Frequently Asked Questions
1. I've got an old computer, and I want to upgrade, what do I do?
2. I'm buying a computer for the first time...what do I need to look for?
1: I've got an old computer, and I want to upgrade, what do I do?
The decision to upgrade a computer isn’t an easy one. The cost of a new computer in this day in age sometimes outweighs the choice of upgrading. Depending on your needs and requirements it might just be better to purchase a new system. However, if you’re dead set on upgrading here’s a few things you could look into doing to make your system better.
1. Upgrade memory, the more memory the better especially with Windows 98. Windows XP likes more room but Windows 98 is not as good at the task of managing memory. Therefore adding more gives it more room to expand. It also removes the need to do constant disk swapping and speeds up your overall system. The big thing to remember is the limitation of your computer. A good technician will find out what your maximum memory expansion options are. Depending on how recent your system is you might be able to go up to 2 gigs of ram or as little as 48megs for older systems.
2. Hard disks, if space is a concern this can be a relatively inexpensive upgrade that will help your system grow however l stress that older systems may require a BIOS upgrade to read from the newer hard drivers. Once more a good technician will check on these things.
3. Video cards, a good video card will always help, video display is one of the main tasks of a processor, which is why newer cards have a processor, which help alleviate the role of the main processor.
4. Processors are dependant on motherboards, and motherboards have limitations, upgrading the processor will always improve performance. However once more the caution is on what the motherboard can support and how much it will cost, if a processor will cost you 90$, and a new system will cost you 200$ which is more worth it? Data transfer can be easily accomplished and moved over to a new system.
2: I'm buying a computer for the first time...what do I need to look for?
A: Your first question to yourself is “What do I want to do with this computer?” The different needs mean that your computer may not be your neighbor’s computer. The needs of one do not mean they are for all. Determining the right requirements as well as how much you want to invest in a computer can help alleviate many unhappy purchases. Too often people just look at the first thing to come along. Purchasing a computer is much like purchasing a car. Determine your means, needs and if you plan to never upgrade. Do you want a computer that does it all at super speed? Or do you need a computer that will just browse the web and allow you to read the morning newspaper online. As you can see there are many questions within this answer, determining the needs and investment are primary in purchasing a new computer. A good technician should ask you these, any who try to just show you a computer without first asking them should be ignored and walked away from.
The basics: Once you’ve determined what you need for the computer, the question then becomes, do we spend more money on a new system or go for a smaller but used system. Determining the needs and budget affect this decision greatly. Also knowing what you need is important. Are 128 megs of Ram plenty? Do I want Windows XP or Windows 98? Many questions should be considered; a knowledgeable and experienced person could help determine your needs. Now that I’ve answered this with more vague questions and given you a rough idea of the time, effort and choices in buying a system, I’ll go over a small lexicon of terms commonly seen on tags and ads for new systems. Let’s take the following system ad and break it down.
This is a typical ad you would see at a store. But what does each item mean?
ValueAMD AMD Athlon XP 2000CPU |
1) AMD Athlon XP 2000 CPU, this is the core processing unit. This is what allows your computer to process instructions. It is the brains of your computer.
2) Biostar M7VIG Motherboard -this is the motherboard without it, you have no computer. Biostar is the manufacturer of the motherboard. Motherboards are like the body of a computer, without it, the CPU (see 1) is useless and will not work. The motherboard also allows you to install parts. Some motherboards like this one also have built in components (Serial/Parallel/USB ports are common) some motherboards also include a LAN and onboard sound/video.
3) Major brand 256M DDR RAM: This is the temporary storage. Memory allows your computer to run programs and is in a way the gas of your computer, without RAM you won’t go far. RAM is Random Access Memory.
4) Maxtor 40G 7200 RPM Hard Drive: This is the hard drive, it will hold up to 40 billion bites of information until it is deleted. Unlike Ram once you turn off the computer the hard drive information will still be there when you return. Hard drives write information on a platter and until deleted will not go away by just shutting down the system.
5) LG 52x32x52 CD-RW Drive: This is a CD-ROM; the disks used are much like musical CD’s you listen to. This particular drive is also a writer, it will allow you to write and create your own CD’s to backup information or make music CD’s with software and a bit of experience.
6) Panasonic 1.44 Floppy drive: An older method of storage rarely used, the 1.44 floppy drive is something all systems usually come with and are only used when booting up in emergency situations. A floppy disk can be used to store up to 1.44 megabytes of information.
7) S3 Pro Savage 8 video: The display controller, this is what you see on your monitor. Display controllers can come on the motherboard or separately on its own card. AGP is the standard usage when it comes to video these days and as with computers, the more memory the better.
8) Onboard AC-97 Audio: Your soundboard, in this case it is built in and provided by the motherboard. Sound is an important piece of the computing experience.
9) Ethernet 10/100 LAN: Onboard once more on this computer setup, the LAN card is used for high speed Internet connection or connection to a local area network.
10) USB Ports: USB ports are the modern version of Serial and Parallel connections of the past. USB ports allow you to expand your computer by adding equipment such as printers, scanners, mice and many more peripheral.
11) Serial/Parallel ports: These are older connections used for older items, many newer systems have begun to faze out these connections since Windows XP sees it as out of date.
12) PS/2 Mouse and Keyboard: Self evident, they are the mouse and keyboard provided with the purchase.
Missing from this purchase is a modem (if you are going to connect using dialup instead of high speed) and a monitor, also a good set of speakers for listening to music. All of these items are usually sold separately and available at reasonable prices during an initial purchase