4.3 Buying a Computer This article is partitioned into two parts. The first portion is suitable for those who require suggestions on how to buy systems that best fit their needs. The second part discusses some buying strategies that will help you purchase high-quality items at reasonable prices. What to buy You should really ask yourself first what you are going to use your computer for. The following is my recommendation: 1. For non-intensive tasks that do not require a powerful computer such as word processing, e-mailing, or getting on the Internet, any CPU speed should do the job (yes, the higher, the faster). I recommend Pentium III over Pentium 4 since there is little gain in performance between III and 4. RAM should be at least 64 MB for system stability and speed. For the hard drive, the bigger the better. Generally, 10-20 GB should be sufficient. If you love to store pictures or MP3 files, consider a bigger one or simply add a second one. The monitor size is really up to you. It should be, however, at least 15 inches for your eyes' comfort. Consider buying brand name like Sony for a good quality display. You do not need any fancy graphic card at all. Any card or even a built in will be fine. For the sound card, if you will be listening to the music on your computer, consider a high-quality one. Any mainboard should be okay, as long as it has enough slots to put internal cards in. The board should have a USB port (or more than one) for plugging USB devices into. 2. For graphic-intensive tasks such as gaming, CAD design, or engineering simulations, consider high-end components. The CPU speed should be high -- generally 600 MHz or above. RAM is extremely important here. Put more into your system for a bigger and better performance. I recommend at least 128 MB SDRAM and up to 256 MB. Check your operating system first and see if it can handle that much RAM. For Windows 2000, 256 MB will make the system run as smooth as silk. Choose the bus frequency of the RAM at least 133 MHz for better performance. Also choose CAS 2 latency time, not CAS 3 since the latter requires more time to respond to commands, which will compromise system speed. The monitor size should be "big." 19 or 21 inches will do the job. Consider a high-end model for superior image quality. The best one that I recommend is Sony GDM-F500 (I have this one… hehe...). This is a flat screen display with virtually no image distortion near edges. The dot pitch is 0.22 mm, the best one available on the market (as of 6/1/01). The monitor's resolution can go very, very high; more than what you need for your gaming needs or CAD design. You will be pleased with it. But, yes, the superb quality comes with a high price tag. The price range for a new one is between $800-$1200. For the hard drive, simply put: the bigger and faster, the better. Select reputable brand names such as Maxtor or Quantum for superior performance. For the graphic card, one among several other considerations is that the more on board RAM it has, the better. Choose the one with a GeForce2 or better chip for stunning 3-D rendering speed and performance. For the sound card, as usual, the higher quality the better. For the mainboard, make sure that it supports all the components that you buy (if you buy each of them separately). Pick the one with at least two USB input slots since it is very likely that you will use more than one USB devices, e.g., game controllers, scanner, or printer, at one time. Note that the above suggestions are for desktop systems. Should you need to work with your computer at different places during the day, consider buying a notebook/laptop. Keep in mind that for the same price, a notebook can never exceed a desktop's "static" performance. I prefer PCs to Macs since the PC system offers more compatibility and upgradability with software and hardware available on the market. If you are an expert or know how to put components together, I recommend that you buy each of them separately. Yes, you could pay more for the shipping costs, but you will get the system that is perfect (in your point of view) in all aspects. And if you will follow my suggestions on how to buy good items at good prices below, you will most likely pay less in overall. For more information and professional advices on how to choose a system, please visit www.zdnet.com and click on "buying guides." Buying Strategies From my past experiences, buying computer components from Internet stores is, most of the time, cheaper than purchasing from big brick-and-mortar supermalls (such as CompUSA). Those stores need bigger revenues to pay for stocking items, workers' salaries, air-conditioning, advertising, etc. Their prices are therefore generally higher than online stores that virtually need little or no office space, sales persons, or advertising budget. I frequently find good deals from the following websites:
A refurbished item is an item that people return to a seller (maybe he/she just doesn't like it or it breaks). The store reconditions it back to the original specifications. I bought some refurbished components and they work perfectly OK. They usually carry less warranty period, so try it at your own risk! If you wish to buy a system from a dealer, in the advertisement page they could display pictures of both the computer and a monitor. But watch out for a small sentence placed somewhere near the picture saying: "monitor sold separately." Basically what it means is that you have to buy a monitor separately; it is not included with the computer! So read every letter before buying anything. If something is sold "as-is," the seller does not guarantee the condition of the item when it arrives at your place, and the sale is final unless otherwise stated. The dealer could say that it still works, but when you receive it, it could fail! So I don't really recommend trying "as-is" items unless you are absolutely sure about what you are doing. Every component you buy should come with a warranty period. Basically, should it breaks within the protected period, you can send it back to the seller or the manufacturer for fixing or replacing. Usually you will have to pay for the shipping to them and they will pay for the shipping back to you. You should not get charged for labor costs or replacement parts (unless stated otherwise in the sales terms).
In all cases, before making a final decision, you should look at the final price of the product altogether with the terms (warranty, return policy, etc.). The "final" price of the product is the item's listed price + state sales tax (if required) + shipping + handling. Why? Because you will not be paying at the listed price! The final price is what you will pay, so you should consider this one. In any case, if you are not sure about anything, you should e-mail the website or call them to clarify the matter before submitting an order. I conclude this article with my buying strategy: there exists no single website that offers you the cheapest price bundled with the best terms on every item you wish to buy. The best strategy is to compare the price and terms across stores and select the top one.
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Thai Student Association at the University of California, Berkeley
