme That Dough)
Save your pennies, shekels, yen, etc. Without usable cash or the ever popular plastic, no parts, right for you or not, will ever see your doorstep. This sometimes means fighting off the gaming shakes, Quake quivers, Half-Life heaves, Unreal urges or whatever you want to name it. No bucks, no box.
Step 2a: (Business, Games, Apple and Intel)
What do you want? Business (boring, but essential) or games (yeah baby!) or both. Also known as "the kitchen sink" computer, it has no limits, is compatible with everything (well, almost) and runs faster than a Ferrari. If all you desire is Internet access and light typing, almost any setup will do. If you’re reading this and using an iMac or other Apple based computer, unfortunately most of the proceeding article isn’t really for you. While Apple based boxes have gotten dramatically better in recent years, their overall cutting edge performance, well, isn’t cutting edge. Don’t get me started with the lack of upgrade paths…
Step 2b: (Frugality)
So you want a barebones box, eh? Something that is cheap, works and you don’t care what happens to it 18-24 months from now. Cheap is the operative word here. How does FREE grab you? If you’re drooling, mop it up and rush over to the nearest computer superstore like Best Buy or CompUSA, etc. Grab one of those free with three-year Internet setups and cart that sucker home. Don’t expect much, but then again whatdya want? It’s FREE!
Step 2c: (You’ll Pay How Much?)
So a free box and mandatory MSN for three years make you barf. You’re the penultimate business user. No fancy schmancy 3D GeForce video card or 41GB Maxtor for you; you want an efficient, but upgradeable business system. All you need to do is scale down the "kitchen sink" system. In other words, get a cheaper video card, smaller hard drive, less RAM, etc. You don’t need all that stuff anyway.
Step 2d: (How Far Ahead Can You See?)
If you’ve made it this far, you either want the "kitchen sink" computer or a scaled down 2D business version of it. Some thoughts to ponder:
The operative question is how far can I go with predicting the future? It’s not as hard as you might surmise. With a little help from hardware review sites and the occasional processor roadmap, you can reasonably assess what’s hot a year a more from now.
The general advice is, buy the best now and upgrade for a long time (years).
Step 3: (Video Cards)
Currently, the hottest dude is the GeForce. Manufactured by several companies like ASUS, Creative, Guillemont, etc, this SDRAM, SDR, or DDR 32MB AGP card is as good as it gets. This whopper plays 3D games like nobody’s business and does an ample job rendering 2D as well. It costs the big bucks though. As of December, this card sells in the $220-$300 range, ouch! But, it’s the best and will be compatible with the newer games that require a transform & lighting (T&L) based video card. Buy one, you’ll be happy--poor, but happy.
For the business minded, a lowly Trident Blade 3D 8MB card will suffice. It’s not the fastest, but it’ll do 1600x1200 and play a few 3D games, albeit slowly. This card is cheap, about $25 or so.
Step 4: (Hard Drives)
No one ever seems to estimate how much space they really need and since programs only get bigger, nab a drive that is at least twice as large as what you think you’ll use. If you think that 10GB is overwhelmingly huge, get a 20GB drive. Drive space is soooo cheap these days, a 10GB one only sets you back around $100—that’s one-penny per megabyte! Have you seen the newer print shop type programs? About 8-10 CDs worth (5-7GB), not including the operating system and web browsing stuff. Why hassle with upgrading a small hard drive later? For the power user, check out Maxtor’s 41GB 7200 rpm monster.
Step 5: (RAM, no, not Dodge)
Ah, yes…the hotly debated subject of RAM. Windows 98SE uses a total of 80MB just to boot up in several test machines I’ve tried. This figure includes physical and swapfile RAM. To be reasonable, at least 128MB is needed to eliminate all that hard drive "chunking" that sounds so nasty. More RAM, less chunking. If you do hi-res scanning (i.e. 600x1200 dpi or higher), grab at least 256MB of the good, stable stuff. If $250-$350 worth of PC100 or PC133 is out of reach today, good news! Start with a single 128MB stick and add another later (when and if it gets cheaper). Over at AnandTech, a great test was performed for all you RAM junkies. System performance topped out with 384MB of RAM. I can hardly imagine a need for more than 384MB of RAM, but Bill Gates said, once upon a time, that no one needs more than 64K, so I’ll stay away from prognosticating too much.
Step 6a: (Motherboard, Chipset & Processor)
I have nothing against AMD (really, I don’t), but Intel processors have a record of greater compatibility and performance. I said overall, for you Athlon nuts out there. ;-) I’ve recently learned to my deep dismay that my beloved Visioneer 7600 USB scanner won’t work reliably on SiS or VIA chipsets (motherboards), Win98 and Intel only for that piece of hardware. But there’s the catch: If you purchase an AMD processor or a motherboard with non-Intel (i.e. 440LX, 440BX, i820, etc.) chipsets, you run the risk and associated headaches of constant peripheral returns. Compatibility is still an issue. Be prepared to spend an inordinate amount of time searching for software patches and peripherals that work properly on non-Intel configurations.
I’m gonna get a whopping amount of hate mail, but frankly, it’s the truth. Non-Intel stuff works, but often needs patches and special attention to associated components. This is not to say that Intel boxes will be perfect. I’ll go further out on a limb here: When Microsoft operating systems are perfect, then Intel processors and chipsets will be perfect. Of course, this means never.
Step 6b: (Celeron, Coppermine, or Athlon)
The first two processors are Intel based and the last one is AMD based. For inexpensive, efficient systems, I recommend the Celeron processor. It’s a Pentium II core so gaming isn’t too shabby, and these things are very cheap, overclockable too, but that’s another topic. Currently these range from 366Mhz (if you can find ‘em) to 500Mhz.
The Coppermine is Intel’s saving grace. This dude is just about as fast as the equivalent Athlon setup, but may have a better future. The Coppermine series of chips are proving to be much more easily overclocked too. Currently, these range from 500Mhz to 733Mhz.
The last and some say best, is the Athlon processor. Ranging from 500Mhz to 750Mhz, many claim to have the best of both worlds, scorching 3D performance and stellar 2D performance. Also well known is the lack of good motherboards for this bad boy from any manufacturer. That will change soon, I hope. All three chips do an adequate job for the price you pay. Get the one you can afford.
Step 6c: (Motherboards)
Obviously, since AMD chips are non-Intel, there won’t be any Intel compatible motherboards or chipsets anytime soon. So, for the non-Intel crowd, look for boards with VIA or SiS stamped on their silicon. ASUS, particularly the K7M comes to mind for the Athlon, formerly known as K7. This board can use plain Jane PC100, no PC800 RIMM slots are anywhere to be found.
Coppermine processors are still waiting for truly great motherboards to ship, like the Abit CH6 and others. But, if you have a hole in your pocket, most 440BX based boards have support for the "E" class of Coppermines. The E is for the100Mhz bus speed and 0.18 micron manufacturing process. Stay clear of the "B" or "EB" designations as they mandate a 133 FSB and that speed wreaks havoc with your AGP card. Also make sure your choice of MB fully supports the 1.65V core voltage and 256K L2 cache.
Celerons have been out for so many months now that it is hard to find a bad board to flop one onto. Still mostly using the 66Mhz FSB, cheap RAM works great too. But, the fun comes with crankin’ ‘em up to the 100Mhz FSB. Without going to deep, the 366Mhz Celeron is your best bet. Available in two forms, Slot 1 and PPGA socket-370, be sure to get the correctly socketed board. The success rate in pushing the 366 to 550 is very high, somewhere in the 90% land I think. You results will vary.
Step 7: (Monitors)
I just love seeing people doing 21" work on a 15" monitor. Kinda gives a new meaning to "kissing" the screen. Looks stupid too. If you really need a large monitor (say 19"-21") then by all means get one. 1280x1024 on a 15" is ridiculous, I should know, I’ve tried it! If you want to view an 8.5"x11" standard page full size, then you need at least a 19 incher, preferably a 21 incher. If you don’t type much and only do light webbing, a standard 15 incher running 800x600 will suit you just fine. Remember, whatever you get, you’re gonna be staring at it for hours and hours, so get the largest screen affordable. When was the last time you heard, "Gee John, I just gotta unload my 21 incher cause the print is too big!"
Step 8: (Printers)
Seems like only two choices, Epson or Hewlett Packard. Both are great for most applications. Grab an Epson if photo quality printing is your forte’, grab the Hewlett Packard if laser-like black text print is the requirement of the day. USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectivity is the newer method of making your printer talk to your computer-faster too.
Step 9: (Sound Cards)
I’m an audio nut, so nothing but the best (within reason) for me. If you have speakers in the $5-$15 range, don’t worry about fancy sound cards, you won’t be able to hear the difference. If you play 3D games and/or do audio mixing, the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Value is an excellent choice. In any case, for surround sound, you’ll need a card that supports EAX (Environmental Audio Extensions), A3D, and/or Dolby Pro Logic. Don’t bother with those $200+ jobs; ever heard the phrase, "diminishing returns?"
Step: 10: (Case, Power Supply and Fan)
Power supplies do make a difference. In fact, Athlon owners know very well that they have only a small fraction of them to choose from due to lousy manufacturing tolerances. I would suggest that any serious computer owner get one on AMD’s recommended list if only to see just how stable and reliable one can be. Otherwise, get at least a 230 watt unit. If you go mondo bonkers with hard drives and other IDE/SCSI devices, nab a 300 watt unit.
An extra case fan can easily keep the interior of you rig 5-10 degrees (farenheit) cooler and that can make or break the hairy-edged overclocker. Oleg (who is he anyway J ?) told me he has 10 fans spool up whenever he pushes his go button. I suppose that if you don’t mind the sound of a twin-engine prop airplane in your bedroom or office, grab lots of fans. Put 'em on everything. Put one on your floppy (uh, the one inside your computer). I only run two, one in the power supply and one on the processor chip. I wanna hear my CD music and telephone ringing.
InWin is a favorite of mine for boxes. The A500 mid-tower ATX case is great for most applications, except those who need more room for huge heatsink/fan rigs attached to their Celerons and Pentiums. The Q500 is a smartly designed full-tower ATX box for those with boatloads of peripherals, or those that just wanna claim, "mine is bigger than yours." Of course, get the box that serves its purpose; check out Pricewatch for the latest deals on cases and everything else.
Step 11: (Other Peripherals)
This covers modems. OK hate-mailers; get ready to bombard me with the best you’ve got! I use a WINMODEM! That’s right, an el cheapo Lucent 56K V.90 Data/Fax/Voice Winmodem. FYI, my pings (on AOL to boot) are in the 100-150mS range, so online fragging is pretty good. Downloads are excellent as well. On average, I sustain data transfers in the 5-6KBps (40,000-48,000Kbps) range, with peaks easily double those figures. Of course, I wired my own phone line right to the main terminal block with a 6", 8 turn inductance loop to roll off high frequency hash. Works wonders. The Lucents typically sell for $15-$25. If you have $75 to blow, get a USRobotics. They’re cool, but cost a bundle.
For general data transfer and backup service, I recommend the Plextor Combo. Yeah, I know there are 50GB tape drives out there, but have you ever actually done a full recovery from one of those things? We’re talking hours and hours here folks. The data transfer rate is dog slow, but the storage space is simply huge. I try to keep my backups to a few 650MB CD-R’s. I can read in the entire CD in less than three minutes.
Big boomers or small screamers? Speakers aren’t essential for speed but they sure make or break a gaming or audio recording setup. Unless you’re a total audio nut (like me), don’t spend more than $125 on a set. Relatively good pairs can be had for as little as $25 though. Reviews of two favorites, the Altec Lansing ACS-48s and the MidiLand Mli-460s can be found on this site. For a surround sound rig, you need two pairs or grab a 5-piece setup (4 satellites and sub-woofer). Please refer to Step 9 for audio card recommendations.
Step 12: (Operating Systems)
This is almost a no brainer. If you want, no need, total compatibility, get Windows 98SE. Not only is it fully Y2K compliant right out of the box, it is the most user friendly and stable version of Windows to date. Windows NT is great for servers or dual processor setups, but it costs significantly more and needs service pack 5 to be compliant. Linux and BeOS are growing in popularity, and have their strong points, but if compatibility and support are a big priority, 98SE is the only way to fly!
Step Finished: (I’m Pooped)
I thought I could do this in 12 steps, and I did. If I’ve missed any crucial step, let me know and I’ll throw your "custom step" in the ring. Although I’m ready to respond to loads of hate mail, I’d appreciate the occasional note of confidence too. This multi-step guide is only just that, a guide. Your individual requirements or preferences will necessitate closer examination of other configurations. Consider this a Holiday guide to more informed computer shopping.