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This section of this website consists only of a single long page and provides detailed information of the different types of non-mobile desktop PC, including standard ATX form-factor machines, nettop PCs that use the Mini-ITX form-factor motherboards, which is slightly smaller than the micro-ATX form factor, and barebones computers, slightly bigger machines than nettops, which use the SFF (Small Form Factor) and micro-ATX motherboards, which are just cut-down ATX boards that provide the same ports, adapter-card and memory slots, but usually fewer of them due to having reduced space. I have not provided a contents menu because there are too many headings. Instead, I have made it easy to see what is on offer by scrolling down the page. If you want similar information on laptop, netbook and tablet PCs, visit the Laptops section of this website.
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PC Problems dealt with on this websiteClick here! to go to an index of the pages on this website that deal with computer-related problems. |
The images above show the two standard types of desktop PC. The image on the left shows a desktop PC housed in a mid-tower case, and the image on the right shows a desktop PC with a horizontal case that the monitor can rest upon.
In addition to those two types of desktop PC there are nettop PCs, which use a small form factor, allowing the case (base unit) to take up less space than a standard desktop PC, and there are all-in-one PCs that have all of their electronics built into the monitor instead of being housed in an external case. Here are reviews of three nettops, which are also called tiny PCs:
3 ultra-small PCs are ready for business -
"We review three of the latest tiny Windows 7 computers -- and consider Apple's Mac Mini too." -
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9195258/...
Apple also makes desktop computers, but they are not usually called PCs, which are assumed to run a version of Windows, but are know by their own name - the Apple Mac - which runs its own operating system called Mac OS X. Apple Macs and Apple laptops are always more expensive, often significantly more expensive, than equivalent desktop and laptop PCs running Windows.
Touchscreen monitors used in equipment such as point-of-sale computerised tills and desktop PCs have been available for quite a long time that allow the computer to be controlled by touching the screen instead of using a mouse or touch pad. I have used one for a few weeks and I prefer using a wireless mouse, but that could be just because I have used a mouse for decades.
Touchscreen - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen
Here is a example of a touchscreen all-in-one desktop PC made by Sony that has a feature called gesture control. "Using the L21's 1.3mp webcam, a horizontal wave of the hand navigates songs, photos or movies, while a downward gesture controls pause and play."
Sony VAIO L21 review -
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/desktops/365413/sony-vaio-l21
Tower PC cases come in mini-tower, mid-tower, and big-tower/full-tower sizes. A very small or non-existent case means that the computer has very limited or non-existent upgrade potential. For that reason, I would always buy or build a desktop PC that has a mid-tower ATX case, which comes between a full-tower and a mini-tower case. For more information on upgrading a desktop PC, visit the Upgrade Checklists section of this website. Visit the Laptops section of this website for information on upgrading a laptop.
Like laptops, all-in-one desktop PCs can have very limited upgradability or hardware customisation. However, many of the current products have designed upgradability into their machines by using standard off-the-shelf components, such hard-drives, graphics cards, etc. Therefore, if you are interested in having one of these PCs and want the option to upgrade it, look into the upgradability of the product before you make a purchase, otherwise you will be stuck with its initial specifications.
Here is a review of an all-in-one PC:
Viewsonic VPC190 review -
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/278401/viewsonic-vpc190
Most desktop PCs only come with an internal hard disk drive and an internal CD/DVD or Blu-ray optical drive and/or an SSD drive (installed inside the PC's case) for data and program storage, but external hard disk drives for extra storage and external CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives, connected externally to the desktop or laptop computer using a USB or FireWire interface, are available. They are dealt with on Page 2 and Page 3, respectively, of the Disk Drives section of this website, the first page of which deals with internal IDE and SATA hard disk and SSD drives.
At the heart of every desktop or laptop PC is the processor. There is currently a very large and confusing selection of processors to choose from. The original desktop and laptop PC processors had a single core or processing unit, but now they are available with two, three, four and six cores (dual-core, triple-core, quad-core and hexa-core respectively) housed in a single unit.
Each core is a processor (processing unit) in itself. You should therefore not buy a laptop or desktop PC that has a single-core processor; the minimum should be a dual-core processor, which has two identical cores or processing units. If you require as much processing power as possible to run processor-intensive software or play games, you should buy a computer that has a processor with as many cores and high-end components, such as a high-end graphics card, as you can afford. Visit the Processors, Graphics and Motherboard sections of this website for more information on those components. The Motherboard section deals with motherboards, PC cases and power supplies (PSUs). The table below contains some interesting information about the poor or even dangerous power supplies that some otherwise excellent PCs can have.
You should only buy a new desktop laptop that runs Windows 7 Home Premium or higher version of Windows 7 (Professional or Ultimate versions). The minimum amount of RAM memory a desktop PC should currently have is 2MB when the computer is running 32-bit version of Windows 7 and double that - 4 MB - when a 64-bit version is installed. The following webpage tells you how to find out which bit-version of Windows Vista and Windows 7 is installed. Only Windows XP Professional has a 64-bit version (not the XP Home Edition).
32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions -
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/...
Windows 7 - The latest versions of WindowsClick the link to read the article on this website on Windows 7, the latest versions of Windows: Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista Beware of poor-quality dangerous desktop PC power supply unitsAndrew Foster bought a Palicomp Core i3 Blast 530OC-22Plus desktop PC. Read the following review of it to see that no mention was made of the power supply unit, which, unfortunately, is the case with most desktop PC reviews. The power supplies used in laptop PCs are not usually a problem because, being an external unit that connects to the laptop, they have to be made to a high specification. Palicomp Core i3 Blast 530OC-22Plus review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/1279096/palicomp-core-i3-blast-530oc-22plus This is what he said happened with the power supply unit of his PC: "It [the PC] worked well for two days and then the power supply blew up - quite spectacularly, with banging and fizzing. Rather than going through the hassle of sending the entire computer back, I replaced the power supply myself and the computer has worked perfectly since. I dismantled the original power supply (not normally recommended but I'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer) and was horrified by the poor quality of the assembly. The leads connecting to the power supply inlet weren't shrouded, and the capacitors on the input filter were under-rated. Components were soldered to the board so shoddily in places that some of the leads were in danger of touching. In fact, I believe this was the cause of failure. I did an internet search for this model of power supply ("ATX-650" manufactured by "Eye-T") and found it available for just L12.50. You wouldn't usually expect to pay less than L40 for a good-quality 650W power supply. I've carried out a thorough inspection of the rest of the computer, and everything else is in good order. The other components are of a good quality and the workmanship is fine. A month later I haven't had a single glitch. It makes me wonder why a computer manufacturer would go to the trouble of building a good-quality computer and then ruin it with such an awful power supply. It concerns me that there may be an attitude in the computer industry that processors, graphics cards and motherboards are worth spending money on but power supplies just sit there and hum so you should buy the cheapest one you can. The power supply is arguably the most critical part of the computer - if it goes wrong it can damage any or all of the other parts, and in the worst case it could even burn down your house (as mine almost did). Manufacturers need to pay attention to the quality of their power supplies to avoid expensive warranty returns, or worse." Click here! to visit the information on PC power supplies on this website. |
This page and others on this website provide all of the information that you need in order to be able to make sensible buying or upgrading decisions that meet your particular computing requirements.
If you use the computer for work, you should always consider what you will do if the machine breaks down. I have a desktop and a laptop computer. If either one breaks down, I can use the other one. PC warranties differ. Some warranties are on-site, where a technician calls to fix it, others are collect and return that involve a courier collecting the machine for the manufacturer or supplier so that it can be repaired and returned. The time this takes will vary between manufacturers/suppliers and could take several weeks. On-site warranties are the best. You should read the terms and conditions to find out what the service guarantees are. For example, you might be guaranteed to receive a visit from a service technician within, say, three days or less.
There is a relatively new type of mini desktop computer that usually does not cost more than £500 and can be purchased for half that price called a nettop, which usually combines elements to desktop and laptop PCs. Access to reviews of nettops and links to their manufacturers' websites are provided in this article.
Nettop - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nettop
The alternative type of computer are laptop/notebook PCs, which are dealt with in the Laptop PCs section of this site. Here is a link to an article that compares the two types.
What to Buy, a Notebook [Laptop] or Desktop PC? -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/desktop-vs-notebook,review-30954.html
There is another much less popular category of desktop PC called a barebones PC.
Computers that use SFF motherboards and small square cases are often called barebones systems.
Note that a barebones system is also a term generally used to designate computers (ATX and SFF) that have only the essential components installed, such as a case (which has a power supply unit) with a motherboard. You usually have to buy and install the other components, such as the RAM memory hard disk drive, CD/DVD drive, monitor, video card and sound card, etc. You should find out which components are installed and then work out which components you'll have to buy and install before you buy a barebones system.
Asus and MSI make a range of barebones PCs. To have a look at what is on offer, visit asus.com and msi.com Global option, and look under the Products category.
More than meets the Eye - Barebone PC for Quad-Core and Crossfire -
"High performance, small footprint - Shuttle's SX38P2 Pro can house two graphics cards, three hard drives and a four-core processor..." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Shuttle-SX38P2-Pro,review-30107.html
If your electricity supply is irregular or subject to storm interference, etc., you should invest in an Uninterruptible Power Supply unit (UPS) that you plug the whole system into. The UPS is connected to the wall socket. It has batteries that it keeps fully charged, and when there is a power failure it automatically keeps the power supply to the computer running until either a person shuts it down, or the software it runs shuts the system down automatically.
Click here! to go to the information on UPS on this website.
Desktop PC NewsVisit the Security section of this website for information and measures on how to protect your computer(s) from malware and identity fraud. AMD has released two new ranges of processor - the A-Series Fusion APU (Socket FM1) range that provides an onboard graphics chip that can work in tandem with an inexpensive AMD graphics card in CrossFire mode to create a very decent and inexpensive gaming machine - and the FX (Bulldozer) range of 6- and 8-core (Socket AM3+) processors, which don't provide an onboard graphics chip. Note that the new AMD Fusion processors outperform those of the Intel second-generation Core processors that provide an onboard graphics chip by a considerable margin. The A-Series Fusion APU processors are also available as laptop models, but at the time of writing, the FX processors were only available for the desktop PC. Visit the Processors section of this website for more detailed information on both of the new ranges. Microsoft's new Fix It Center beta troubleshooting softwareApril 20, 2011. - Microsoft has made available beta (test) troubleshooting software called Fix It Center that works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. You can download it as a file and then install it, or use the Run option (to install it directly) that presents itself after you click on the Try it now button on the download webpage provided below. In Windows XP, you are provided with five troubleshooting options, but there are many more troubleshooting options with Windows Vista and Windows 7. You are provided with an option to create an online Fix It Center account that puts you in touch with Microsoft's support personnel for additional help. The following webpage provides the download or direct installation option plus information on the new software. - http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/ INTEL'S SECOND-GENERATION CORE i3, i4 and i5 (SOCKET 1155) PROCESSORSShould I wait for Intel's new processors code-named Sandy Bridge to build a gaming PC?January 5, 2011. - Intel has officially released its second-generation Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors, code-named Sandy Bridge. Intel is initially launching 20 processors, 6 Series chipsets and Centrino Wi-Fi and WiMax wireless adapters. The processors are quad-core (each processor houses four processor cores) and all of them have a graphics processor integrated on the same die (built with a 32-nanometer manufacturing process), making it unnecessary to have a separate graphics card. Intel intends to release dual-core models in February. Of course, dedicated PC gamers and professional video editors will still have to use one or more dedicated high-end graphics cards, which means that they will have to disable the integrated graphics chips. Palicomp Phoenix i5 Nemesis [desktop PC] review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs/1282993/palicomp-phoenix-i5-nemesis Intel Core i7-2600K review - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/processors/1281844/intel-core-i7-2600k Intel's Second-Gen Core CPUs: The Sandy Bridge Review - "Although the processing cores in Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture are decidedly similar to Nehalem, the integration of on-die graphics and a ring bus improves performance for mainstream users. Intel's Quick Sync is this design's secret weapon, though." - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/... Efficiency Comparison: Sandy Bridge Vs. Intel And AMD CPUs - "The second-generation Core processors arrived with a bang, but what sort of progress can you expect in the performance per watt department? We compare Core i5/i7-2x00 to AMD's Phenom with four and six cores, as well as previous-gen parts from Intel." - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/sandy-bridge-efficienct-32-nm,review-32091.html ASRock P67 Transformer: P67 Gets LGA 1156 Compatibility - "Upgrading to Intel's P67 [motherboard chipset for second-generation Core i3, i5, i7 processors] will certainly require a new motherboard, but the fact that you won't need a new CPU appears to be Intel's dirty-little-secret. ASRock found the secret and exploited it, bringing next-generation performance to today's processors." - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/... Asrock H67M-GE [motherboard] review - "An inexpensive board [L72] for LGA1155 processors, but you can't overclock due to artificial limitations on its H67 chipset." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/motherboards/1281784/asrock-h67m-ge Asus P8P67 [motherboard] review - "The P8P67 [£128] takes an early lead in the race to be our favourite P67 motherboard." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/motherboards/1281781/asus-p8p67 Question: I want to build a new gaming rig. I have read about Intel's new range of processors expected to be released in early 2011 code-named Sandy Bridge. Is it worthwhile from a performance perspective waiting for them to be made available or should I go with an existing Socket LGA1156 processor. Answer: The available details of the Sandy Bridge processors are provided in the article linked to below. It is known that they will be using a new processor socket, so an LGA1156-based PC won't be able to run them; you'll have to buy a new motherboard. You will be able to reuse your DDR3 RAM memory. The processors themselves are expected to be reasonably priced but the new motherboards are likely to be very expensive compared to the current Intel and AMD-based motherboards. This was the case for quite a long time when the Socket 1156 motherboards were released, so be prepared to pay a premium on a new motherboard if you don't want to wait for the prices to come down. It is known that the motherboards support RAM memory in dual-channel, not the triple-channel mode that Intel's Socket LGA1366 provide, suggesting that Intel is abandoning triple-channel mode. If cost is not a problem, the new processors are no doubt going to provide a significant performance boost and, as such, will be worth building a PC around. But if you want to build a budget gaming rig, the high-end processors currently on offer from Intel and AMD are fully capable of running the latest games if you have the required graphics card. Sandy Bridge: full technical details - The low-down on Intel's newest and most powerful CPU architecture - "Sandy Bridge is Intel's first architecture to integrate the GPU [graphics processing unit] onto the same silicon die as the CPU [processor]." - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/361114/sandy-bridge-full-technical-details Windows 7 Touch Screen ControlsIf you have a desktop PC monitor or a laptop PC the screen of which supports touch-screen control, Windows comes with Touch Screen Controls that allow you to operate the computer by touching the screen. The best way to learn how to use them is to watch a video such as the one on this webpage: Windows 7 Video Guide: Touch Screen Controls - http://www.tiscali.co.uk/video/8338/technology/Windows-7-first-look/... Reviews of five-star and four-star desktop PCs as rated by Expert ReviewsAll of the current reviews of desktop PCs on Expert Reviews can be found on this page: Expert Reviews - Desktop PC reviews - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs Power-efficient mini or all-in-one "nettop" PCsFebruary 1, 2009. - A recent new arrival is a new type of highly energy-efficient, low profile desktop PC that are often called green machines or nettops, which are suitable for running office applications, using the Internet, e-mailing and watching DVDs. They take up very little space come in various forms - the base unit without a monitor, as an all-in-one unit (the computer is built into the monitor), or as a base unit plus a monitor. Some nettops have touch-sensitive screens. A keyboard and mouse is usually, but not always, included. These desktop PCs use the new low-powered power-efficient Intel Atom, Intel Core 2 Duo or the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e processors, from 1GB to 3GB of RAM memory and run Windows XP or a version of Windows Vista. [That will have changed to a version of Windows 7, which was released on 22 October 2009.] The Atom-based computers run Windows XP because of its lower hardware requirements. The Athlon 64 X2 5050e processor uses the Small Form Factor (SFF) and is a popular choice for use in Home Theater Personal Computers (HTPCs) because it outputs less heat and consumes less power than other processors in its class. The Intel-Atom-based machines use the same components as the netbook laptop computers. The cheap models are no-frills. Some come with an optical DVD drive (the Sony Vaio VXH-TP3E comes with a Blu-ray optical drive). Their hard disk drives are replaceable, but you should choose a model that provides the amount of storage that you you require. Nettop PCs don't usually cost more than £500 and many cost half that. The quality of these machines can be amazing. The following power-efficient nettop PCs (green machines) have reviews on the PC Pro website. Click on the manufacturer's name to go to its website; click on the Review link to read the review. 1. - Acer Revo R3600 - Five stars - Best Buy award - Nettop PC - Review - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/253134 - £236 from http://www.simplyacer.com/. 2. - Novatech Ion Fusion - Five stars - Budget Buy award - Nettop PC - Review - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/250663/novatech-ion-fusion.html - £332 from http://www.novatech.co.uk/. Web searchesYou can make use of a web search engine to find reviews of and other vendors for these computers. |
The major international desktop PC manufacturers are: HP, Dell, MSI, Gateway, Lenovo, Compaq, and Packard Bell. However, in any particular country there are local PC manufacturers of excellence.
For example, in its 2007 survey of its readers in the UK, Computer Shopper magazine the following results were returned:
Best PC Manufacturer: Dell
Commended PC Manufacturers: PC Nextday, Mesh, Fujitsu Siemens
PC Nextday and Mesh Computers are local UK PC manufacturers.
In 2008, RL Supplies in the UK were awarded many Best Buy awards for desktop computers by Computer Shopper magazine (now called Expert Reviews online). The magazine itself will no doubt be given the same name soon.
Note that PC manufacturers, such as Dell and HP, have tended or still tend to make the components of their machines to their own specifications, not standard PC specifications.
This means that in most cases you would have to buy replacement or upgrade internal components, such as motherboards and power supplies, and even monitors (that plug into the PC's power supply instead of having their own power supply) from them instead of from PC-component stores, and usually priced at a premium compared to standard components.
The installation could be done at inflated prices by their technicians, or purchased directly from them and installed by the computer's owner. However, a local UK PC manufacturer, such as Mesh, uses standard components in its PC, which means that they can be upgraded and repaired using standard components that can be obtained very easily by private third-party technicians, or by the machine's owner from retail PC shops or online businesses.
The great advantage of building your own desktop PCs is that you can choose the components yourself, which means that you don't have to scrap a non-upgradable system, or buy sub-standard hardware components from the brand-name manufacturer when you need to upgrade. However, Dell, one of the biggest offenders when it came to this issue, announced at the end of February 2008 that the use of proprietary parts in its desktop PCs, such as power supplies and motherboards are to be a thing of the past.
Here is what an anonymous person on a computer forum had to say on the subject: "That was always my whole problem with buying anything from a major manufacturer! I came into possession of a Dell [PC] a while back, and I had to cut up the case to get a better power supply to fit. I went through hell to change the CPU cooler because the damned motherboard had a proprietary clip for the heat sink. Dell sucked! But if this is really true [Dell's abandonment of using proprietary components], I might not be as adverse to modding the hell out of a pre-configured system of theirs in the future."
Building your own desktop PC is not nearly as difficult as most people probably assume. Read the Build Your Own PC section of this site for comprehensive information on the subject.
You should be able to tell if the components of a Dell PC are standard or proprietary by viewing the specifications of a particular model on Dell's website. If the manufacturer of a particular component is named, then it is probably a standard part.
The information on this page goes through a desktop PC's hardware specifications one at a time.
The main components of a desktop PC are: a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, a processor, a power supply unit, a motherboard, one or more RAM memory modules, one or two video/graphics cards, a sound card, hard disk drive(s), and optical CD/DVD drive(s). If the PC is online and networked it might also have a dial-up modem or an ADSL or cable modem-router. A modem-router can connect a single computer to the Internet or network several computers together, using cables or wirelessly, enabling them to share an Internet connection.
Apart from wired or wireless keyboards and mice, desktop PCs can also be connected to many different kinds of peripheral devices, such as external hard disk drives and external optical CD/DVD drives, printers and scanners, multi-function peripherals (MFPs) that contain a printer, copier, and scanner in one unit, webcams, digital cameras, camcorders, and internal and external TV tuners, memory card readers, etc. The most common connection interface for these devices is USB and FireWire.
Note that all of the main components that make up a desktop PC are dealt with in their own sections of this site, which can be accessed via the links and the drop-down menu on the orange left-hand navigation bar - and the site-search box provided at the top of each page.
A desktop PC with the minimum recommended hardware shouldn't cost more than £500/$1000. It should be able to run any standard office, multimedia, or education software. It should also be able to play DVD movies, but it won't be able to play the latest PC games, because it won't have the kind of graphics card that is required.
Note, however, that there are different types of PCs that you should know about.
Most desktop PCs currently have a standard ATX midi-tower case that provides as much space for upgrades as its motherboard supports with expansion slots, etc. You can buy mini PCs that are housed in a small case. Generally, because they use miniaturised components, mini PCs cost a little more than standard midi-tower PCs, are less upgradable, because they have very little room in their cases to accommodate additional hardware components, but they take up less space and usually look more attractive. Media Center PCs are designed for entertainment purposes and can be connected to the other entertainment equipment you have, such as a TV or a Hi-fi. By definition a Media Center PC must have a TV tuner card. You can read the information on them on the Media Center PCs section of this site.
Choosing a power supply for a self-built desktop PC or one that you intend to buy and then add componentsChoosing a power supply for your self-built desktop PC is an important factor that can easily be underdone or overdone, depending on your computing needs. A gaming computer requires much more power than an office computer. The following power calculator allows you to enter the components. When all of the components are entered, the calculator tells you the wattage you require, which allows you to choose a power supply that provides that wattage plus some overhead just in case all of the components are being used at the same time. Enermax Power Supply Calculator - http://www.enermax.outervision.com/ The confusing myriad of cables that computers useThe myriad of cables that are in use are often very confusing to the home computer user. The following link provides a slide show of the cables and information on what each cable is used for that should dispell most of the confusion. A World of Cables, Unknotted [Slideshow of all the cables used with a computer] - "You can spend weeks researching which TV or Blu-ray player to buy, and then you would still have to deal with the conundrum of the cables. Other format wars get resolved fairly quickly and definitively (Blu-ray over HD-DVD, VHS over Beta), but cable formats last, it would seem, forever." - http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/16/technology/personaltech/... Here is another similar page that goes through every possible type of connector: Pictorial guide to PC sockets and cables - |
2009 saw the arrival of the touchscreen desktop PC that has a keyboard but can be operated by touching the screen much in the same way as an Apple iPhone is operated. Here is a video review of the Asus Eee Top, which has an (low-powered) Intel Atom processor:
Asus Eee Top video review from Stuff Live 2008 -
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XhKKAJncjNA&feature=related
You can find the latest reviews of netbooks here:
http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/netbooks
The brand-name PC manufacturer's website should provide a full list of the specifications for every model that it manufactures. Dell sells desktop and laptop PCs directly to the public from its websites in various countries. Only recently has Dell decided to sell its machines via retail outlets. You can have a look at the specifications of all of its current models on its website.
All except the cheapest desktop PCs now come with widescreen LCD monitors, which are ideally suited to watching (widescreen) movies, and also feel more natural when working with panoramic photos and expansive spreadsheets. Standard CRT and LCD screens have an aspect ratio of 4:3 (width 4, height 3), which makes them almost square, and widescreen CRT and LCD usually have an aspect ratio of 16:9, which makes them rectangular.
If you are thinking of buying a desktop PC which has a particular make and model of processor, you can visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4
Visit the following pages of the same guide to view tables of all of the PCI, AGP, and PCI Express video/graphics cards made by ATI/AMD and NVIDIA, the two major manufacturers of graphics chips (that other graphics-card manufacturers use) and their own graphics cards.
Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide - NVIDIA cards -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=3
Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide - ATI/AMD cards -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=1
The vast majority of new desktop an laptop computers now come with Windows 7 preinstalled and operate some kind of recovery system, be it via access to a genuine Win7 DVD, a Recovery Disc that usually restores the system to its factory state, or a recovery partition on the PC's hard disk drive that the recovery system uses from within Windows.
Visit the Windows 7 section of this website for more information on it. If you need information on its predecessor, visit the Windows Vista section of this website.
Microsoft will stop selling licences for Windows XP after 30 June 2008, but support for it will continue for many years to come. Visit the Windows Support section of this site for pages that deal with Windows XP.
Microsoft: June 30 [2008] not end of Windows XP support -
"Windows XP will remain in what Microsoft calls "mainstream support" to April 14, 2009, and continue in "extended support" though April 8, 2014..." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...
Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably. Therefore, it is a good idea to remove it by making use of a particular program's own uninstall option, or by using Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP in the Control Panel. In Windows Vista and Windows 7 that feature is now found under the Programs and Features category in the Control Panel. If you have a retail copy of Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7, you could also remove any partitions on the hard disk drive, format it, and install Windows and any other software that you use.
There is now so much choice in the components installed in a desktop or laptop pc, it can be so confusing to buyers that they just make a choice on purely on price or the advice of vendors - advice that more often than not is provided by people who don't know what they are talking about.
To add to the confusion, you can have a 32-bit system or a 64-bit system. The PC's processor can be a 32-bit processor or a 64-bit processor, and the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows can be a 32-bit or a 64-bit version.
All of the latest processors since 2006 from the two major manufacturers - AMD and Intel - are 64-bit and will run a 32-bit or a 64-bit operating system (Windows, Linux, Apple OS X). Note that a 32-bit processor cannot run 64-bit software, so it must use a 32-bit operating system.
If you're the average user whose computing needs don't require more than 3.2GB of RAM memory, the limit of a 32-bit operating system, that choice will do just fine. It is compatible with almost all software applications, and compatible hardware device drivers are easily available.
64-bit operating systems will one day be the norm as 32-bit systems are now. However, you should only choose a 64-bit system if the programs you plan to use in the future require a 64-bit system, or more than 3.2GB of RAM memory (i.e., you use 3D-rendering software, intense graphics, etc.). Otherwise, there are currently more drawbacks to running a 64-bit system than there are advantages. The non-availability of 64-bit device drivers for peripherals such as printers, routers, scanners etc., is the major drawback. A 64-bit operating system cannot use 32-bit device drivers, they must all be 64-bit. Note well that although a 64-bit processor can run both 32-bit and 64-bit software, a 64-bit operating system can only run 64-bit software, so your old 32-bit applications will have to be upgraded to their 64-bit versions.
The typical computer user is unlikely to notice any gain in performance from a 64-bit system. Visit the Windows Vista and Windows 7 sections of this website for more information on the 64-bit versions of those versions of Windows. Only Windows XP Professional Edition has a 64-bit version; Windows XP Home Edition is only available in a 32-bit version.
The long wait for 64-bit PC software continues -
"Even though 64-bit PCs have been available for seven years, the promise of 64-bit computing has been delayed by a dearth of 64-bit software." - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/100128/
Some brand-name PC manufacturer's, such as Dell and HP, sell refurbished desktop PCs from their websites, so if you're looking for a bargain with a warranty, visit the major manufacturers' websites to find out what is on offer.
Dell Outlet - http://www.dell.com/outlet
HP Refurbished products -
http://www.hp.com/united-states/refurbished/how_to_buy.html
If the above links don't work, try entering refurbished dell pcs or refurbished hp pcs in a web search engine.
Other companies also sell refurbished PCs made by the major PC manufacturers. To find them for Dell and HP PCs, make use of the same search terms provided above, or enter a suitable search term of your own.
RECENT ARTICLES ON DESKTOP PCs15 free downloads to pep up your old [desktop or laptop] PC - "Can't afford a new PC? These free tools for Windows will help breathe new life into your old machine." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9129351/... The long wait for 64-bit PC software continues - "Even though 64-bit PCs have been available for seven years, the promise of 64-bit computing has been delayed by a dearth of 64-bit software." - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/100128/ 2010 CPU forecast: What's coming for desktop and mobile PCs - "From mighty six-core desktop chips to minuscule smartbook processors, here's a look at what's in the CPU cards this year." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9144720... Mesh launches Blu-ray Media Center PCs for L399 - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/news/266944/... System Review: Digital Storm's Gaming Dominator : Hand-Assembled, But Not Custom-Built? - "What happens when you combine the craftsmanship of a custom PC with the economy of standardization? Digital Storm answers that question with several pre- configured, hand-built systems. Is its Gaming Dominator really a better value?" - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/digital-storm-dominator,review-31654.html Windows 7: The complete guide - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/262021/windows-7-the-complete-guide.html FAQ: How to upgrade XP to Windows 7 - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135440/... Desktop PCs: Battle Of The Boutique Behemoths: iBuyPower Vs. Maingear PC : Less Work, More Play - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/ibuypower-maingear-boutique,review-31571.html Windows XP's Final Days: A Practical Guide - "Users who shunned Vista and are clinging to XP until the release of Windows 7 can get the most out of the aging operating system by following these tips." - http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/... How to update the firmware [CD/DVD-Blu-ray drives, routers, etc.] on any hardware in your computer - http://www.ehow.com/how_2225435_update-firmware-any-hardware-computer.html Dell dives into entertainment market with mini desktop - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... Video: How To Build An Intel QX9770 Qua-dCore PC - http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/02/... 5 ways to speed up your PC - "By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online." - http://www.microsoft.com/AtWork/getstarted/speed.mspx?tapm=A47S01D05 18 simple, free fixes for your Vista or XP PC - http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=12762 Apple's 24'' iMac - All-in-One with OS Options - "...On top of that, the iMac offers a high degree of flexibility thanks to its Intel insides. Thus, you can either dual boot Windows and OS X using Boot Camp or run Windows within OS X through virtualization applications such as VMWare or Parallels Desktop. Both allow the seamless integration of Windows applications into OS X, providing a safety net for those not quite ready to leave the PC world behind entirely..." - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Apple-iMac-24-inch,review-30618.html Simple tips save power and the environment - http://windowssecrets.com/2007/11/15/03... The ultimate tweaker's guide to Windows [XP and Vista] - "Our tips, tricks and hacks will let you customize XP and Vista in a multitude of ways." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... 22 essential Mac utilities - "Right out of the box, your Mac can do a lot of things. With these utilities, you can make it do nearly everything..." - http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?... Must-have Windows utilities for 20 essential tasks - http://www.computerworld.com/action/...9025855&intsrc=hm_ts_head |
The web has many sites that provide PC optimisation information, or that provide or run optimisation programs from their websites. However, you may want to read the information on the following webpages before indulging in any performance-tweaking yourself.
Windows tweaking and optimization: myths and reality -
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2010/08/...
Tweaking Windows for performance [forum thread] -
http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/index.php?showtopic=777499
But if you want to try tweaking your computer for performance, you can make use of a search engine to locate system-tweaking websites. If you are running, say, Windows 7, you could use a search term such as: tweaking windows 7. Here are a few relevant websites that I found:
TweakWin7 [Windows 7] - http://www.tweakwin7.com/
Windows 7 tricks: 20 top tips and tweaks -
"Getting to know Windows 7? Here are 20 ways to get around the interface and make it act the way you want." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140414/...
Here is an optimisation/optimization website with a good reputation:
PC Pitstop Optimize -
"Run our free Optimize scan and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware." -
http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/optimize.asp
Should I upgrade my desktop PC or buy/build a new one?Question 1February 29, 2008. - I have an HP Pavilion t850.uk Desktop PC. It has an Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz processor, an ATI Radeon X300SE graphics card, and 512MB of RAM memory. It runs Windows XP Home, but I want to upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium. I want to upgrade it to play the latest PC games. My budget is £300. AnswerNote that the video/graphics card manufacturer, ATI, which was purchased by AMD, is now called AMD. This is a reasonably current PC, so, apart from the memory and the graphics card, its upgrade options are limited. The PC's Asus PTGD1-LA motherboard has an Intel 915 chipset, which means that you have to use a single-core processor, because the first Intel chipset that supports dual-core processors is the 945 chipset. The fastest single-core processor that is compatible with that chipset is the 3.6GHz Pentium 4 661 processor, which isn't much faster than the existing processor. It would probably be best to stick with the current processor, because it can play the latest PC games. You should replace the 512MB of memory with a 2GB DDR two-module kit from a manufacturer of high quality memory such as Crucial.com from which its sites world-wide are made available. You can make use of the and Crucial Memory Advisor to find that upgrade by choosing ASUS from the drop-down menu, then Select a Product Line => Asus Motherboards => Select model. If you can't find that board, email Crucial from the UK or US site, asking for advice on compatible memory for it. You can upgrade the graphics card with any single-slot PCI Exress card, because the motherboard has a single PCI Express x16 slot. The EVGA GeForce 8800GTS has 320MB of graphics memory, is very fast playing most current games, and it is DirectX 10 compatible, which can be made use of after you upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium, which supports it (Windows XP only supports Direct X 9). You can make use of a search engine to find reviews and vendors. That card requires to be connected to a six-pin PCI Express power plug from the PC's power supply unit. If the power supply doesn't have one, you can use a Molex-to-PCI Express converter cable for use with a standard molex power cable from the power supply, or you can buy a new power supply. The powerful Hiper Type M 530W unit is suitable. The graphics card, memory, and power supply upgrade would cost under £300. If you want a PC with a dual-core or quad-core processor, it would be best to buy or build a new PC that has the fastest processor you can afford, because you would have to upgrade the motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card and power supply of your existing PC. It would be a better option to buy a new PC, or the components for a new one, if you want to build your own. Question 2December 31, 2007. - My current desktop PC has a 3.2GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, 2GB of RAM memory, an Asus PV4800D motherboard, an nVidia GeForce 7800 GT graphics card, and Windows Vista Business Edition. I can still do everything I use a PC with it, including playing PC games, but it is ageing, so should I upgrade it or build a new PC based on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor? AnswerYour current system is all right for playing DirectX 9 PC games, but it will struggle with the next generation of DirectX 10 games. You'll need Windows Vista Home Premium or higher, because DirectX 10 only works with Vista, and a DirectX-10-compatible graphics card to get the most out of games such as Crysis. Your current motherboard has a PCI Express graphics card slot, it only runs at x4 speed, not the x16 speed required by the latest PCI Express graphics cards, which means that you'll have to upgrade if you want to play DirectX 10 games. You can buy a motherboard that runs an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor. I would recommend the E6750 model of processor. Have a look at the Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, and ECS sites for a suitable motherboard. Good examples are the Asus P5E64 WS Professional and the Abit IP35 Pro motherboards. You can make use of a search engine to locate vendors and reviews for a particular board. You will notice the difference in gameplay as more games begin to support both cores of the dual-core processor. [Note that 3-core, 4-core and 6-core processors have bee available for some time. AMD was the first to bring out its 8-core FX (Bulldozer) processors in 2011, but current software cannot make use of 8 cores, so cannot run them at their full capacity.] You will have to buy new memory for the new motherboard. Memory made by Crucial is a good choice, because Crucial guarantees that its memeory will work with a particular motherboard. Crucial.com gives access to all of the companies websites worldwide. The following article should provide you with a suitable graphics card: GeForce 8800 GT 256 and late 2007 3D Cards Roundup - "We continue to recommend three cards: the HD 3850 (256 MB) for those that can't afford more than $150, the HD 3870 (512 MB) at $200 and the GeForce 8800 GT (512 MB) at $230-250 (don't spend more than that)..." - |
Read the Upgrade Checklists section of this site for information on upgrading desktop PCs of varying ages.
You should also read the Laptop PCs section of this site, because much of the information it contains also pertains to desktop PCs.
I have both laptop and desktop PCs. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. The main disadvantage with laptop PCs, as far as I am concerned, is that if one of the hardware components fails in a laptop PC, you usually have to send it back to its manufacturer (or to a reputable laptop repair service). However, because of the modular design of desktop PCs, if a component fails, all you have to do is diagnose which component has failed and buy a replacement from a retail or online store. The only parts of a laptop that you can replace easily are the memory modules and the hard disk drive. If the optical CD/DVD drive fails, you might be able to find a replacement, but removing the old one and fitting the new one could be difficult. Obtaining and replacing the processor, power suppy unit, motherboard, memory modules, video/graphics card, sound card, hard disk drive(s), and optical CD/DVD drive(s) of a desktop PC is fairly is usually a fairly trouble-free business.
Click here! to read a Q&A on the pros and cons of desktop and laptop PCs.
Visit the Build Your Own PC section of this site for information on how to build a desktop PC.
Most new desktop PCs now come with a version of Windows 7 preinstalled as the operating system, plus some bundled software. Since the versions of Windows 7 are the best versions of Windows, you should avoid buying a laptop or desktop computer that has a version of Windows Vista preinstalled.
For upgrading and repair and restore information, visit the Windows 7 section of this website called: Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista.
If you want to know about Windows and the software applications that PCs use, read the information on the Software section of this website.
Your rights under the Sale of Goods Act in the UKIt is well worth noting that the Sale of Goods Act in the UK protects the purchase of goods over their expected useful life. This is valuable protection for goods that have an expected useful life that is longer than the standard 12-month warranty. It means that if the product, such as a desktop or laptop computer, has an expected useful life of four years, its owner can get it repaired or replaced if it dies within that period, regardless of any warranties, standard 12-month or extended. All computers should have a useful life of at least four years, so it is a waste of money to buy an extended warranty for a desktop or laptop computer. However, the vendor or manufacturer will probably try every trick in the book to avoid having to repair or replace a computer that is out of its warranty period and which has no extended warranty. That said, if you have the product examined by a reputable third party and then insist on your rights under the Sale of Goods Act, if the product fails within its expected useful life, you will always be entitled to having it repaired or replaced. Sale of Goods Act Fact Sheet - http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html Sale of goods - "While laws concerning sale of goods date back 100 years, the only phrase you need to memorise is 'The Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended)'." - http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/guides_to/law_goods.shtml How powerful must a PC be to play HD video?June 14, 2007. - There are a large number of screen resolutions, video file formats, data transfer rates, and file-compression methods to be taken into consideration when attempting to answer the question how powerful a PC needs to be in order to play HD (high definition) video. Since h.264-encoded HD DVD and Blu-ray movies are the hardest to play back smoothly, it seems sensible to say which PC specification would be required to play it, because, if a PC can play it, it can play anything less demanding. You should aim for a PC with at least either of these two dual-core processors: a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or an 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2. The PC should also have a fairly recent PCI Express video/graphics card - an ATI Radeon X1000 series DirectX 9 card, or a nVidia GeForce 7000 or 8000 series DirectX 9 card. The graphics card should have at least 256MB of RAM memory. Visit the following site for a list of current and obsolete graphics cards. The Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide - http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=88&pgno=0 You should be using the most recent version of DVD software, such as Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.5, or InterVideo WinDVD 7.5. How to make sure that you get your PC returned in the same state it was in after you send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair shopIf you have purchased a brand-name PC, or built your own, you might have to send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair shop to diagnose and fix a problem. During its stay away from home, its components could be removed and replaced with old or cheaper ones. To be able to prove that your PC is returned in the state it was in before it was sent off, you should name a note of the makes/models of the hardware components. If you don't know the makes and models of the hardware components installed in your computer, a good free utility called the Belarc Advisor creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer that you can print out. Look for it under FREE DOWNLOAD on http://www.belarc.com/. You would the just have to run the utility again when the PC is returned and match the two printouts to find out what has been changed. How to save powerRead these two articles if you're interested in finding out how to go about saving power with regard to using computers. The first article starts off by discussing "power requirement differences of idle and load system states, and how to save energy on an existing system by utilizing power saving options and paying attention to certain components." - The Power Saving Guide - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/the-power-saving-guide-uk,review-2311.html The Power Saving Guide, Part 2 - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/the-power-saving-guide-uk,review-2318.html And here is another article on power-saving: Simple tips save power and the environment - http://windowssecrets.com/2007/11/15/03... Surge-protection for computer equipment: Surge protectorsMost power lines are buried underground, so lightning-induced power surges are more likely to strike through TV antennas and telephone lines, etc. Large electrical motors, such as power tools can generate 'spikes' when they start up. The electrical cables that serve a building often run next to one another through the same conduit boxes. A surge through one circuit can induce surges in neighbouring circuits, so a surge through a power line to which power tools are connected can spread to a power line to which electrical equipment is connected. Therefore, it is the best policy to place surge protectors as close as possible to the equipment that they are protecting, with the shortest possible cable between the equipment and the surge protector. Good surge protectors come with free insurance policies that cover any failure to provide protection, and have an indicator light that shows if they are working properly. Surge protectors are available that protect network, telephone, and TV/cable line. The best brands are Belkin and APC, which also manufacture UPS units. Click here! to go to information on this site on Uninterruptible Power Supply units (UPS). |
Now I will go through the specifications of a desktop PC one at a time.
You should only consider buying a desktop PC that has a dual-core processor made by Intel or AMD, because a dual-core processor (effectively two processors in a single unit) can be set so that each of its two processor cores run particular applications, and software is being written now that can take advantage of using two processor cores instead of the standard single-core processor that all PCs used to have.
If you are using software that hasn't been written to take advantage of two processor cores, you can make use of SMP Seesaw by Mike Lin.
"SMP Seesaw is a small utility for dual CPU workstations that allows the user to finely tune how Windows balances the processing load between the two CPUs."
You should not consider buying a new desktop PC unless it has at least a dual-core Intel Pentium D 820 processor, (preferably an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor), or an AMD Athlon x2 3800+ or higher dual-core processor.
If you intend to use the PC to run very demanding video-editing and CAD applications, etc., you should buy one that has the most powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processor that you can afford.
The Processors section of this site deals with desktop-PC processors in detail.
You should avoid purchasing a desktop PC that has its graphics chip built into the motherboard, because integrated graphics, as that is called, usually uses system RAM memory instead of its own dedicated memory that most graphics cards provide. Moreover, integrated graphics is usually an inferior choice even when it has its own dedicated memory.
However, note that both AMD and Intel have released processors that provide onboard graphics chips. AMD's A-Series Fusion APU (Socket FM1) processors, which support DirectX 11, are capable of playing the latest games on their own (without having a graphics card installed in the motherboard) with low settings applied (low display resolutions, 4x anti-aliasing, etc.), but with an inexpensive AMD graphics card installed working in tandem in CrossFire mode can play the latest games very comfortably. For example, an AMD Fusion A-8-3850 processor (£100) accompanied by an AMD Radeon HD 6450 (£35) creates an inexpensive PC that can play the demanding Dirt 3 game at a very comfortable 52fps. Those of the second-generation Core processors made by Intel that provide onboard graphics only support DirectX 10 and cannot run in tandem with a NVIDIA or AMD graphics card and, as such, are not nearly as good at playing games as the AMD Fusion processors.
The Video/Graphics section of this site deals with video/graphics cards in detail, and the PC Gaming section deals with that subject in detail.
How can I upgrade the video/graphics card of my Dell Dimension 3100 desktop PC?ProblemI have a Dell Dimension 3100 desktop PC. I upgraded the RAM memory from 1GB to 2GB and installed a wireless network card so that I could connect it to my wireless router in order to share an Internet connection with a laptop PC. I wanted to upgrade the graphics card to an ATI Radeon X1950 card for video-editing and PC gaming, but, to my horror, when I opened the case, I found that the 230W power supply unit is inadequate for the upgrade and that the motherboard has no AGP or PCI Express graphics slot. Should I upgrade the motherboard in order to be able to upgrade the graphics card? AnswerThe Dell Dimension 3100 has integrated graphics, which means that the graphics chip is built into the motherboard. The Dimension models labelled 2400, 3000, and 3100 (renamed E310), were designed for basic home or small office use - emailing, word-processing, and surfing the web, etc. The model numbers starting with 4xxx and 5xxx provide a slot for a graphics card, but the above-mentioned models do not. The 230W power supply is meant to provide enough power for the upgrades that are possible, some of which you have already done. It would not be cost-effective to upgrade the motherboard to one with a graphics slot, because Microsoft licenses the OEM copy of Windows XP that the computer was supplied with for use only on that computer. If you install a new motherboard, Microsoft calls it a new computer that requires a new license for Windows, which you would have to pay for. You can only reactivate Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7 in a PC with a new motherboard if it is an exact replacement (make and model), or the original motherboard died and an exact replacement was not available. Dell supplies BIOS-locked versions of Windows that recognise a signature in the computer's BIOS. After you installed a new motherboard, Windows would refuse to run until you called a Microsoft Activation hotline to explain why you are running a Dell copy of Windows on a non-Dell motherboard. If you told the truth about your situation, you would not be given an activation code over the phone, but you would probably be given the code if your PC is out of warranty and you said that the motherboard had died and an exact replacement was not available. In any case, the best option would be to sell your computer and buy a more upgradable model. You could remove the wireless network card for use in a new computer. |
If you want to do video-editing or run applications such as CAD or flight-simulation software, your desktop PC should have as much RAM installed as you can afford. If it comes with 1GB of memory, make sure that it has at least two free DIMM memory slots that can each accommodate a 1GB to 2GB memory module.
If you save large video files and digital photos, etc., you should consider a desktop PC with two or more 250GB to 400GB large-capacity SATA hard disk drives. If the PC only comes with a single large-capacity hard drive, you can always install another one internally, or make use of a large-capacity USB or FireWire external hard disk drive.
Visit the Hard Disk Drives section of this site for information on internal and external hard drives.
You should also consider using a RAID array of drives. Click here! to read the information about RAID solutions on this site.
If you need to archive plenty of files or many large files, you'll have know how best to store them. The most popular method is to burn data and graphics files to recordable DVD discs. Click here! to read the information on CD/DVD drives and discs (media) on this website.
Note that some desktop and laptop PCs are now coming out with internal Blu-ray optical drives. The recorded and recordable Blu-ray discs have a very much higher capacity than recorded and recordable DVD discs. A BD-ROM drive is a Blu-ray drive that can only read Blu-ray discs. Blu-ray Disc (BD) is Sony's optical disc format designed to replace the current DVD format that beat its competitor, Toshiba's HD DVD. Toshiba is no longer developing HD DVD, soyou should not buy an HD DVD drive or player. A Blu-ray writer uses BD-R (record-once) and BD-RW (record multiple times) discs. Visit the following site for the latest information on Blu-ray.
"Welcome to Blu-ray.com, your source for everything related to Blu-ray Disc (BD). We offer Blu-ray reviews, releases, news, guides and forums covering Blu-ray movies, players, recorders, drives, media, software and much more. For more information about Blu-ray, see What is Blu-ray? or the Blu-ray FAQ."
Current desktop computers come with a 17" or 19" LCD TFT monitor. The old-style CRT monitors can still be purchased, but they have become almost redundant. You can buy 26" LCD monitors, but the larger the screen, the more expensive the monitor, so, if you can find a desktop PC with a 26" monitor, it won't be cheap, because it will also have to have a graphics card that is capable of delivering its native screen resolution.
20" LCD monitors have a native screen resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. They are useful for users who want to edit large digital photos, documents, or spreadsheets, and run two applications side-by-side.
For mainly entertainment purposes, a widescreen LCD monitor is the best choice. They can be used to watch widescreen movies and to edit two documents side-by-side.
The table below shows the main specifications of LCD TFT monitors.
| Diagonal measurement (visible screen size) | 15", 17", 19", 20", 22", 24", 26" |
| Native screen resolution | 1280x1024 pixels , 1680x1050 pixels, etc. |
| Contrast ratio | 500:1, 800:1, 1000:1, etc. (the higher the better) |
| Brightness | 250 cd/m2, 300 cd/m2, etc. |
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 or 5:4 (standard square screens), 16:9 or 16:10 (widescreens) |
| Pixel response time/latency | 25ms, 16ms, 12ms, 8ms, 4ms, 2ms |
| Colours | 16 million, etc. |
| Horizontal/vertical viewing angles | 160°/160° [Means that the screen can be viewed horizontally and vertically from angles of 160° to the screen without significant distortion of the image] |
| Connectivity/supported connections | VGA D-sub, DVI, audio-in, TV tuner, remote control |
Details of those specifications and other information are provided on the Monitors section of this site.
In order to hear the soundtrack of a DVD movie or to hear a PC game's sound effects as they should be heard requires a 5.1 speaker system. However, if you're not interested in using your desktop PC for watching DVD movies or for playing PC games, all you need is a PC with a pair of quality 2.1 stereo speakers.
Many desktop PC come with the sound chip integrated on the PC's motherboard. This solution can be used to play music to an acceptable standard if the PC comes with a set of quality stereo speakers. However, if you demand high-quality sound reproduction, or if you want to use a microphone, you'll have to buy a PC that has a dedicated sound card.
For more information on PC sound, read the Sound section of this site.
Most devices, such as printers, keyboards, mice, memory sticks, etc., are connected to a desktop PC via USB ports, so the more of them a PC provides, the better. If you make use of a USB memory stick, it is handy to have USB ports provided at the front of the PC case, otherwise you'll either have to plug it into the back of the case, which is usually hidden out of the way, or make use of a USB hub that has an extension cable. It connects to one USB port (probably at the back of the case) and provides four or more USB ports.
FireWire ports are used for devices such as external hard disk drives, external DVD writers, and digital video (DV) cameras. You can usually connect external disk drives to a USB port as well, but you can't use a USB port instead of a FireWire port for a digital video camera (camcorder), so, if you have one, make sure that the PC has a FireWire port.
Read the USB/FireWire section of this website for more information on those standards for serial PC peripheral devices.
If you have a digital camera and you want to transfer your digital photos to your PC in order to save them to recordable DVDs, you should make sure that any PC you buy has a memory card reader that supports the type of memory card that your digital camera uses.
Most new desktop and laptop PCs currently come with Windows 7 Home Premium edition pre-installed. A Recovery DVD is usually used to recover the system to the state it was in when it left the factory. However, if you pay extra, the manufacturer can probably provide you with a Windows 7 installation DVD disc.
Many desktop PC purchased new come bundled with software packages. A common bundled package is Microsoft Works, which, at the time of writing (December 2009) was at version 9. Note that MS Works 2006 contains Word 2002 (not Word 2003). Other common packages are Cyberlink PowerDVD, Digital Image Standard, Money for personal finances, AutoRoute Essentials, etc. You can make use of a search engine to look for information on any of the packages.
Some of the software that is preloaded in many new desktop and laptop PC's is very useful, but much of it is not. Indeed, there can be so much trial and plain junk software installed that it can slow the system down considerably.
When first booting a new Gateway laptop, which came preloaded with Windows Vista, it not only took an age to load, but produced at least six trial-ware notices and buy-now windows. There were three different anti-virus software trial running on the machine, one of which was Norton Anti-Virus that more often than not screws a system up.
Windows, its device drivers, and a free undemanding anti-virus and anti-spyware scanner, such as Microsoft's Security Essentials, a free software firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, and an office application, such as the free OpenOffice is all you need on a brand new machine. (Remember to make sure that the Windows Firewall in the Control Panel is turned off if you install a third-party firewall, because you should only have one real-time-monitoring scanner of one type installed and actively monitoring the system. For example, if you have Security Essentials installed, just install the standalone ZoneAlarm firewall, not the combined firewall and anti-virus version.) You don't need a third-party HP/Gateway utility to manage wireless connections, because Windows Vista does everything for you. You don't need Google Desktop, which indexes everything in the data files on the machine, and you don't need Windows Vista's sidebar. (Windows 7 allows you to install the gadgets of the sidebar one at a time by right-clicking with the mouse pointer on an empty area of the Windows desktop and then clicking on Gadgets. Its window provides a link to download many more free gadgets from the web.)
Most people with the technical know-how who have purchased a PC usually remove all of the unnecessary software, or delete all of the partitions on the hard disk drive and the perform a clean installation of Windows.
Having as much trial software as possible installed reduces the cost of the computer, but at the expense of performance. Indeed, most brand-name PCs come with so much junk installed on them that Windows Vista is somewhat unjustifiably getting a reputation for being slow. Vista is slower than Windows XP, but it is not significantly slower. Since Windows 7 was only released on October 22, 2009, the situation with regard to it is not clear. However, it is generally agreed that Windows 7 is faster than Vista and can run on lower-specification hardware and less RAM memory.
For information on Windows and software in general, visit the Software section of this website.
Some desktop PCs come with an internal PCI or PCI Express TV tuner card or an external USB TV tuner. All Media Center PCs come with a TV tuner, because they are media centres that provide television, etc.
If your PC doesn't come with a TV tuner, you can always buy and install one yourself.
You can also use a TV tuner to capture video from a camcorder, or capture VHS video and convert it to a DVD format. Read: USB TV Tuners/PCI Tuner cards: What is the easiest and cheapest way to copy VHS video tapes to DVDs?
Click here! to go to the information on TV tuners on this website.
Visit the Upgrade Checklists pages on this site for checklists and useful information that cover upgrading the main components of desktop PCs of various ages.
Click here! if you want to read some very useful information on printers, keyboards, and mice.
Once you have an understanding of all of the aspects of personal computers, there should be no reason why you could not build your own computer.
A step-by-step guide on how you can build your own PC can be found by clicking Build Your Own PC.
Click here! if you are looking for information on dial-up modems.
In my opinion, my guide is better than most of the other guides I have come across, because it leaves no stone unturned, whereas most of the other guides tend to leave out many of the finer details, obviously out of an erroneous assumption that the reader already possesses that knowledge. An all-too-easy thing to do if you have been involved in building computers for many years, as most of these writers have.
For PC security information, visit the main Security section of this site, or make use of the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages to search for references to specific information on, say, viruses, firewalls, etc.
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