Specifications & Hardware - A crash course
If a spec sheet on a computer looks like Greek to you, this page is here to give you a basic rundown of what those numbers mean so that you can make an informed decision about your new PC's hardware.
- Motherboard:
This is the central circuit board that all the other components plug into. The motherboard needs to be able to support all of the hardware you want to use. For instance, if a processor has a 1,000 MHz front side bus and the motherboard only supports an 800 MHz front side bus, the system will run at the lower speed. Additionally, the motherboard should have enough RAM slots to expand the amount of memory at a later time. It's important to match the motherboard to the hardware you want to use.
Computer Works Northwest very much favors Asus and DFI motherboards. These two brands are considered the standard to which all other motherboards are judged. Although they are a bit more expensive (10-15% more) than competitors, we value quality.
- Processor:
This is the "Brain" of the computer. The processor (also called CPU, short for Central Processing Unit) does exactly that - process information. There are many styles of processors available, from two main brands: Intel and AMD. Although we offer both brands, Computer Works Northwest prefers AMD CPUs.
There are several specifications on a CPU to pay attention to:- Speed. This is usually measured in GHz (Gigahertz, there are 1000 MHz per GHz).
- Cores. There are single, dual, and even quad-core CPUs. A dual-core CPU has two processing cores (which can process twice as much data at once), while a quad-core obviously had four. Single-core CPUs generally have a higher speed, but aren't always faster - for instance, a single-core 3.8 GHz CPU will not outperform a dual-core 2.4 GHz CPU. Dual-core CPUs are becoming more popular, and single-cores will probably be phased out in the next few years. Almost all of our machines offer dual-core CPUs.
- Front Side Bus speed. This is the speed of the chip through which the CPU communicates with the motherboard and RAM. 800MHz is a good minimum; 1000MHz is better; New AMD processors offer a dual-channel bus at 1000MHz for a total of 2000MHz, which is ideal; thus why we use primarily AMD CPUs.
- A CPU specification should look like this:
"AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ CPU - Dual 2.0GHz CPU cores"
"AMD" is the brand, "Athlon 64 X4" is the type or "family", "4000+" is the model, "Dual 2.0GHz CPU Cores" indicates the number of cores and speed.
- Memory (RAM):
This is where the computer stores data that it's currently working with. The more RAM you have, the more your computer can do at once - meaning better multitasking ability. Data stored long-term resides on the hard drive; programs and data being used right now are in RAM.
For example, when you open a word processor program on your PC, your computer finds that program on the hard drive, and then copies it into the RAM so that it can be used by the processor. More RAM means your computer won't slow down when running several programs at once. The important numbers are:- Amount (Size): 1GB is the minimum you should purchase in a new computer today; the next generation of software will require more than 1GB of ram. 2GB is very sufficient for today's needs and should run the next generation of software adequately. If you want the best in performance and want to be as "future proof" as possible, go for 4GB.
- Speed: The ram needs to be able to go as fast as the motherboard. RAM speed is measured in DDR (DoubleDataRate) cycles, and a typical RAM speed would look like this: DDR2-800 (PC6400). Make sure the RAM and motherboard are rated for the same speed.
- Hard Drives:
This is where data is stored when it's not in use. All of your documents, programs, your operating system (below), etc... reside on the hard drive until they're called for use and copied to the RAM. When purchasing a hard drive, here are the specs to look at:- Size, measured in GB (gigabytes). How much space you need depends on your storage needs - if you intend to store a lot of digital photos, music, movies, etc... you'll want to look at a big hard drive. 80GB is a good minimum, and is sufficient for most home users. Hard drives come in sizes up to 1TB (1000GB) now.
- Speed, measured in RPM. This is the rotational speed at which the hard drive spins. The faster the drive spins, the faster data can be extracted from it. 7200RPM is the industry standard now; don't buy less. 10,000 RPM hard drives are available but are pricey. We offer them on our high-end machines.
- Interface. New hard drives use the SATA interface rather than the old IDE interface. SATA is much faster, and prices on SATA technology have come down far enough to reach the mass market. We use SATA hard drives in all of our machines.
- RAID - short for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is a technology which makes it possible to combine two or more physical hard drives into one virtual hard drive. The purpose for this is usually data backup.
Consider a system running RAID1 mode, which means two identical hard drives which are "mirrored" at all times. If either drive is to fail, the data is still safe on the other drive - providing for a constant data backup. Additionally, when the computer is reading data from the hard drives, it can read from two drives at once - effectively doubling the read speed. We offer RAID on all of our machines over $500.
- Case:
The case is simply the chassis the hardware is installed into. When selecting a chassis, we make sure it has enough space, mounting brackets and drive bays for the hardware you want to put in it. Beyond that, selection of a case is mostly aesthetic. If none of the cases shown on this website excite you, let us know. - Power Supply:
The power supply (or PSU, short for Power Supply Unit) provides power to all the components of the system (Kind of self explanatory, isn't it?). The PSU, along with the motherboard, are the foundation of a system, and are not good places to pinch pennies.
We prefer to always use name-brand, high-quality PSUs such as Antec, Thermaltake, Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, etc... over generic PSUs.
Power output is measured in watts, sometimes just abbreviated W as in 450W. The PSU needs to be able to put out enough power to keep all of the components running without struggling.
Dual or even quad 12-volt rails provide an extra layer of power stability, and are offered on our higher end machines. - Optical Drive:
DVD and CD drives are referred to as optical drives because they use a laser to "optically" read data from the disc. All of our machines offer DVD+/-RW drives, sometimes called "SuperMulti" drives because they can read and write all of the popular formats of DVD and CDs.
If you intend to duplicate discs frequently, you might want to consider a machine with dual drives to speed up the process. - Software:
We offer you a choice of Windows XP or Windows Vista on all of our machines. Many people are disapointed with the performance of Windows Vista, and we can't blame them. Just let us know which operating system you'd like installed on your new PC. Ironically, they cost exactly the same wholesale, so it doesn't make a difference to us. - We'll install free antivirus, firewall and Office software at your request.