By Randall Hull
Tech Talk
Q: I am in the process of buying a new computer. What should I look for? Should I get one with the fastest CPU out there? Or are there other criteria?
A: The CPU (central processing unit) is certainly an important consideration. CPU “clock speed,” the operations it can execute per second, has a large influence on performance. Obviously you want a CPU rated in gigahertz. The fastest are based on the Pentium 4 or Power PC G4. Look at dual-processor systems. This offers certain advantages, such as shifting application tasks to the second chip.
But, that’s not all; the amount and speed of memory (RAM) will also affect performance.
If you intend to run Windows XP or Mac OS X you’ll need 256MB (megabytes) of RAM at a minimum with 512MB recommended. A sluggish computer is often the result of too little memory; applications and operating systems will be more responsive with more RAM.
There are two basic types of RAM available: SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM), the standard for PC memory, and RDRAM (Rambus dynamic RAM). RDRAM, is the latest and fastest technology. DDR (double data rate) SDRAM is an enhanced version roughly twice the speed of standard SDRAM and presents a better value. So, choose speedy memory as well as lots of it.
Next is the hard drive speed. Common 5,400 rpm drives are slugs compared to 7,200 rpm hard drives with a seek rate of 8.9 milliseconds or less. That additional “spindle speed” makes a big dent in data access time. The faster your drive can find the data, the faster your computer will respond.
Don’t forget capacity. 20GB (gigabytes) used to be fine for most storage needs. With hard drive prices falling 80GB and 120GB drives are now worth serious consideration.
Also, look for a CD-R/RW (record/rewrite) drive. But don’t settle for a CD-ROM (read-only). CD-R/RWs read CD-ROMs, burn cheap CD-R discs, and will burn CD-RWs - CDs you can overwrite again and again. Some CD-R/RW drives will read and burn DVDs as well.
If you play video games, get a fast graphics card with chips from Nvidia or ATI, and look at sound cards with 24-bit chips. You will feel the game!
A must for broadband connection such as DSL or a home network is a network card or built-in Ethernet.
Don’t even look at a computer that doesn’t have both USB and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports. Digital cameras and external drives can be added easily with these connection types.
Platform is the final consideration. If you are tech-savvy you will be fine with a Windows PC. If computers still intimidate you, consider a Macintosh.
Please keep questions to 100 words or less. Send to: Tech Talk, Town Crier, 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022 or email: techtalk@latc.com. Randall Hull is a Los Altos resident and owner of The Brand Ranch.
