Step 2: Design And Specify
Your SystemYou have now analyzed your requirements, and
in doing so have hopefully decided on your needs and wants for a
PC, whether you want a desktop or
notebook, whether you are going
to build or buy, and how much you want to spend. The next step
is to decide on the particulars of the system you are going to
get, to ensure that it meets your needs.
In order to successfully
design and specify your new PC,
you will want to learn about how PCs are designed and how their
subsystems work. You will also want to understand key
performance and non-performance attributes. Finally, you will
want to learn the important attributes of various system
components, so you can make a choice that best suits you.
Designing and specifying a system is difficult
to explain as a "step by step" process; to some extent it's more
a matter of doing as much research as you can, and as you feel
you need, and then picking the system that you feel is best for
you based on your knowledge of systems and components. Still, I
have tried to break this process into steps, imperfect as they
might be:
Choose A PC Type:
There are several different basic types of PCs; the most
common are
new retail PCs,
new configure-to-order PCs,
new build-to-order PCs,
refurbished PCs and
used PCs. Each has advantages
and disadvantages; you should research these and decide which
most appeals to you. This will guide your other decisions.
Determine Performance
Priorities and Importance: Given your requirements, determine how much performance
you need in your PC, and in what areas performance is most
important for you. You can then focus your energies towards
those key components.
Research Key Non-Performance
System Issues:
Before proceeding to buy your system, be sure you understand
key non-performance issues, especially quality matters, the
advantages of standard designs (compared to proprietary ones),
and the key issues of expandability, ergonomics and
data
integrity. Also
understand the important ways that software issues will affect
your system decision.
Understand Key General Issues
Related to PC Components:
When assessing the components in a
pre-made PC, and especially when specifying components for a
custom or configurable PC, you should understand some of the
important issues related to components, such as
retail vs. OEM components,
"gray market" components,
warranty matters,
name brands vs. generics,
component lifetimes and
component revision levels.
Specify Components For
Your System: Research and specify
the components you plan to use for your system. The exact
approach you take to doing this depends on how much detail you
want to get into. That in turn depends on what sort of your
system you are looking at. In general I would recommend the
following:
- If you are buying a pre-made
desktop
PC,
select components on a systemic basis.
- If you are building a PC or buying a
custom-configured PC, decide if you want to approach the
issue from a
system perspective, or
specify individual components. If the latter,
research the details on each system
component.
- If you are buying a
notebook
PC, select it by
assessing its components based on both
general component issues
and
issues specific to notebooks.
Here are some general tips to keep in mind
as you specify and select your system:
- The more you understand about how PC
systems and components work, the better job you will do with
your buying decision.
- There are good deals to be had in
remanufactured and used PCs, but you can also get burned, so
be careful.
"Free" PCs or ones that are
very cheap due to rebates have a catch.
TANSTAAFL.
-
Keep performance in perspective;
don't overvalue it.
Strive for a balanced system.
- Manufacturers and vendors sometimes "puff"
their products, through the use of
"magic numbers" and exaggerated or
inaccurate benchmarks. Don't be fooled.
Watch out for integrated
components; they can reduce cost but
may also reduce flexibility.
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