HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS
Module 1.3
SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BUYING COMPUTERS:
Need to be mobile ?
Hardware specifications of the software you want to use
Never get minimum
Current standard specifications for an entry-level and a more advanced computer in the
category you are considering
A legal operating system provided ?
How would you know ?
Always buy the best product that your budget will allow
CPU
Responsible for running programs and processing data
Speed - Measured in Gigahertz (GHz)
Multiple cores (e.g. quad-core) - like having more than one processor on the chip
Entry level CPU should be sufficient for Personal, SOHO and Mobile users
Power users - The best CPU they can afford
RAM ( Memory )
Temporary storage area for data and programs that are being processed
Identified by terms such as DIMMS, DDR3, DDR-4 etc
DDR3 - Double Data Rate Type 3
SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
If 4 GB RAM is used make sure you are using a 64-bit operating system for full support
Power users will definitely require more memory
HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)
The main, permanent storage area for all your data and software
Computers like file servers in a network, will have a number of large hard drives
Can be identified in adverts by terms such as SATA & the speed measured in RPM
Solid State Drives (SSDs) use technology that is similar to flash memory
Power users may need to install a series of hard drives that act as one unit ( RAID )
Module 1.3
SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN BUYING COMPUTERS:
Need to be mobile ?
Hardware specifications of the software you want to use
Never get minimum
Current standard specifications for an entry-level and a more advanced computer in the
category you are considering
A legal operating system provided ?
How would you know ?
Always buy the best product that your budget will allow
CPU
Responsible for running programs and processing data
Speed - Measured in Gigahertz (GHz)
Multiple cores (e.g. quad-core) - like having more than one processor on the chip
Entry level CPU should be sufficient for Personal, SOHO and Mobile users
Power users - The best CPU they can afford
RAM ( Memory )
Temporary storage area for data and programs that are being processed
Identified by terms such as DIMMS, DDR3, DDR-4 etc
DDR3 - Double Data Rate Type 3
SDRAM - Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
If 4 GB RAM is used make sure you are using a 64-bit operating system for full support
Power users will definitely require more memory
HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)
The main, permanent storage area for all your data and software
Computers like file servers in a network, will have a number of large hard drives
Can be identified in adverts by terms such as SATA & the speed measured in RPM
Solid State Drives (SSDs) use technology that is similar to flash memory
Power users may need to install a series of hard drives that act as one unit ( RAID )
