Need a New Computer? Things to Know.

Everyone approaches this moment sooner or later.  It is the moment when the old computer has passed the point of no return, and the performance of it just doesn't cut it anymore.  It is the moment when we know it's time to move on, and purchase a new computer.

However, with dozens of brands, hundreds of models, and thousands of customizations, how do I know what to look for?  What will be best for my needs?  How do I know I'm not getting ripped off?  Whether you desire to custom build your own, or purchase a pre-loaded computer, we have all the info you will need to make the right choice.  The following is a list of important components of a computer to consider when choosing, and we have listed our recommended brands and partners as well.

Processor (CPU)

The processor is most important component to any computer.  Think of it in comparison to the brain of the human body.  Without the "brain", none of the other parts are able to function at all.  The processor sends electrical signals down threads located on the motherboard that communcate to the different extended adapters, such as a video card.  AMD and Intel are the two primary manufactuers of processors, and you can't go wrong with either.  Ensure that you note the hertz rate (frequency) of your processor, as it denotes the speed at which your computer will think over a single thread.  Also be mindful of multithreaded processors, which do this at a much higher rate.  Core i3, core i5, and core i7 processors are examples of newer Intel processors which can even contain multiple 'cores' that maximize throughput of communciation.

Memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory (RAM) is most definitely the second most important component of a computer.  Think of it as a computer's ability to multitask and to respond to massive amounts of input from the user.  Memory in this form is primary, meaning that it is not permanent storage space, but is a form of capacity that a computer can store temporarily and function.  You know how we tend to open 500 web browsers, Solitaire, Quickbooks, and whatever else all at the same time?  The amount of memory affects how well our computer functions in those environments.  Most slowness on computers that isn't software related is usually attributed to a lack of sufficient memory.  This is an area where one should seriously consider purchasing in quality, and also not be afraid to upgrade.  Memory comes in different measurements of DDR, or double data rate; most RAM these days is either DDR2 or DDR3.  Also, be mindful of the amount of gigs your RAM comes in.  Although we recommend having atleast 4gb (four gigabytes) of RAM, a 64 bit version of Windows is required to support anything over than 3gb of memory.  Some good companies to purchase from are Kingston and Corsair.

Video Card (GPU/Graphics Card)

You will find that some computer don't actually come with a dedicated video card; instead, they will have onboard graphics.  For users that don't plan on doing anything graphically intensive, this is not a problem.  However, if you are, you will be wise to invest in a good video card.  NVIDIA and ATI/AMD make the best video cards around, and any graphics card over 1gb of dedicated video memory will be sufficient.  If you want top of the line graphics for gaming, I'd consider buying NVIDIA or ATI/AMD's newest products, which will usually go for around $200-$300.

Hard Disk (Hard Drive)

Hard drives are where all the information of your computer is permanently stored.  Hard drives are measured in two ways: the amount of storage they hold in bytes, and the rotations per minute (RPM) speed that they read.  Typically, a 500gb standard hard drive (HDD) will be more than enough space for a casual user.  However, those looking to be involved in the use or production of any sort of media will want to consider getting atleast 1 terrabyte (1tb) of storage.  Also, the RPMs of a HDD are noteworthy, whereas 5600 RPM is a slower reading HDD than 7200 RPM.  Even still, for those that are looking to create a blazing fast computer, no matter what the cost, there are solid state drives (SSDs) that are incredibly expensive, but are several times faster than a standard HDD.

Popular Computer Companies

For most people a basic Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Sony, or HP will be fine. Be sure to look at the specs of the computer you are planning on purchasing before you actually do purchase it! If you are really into design and art, an Apple may be good for you.  ASUS and Alienware make great gaming computers if you are looking for that. Also, another option is to build a computer yourself. I would only recommend doing this if you know what you are doing and you need a higher end computer. It is not worth building a computer just to check email and browse the web.


We would also highly recommend NewEgg.com as well if you are looking for a new computer or computer parts.

How to Format a Hard Drive on Windows 7

You need to format a hard drive to use it Windows 7. To format a hard drive means to delete any information on the drive and to setup a file system so Windows 7 can read from it and write data to it.

As complicated as formatting might sound, it's not at all difficult to format a hard drive in Windows 7. The ability to format a hard drive is a very basic function that all operating systems have and Windows 7 makes it really easy.

Important: You must partition a hard drive before formatting it. If you've installed a new hard drive but have not yet partitioned it, please see How To Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 7 and then return here to format the drive.

Follow these steps to format a hard drive in Windows 7:

Note: Not using Windows 7? See the tip at the bottom of the page for help.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: The time it takes to format a hard drive in Windows 7 depends almost entirely on the drive's size

Here's How:

1. Open Windows 7 Disk Management from the Computer Management utility.

   Note: You can also open Disk Management from the Command Prompt in Windows 7 but doing so from Computer Management is probably easier.

2. With Disk Management open, locate the drive you want to format from the list at the top.

   Important: Don't see the drive you want to format listed or does an Initialize Disk window appear?

   If either situation above happens, it most likely means that the hard drive has not yet been partitioned, something you must do before you format the hard drive.

   See How To Partition a Hard Drive in Windows 7 for instructions. Come back to Step 3 below when you're done.

   Note: Formatting the C drive, or whatever letter happens to identify the partition that Windows 7 is installed on, can not be done from Disk Management or from anywhere else in Windows 7. See How To Format C for instructions on formatting your primary drive.

3. Once located, right-click on the drive and choose Format.... A "Format [drive letter]:" window should appear.

   Warning: Obviously it's very, very important to choose the correct drive to format in Windows 7:

   • If you're formatting a drive that has data on it, double-check that it's the correct drive by looking at the drive letter and then checking in Windows Explorer that it is in fact the correct drive.
     
     
   • If you're formatting a new drive, the drive letter assigned should be unfamiliar to you and the File System will probably be listed as RAW.

4. In the Volume label: textbox, either give a name to the drive or leave the name as is. If this is a new drive, Windows 7 will assign the volume label New Volume.

   I recommend giving a name to the drive so it's easier to identify in the future. For example, if you're using this drive to store movies, name the volume Movies.

5. For File system: choose NTFS unless you have a specific need to choose another file system.

   NTFS is always the best file system option to use in Windows 7 unless you have a specific need to choose FAT32. Other FAT file systems are only available as options on drives 2GB and smaller.

6. Set the Allocation unit size: set to Default unless there's a specific reason to customize it. It's not common to set a custom allocation unit size when formatting a hard drive in Windows 7.

7. Windows 7 might suggest that you Perform a quick format by checking this option by default but I recommend unchecking the box so a standard format is done.

   In a standard format, each sector on the hard drive is checked for errors. A quick format skips the bad sector search. A quick format will format the hard drive considerably faster but the standard format proves that the hard drive is physically working as it should and is a safe place for your data.

8. The Enable file and folder compression option is probably unchecked by default and I recommend keeping it that way.

   File and folder compression isn't usually necessary in today's world of incredibly large hard drives but feel free to enable it if you think you might use the feature.

9. Click OK at the bottom of the window.

10. Click OK to the "Formatting this volume will erase all data on it. Back up any data you want to to keep before formatting. Do you want to continue?" message.

11. The hard drive format will begin. You can keep track of the drive format by watching the Formatting: xx% progress in the Status field.

    Note: Formatting a hard drive in Windows 7 could take a very long time if the drive is large and/or slow. A small 2GB hard drive might only take several seconds to format while a 2TB drive could take considerably longer depending on the speed of the hard drive and the computer as a whole.

12. The format is complete when the Status changes to Healthy, which will happen a few seconds after the format counter reaches 100%.

    Windows 7 does not otherwise notify you that the drive format is complete.

13. That's it! You've just formatted a hard drive in Windows 7 and you can now use the new drive to store files, install programs, backup data... whatever you want.
    
    Note: If you created multiple partitions on this physical hard drive, you can now return to Step 3 and repeat these steps, formatting the additional drive(s).
    
    -- credit to pcsupport.about.com