Desktops
Desktops come in many shapes and sizes, as do the many components that make them into a computer. It was once thought, that they were superior to laptops, but this fallacy is now fast becoming obsolete with the variety and flexibility laptops offer these days. Obviously a desktop computer is not portable and you do need some space as well as a screen, keyboard and mouse and in some cases a set of speakers also.
Desktops certainly still have their purpose and perhaps will for years to come, it is not just the gaming market that share their enthusiasm, but also business computing, which is an area that requires the versatility that comes with desktops.
So what is a desktop? Well it is basically that box looking thing that most of us call a computer, although the uniformed might incorrectly call it a “hard drive”!! This box usually sits on your desk, hence the term "desktop!" Inside this box you will find several components that together work like an over-grown calculator, crunching ones and zeros that eventually produce an instruction, action or image that we see onscreen.
So with this let’s look at the internal workings of a desktop computer, and see what all the fuss is about? First of all you need a box which is better known as a system case, or just simply a case. These are made in many different ways and some look like a box, while others are a little more flamboyant. Some are in fact, even homemade but they all do the same job. They provide us with a storage like container, which houses all of the internal components that make up your computer.
I will explain what each of these components are and what they do, and also a little on how we install them. This will help you understand not only the way your computer is built, but also enable you to see just how easy it is to customise a desktop computer.
For more information see also: Build a Computer
For more information see also: Build a Computer
System Case
Ok we now know the system case houses all the internal gizmo’s that form a computer, there are a few basic kinds of cases you should familiarize yourself with before you decide on one. Desktops are either flat or tower like in structure, the flat ones are often used for business computers, they save on space and you can also usually place a monitor on top of them.
System cases are classified in terms of their size and shape, this is also known as `form factor'. Regarding business computers, you could say that they have a low profile or slim-line form factor, because they are rather flat, more like a shallow box rather than a tower-like structure.
Low Profile Form Factor - Business Computing
Many business computers do not require huge amounts of power and for this reason you can usually cram everything into a rather small flat type of case. Faster computers requiring massive amounts of power also run very hot and so you need extra cooling, this is usually why fast gaming computers are much bigger than business computers. As a rule the faster the computer runs the hotter it gets, so you need lots of “empty” space with many cooling fans to keep the temps down. For business computing this generally not the case.
When we refer to tower cases we mean a system case that is “tower like” in structure, this is the larger form factor and is often referred to as an ATX form factor or simply an ATX case.
The ATX part comes from the size of the motherboard that fits into these case, the motherboards are a standard size as is the power supply units that fit and power these cases. There is also another size standard known as micro ATX which is the baby of the ATX family, generally speaking if the case is an ATX form factor it will accommodate any ATX board.
These towers are also referenced by their size, usually by height, in this respect you end up with the big Daddy known as the tall tower or “full-sized” tower and the smaller of the family are known as “midi’s” or mid tower sized cases. Many people also call these a miditower and is the most popular for home PC’s. The smallest of the tower group are the minitower and usually look more like a box rather than anything tower-like |  MidiTower |
 Gaming Machine - MidiTower | The miditowers are also used for high-end gaming meaning that these cases have plenty of room for expansion including larger video cards, sound cards, hard drives, sophisticated cooling systems and rows and rows of fast ram. Very often these cases incorporate LED lighting of various colors for enhanced visual effect, mostly seen in the cooling fans. They require extra cooling because of the heat these larger components generate, this also consumes additional power and this means you need a much larger and more powerful power supply. The power supply is known as the "PSU" or power supply unit.
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The tall towers are more suited to server roles where you place many hard drives on top of one another or next to each other forming a massive storage unit. Sometimes this setup will be in what we call a “rack-mount” and this is where you will find many websites are stored, it is not that far different from how you store your photos etc on your own computer except with these guys there are many more hard drives to share the load.
Tips for Purchasing a Desktop
Besides your house, car and perhaps home entertainment system, another item you may spend a small fortune on might be your computer. The decision to purchase a computer will mostly likely be based around budget, there are however, a few other considerations that need some attention should you choose to spend wisely.
The choice between a desktop or laptop will raise its head as will issues regarding space and affordability. If you are heading down the laptop/notebook path, please read my section on Notebooks.
If you are opting for a desktop and you are unsure of what is best, I will provide you with some insight to a few basic rules you need to know in order to secure a good deal and receive a good computer. Below details some quick questions you might consider before you even think about shopping.
· What do you intend to use the computer for?
· How much can you afford?
· How much space do you have where it will be located?
· What size screen suites your needs?
· Will the computer be scalable (can it be upgraded?)
· How much can you afford?
· How much space do you have where it will be located?
· What size screen suites your needs?
· Will the computer be scalable (can it be upgraded?)
Answering these five questions may help you form a basis on what kind of desktop computer will best forfill your requirements. I would like to arm you with enough knowledge and Information on the technical side of desktops, so you can better ascertain what a good computer is, and best sniff out a bargain.
Dare I say it, but history does tell a story and some women have fallen victim to the look of a particular computer regardless of what it has to offer! In some circles we call this impulse buying, and the savage sales sharks just love this fact and take full advantage of it!
|  Impluse Buying! |
Many are totally bewildered by all the technical jargon that comes with new computers. The following will hopefully translate the techno-babble in simple English so anyone reading this will hopefully understand what it is all about. I would also recommend you read my section on Notebooks, as much of that also applies to desktop computers since they use similar technology.
RAM: Random Access Memory
Standard Desktop Ram DIMM - Dual Inline Memory Module
Ram or Random Access Memory, basically it is computer memory and in a nutshell, the more you have the better. It helps increase the speed of your computer, you may see it written or advertised as 4Gig RAM or 6Gig RAM or more. This means the computer has X amount of Gig for memory. Desktop ram chips like the one pictured, are known as DIMMs, or Dual Inline Memory Modules.
So what are Gigs? Well it is the way we measure the amount of memory, Gigs stands for Gigahertz, generally speaking the more gigahertz your computer has, the faster it goes. But I must make clear a topic that many people confuse about Gigs and the speed of your ram.
RAM is also rated by its speed and not so much the amount, an example is PC6400, you may see this written as PC6400 or DDR800Mhz. You can think of this as the speed of the ram, imagine that you had a racing track and this speed represents how fast voltages (shall we say information) enters and leaves your ram. The higher this number, the faster it goes around the race track!
Using the above example with say 4Gig of ram you may see it advertised as:
4Gig DDR800Mhz Ram or 4Gig PC6400
Both of these are exactly the same thing!
The higher the underlined number the better. You are better off to have 2Gig of DDR800Mhz than say 4Gig of DDR400, again, base your purchase on the speed and not so much the amount.
DDR800 can process information at twice the rate of DDR400.
DDR800 can process information at twice the rate of DDR400.
The DDR stands for “Double Data rate”, and replaces the old technology, in fact DDR is usually written as DDR2 or DDRII, which again means double the data rate, so information is process twice as fast as the older technology.
You may even come across a computer system that has DDR3, this simply means it is even faster again, let’s call this “Triple Data Rate,” sounds three times as fast eh! So put simply, the higher the number the faster it is, and to optimize your spending, include in your search criteria as much fast ram as possible.
If you are the multimedia type who likes to work with movies, photos, editing and other ram hungry applications, make a point of shopping for the best ram affordable. I would recommend enquiring about a ram upgrade before purchase if it is possible, or at least see if you can RAM-up your computer later with extra or faster ram.
To see how this is done see: Upgrading Ram
To see how this is done see: Upgrading Ram
Computer Systems we Custom Build and Sell:
These systems are regularly changed depending on pricing and supply. Sometimes delivery may not be possible, we do however offer pickup. Some systems may not be as advertised.
We do provide complete computer packages including Antivirus, Antispyware, Monitor, Speakers, Keyboard & Mouse, Printer and delivery; you can customise your computer to the specifications you want. Just click the link below for a quote or to order your customised system: acompsolutions@optusnet.com.au
The desktops below are the tower only and include Antivirus and Antispyware, we can custom-build them to your requirements or specifications so you get the exact computer you want. !!
Basic Bare Bones Package $450
P4 Intel celeron CPU
1024 Mb Ram (1 Gig)
80 Gig Hard Disc drive
DVD CD/RW Dual Layer
ATX Tower & 6 USB
Windows 7/XP Home
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Bare Bones Package $650
P4 Core 2Duo CPU
2048 MB Ram (2Gig)
250 Gig Hard Disc Drive
DVD CD/RW Dual Layer
ATX Tower & 6 USB
Card Reader Optional
Windows 7/XP Home
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Low-End Gamming $1000
P4 Core 2Duo CPU
4096 MB Ram (4Gig)
500 Gig Hard Disc Drive
PCIe 9600 Video card
Sound Card 5.1
DVD CD/RW Dual Layer
Windows 7/XP Home
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Super Box $2000
I 7 Qaud Core CPU
6144 MB Ram (6Gig)
1000 MB HDD
275 GTX Video Card
Sound Card 5.1
DVD 22x RW
Windows 7 HP Edition
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Turnaround from payment to delivery is usually 3-7 business days for custom built systems. Delivery incurs a $50 charge for all systems
Prices and terms subject to change without notice - Conditions Apply
