3 Things to Remember When Buying a Desktop Computer. Or The Not So-Geeky Approach to a Desktop PC Purchase.

3 Things to Remember When Buying a Desktop Computer (or The Not-so-geeky Approach to a Desktop Computer Purchase)

So you’re on a tight budget but you want a decent brand new desktop pc to be your workhorse for the long haul (hopefully).  You can’t afford a mac because that would mean not-buying your other smaller dream gadgets which are basically just glorified alarm clocks you would otherwise throw against the wall  if not for their their pricey tags.

You need a powerful PC for your more demanding computing needs. Somewhat a notch higher than the a laptop or a tablet when it comes to “power” and way higher when it comes to “unstealability”. Grammar police, you heard it right, UNSTEALABILITY , UNSTEALABILITY, UNSTEALABILITY. The desktop PC is UNSTEALABLE…almost. And if you still have a problem with “unstealable”, eat your heart out,  I’m working up the ladder to be  like Shakespeare, the word inventor who contributed   3,000 new words in the English language. That’s 1 new word, 2,999 more to go. <Alas, just googled unstealable and 3,7400 results unmade my day>

A Desktop PC built from scratch– that’s what you want. No, not from DELL , not from HP but from IBM… not quite.   IBM-compatibles- yes. Cloned PC’s —-the ones you can customize like salad in a salad bar.

There are only 3 things you should remember when buying a computer. Forget about all those technical terms or geek jargons about computer specifications, they will only cloud your mind. Take it from a true blue geek like me who practically earns a living by tweaking those seemingly complicated pc  hardwares and softwares day-in day-out.

So just remember, 3 things.

I.   Hardware

II. Software

III. Aftersales Service of Computer Store

I.  HARDWARE

Easy now. Don’t get intimidated by the term. It’s not that hard. When it comes to hardware all you need to consider are 4 things: processor, RAM (or memory), hard disk and motherboard.  But honestly, personally, I don’t even think much about of the processor. I only focus on RAM, hard disk and the motherboard.

1. Processor

The Rival processor brands Intel and AMD are pretty much at par with each other. However I suggest that if you are into hardcore gaming, choose AMD; If you’re into graphic design , video-audio editing/production, go for INTEL. Just remember the higher the speed the better, but if you are into a tight budget, you can opt for a middle-range processor. How do you know a middle-range or so-so processor? Simple, just look at the list of available  processors in the store. Ask for assistance from that smiley store attendant( yes that one, that skinny enthusiastic young guy, he’s new therefore friendly).  Then focus on  items at the center of the list!

2. RAM or Memory chips

If you want a nerdier discussion, just google the darn thing. But true to the title of this blog post, a RAM chip or memory chip, simply put  is that part of the computer which can affect the processing speed of your computer, a sort of booster for the processor. The geeks and engineers will kill me for this but this is my pre-geek  or anti-geek notion of the Memory or RAM chip.  If the processor is the brain of the pc, the RAM would be the “level of education”. This not very accurate, but this is my blog so I guess I’m entitled to my own mistake. Sue me.

Technically, a RAM chip  serves as temporary storage for your computer. It is vital to the moment for moment process of the computer (oops geek language check). Of course, like the processor, the higher the speed, the better. I recommend a speed not lower than 2 gigabytes.

Recommended brands:  Corsair ,XTremeDDR ,Micron, Samsung , Kingston .

3. Hard Disk

One word:  STORAGE

The bigger the better

Recommended: 300 gig to infinity

“Infinite gig”.

Now that’s some  poetic license (or bloggic license) at work <bloggic? hmmm…>.

Recommended brands: Seagate, Western Digital  and Samsung

Not so recommended brands: Maxtor, Fujitsu, Hitachi and Generic Brands

Nightmarish brands:  All hard disk brands with the words “Factory Restored” on their labels.  (I almost killed a Computer Store Owner because of this.)

SATA or IDE ?

What is SATA? What is IDE?

again one word: CABLE

difference?

speed. SATA is way faster than IDE .

strenght.  IDE is stronger and sturdier than SATA but slower. SATA cables and hard drives are arson-friendly peripherals. Or maybe their earlier versions. SATA cables and drives hate frequent unplugging and tweaking. They self-destruct.

However, you don’t have a choice but to go with SATA cables and drives, they are the status quo of hardwares. Anyway, SATA technology is no longer in its infancy, rest assured your new SATA’s are  better than their predecessors.

Still into IDE’s? Got arsonphobia? Well, deal  with it. You have no choice, motherboard manufacturers are already phasing out the IDE slot.

now speaking of Motherboards…

4. Motherboard

That “board” which puts together the processor, memory, hard disk, optical drives and other less important parts of the pc that we wont bother discussing because they will only violate the title of this post (ungeek, remember?).

Any brand-new motherboard will do. Personally, I had a bad experience with Jetway Motherboards, I hope they  already cleaned up their act.

Recommended brands: ASUS, Intel, Gigabyte, VIA, ECS, MSI,

Brands I tried when I have to choose between high-end   boards and nutrition:     E-Maxx and ASROCK

With  electronic devices, I am biased towards the old-timers (manufacturers/brands). They are arguably better because they had logically dealt with a lots and lots of  trials and errors in the past . Try the new brands at your own risk.

A Motherboard with more than 4 USB slots would be great.

A Motherboard with firewire ports, built-in vga/hdmi / memory card slots, sound and lan is awesome.

A Motherboard that does not self-destruct in 1-2 years  is awesome-awesome.

 

II.  SOFTWARE

Software is actually 90 percent of your computer’s utility and processes but I will discuss it  more briefly than HARDWARE to spite software heavyweight Microsoft and its leader  Bill Gates, that greedy bastard.

Operating System :  Windows 7  any version may do but I recommend   Win7 Ultimate .

But you want Windows XP still. The over-all feel of Windows 7 is all too alien to you.

Okay, if you want 10,000 malwares bugging you every nanosecond of your online life,  install Windows XP.   Microsoft and antivirus companies had practically disowned and abandoned the  XP version, not releasing helpful updates and support. Rumor has it that  Microsoft itself is sending bugs to PC’s on XP in order to  catalyze the demise of this beloved Windows version -so dearly loved that many a version are spawned by third party programmers/hackers. Versions that, to the dismay of Microsoft, are far better  than the original.

And don’t get me started with Windows Vista . And I quote  Microsoft vice president  Mike Nash, ” Vista Sucks!”. End of Story.

Buy original  (or you can use a cracked version and get in  trouble with the law, your choice).

At this point, you might as well figure out that I am a hesitant Microsoft Loyalist. Yes, I love the software I grew up using but I hate the company for keeping the software unstable and vulnerable all these years (and charging  for it).

For the other softwares you need to complete your pc set up, consult Google. I just lost my appetite.

By the way don’t forget to install an antivirus. I recommend a paid or premium or full featured antivirus but you can install a free antivirus like AVAST or AVIRA for minimal protection. Microsoft is the primary target of  millions of virus and malware authors around the globe <I hope they die in their sleep>, at least get some form of minimal protection.

Back-up your system and your data from time to time. Google how to back up your system and data. When your system crashes, with a back-up system in place, you can easily recover everything in  a couple of clicks.

 

Now, Finally…

III  PC STORE AFTER-SALES

Most likely, all PC stores have the same supplier. Or all PC suppliers supply  similar items to different PC stores. So what to look for in a Computer Store when everything else is equal? –Superb after-sales service.

After-sales is   warranty and guarantee.  1 Year warranty is good, 2 year-warranty is exceptional. 1 year service warranty is ok, a lifetime guarantee is bullshit. 

For me, when it comes to cloned pc’s (ibm-compatibles, assembled pc’s),  after-sales is about the period of outright replacement measured in units of time. After 2 months ,  a pc store, at least here in the Philippines, seldom replaces outright  a defective computer part .  Most PC stores only give 2 weeks of outright replacement. After this period, it takes months for a computer store  to replace a defective computer part. If you’re lucky, the store  would burn-in or pull-out your item for a week before replacement.

Just keep in mind, outright replacement period, warranty and guarantee.

Good Luck and always keep your cool when dealing with Computer Store After-sales. Been there. Done That. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes they get hurt.

Click here to see where  it is relatively safe to buy desktop computers in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Peace-out. <am sure going to edit this blog post from time to time>

 

-   Xandrix Aguas

geek but not so geek