Updated November 22, 2024
Being a computer technician, there is one question that I seem to get asked more than any other: "I am looking for a new computer. What do you recommend?". I then spend several minutes (sometimes hours) discussing the various computer configurations. So here is a list of things to look for when buying a new computer.
When it comes to computers, you can get them in hundreds of different configurations. Should you get a laptop or a desktop? Or maybe an all-in-one? These are some of the questions you must ask yourself when looking to get a new computer.
So, I thought I would take the time to share with you what I usually tell my customers. So grab something to drink and a pen and paper to take notes. This might be a long article.
Computer: Should I get a laptop, desktop, or all-in-one?
This question is quickly answered with the Form Follows Function principle. If you need to use your computer in different locations, you will need to get a laptop. If you are going to use your computer in just one place, then a desktop or all-in-one should fill the bill.
Laptops
If you are thinking about getting a laptop computer, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you take a few precautions with your laptop, it can last a long time. I have a netbook that is over ten (10) years old and still looks and runs like it's brand new.
Since laptops are portable, they tend to get damaged more often than desktops or all-in-one computers. The most common damage I see is broken hinge mounts and liquid spills. In over twenty years of repairing laptops, I have only seen one broken hinge; it's always the mounting points that fail.
Once liquid enters a laptop, it will run whereever gravity takes it. And no matter how well you dry it out, some damage will eventually appear. And I am just talking about water here as other liquids, such as wine or juice, contain sugars and acids.
I once had a laptop in the shop that had wine spilled on it. When I started disassembling it, I noticed that the flat cables used to connect the different components inside the laptop had begun to deteriorate. The wires were dissolving from the acidity in the wine.
Desktops
Desktop computers have been the mainstay of the computer form for decades, and they are the preferred style of a computer for business use. With external connections for USB devices, monitors, wired networking, and audio, the configurations are endless.
However, desktop computers come in different forms and are not all created equal. For example, standard ATX, Mini-ATX, and ITX (motherboard form factor) based desktop computers use IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) form standards for computer components.
What this means is that internal components such as power supplies, hard drives, graphic cards, and memory modules are all the same for each of these styles of desktop computers.
And then there is the SSF (Small Form Factor) desktop computer. These use the same style of memory modules as standard desktop systems but use low-profile expansion cards, like graphics cards.
SSF systems also use smaller and lower output power supplies, usually explicitly made to the computer manufacturer's specifications. The lower output power supplies can be an issue when upgrading components.
For example, a customer wanted to upgrade the memory and graphics card in an SSF computer, but it only had a 250-watt power supply. Since everything inside of a computer takes wattage, including memory, I ended up having to find a low-profile graphics card that used under 30 watts of power.
However, some desktop computers have a downside, which is the case's size. Gaming computers usually have huge cases to accommodate cooling fans and liquid CPU coolers. High-power systems generate a relatively large amount of heat.
And, of course, if you are going to have multiple monitors, those will take up a good amount of space, too. I built a system for a customer with six (6) monitors, two rows of three. The system was almost eight (8) feet wide with the monitor array, desktop computer, keyboard, and mouse.
All-in-one
This style of computer is excellent for people that do not have room for separate components (a computer and a monitor). You can get a pretty-good size screen and all of the connections (USB ports, wired network port, and sometimes an external monitor port).
Now, all-in-one computers come with and without touch screen functions. When it comes to touch screens, you have to remember that you will be extending your arm out to use it.
This can make your shoulder hurt after using it for an extended amount of time. You have to ask yourself if getting the touch screen feature is worth the additional cost.
There is also a little-known secret about all-in-one computers that nobody tells you about: they are hybrid systems. Quite simply, they are a combination of laptop and desktop components.
I have worked on quite a few all-in-one computers and found some will use laptop-style memory & drives, some will use desktop-style memory and drives, and some a combination of both.
And heaven forbid you have to replace the screen in an all-in-one computer. Most of the time, you have to completely disassemble them to get the exact model number of the display.
The last all-in-one computer I worked on had six (6) different possible model numbers for the replacement display. It depended on what company had supplied the screen for the system when it was built.
Drive(s): HDD, SSHD, or SSD?
When you are shopping for a new computer, a lot of times, the description you get from the seller lacks some specific details. Sure they will tell you how much storage the machine has, but do they tell you what kind of drive the storage is?
For low-priced computers, sellers will usually just say something like, 'XXXGB's of storage can hold a gazillion photos'. It is only when you get into the mid to upper price range that sellers start to tell you what kind of storage a computer has (HDD, SSD, etc.). So the first thing I want to do is explain the different types of drives.
HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
HDDs offer larger capacity at a lower cost but have a slower read/write speed. HDDs are perfect for the average computer user who just wants to surf the web, check e-mail, and store photos from their phone. They come in two (2) different forms, 2.5" and 3.5", and connect to the computer using a SATA (Serial AT Attachment) interface, which determines the input/output speed. The upside to HDDs is that when they start to fail, you usually get some type of warning and have time to transfer/recover data from them.
SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive)
SSHDs offer the capacity of HDDs with faster read / write speed. As the name implies, these drives are hybrid, which means they are a combination of spinning disk(s) and flash memory. The memory acts as a cache for the data stored on the disk(s). As you use these drives, they learn where the most frequently used data is stored and can access it more quickly than a standard HDD. SSHDs also come in two (2) different forms, 2.5" and 3.5", and connect to the computer using a SATA interface. The downside of SSHDs is that when they fail, it is usually the memory portion of the drive that dies. This makes transferring/recovering the data stored on it a little more complicated but possible.
SSD (Solid State Drive)
SSDs offer extremely fast read/write speeds but can be on the expensive side for larger capacities. SSDs are a collection of flash memory chips and make no noise when running. They are also more resistant to shock and are a better choice for laptop computers. SSDs also come in multiple different forms and interfaces. Regarding SSDs, the most important thing to look for is the interface it uses. It is the interface that determines the read/write speed. SATA interfaces can have a transfer rate of 6GB per second. M.2 interfaces can have a transfer rate of 32GB per second. The downside of SSDs is when they fail, it is tough to recover the data stored on them. So if the computer you are looking at buying has an SSD, perform a regular backup of it.
A good rule of thumb when determining what type of drive a computer might have is to remember that if the size is under 500GB, it is probably an SSD. Drive manufacturers no longer make HDDs or SSHDs smaller than 500GB. Now that we have covered the types of drives let us take a quick look at how they can be used and configured.
Single-drive computers - All-in-one computers and low-priced desktops and laptops usually have only one drive. Also, ultra-thin laptops often have either one thin profile HDD, SSHD (7MM SATA) or SSD (7MM SATA or M.2) drive.
Multiple drive computers - Mid to high-priced desktop and laptop computers can come with numerous drives. You usually see gaming computers with multiple drives that have a smaller, 500GB to 1TB SSD (usually an M.2) for the operating system/programs and a larger HDD, 2TB or larger, for data storage.
I have seen some gaming computers with two (2) SSDs set up in a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) 0/1 configuration. These are rare, but they are on the market. So keep your eye out for them.
While we are on the subject of multiple drive configurations, we need to talk about Intel Optane. You may see Intel Optane listed as part of the storage specification on a new computer.
Now, Intel Optane is similar to the flash memory inside SSHD drives. It can cache the most frequently used files and programs on a drive that it is paired with and speed up reading and writing to that drive. Intel Optane uses an M.2 interface and works best when paired up with a drive, either an HDD or SSD, that uses a SATA interface.
Intel Optane will not improve the performance of drives that use an M.2 interface. I had a customer who had me set up an Intel Optane device paired with an M.2 SSD. Believe it or not, the read-and-write performance went down. Definitely not a good choice.
Processor: What brand and type should I get?
There are two main CPU (Central Processing Unit) manufacturers, AMD and Intel, and both have pros and cons. Intel CPUs usually are a little bit more expensive, and AMD CPUs are infamous for being able to be over-clocked.
All modern CPUs have multiple processing units called cores. The more cores a CPU has, the more data it can process at one time. Then, you have the frequency (speed) at which the CPU processes the data.
But since most CPU's run at a frequency between 3 GHz and 5 GHz, the amount of time you gain using a 5 GHz CPU over a 3 GHz CPU is kind of irrelevant. So it comes down to how many cores do you need.
Using Intel CPUs as an example, the basic Intel I3 processor has two cores and works well for running one program at a time, like e-mail, writing documents, and surfing the Internet. However, it does not work very well when you try multi-tasking with Adobe Photoshop and Autodesk Revit.
On the other end of the Intel CPUs, you have the Intel I9 processor line, which can have up to 10 cores. These processors can handle running multiple programs simultaneously and are the preferred CPU for 3D rendering. But remember, the more cores a processor has, the more money it costs.
Memory: How much should I get?
When it comes to the amount of memory you should get in a new computer, it just comes down to the question, "What are you going to use your computer for?".
The first thing you have to take into consideration is the operating system. Every computer nowadays has a 64-bit processor, and the operating system uses a portion of the memory just for itself.
For example, a 64-bit version of Windows 11 requires 2 Gigabytes of memory just for itself. That doesn't include any other programs. If your computer does not have a separate GPU (Graphic Processor Unit), then the onboard IGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit) would also use some of the system memory.
The bare minimum amount of memory I recommend is 8 Gigabytes, but 16 or 32 Gigabytes is more of a standard amount. 64 gigabytes and higher is nice, but it will add more to the cost of the computer.
Video/graphics card: What should I look for?
Here again, it is all about what you are going to use your computer for. Each type of computer (laptop. desktop and all-in-one) has its pros and cons when it comes to graphics.
All-in-one systems are meant for everyday computing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and surfing the Internet. They usually just have an onboard IGPU that uses the system memory.
Laptop and desktop computers usually come standard with an onboard IGPU and can also include a separate GPU that has its own individual memory. If you are looking for a gaming or 3D rendering computer, you will want a separate GPU.
Now, features available for separate GPUs will differ from laptop to desktop computers. You will find that you get a better selection of GPUs with desktop computers than with laptops. The reason is desktops use PCI-e expansion slots for adding separate GPUs.
For more about expansion cards, check out the following article.
How to add an expansion card to your desktop computer
Either way, if you are looking for a computer with a high-performance GPU, check the requirements of the software you want to run. That will give you the guidance for what GPU features you need.
On a side note, I have had to troubleshoot display issues with laptops that have an IGPU and GPU. With these types of laptops, the IGPU and the GPU run simultaneously and switch between the two depending on the demands of the programs running.
Sometimes these types of laptops will experience crashing when switching between intense graphic programs like games and standard applications like web browsers. The easy fix is to set the GPU as the default graphic processor for all programs.
Monitor: Single or multiple?
I usually tell customers to get the largest size that space will allow. With the display resolutions constantly increasing, having a monitor that can handle them is essential. You will likely own this monitor for over a decade, so you should consider any future use.
When shopping for a monitor, you have to keep in mind how it is going to connect to your computer. You will need to check the available video connections on your computer and get the same type on the monitor. Here is a link to an article with images of the most popular video connectors.
The most common computer video display connectors
Now two types of video connectors also include audio, HDMI, and DisplayPort. So if you plan on using one of these video types to connect your new monitor, make sure that the monitor you purchase has built-in speakers.
If you use an HDMI connection, you can also use a television as a monitor. The resolution may be lower than that of a regular monitor, but you could use it as a television, too. I built a computer with an HDMI graphics card just for my home entertainment system.
Keep in mind that any monitor you buy may not come with the correct video cable to connect it to your computer. Getting a cable at the same time you purchase the monitor could save you a lot of frustration when it comes to setting up the new computer.
And keep the receipt for any cables handy, just in case the new monitor does include the correct one. I would rather have to return a cable at my leisure than have to run out to get one to finish the setup. As the old saying goes, 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'.
What if the computer you are looking at buying can support more than one monitor? If you are going to go with multiple monitors, I recommend getting the same make and model for each one and, if possible, buying them at the same time. That way, you get monitors manufactured around the same time as each other and have matching specifications.
Once you get your new computer set up, you should do a few things first. Here is an article that discusses those things in detail.
Five things you should do first when you get a new computer