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Living in the generation of technology, you should certainly have basic knowledge of computer architecture to cope with the changes. What are the important hardware components of a computer? What should you see before buying a laptop? What do you want to use the computer for? Let us understand the basic specifications and significance of computers. While buying Pc we should always understand the pc specifications beginners.

PC Specifications for Beginners

If you don’t have a general understanding of computers, be prepared to be engulfed by numerous technical terms that the salesperson will throw at you as mandatory features. Yes, most of them are honest and want to help you get the best PC under your budget. However, if you have some knowledge of the fundamentals then you can easily understand their information. Some of the most important components that you should focus on before purchasing a computer are as follows:

Processors

In short, it is the brain of your computer. It resides on the motherboard and does everything that you want your PC to do. The speed of the processor is measured in terms of gigahertz (GHz). In the present context, most of the computers have processors with a speed of 2.4Ghz or 3.5GHz. 

Correspondingly, 1Ghz simply means that the processor can execute 1 billion cycles per second. Therefore, the gigahertz rating is directly proportional to the power of the processor; the more the rating, the better will be the performance. 

Having said that, the speed of the processor is not the solitary factor that determines its efficiency. It also depends upon the number of cores and threads in its architecture. For instance, a dual-core processor with 4 threads can never perform as a quad-core processor with 8 threads. 

RAM

RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. It is a primary, volatile memory that holds your data and information temporarily. Like processors, RAM is also installed on the motherboard and is measured in terms of gigabytes (GB). Here, 1 GB of RAM is roughly equivalent to 1 billion bytes. 

Most of today’s computers have 4GB of RAM. Nevertheless, 8GB of RAM can handle even heavier programs such as video editing, and 3D applications. Similarly, for graphics and software development, 16GBs of RAM makes life a lot better. 

Storage

Unlike other fundamentals, the majority of people are somehow quite familiar with storage. However, the different formats of storage might still be over your head. There are in general two formats:

Hard Disk Drives (HDD)

Hard Disk Drives incorporates spinning platters and moving heads for reading and writing purposes. Besides, it is less costly in contrast to the Solid Slate Drives. 

Solid Slate Drives (SSD)

Solid Slate Drives is a newer technology that is lighter in weight, provides better performance, and can fit inside lightweight, slender laptops. Therefore, they cost a little penny more even though the price is almost equivalent to the HDDs in recent years. 

Graphic Cards

This is the term that you will certainly hear if you walk into a computer store to buy a gaming laptop. On the other hand, this is the same term that will put you in uncertainty if you google it. Many manufacturers come up with graphic cards with several advanced features to boast better performance. 

To explain it in a further simple way, it is an integrated chip that facilitates activities such as watching videos, playing games, browsing the web, and so on. 

Similarly, if you play intense games or use complex 3D applications, you must install a graphic card from a good manufacturer. This significantly improves the performance of your system and your experience. 

Motherboard

If you are planning to customize or build a desktop, you will need to buy a motherboard. It is an electronic component that accommodates RAM, processor, and many other fundamental components. You can ask a local retailer to find the best motherboard as per your requirements. 

Likewise, another role of the motherboard is to mount the cooling system. This is an essential consideration predominantly if you are building a gaming PC. Make sure to prevent your system from overheating. 

Other Essential Modules

Apart from all these essential components, you will also need several other system components. You need housing for your desktop. Choose a case that you can easily open and make the process of maintaining a child’s play. 

Furthermore, you will also need an optimum power supply to run the processor and initiate different computational activities. 

Likewise, you will also need several peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, and monitor to interact with the system.

What to Buy?

Some of these components are mandatory and you must have them to start your machine. Processors, RAM, Storage are a few of the “must-have” components. On the other hand, you can add modules like graphic cards later. Focus more on having a good processor as it is the engine of your computer while staying under your budget. Processors like Intel Core i5 can work well for general use as well as for gaming systems. 

Likewise, you can initially save a little on RAM and storage if you are on a tight budget as you can easily upgrade it any day. But we recommend not to go under 4GB of RAM. 

What Laptop System is Right for You?

Laptops come with a vast array of options. You can find laptops with different processors, internal storage, display size, battery life, and memory. But how can you figure out the best one that can fulfill all your requirements? Multiple modules help you make a concrete decision.

The first and foremost thing is your budget. Your budget will without a doubt play a vital role in selecting the features. Likewise, the second thing is portability. Do you want a laptop to accompany you when you’re traveling? If yes then you should probably go for the lightweight laptops that pack a long-lasting battery life. Similarly, if you want a PC to work on heavy projects from home then go for the laptops with a big screen and robust processor. Choose a PC that you think can serve you in a long run. 

Now, moving towards the processor, CPUs with Core i5 processor serves optimally to most of the general users. But if you are into video editing or playing heavy games or if you use heavy programs then you must step up to i7 or i9 processors. Likewise, when it comes to RAM, anything under 4GB will limit your performance and efficiency. 

You can imply these basic guidelines to both Windows and Mac systems. 

What About Gaming System Specification?

Specifications for the Gaming system are completely different than those for the non-gaming computers. Gaming computers require a powerful processor, a good-sized RAM, and adequate storage. To be specific, you should at least have a core i7 processor, a minimum of 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage drive (preferably SSD). You can always go higher on these numbers as far as it is under your budget. The more, the better. Besides, graphic cards and video memory are also a must for gaming purposes. 

What Should You Do After Finding a Perfect PC?

Once you have spent your time and effort selecting or assembling your system, make sure you check for the newest drivers for your device. This allows you to experience the best performance of your system. Driver support assists you in keeping your PC up-to-date and boosts the effectiveness of your PC without any hassle and guesswork.

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