FREE COMPUTER ADVICE

This page contains computer advice for the beginning or novice computer user.

1. Do I upgrade or Buy a New Computer
2. Ways to Upgrade

3. Considering Cost
4. The Motherboard
5. Computer Size
6. Hard Disk Storage Capacity
7. Software
8. Buying a New Monitor
9. Power Supply

TOP  1. Do I upgrade or do I buy a new computer?

If you are thinking about buying a new computer, this page has computer advice to help you choose the right computer for you. I try to write the computer advice in terms that anyone can understand. When computer tech's speak we usually talk using words that most people can't understand, like gigabytes, terabytes, megabytes, SATA, IDE, and many more terms. I try to give you as much information as you can so you can get a better understanding of what these words mean.

A sure way to tell if you need a faster computer is to ask yourself:

Do the applications on my computer open up fast or slow?

Do I need to install any of the latest programs? If you want to upgrade your software you can check the software manufactures site to see what kind of hardware they recomend. They will have a minimum requirement and a recomended requierment.

If your computer has applications on it that take more than five seconds to open up, then you should probably consider upgrading or buying a new computer; (Not including Start Up).

Most of the latest computer programs will start and run on a computer with a 1200 Megahertz Processor, and 512 megabytes of Random Access Memory. However it is probably best to use 2 Gigabytes of RAM or higher. Microsoft's Business Solutions Software, demands a lot of memory and Processor capability.

Upgrading your old computer's processor to increase the micro-processing speed is possible on almost any computer, but you will need to know who made your motherboard, what type of CPU it uses.

If you bought a proprietary system, in order to find out how further your computer can be upgraded, you will need to check with the manufacturer.

Most any computer can be upgraded. However, computers like Dell, Hewlett Packard and Compaq are sometimes more difficult to upgrade, because they use proprietary components. The parts for these machines can only be bought from them. And, they don't come with the motherboard manufacturer's manual, which is useful when you want to know what kind of memory and how much memory you can install, and what kind of processor and how fast it can be. Gateway computers are made of components you can buy off of the shelf, but they don't have a motherboard manual either. Emachines are part proprietary and part off the shelf components. They have limited support information on their website and they don't provide a motherboard manual.

Keep in mind, if you upgrade your computer without using qualified technician while your warranty is in effect your warranty becomes void.

It is possible to upgrade almost any computer at least a little, however for upgrading purposes, the Generic Computer like ones that we build are the best buy for your money. A generic computer will have interchangeable components that can be purchased off of the shelf for less money, but it will cost a little more to have it built because it is not mass produced.

TOP 2. Ways to Upgrade a Computer

There are several questions you will need to know about your computer before deciding on upgrading or buying a new computer.

Here are some ways to upgrade your machine.

In most cases you must flast the Basic Input Output syste (BIOS) in order to upgrade your machine. You should be able to find the latest BIOS for your system at the manufacturers website, or the motherboard manufacturer. If you can't find it on either of those websites, you can try Biosagentplus.com and for a fee they will send you via email an update. The newer computers and motherboards, have programs that are now easier to use.

TOP 3. Considering Cost:

If you don't have enough money to buy a new computer, you can upgrade your old computer. But if you do have some money saved up and want to by a new computer, there are a few things you should consider before you buy.

The cost of the computer is an important factor but not one that should keep you from buying the right computer for you. If your budget is for an $600.00 computer, and your needs are for a $1500.00 computer, the best way to get around this is buy a computer that is upgradable.

There are a few questions you will need to answer for yourself before buying a new PC.

OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) parts for a computer generally have a minimum one year manufacturers warranty. You can have a computer built with parts that have three year and some five year manufacturer warranties. These warranties are for the manufacturer of the parts not the OEM System Builder. They can be exchanged by any computer repair person or the owner of the computer directly from the manufacturing plant. They usually are a little bit more expensive, but not that much to make a huge difference.

Beware the loss leader machines. Loss leader machines, (machines that are set at the lowest price to bring in customers), because they usually are made from parts that are outdated and sometimes out of warranty. If you buy a loss leader machine, then you should also spend the extra money for an extended warranty.

The best insurance for your computer is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). A UPS will help protect your computer from power spikes, and forced shutdowns that cause issues when running programs cut in an improper sequence. The price on a U.P.S. has declined considerably in recent years. One that will work for protecting your home computer should have around 12 minutes of time before shutdown. It should also include a type 45 and type 12 connector for the telephone and or network wiring configuration bypass spike filter.

With the new Automatic Power Control Interface (ACPI) built into the Windows Programs, when power is cut, the U.P.S. will close any running programs and turn off your computer automatically. Using a UPS can save you hours of work trying to recoup your lost data and help protect the parts inside the computer from Electric Static Discharge (ESD).

TOP 4. The Motherboard

The motherboard is the main component of a computer. When you swap out the old motherboard you are technichally building a new computer. Legally you can not use any OEM software on the new system, unless the motherboard needed replacement, and then you should try to find the original motherboard because the drivers will need to match. Windows programs have a Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) to it that records and stores all of the computer systems devices on it. Once you install Windows on your machine, you can not change the Motherboard without doing a complete reinstallation of the Operating System (OS). If your computer comes with restore disks and doesn't have the Operating System disks, then your system can not be rebuilt without a duplicate of the originally installed motherboard.

The Motherboard is the most importan part of your computer. The Central Procssing Unit (CPU), the Memory, the Hard Disk Drive, and all other components connect to it. The type and quality of the motherboard is a vital decision you must make before buying or building a new computer. Motherboards can range in price from $50.00 to $500.00 depending on its quality, configuration or contemporary nature. The configuration of a motherboard is dependent on what kind of CPU it accepts, and what kind of hard disk drive it is built for. The newer the motherboard and the more contemporary its components, mean the more expensive it will be. You can buy the latest motherboard and install a slower CPU and less memory at first to save money, and after a while when the price of components decrease, you can install a faster cpu and more memory on your motherboard.

The type of Hard Disk Drive interface also helps determine the cost of a motherboard. The more expensive boards use Small Computer System Interface or SCSI for short. SCSI drives generally transfer data at twice the amount than that of the latest Integrated Drive Electronics or IDE drives. You can buy a SCSI adapter for your machine if you wanted to go with SCSI drive interface. The SCSI adapter connects to a Periphial Component Interface Slot (PCI), usually the white shorter slots. Motherboards now have Serial ATA Input Output Ports (IO Ports) that have nearly matched SCSI transfer capabilites.

Before you buy a new comuter, ask the manufacturer or OEM system bulder, what kind of motherboard it has installed in it. Look for a video card expansion slot, and four or more memory slots, so you will be able to upgrade it if you want. Remember, the most important part of your computer is the motherboard.

You can find the more information you may need about what motherboards are and the best buys, at Toms hardware, or Motherboards.org These web sites report tests on motherboards and other computer components.

TOP 5. Computer Size

In order to decide on the type of computer case you buy you will need to know a little about the sizes and types of cases available. You must first decide where your new computer is going to go, and then measure the space where it is going to be placed.

Once you have figured out how much space you need, you'll have to know what size computer you to use. Below are some examples of the different sizes of computer cases on the market to help you make this decision. These are the most basic computer cases.

TOP 6. Hard Disk Drive

The size of your hard disk drive is determined by the amount of data you are going to be storing on it. If you are downloading songs and videos then it is good to have a hard disk drive that will hold a large amount of data. Your computer can become a TIVO machine or a Video Recorder and a Television or Radio. One hour of video can take two gigabytes of hard disk space.

Guidelines for determining the need for storage space are as follows:

The size of your storage space on your hard drive must be adequate enough to fulfill your software needs. Windows Vista now comes on DVD Roms which generally hold about 4 Gigbabytes of information. You will need to have enough space for your operating system, and your other programs.

The following are some questions you can ask yourself for determining your need for storage space:

Computer games take up a large amount of space. A typical game is about 50 Megabytes.

Having more than one user will take up more space. Each user has their own files and settings.

If you have a backup program on your computer such as Norton Ghost or System Restore, you will need more space, because these programs create back-ups for your system, and put the data on your hard drive in a special place.

At this time there are basically four different types of hard disk drives. Integrated Digital Electronics, which operate at a maximum of 133 Megabytes per second, Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Disk Drives, that have a Maximum Transfer Rate of 3 Gigabytes, Small Computer Interface Hard Disk Drives (SCSI) with a 3.2 Gigabyte speed and the newest ones Solid State Drives (SSD).

If you do word processing or other office applications  you will need enough space to put office programs on your computer. There are three main providers of office programs on the market today, , Corel, Lotus and Microsoft.

TOP 7. Software:

One of the most expensive parts of your computer is software. You will need to know what software you want installed on your computer before you buy it so you can save money, because Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) software cost less than retail software.

You can buy a comptuer with just the Operating System (OS), but it is recommended that you have an antivirus program installed right out of the box.

If you want to use your computer for digital video production, you will need video production software.

If you want to use your computer for a small office you will need some kind of office software.

There are many uses for a computer and what you want to use your computer for should be taken into consideration before you buy that way you can have the software you need installed in it from the manufacturer. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) software is usually the least expensive software, and in most circumstances must be installed with a new machine.

There are several different kinds of software that are meant for different uses, and they are all under the License Agreements presented by their manufacturer. OEM software is Original Equipment Software and is considered only used by one machine. That is, OEM software can only be installed on the machine that it came with. OEM software is some of the most pirated software you that is on the market. It is easier to package and duplicate. For more information on software piracy you can go to: http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/default.asp.

FPP means Full Package Product. This is retail software and usually will cost the most. It will come in a box with a manual and a product installation code and can be installed on a one computer at a time, but can be used on a new computer if you choose buy a new computer.

OEM software is almost always the least expensive way to purchase software. If you buy a machine from a system builder, he can install OEM software on that machine. Ask ask system builder for the latest prices on OEM software.

Be wary of the Gray Market on software purchasing. Microsoft has the Genuine Program. They now have a software program that if you want to install or use extra features from Microsoft, you will have to run it before being able to install the program. If your software is not Genuine, your computer will loose functionality, and you will not be able to upgrade programs like Window's Media Player.

If a retailer is selling OEM software without the hardware to go along with it, you will have illegal software on your computer. OEM operating system disks must be purchased with a non peripheral hardware component, such as a new hard disk drive or memory.

OEM applications software like Office may only come installed with a complete computer system. You can be fined if you have non legitimate (grey market) software on your computer.

Retail software can be used on any machine so long as it is installed on only one machine at a time. It is usually purchased in the stores like Office Max, Office Depot, and the like. Retail software is the most expensive way to purchase software, but it can be installed on any one machine at a given time. So if your old machine gets worn out and you want a faster computer, you can use your old software for your new machine.

A third method of acquiring software is by buying licenses and disks. You can do this from the manufacture or their representative. This way usually saves you some money, and the software can be transferred. The website for Microsoft licensing is http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/default.mspx. Licensed operating system software can only be used as an upgrade to a system which already has an operating system installed

Another type of software that is the least expensive way to purchase software, is Educational Software. Educational Software can only be purchased by a person who works at or is attending school and or has child in school who needs it for learning purposes. It is intended for learning purposes only, but works the same way that retail software does, and it can be upgraded for regular use.

TOP 8. Buying a New Monitor

There are two type of monitors that you can buy. One is a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and the other is a Liquid Crystal Diode Monitor (LCD). The CRT monitor has been around longer than the LCD monitor. It is heavier and takes up more room, but costs less than the LCD Monitor. The LCD monitor has come down in price to more affordable levels. There are three things that help determine the quality of a LCD Monitor: the brightness level, the contrast level, and the angle of view. The higher numbers will mean a better monitor. An example of a decent LCD Monitor is 160 degree angle of view, or almost half a circle, with a 1,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and a 300 brightness level. A monitor with these ratings will be adequate to suit most people needs. Another thing to consider is the adjustability of the monitors; can it move up and down, or pivot on its pedestal.

Two connector types are VGA, the standard 9 Pin which has been in use for a long time, and Digital Video Internface (DVI). DVI interface monitors must be connected to a DVI port on your computer. If you have a DVI video out on your computuer or video card you should have a DVI to VGA adapter, so yo can connect a VGA type to your computer. This type of adapter is usually provided by the computer manufacturer, or it will come with a new Video Card. A third type of connector is High Definetion Media Interface (HDMI).

 

TOP 9. Power Supply

Choosing the right power supply is important. It will have to fit the use of the computer. The more periphial components you have and the type of video card will determine the amount of wattage output you will need. The type of motherboard, video card hard drive and CD-Rom installed dictate what kind of connectors you will need. The more power your computer uses, a higher output of your power supply will be required. Some of the newer video cards have a minimim of 350 watts or higher to work properly. Make sure to check the video card manufacturers website before you buy a power supply to help insure that you buy the right power supply with the right connectors. It is wise to look for acitve Power Factor Correction (PFC) ratings on any new power supply you install. They cost a little more, but help protect your computer.

Motherboard connectors are usually 20, 24 and 4 pin. Video card connectors, also called PCI Express connectors have 6 Pin and 8 Pin configurations. I your computer has two video cards installed, it will need two video card power connectors. The hard disk drive connectors are 4 pin molex and SATA power types. The CD-Rom Connecters are the same as the hard drive connectors. A server board uses EPS type power supplies, and it has an extra 8 Pin Motherboard connector.

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