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Buying A Computer Essay, Research Paper

Buying a Computer today is much more complicated then it was ten years ago. The choices we have are abundant, and the information we must gather to make those choices is much greater. The average consumer is a more educated buyer; they at least have some ideas of what they want in a computer. Yet, we must still ask ourselves these significant questions; such as: What will the primary function of my computer be? What computer components should I consider at the time of purchase? How much money do I have to spend? Where should I go to purchase my computer?

For this report, I will consider the requirements of a typical family: using a mini-tower PC with the Windows 95 operating system, word processing, and entry-level publishing programs; as well as, an anti-virus package, games with high-level graphics and sound, and the internet. I will also consider the following components; those essential for the computer to work faster, and more efficient. They are as follows: Central Processing Unit (CPU) ? System Memory (RAM) ? Storage Device(s). The following is a detailed look at the CPU, RAM, and Storage devices; the important components that you should consider when purchasing a PC.

Computer systems, particularly the higher-end models, come in several Configurations: desktop, mini tower, or tower. The configuration you chose should depend – to some extent – on the amount of expansion, (if any) you may want to plan for in the future. Most tower configurations have a greater amount of expandability than mini tower and desktop models. Also, the amount of space that you have in your home for the system should be taken into consideration. Tower configurations are usually placed on the floor; (however, not the mini tower models) whereas, desktop models are made to sit on

the surface where the keyboard and monitor are located. The first consideration is the CPU.

Today, the Intel Corporation is still the leading manufacturer of microprocessors. However; other chip manufacturers, such as Cyrix and AMD, are rapidly climbing the industry ladder to compete with Intel in the CPU marketplace. Although these other microprocessors are probably just as good as an Intel, there may be some subtle differences in them that may affect their performance. The speed of the processor is very important; this is the measure of its clock rate – which indicates the number of instructions that can be processed per second. Ten years ago, the ?Intel 386? followed by the ?Intel 486? processors, where considered ?state-of-the-art technology?. In 1993, Intel introduced their ?Pentium? model microprocessors. Today, we have processor speeds available up to1GHz.

There are also alternatives as to the model or level of CPU we can purchase. Intel produces a CPU called the ?Celeron?, which uses the same instruction set and software, but has a less sophisticated architecture than the ?Pentium? models. ?Celeron? processors are less expensive, and could mean hundreds of dollars in savings. In addition, AMD produces two microprocessors that compete with Intel?s ?Pentium? and ?Celeron?; they are the ?K6? and the ?Athlon? processors. The difference in the performance of computers that use either AMD or Intel processors, are virtually impossible to uncover; they run the same software, as well as, the same peripheral devices.

Furthermore, computers with AMD processors retail for less than computers with Intel processors ? a great deal for a family on a limited budget. The next component to consider is memory (RAM).

Random Access Memory (RAM), is system memory, or ?on board memory?. Ram temporarily stores data while running application programs (from which one works.) The amount of RAM a computer needs depends on the operating system and application software you plan to use.

To run Windows, your computer needs at least 32 MB of RAM. Today, most computers include at least 128 MB of RAM. The more RAM you have, the faster your system can transport data to and from the processor. Most consumer advocates recommend purchasing as much RAM as you can afford at the time of your initial computer purchase. With memory selling for an average of $5 per megabyte, it makes sense to upgrade even older machines. In other words, if you have $300 to spend to make your system faster, you could buy a faster CPU, and get 1.5 times more speed using the existing memory, or you could purchase additional memory, and get 100 times more speed, using the existing CPU. It is quite easy to decide that the purchase of extra memory is the superior choice.

RAM Cache is special high-speed circuitry that helps the computer operate faster by temporarily storing frequently accessed or recently accessed data. There are two levels of cache memory. Internal or first level (L1) cache is built into the CPU. The first level cache is fastest, because it is used by the internal pipeline instruction processing components of the CPU.

An external or second level (L2) cache can be installed on the motherboard. When the CPU needs data, it first checks the internal cache, which is the faster source. If the data is not there, it checks the external cache. If the data still is not found, a search of the slower RAM must be made. Finally, the third consideration is storage devices.

A storage device can be classified as an internal or external hard drive, a CD-ROM or DVD drive, and the many different types of tape drives on the market. Virtually every computer on the market today comes equipped with a 3.5 floppy drive, one internal hard drive, and a CD-ROM or DVD drive.

The hard drive is the main storage unit of the computer, used for storage of programs and data files, so a high-capacity drive is desirable. Storage capacity, speed, and controller type are typically specified in today?s computer ads. Most computers are generally shipped

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