What do you keep in mind when buying a computer, the most?

[theblackalchemist]

<PUBLIC POLL>

 

What do you keep in mind when buying a computer, the most?

 

>Motherboard

>Processor and related stuff

>RAM

>GPU ( Graphics Card)

? Cooling

>Other Hardware ( Mouse, Keyboard etc....)

>Something else, which i have said below.

 

 

 

I am expecting thoughts to come, saying that we would go for a well balanced computer or :blahblahlah:

but the thing you look at first when deciding a computer?

 

Oh and use this thread to post your config if you wanna :)

 

 

Regards

TBA

[theblackalchemist]

I prefer Processor,

as it actually represents raw power for me.

 

So i chose a Quad Core>RAM>Motherboard>GPU in my order of preference.

 

My Beautiful Rig:

 

Intel Quad Core @ 2.4 Ghz

4 GB DDR2 Ram

DG33 FBC motherboard

Nvidea 512 mb card --->> (Soon to be replaced)

 

Regards

TBA

[GAHD]

Motherboard & related: Specifically FSB speed. All the power in the world don't do ya any good if it's bottle necked.

[freeztar]

What about price? :shrug:

 

Just teasing. I'm with GAHD on this. The mobo is most important.

[Moontanman]

If I was shopping for a computer what should I look for in a mother board? I know of no way to compare motherboards. I do have a tiny amount of knowledge when it come to things like speed and memory (not much but a little) what should i look for in mother boards?

[freeztar]

If I was shopping for a computer what should I look for in a mother board? I know of no way to compare motherboards. I do have a tiny amount of knowledge when it come to things like speed and memory (not much but a little) what should i look for in mother boards?

 

I typically look for four important letters...ASUS. I love their boards!

 

Unfortunately, when you buy a computer at a store (this is especially true with laptops), you usually do not have a choice.

[Boerseun]

Definitely motherboard.

 

Other thingies can be easily upgraded and replaced as time goes by, but if your motherboard is limited in terms of what it can handle, then like GAHD said, the best performance of any of your components will be determined by any bottlenecks created by a limited mobo.

 

Also, don't buy a complete computer off-the-shelf. They are normally horribly underspecced, but with one high-spec component that looks good on paper. A shitty little machine, but hey - it's got 4Gigs of RAM! AWESOME! - and the rest blows. And the genuinely high-end off-the-shelf PC's are so overpriced its not even funny.

 

Also, don't go for state-of-the-art components. In about six months you get them at the same price as current hardware. I normally look for hardware that was cutting edge six months ago. The performance benefit doesn't outweigh the ridiculous pricetag.

 

But hey - that's just me...

[GAHD]

Also, don't go for state-of-the-art components. In about six months you get them at the same price as current hardware. I normally look for hardware that was cutting edge six months ago. The performance benefit doesn't outweigh the ridiculous pricetag.

this is the best advice I've seen today. All Hail the singularity.

[Moontanman]

Ok, how do i judge the mother board?

[freeztar]

Ok, how do i judge the mother board?

 

First, by brand. Some manufacturer's employ much higher components and testing than cheapo mobos. As mentioned, I like ASUS. They've been around for a while and I've never had a problem with their boards (nice warranty as well). Others can probably recommend some other good manufacturers that they've had good experiences with. The problem with ASUS is that they are typically more expensive than their competitors. (you get what you pay for)

 

So, besides picking a good quality board with quality components, there are other things to look for. As GAHD and Boerseun have alluded to, the FSB (front side bus) is *very* important. The higher the better. It doesn't matter if you have the fastest chip available if your FSB is slow. It will indeed bottleneck your system. As the saying goes, your system is only as fast as your slowest component.

 

Other things to look for: SATA or IDE support, built-in shared graphics card?, other built in components (like wireless), temp monitoring, power monitoring, and RAM support. These depend on your needs and what other components you are working with.

 

If you are interested in buying one, let me know. I can help you pick out a good board that will fit your needs. :esmoking: