Buying a Desktop Computer Basic Information

Do you have a desktop computer? Do you know the parts you need in building a computer? If you don't want to be fooled by the sales agent in a computer store, you might need this basic information.

If you are going to buy a desktop computer, you will need the following parts:

Main Board or Motherboard - You must know what your motherboard supports. Ask the sales agent if it is for processor like Intel, AMD and more. There are motherboards that only support processor like Intel and vice versa. So, you must also be aware about it. Another thing, ask them or look at the box on what memory, graphic card and hard drive is supported by your main board.

Hard Drive - it is where you store your files. If you are a gamer or would like to download movies, image, video and more, you should buy hard drive with bigger capacity. If you are a programmer or a designer, consider buying hard drive with better capacity to lessen your problem. Consider also what hard drive your main board supports. Nowadays, the main board supports SATA but still, there are some motherboards that support IDE cable.

Memory or RAM - This is important because some main boards support only DDR1, DDR2 and now DDR3. If your board supports DDR2 sometimes DDR1 will not work in your board. You might end up buying another memory or a main board and it will certainly cost you more.

Processor - Intel and AMD are the most commonly known processors. There is main board that supports only Intel or AMD, so you should be aware of it. It is important to know what your main board supports to avoid buying the wrong one. Sometimes, if the core is higher, the better is its performance.

Optical Drive - it is a CD or DVD ROM. It is important if you are going to install your Operating System and other programs with a CD installer.

Casing - is where you will put all the parts. It's like the cabinet of your CPU where all parts are assembled.

Power Supply - This is where our computer gets power to operate. This is important. If you don't have it, your computer will not work.

Monitor - CRT are the old ones and these are usually bigger. I recommend using LCD. Not only it is easy to carry but LCD today gives better visual result and it's also energy saver.

Now, there are also computer parts which are already built-in to the main board like LAN. LAN is used for networking and internet. Sound card is also built-in on the board. However, if you want to have a better sound you can buy a sound card with 5.1 channels for better performance. You should buy a speaker that supports 5.1 channels as well for this. Video card or Graphic card is also built-in to the main board. But, a main board actually has low graphic card built-in. If you are going to use your pc for documenting, it is not advisable to buy a graphic card. For gamers, the higher the video card of your computer, the more games it can support and the better graphics you will have.

These are some of the basic parts you should remember when buying a desktop. Always ask help from someone you can trust who knows a lot on computer so you won't buy the wrong computer parts. Desktop is also expensive. So better be wise in buying. But one of the benefits of a desktop is that you can maximize or enhance every part that it has and you can even customize the physical appearance of your CPU.

As a computer and internet savvy, Rachel Robinson often writes about computer accessories and laptop computer memory reviews. He also loves creating computer related articles as well as other similar topics to blogs, e-zines and other websites.