If you are looking for a new computer in the new year, or looking to upgrade, this short guide should help you chose the right hardware for you or your business.
8GB RAM – More Random Access Memory means the PC will be able to have more applications open at the same time to multitask. Light users could get away with 4GB DDR4 RAM, if only using the device for holiday shopping and checking emails, for example. If upgrading, you need to research the make and model of the device you are using to see if it can be upgraded and also what version of RAM you will require.
256 SSD – The Solid State Drive provides faster read/write speeds and as such is quicker to start up as well as when opening/closing programs, compared to standard hard drives. In some computer models, you can install a second hard drive. In this instance, you may be able to get away with a smaller 120GB SSD which has your operating system and some applications for fast boot, but also a standard 1TB or larger hard drive. This works well for users who store large amounts of data but can’t justify the cost of a bigger SSD.
8th generation Intel Processor or newer – Intel’s i3, i5 and i7 processors have greatly increased in their capability over recent years. To identify the version processor it will show a number in the thousands, the following example is of the 8th generation: Core i7 8550U. If it has a “U” in the title, it means it is a mobile processor and used in devices such as laptops, not desktops. If choosing a device with a mobile processor, the i5 or i7 processors come with four cores (almost like four brains) which most mobile phones have currently, compared to the i3 mobile processor which have two.
Operating System – If you are an Apple user and have bought a Mac manufactured in the last five years or so, you should be eligible to the latest version of operating system. Equally Microsoft users that have invested in Windows 10 will also get the latest updates and won’t need to purchase a new copy of Windows until the hardware is ready for replacement. For those who are still using Windows 7, support ends January 2020, and older operating systems have already expired and are a data security risk.
By following our recommendation, the Apple or Microsoft device should be more “future proofed” compared to some of the offers proposed to us all by the high street retailers. Care Micro Systems can design, source, implement and support a wide range of technology in conjunction with numerous suppliers and partners. Contact us to help with your next project
