There are many computers on the market today. It is hard to understand exactly which ones are worth buying or even worth their money. For those who do not know anything about computers it is especially difficult to know what is needed and what everything inside a computer really is. So what exactly are all of the fancy pieces of hardware in a computer and what types are better for which people?
The main thing most people think of first when buying a computer is memory. This is most commonly interpreted as hard drive space, or the total amount of things the computer can possibly store. Computers memory are measured in bits and bytes. One can think of a bit as simple the amount of memory needed to store one letter or character. One byte is equivalent to eight bits, one kilo-byte (KB) to 1000 bytes, one mega-byte (MB) to 1000 kilo-bytes, one gig a-byte (GB) to 1000 mega-bytes, and one tera-byte (TB) to 1000 gig a-bytes. Any computer with less than eighty GB of hard drive space is not worth buying. Most software today require multiple gig a-bytes of memory to be used. So when one has many programs installed onto the hard drive at the same time, memory is quickly used up when there is a small amount of memory. The number which one should try and find is somewhere around 160 GB or higher.
But how does one know exactly how much memory they will need? The easiest answer is to decide what the computer will be used for the most. If Internet access is the only use, then less memory is alright. But if one is going to store multiple files, programs, and use for many different things, then a higher number is needed, probably 160-300 GB. Memory much over 300 GB is complete overkill unless the main purpose of the computer is for gaming. Computer games take up the most space of all, and if one is installing multiple video games, then a huge amount of memory will be needed.
The next important thing to look at when buying a computer is the Random Access Memory or RAM. This is the amount of memory the computer can actually access at any given time. In other words, the amount of RAM determines how many programs one can have running efficiently at any given time. Many improvements have been made in this aspect of computers over the last twenty years. Presently, no computer is worth buying that has less than 1 GB of RAM. Determining how much RAM is needed is very similar to determining how much hard drive space is needed. For basic uses, 1 GB is sufficient. For the use of multiple programs and storing multiple pieces of data, around 2 GB will work perfectly. As before, any more than 3 GB is overkill unless the computers main purpose if for gaming as video games use up the most RAM space.
The final thing to look at is the processor. This is basically the brain of the computer. All of the commands entered into a computer are sent to to the processor (CPU) before anything else happens. Print commands, requests to access data, requests to run programs, et cetera are all processed through the CPU before they are actually carried out. So having a decent processor with a good speed is very essential. Even with a large hard drive and a lot of RAM, one's computer will not be fast without a decent CPU. Today, the most common CPU is a version of the Dual-Core processor. This should be efficient for most uses.
There are many things that are important to look at when buying a computer. Hard drive space, RAM, and the CPU are all extremely important aspects to look into when buying a computer. It all comes down to what one wishes to use the computer for as to what pieces of hardware are sufficient. The more basic, the less is needed, and the more advanced up to gaming, the more is needed. But one must make sure that they get the right kind of computer or what they need. If they get too little, the computer will not be fast at all and not work as they had intended. If they get too much, then money is wasted that could have been spent elsewhere. So the best thing to do is to think of what you want to use the computer for, determine what hardware you need, and set up minimum requirements for a computer to have before you buy it. And when in doubt about an aspect of a computer, ask for clarification so you know what you are getting and that you are getting exactly what you need.
