The use of laptops or Personal Computers (PC) are becoming essential in our daily routines in this fast-growing technological world. Hence it is important to get a durable and reliable PC to use to be able to perform basic tasks.
There are leading brands in PC production such as Toshiba, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, Microsoft and Apple. These brands have built a fine pedigree over recent years in PC production and getting any of them will guarantee you reliability.
However, the issue related to getting a laptop or PC has to do with the basic components such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Hard Disk, Processor, Battery capacity and of course the price.
This article will touch on three of the main specifications individually for you to build enough information to get a PC of your choice.
Getting yourself a PC
I have had many people tell me they needed a PC just to perform basic tasks such as typing, watching movies and using video conferencing platforms such as zoom.
However, many tend to forget that our demands grow as times goes. Many find themselves a low performance PC only to come to the realization that they needed a high performing PC to run some high-end computer softwares.
Hence, I will always advice my audience to acquire a high-performance PC which can perform sophisticated tasks like graphic designing and gaming whether they will use those computer softwares or not.
With that being said, let us get into the specifications of laptops.
Laptop or PC Specifications
Laptops or PCs come with various specifications. It is important to know all these specifications for you to acquire the best type.
1. PROCESSOR:
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) commonly referred to as processor provides the processing power that the computer needs to do its work. Hence, the higher your processor, the faster your PC can complete its tasks.
Everybody will agree to the fact that we all wants things done quickly when working; that is why you need the highest possible processor within your budget.
Currently the Intel Core i9 – 12900K and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has the highest processor performance with 16 cores at 3.2GHz speed. In other words, each CPU core runs at 3.2GHz which means that the total speed of a PC with the above CPU will be 3.2GHz multiplied by the 16cores. Get it now?
Here’s a chart of the hierarchy of Intel and AMD processors.
The Intel Celeron N4000, which is the lowest on the chart, has a 2 Cores at a speed of 1.1 – 2.6GHz. So, in this case, the highest speed of the processor will be 2.6GHz x 2 Cores. Clearly, a PC with such speed will not be efficient to execute on high-end softwares.
However, consider having an Intel Core i5 with 4 Cores running at a speed of 2.3 GHz. A PC with this processor can be able to execute high-end softwares at a faster rate.
Tip: So, when getting yourself a PC, consider your budget and get the highest processor with a combined speed of at least 9.2 GHz. To do this, multiply the number of CPU cores by the speed.
2. RAM:
The Random Access Memory (RAM) is another component to look out for. The RAM of a PC combines with the processor to execute commands efficiently. Hence, just like the processor, the higher the RAM, the more efficient your PC performance.
The RAM is where computer softwares run and store information during active processing of the software. The RAM stores information temporarily and that data is lost as soon as the active software is closed or your PC is shut down.
To explain further, it is the RAM which helps a PC user to minimize their running applications and come back to it later without losing the progress of the active software.
High RAM capacity increases the transfer of data speed between the CPU and the RAM itself.
RAM comes with different versions like the DDR-2, DDR-3 and the DDR-4 and with capacities up to 128GB. The latest RAM technology is the DDR-4 model with 128GB memory.
Tip: One advantage of RAM for PCs is that. It can be easily upgraded and replaced to enhance your PC performance. For instance, if a DDR3 4GB RAM is slow for you, then replacing it with an 8GB DDR3 RAM should do the trick.
3. STORAGE:
Computer storage has seen a lot of evolution to improve upon its efficiency. The Hard Disk Drive (HDD) has been the classic main storage media for PCs.
Modern technology has evolved to bring forth a more efficient type known as the Solid State Drive (SSD). This is not to say that HDDs are irrelevant. They all serve the same purpose, that is to store and retrieve data.
SSDs have however been designed to perform extremely quicker than HDDs. This has made SSDs more expensive on the market. You can opt for any of them to store your permanent data on your PC.
Just like the RAM, HDDs are also replaceable. So whenever you feel your storage space is not enough, you can purchase a higher one to replace it.
Tip: SSDs are extremely fast, durable and expensive while HDDs have large storage spaces up to 2 Terabytes (TB) at an affordable price on the market. Your main PC storage will only affect your PC performance if it almost full with stored data and softwares.
Opt for an external storage media and upload your important information from your PC storage onto it to free up space if your HDD or SSD is almost full with stored data.
Other Specifications
Other specifications such as battery, screen size and webcam should also be looked out for when buying your new PC.
If you’re not sure of how to check all these specifications, be sure to go to the shop with an IT expert to check it out for you.
Also Read: 5 Misconceptions about Charging Phones
