Size or Performance:
What's the REAL truth?
You're
ready to purchase a new computer system, but you don't know whether you should
get one that has a 700MHz processor, 256 Megs of RAM and a 30 Gig hard drive or
one that has a 450MHz CPU with 64MB of RAM and an 8.4GB hard drive.
To
make the right decision, you must determine your needs, so answer these
questions to begin:
- Will it be used as a server or a workstation?
- Will it be used to run general business applications such as word
processing, spreadsheets, bookkeeping, etc. or for computationally intensive
programs such as CAD/CAM, modeling or graphics?
- Do
you want to play the latest games, use it to edit video clips or for speech
recognition?
Of
course, a lot depends on your budget, so you may have to comprise, but here are
some guidelines that will help you make the right decisions:
-
If the system will be used as a server, buy the fastest system with lots of RAM
and the largest and fastest hard drive(s) you can afford. Servers are often
configured with more than one CPU and two, four or six hard drives! To really
make the right choice when it comes to servers, you should consult with a
professional. If you need assistance, please email us and we'll help you find a
reputable consultant.
- If
you're going to be using the computer as a general business workstation running
programs such as Word, Excel, and Quicken, then a 350MHZ CPU with 64MB of RAM
and a 8.4GB hard drive is very, very adequate for your needs. General business
applications are not memory intensive and the data files you create with them
are not very big, so unless you just want the biggest and fastest, why waste
your money? Instead, take part of the money you save and make sure your new
computer includes a tape drive or other backup device on which you can
regularly backup your entire hard drive or those important business data files
that you have created.
- If
you are a graphic designer, architect or engineer and you will be using your
system to run CAD/CAM and other programs that require intense computations,
then speed is very important, and the faster the processor, the better. The
same goes for RAM…get at least 64MB. Typically, graphic data that you
create is huge by comparison to word processor files. For example, a 50 page
word document may only take up 400KB of hard drive space, whereas a graphic
file with color photos may easily be 40, 80, even 100MB or more in size!! So,
you'll want to get a BIG hard drive. Perhaps even two drives. One to store your
data, and the other for your software applications and operating system.
There is an argument as to whether you should have one large hard
drive or two or more smaller drives. It's the old 'putting all your eggs in one
basket' consideration. In a one-drive system, you loose all of your data (Of
course, if you're a smart computer user, you regularly back up all of your hard
drives anyway!) It also takes longer to defrag a larger hard
drive.
Video clips and speech recognition are also memory and speed
intensive, so if you intend to use your computer for either of these or if
you're a gamer you'll want plenty of speed and hard drive space. Gamers
especially will also want to consider at least a 16MB AGP video card, if not
one of the 32MB or 64MB cards.
When comes to hard drives, the are two
basic categories: IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) and SCSI (Small Computer
System Interface). Although there have been major advances in IDE type drives,
including faster transfer rates (Ultra ATA/66MB/second) and increased spindle
speed (7200RPM delivers 33% faster spindle speeds than 5400RPM drives), SCSI is
still the fastest and is typically the type of drive you will find utilized in
most servers. On the other hand, SCSI costs about twice as much and you must
also purchase a SCSI adapter card which further adds to the cost. But, if it's
performance you need or want, go SCSI.
In summary, the fastest processor
is not the total solution. If you want speed and performance, you must also
have plenty of memory (particularly if you are running Windows NT that makes
full use of the all of the RAM you have installed, unlike Windows 95 or 98, in
which case 64MB of RAM is maximized) and a large, fast hard
drive.
Although we've only presented the very basics here for you, if
you have a particular question you would like answered, please email us and
we'll do our best to have your answer waiting for you in your email box the
next business day.
- Rich
Poremba
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