What to Look for in a Computer?

Originally Posted 7/03/23

image of a woman using a laptop with code on it

Intro

In this post, I'm going to go over the basics of what to look for when you're trying to buy a new computer, as well as explain some of what the different parts of a computer does. I made a video not too long ago that you can watch here instead if you prefer:

What to look for:

Too long, Don't want to read:

If going for a windows computer, look for at least an i5 with 4 cores. Aim for around 8 GB of DDR4 RAM (or newer), a monitor/ display that's at least 1080P, and a computer that has enough storage for what you'll be using it for (Just general use 300-500 gb, Gaming or a lot of media 1tb+)

If looking for an Apple Computer or Chromebook, just get whatever your budget allows

In Depth

Operating System and Price

I put operating system and price together because your budget can often impact what operating system you can afford. If you want a brand new computer, and want to spend less than $500 for example, you won't be able to afford any new Mac. Laptops that run Windows pretty much run the whole gambit from cheap to expensive computer. And then Chromebooks tend to mostly exist on the cheap end, however I've started to see more expensive chromebooks.

For what to choose, you have mainly three options:

Chromebooks- Chromebooks run an operating system called ChromeOS made by Google. The laptops themselves are often made by other laptop manufacturers, such as Lenovo, Dell, HP, etc. These laptops tend to be extremely cheap and designed largely to just browse the internet, or do light workloads. They have access to the Android App store which is nice and does open up some options for getting apps on them, however they tend to lack the power to run anything that requires a lot from a computer. They are best suited for just browsing the internet, or typing up reports using Google Drive, or things of that nature. There are some Chromebooks that are more expensively priced and can definitely handle more of what you throw at it. Overall though, these laptops aren't the best option if you plan on doing anything like media editing or running CAD, as apps that support ChromeOS are largely limited to what you can find on the Android App Store
Windows- This Operating System is made by Microsoft, and used in computers from a variety of manufacturers. It's generally the most common operating system you'll see. There are windows computers to fit your price range at almost any level, with cheaper computers to be had for around $300, and more expensive ones where basically the sky is the limit on price. Windows is generally a safe bet as an operating system, as almost every program works on it. There are some that are specific to just Apple though, so if you're looking to switch over make sure to research if the programs you are looking for work on Windows. This operating system tends to allow the user to access more settings and behind the scenes options than the other operating systems in this list, and is usually a good starting point for anyone who is interested in learning more about tech.
MacOS- This Operating System is made by Apple, and can only be exclusively bought on Apple computers. Their computers tend to be pricey, with the cheapest computers typically around $1000. They tend to excel at media editing. The other big perk about Macs is that Apple controls a lot more of the production of the computers, as well as the apps allowed on the computers, resulting in (generally) a lot less issues with Macs. They tend to just work, and be fairly intuitive to use. Personally, I find them to be restrictive, however most of my friends who own a Mac tend to love how easy they are to use, and how well it integrates with their iPhone. There are some apps that only exist on MacOS, as well as some that do not exist that do on Windows, so again, if you're thinking about switching and there are certain programs you need to use, make sure they work on MacOS first. There is a much smaller catalogue of video games for Apple Devices than Windows Devices, if you're interested in gaming.

Screen Resolution

There are a couple of common screen resolutions right now (with many in between). The common ones you'll see are:

7680x4320 (8k)
3840x2160 (4k)
2560x1440 (1440p)
2048x1080 (2k)
1920x1080 (1080p)
1280x720 (720p)
640x480 (480p)(This tends to be the resolution on older square monitors/ tvs)

The numbers are a measurement of pixels across the length and width of a display. So, the higher the numbers, the clearer an image will seem. 720p is considered "high definition", though most monitors now a days are 1080p at a minimum. When looking at a computers specs (or a monitors if you need to buy one separately), my suggestion would be to aim for at least 1080p. From there, if you can afford it and want higher clarity, then go for it. But I'd be reluctant to go below 1080p. That said, I know some people who have screens closer to 720p and find it completely fine, so your mileage may vary.

Processor

After looking at screen resolution, the next thing I tend to look at is what the Processor is in the computer. Generally, there are 3 main processor manufacturers for computers:

Intel- By far the most common type of processor brand you'll find. They actually have a good description of their naming on their site here, but I'll also explain it. Intel has lower end processors than I'll list here, and for them you want something with at least 4 cores. Typically though, you'll see a processor listed as an i3, i5, i7, or i9, with most consumer level computers being an i3 or i5. Basically, the higher the number the better. For general use/ browsing the internet, an i3 is fine. For heavier work loads, and gaming, an i5 is good. An i5 is also great for just general browsing, and is typically what you'll find in computers. An i7 is for even heavier work loads (such as video editing) or gaming, with i9s tending to be used for more server grade equipment or if someone wants a very high end experience.
AMD- AMD makes the Ryzen series of chips, which follows the same naming convention as Intel - there's a Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and a Ryzen 9. The 3 is good for basic level things, 5 is good for most people and getting into gaming, the Ryzen 7 is better for media editing and even better at gaming, and the Ryzen 9 again tends to be for more server grade computers or if someone really wants high end equipment.
Apple-As of 2020, Apple has begun making their own chips for their computers and phones. Exclusive to Apple Products, you find the M series chips. M1s were the first out, and now we're onto the M2 chip. When the M1 chips came out, it was huge for Apple. Now that they can also control what chip is in their computers, they can fine tune the computers to run even better, by designing the chip to better suit certain needs (like video editing). The M2 Chip was another big leap forward from the M1 chip, and you can read about it here if you'd like. Apple has the base model M2, as well as a M2 Pro and M2 Max, with the Max being the top of the line chip.

Generally, my advice would be to aim for a Ryzen 5 or i5 processor if you're buying a windows computer and can afford it. You'd want something that's listed as having at least 4 cores ( though sometimes this isn't listed. I think almost all i5s or Ryzen 5s are a minimum of 4 cores now a days anyways). A laptop with an i3 or Ryzen 3 is perfectly fine if your budget doesn't allow for the better processors. For Chromebooks, the lower end processors tend to perform better than they would on Windows, as ChromeOS is generally easier to run than windows. So if a budget is your primary concern, don't worry if the Chromebooks don't have the higher end processors. And then for a Mac, the base level M2 chips are fine for almost anything you'd need to do, though if you are someone who will go into video or other media editing, consider the higher tier chips.

RAM

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It's basically the short term memory for your computer. Your computer can access RAM faster than it can access your hard drive, or other places your data is stored. The more RAM you have, the more the computer can store in that fast storage area, making a computer feel a bit snappier. Most computers now a days have 6 or 8 GB of RAM, which is perfectly fine for almost anything. Try not to go below 4gb of RAM. Most gaming computers now tend to start with 12 or 16 GB of RAM. Generally you don't need to go much higher than that, however if you're getting into serious gaming or media editing, going up to 32 GB of RAM can be nice. Above that is possible, however usually that's only used in server environments.

The only other thing to keep in mind with RAM is what generation it is. We're currently on DDR5. Older office PCs from the mid to late 2000's tended to use DDR3. My advice would be to stick to DDR4 or higher if getting a new computer (which, if not listed, is typically what new computers come with anyways).

Storage

The amount of storage you need is largely dependent on what you plan to do with your computer. If you're just going to web browse and edit things like word documents, you can be completely fine with storage capacity near 300-500 GB (Gigabytes). If you're going to save a lot of photos/ videos, or do photo/ video editing, looking at having at least 1 TB (Terabyte) of storage would be my recommendation. 1TB is about 1,000 GB. Luckily it's become pretty cheap to buy external storage, so if your computer ever starts to fill up, you can just buy an external hard drive to plug in. If you're planning on gaming, I would suggest buying as much internal storage as possible, as gaming from an external device is not optimal.

There are 2 or 3 main types of storage, depending on how you count:

Hard Drives (HDD)- These are what you'd find in older computers, or computers with a lot of storage (typically). It's a spinning disk that reads/ writes data. Now a days, they're mostly used if you need a lot of storage space, but don't need it to be that fast. They're currently the cheapest option for getting the max amount of storage, but the gap is closing fast. If you're ever looking at the specs of a hard drive, and notice it reference an RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), 7200 RPMs tends to be the higher end for these drives. The faster it spins, the faster it can read/ write data.
Solid State Drives (SSD)- These are the most common type of drives found in computers today. They use flash storage, similar to your phone, and so do not have a spinning disk, and therefore can be thinner. Because it's not a mechanical disk spinning, they're also a lot faster than standard Hard Drives. You used to find them only used for small amounts of data (like an operating system), because the price just wasn't worth buying big ones. However, the prices have come down and you can get SSDs with almost the same capacity as HDDs for almost the same price. Given they're faster and have less moving parts, they tend to be more reliable and the preferred option if you can afford it.
N.VME's-In my mind this is a type of SSD, just in a different form factor. These can be even faster than SSDs though given how they connect with the computers motherboard, and have also been coming down in price.

One common thing to see in modern computers is that they'll come with both an SSD and HDD. My general advice would be to get something with an SSD when you can, however personally I would prioritize storage capacity over speed (though I do a lot of media editing and gaming where a lot of space is needed).

Wrap Up

And those are the main components/ parts of a computer I would look at when buying a computer! If I missed anything, or didn't explain something well enough, feel free to reach out to me at steventanzimedia@gmail.com.