How to Choose a Computer – No Really
Recently I read an article in the Costco Connection magazine that missed the mark so badly, that I had to write my own. The title: How to choose a computer. Except the “leading high-tech report and author” left most intrepid buyers with little to go on. I don’t think it was his best work.
I have purchased well over 1000 computers in the past 16 years, and not had a single customer return their computer. After you read this article, you will be able to go into any store, online or in a big box, and buy a business computer you will be happy with.
The Minimum
There are three main specifications you should concern yourself with: CPU, RAM, and storage. Compared to your brain, CPU is the raw intelligence of your brain, RAM is how many things you can think of at one time, and storage is how many memories you can recall. The minimum CPU you should buy is an Intel Core i5, sometimes written as Ci5. If you have a bigger budget, buy an i7; it will serve you for a longer period of time. The minimum RAM you should buy is 8GB (eight gigabytes), 16 if you can afford it.
The minimum storage you should buy is 250GB SSD (two hundred and fifty gigabyte solid state disk). Don’t be duped into buying a 1TB HDD (one terabyte hard disk drive). An HDD is a spinning storage device, vs SSD which is a solid state storage device, much like RAM. If storage were your brain, HDD would be like accessing everything you know from reading a book in real time vs just recalling the data from your grey matter; that is the difference in the storage speed of HDD to SSD. Just avoid HDD or SATA.
Here are a couple of examples of computer specs for sale:
The first label has all the right minimums, while the second label is for suckers. Don’t be fooled by the price, the AMD processor, and the 1TB storage. There are two problems with buying a low-spec computer. First, it will probably suck right out of the gate, and second, if it doesn’t suck now, it will suck later. The i5, 8GB, 250GB SSD computer will last you for five years, a lower spec computer will last two, and the i7, 16GB, 500GB SSD will last you seven.
Caveat: These recommendations apply to buying a new computer in the present (December 2020), or whenever you read this blog in the future. Buying a used or old i7, 16GB, 500GB SSD will not give you the same mileage.
A Word About CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Unlike a car, there are no restrictions on how fast a computer can go; but similar to a car, replacing the engine, or CPU, is not easy and often not feasible. Buy the fastest CPU you can afford.
A good place to measure the speed and power of your CPU is PassMark – CPU Benchmarks – List of Benchmarked CPUs . Go there and search the CPU model number and find the CPU Mark. A good CPU Mark for a laptop processor is 6000 or above, and for a desktop processor is 12000. That’s right, your desktop, for the same price or lower than your laptop, is going to be twice as fast. Here’s a comparison example.
Mac vs PC
This is mostly preference. My experience is that Mac is 30% more expensive for similar specifications, but last a little longer than top PC brands. Mac, in the past hasn’t been so good for business, but now that most business, especially small business, is done in the cloud, Mac is no longer a limiting factor.
Regarding PC brands, in most cases this is also preference, but I recommend sticking to Dell, Lenovo, HP, or Acer; if you buy the minimums, you’ll be fine. One thing to consider, however, is whether or not your PC comes with Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Windows 10 Pro costs more because it has greater security features, and more flexibility for business integration. That being said, if your computer came with Windows 10 Home, for $100 you can easily upgrade it right from the Start Menu.
Desktop vs Laptop
Ask yourself, do you really need to have a mobile computer. For a lot of business people, this is the case, but there is an argument for leaving work at work. The best argument for the desktop is that it will be twice as powerful and fast for the same dollar amount spent on a laptop. It is also easier and less expensive to connect multiple screens to a desktop computer vs a laptop. Going back to the brain analogy, imagine having only one eye and one ear and one hand for input, that’s what it’s like to have only one screen on your computer compared to two or more.
Also, upgrading a laptop these days is a pain; brands like MacBook and Surface can’t be done; while other models require many tiny screws to access the guts. Upgrading a desktop is relatively easy and can extend the life of your computer one to three years.
Screen Considerations
Obviously, size matters, but that is not the only thing that matters. The other thing that matters is screen resolution. Resolution is the viewable detail or definition and is measured by the number of tiny LED’s across the screen horizontally and then vertically. 1920 x 1080 (aka HD, aka 1080p) is the most common resolution for screens, and you should not buy any less than that. Higher resolutions are ok, but often are unviewable to the naked eye until you get into large televisions.
In a laptop you’ll want to consider portability vs visibility. A 15″ laptop is pretty bulky, but the screen size and full keyboard are great; a 12″ laptop is awesome for travel, but not so awesome to work on day in and day out.
For desktop monitors, 24″ and 1920×1080 resolution is pretty standard right now, and often cheaper than 22″ monitors because of mass manufacturing. I have not found a need for higher resolution monitors, unless your profession is graphic design. Also, when buying a desktop and monitors, make sure that your monitor and computer have common connections. Most desktops will have DisplayPort and/ or HDMI, make sure your monitor has the same.
Pitfalls to Avoid
We already talked about minimums and buying used. Definitely avoid cheap and AMD; you don’t necessarily have to avoid AMD, but if it is cheap and AMD, then avoid that. A good starting point is $800 for any laptop or desktop, although it’s pretty hard to go to the box store and buy a business desktop these days. If you buy a desktop, don’t forget to buy monitors to go with it.
Avoid Chrome books and cloud books, even Pixel Book. These are sub-standard laptops designed only to run cloud apps. You’ll regret it after a month or two.
I hope this article helps you, my intent was to enable anybody to make an informed decision about buying a computer. If buying a new computer is still overwhelming, Pluto Micro is here to help.