Typical Computer Specs

[wildbeast1628]

Hi,

Ive not been paying much attention to the computer world for a while and was wondering if anyone could help..

What are the typical specs nowadays for a decent desktop PC ie. Speed, RAM, hard drive, etc?

Cheers
Nick

[Abbadon]

Hi, welcome to The PC Guide!

To be able to answer your question, we have to know what this system would be used for. Gaming, office applications, video-editiing/viewing, sound-editing/recording/playback,...

It's not just a matter of how much power a system has, it can also be that certain applications benefit from a specific setup.

Give us your info, and we'll give you ours ;)

[Erik]

When you say typical do you mean just what an average user would have in their home? If that is the case a quick look at what Dell, Compaq, Gateway or HP are selling would probably tell you all you need to know.

[classicsoftware]

Originally posted by Erik
When you say typical do you mean just what an average user would have in their home? If that is the case a quick look at what Dell, Compaq, Gateway or HP are selling would probably tell you all you need to know.

Wow, I couldn't disagree more. The systems they advertise are bait & switch models that are underpowerd in just about every area. Get a great system for $499 HA!! You can't run Windows XP with 128 MB RAM unless all you want to do is boot to the desktop.

Assuming you are NOT into heavy gaming and just want to do some word processing and browse the internet. Here are some basic specs.

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 processor 2.8ghz. With new prescott model having a slower FSB but more onboard cache and provides the best value/performance now. There are similar AMD chips that are just as good though I am not familiar with them

POWER SUPPLY: I would think 350-400 watt power supply.

OPTICAL DRIVE: I would get a CD-RW. They are cheap enough now and they provide a great way to back up your data, OS partition, and make music CD's etc.

HARD DRIVE: 40 GB 7200 RPM IDE UDMA 100 hard drive should be fine for most users. Here is where most people on the forum agree. You MUST have a seperate partition for your OS. Once installed & tweaked. Back up your OS on CD and if anything goes wrong, your back in business quickly.

RAM: 512 MB.

OS: I am partial to Windows XP Professional. I think it's superior to the home addition, especially if you plan to network and it's so easy almost everybody will soon.

ON BOARD PERIPHERALS: I may cause a stir here, but for the average user I feel on board NIC,Video, and sound are just fine.

MODEM: Again, I may have some detractors, I prefer an external serial based hardware modem. They are faster, more reliable and don't use any system processing power to operate and they are getting cheaper all of the time.

PORTS: One serial, one parallel and as many USB as you can get. Firewire would be great if you could get it. Gtet a system with 2 PS2 ports. Try not to waste USB ports on the keyboard & mouse. USB ports on the front is a MUST now adays.

ISP: To get the most out of your computer, you really need to pony up and get a broadband (cable/DSL) connection. This requires you to use a hardware router to be safe. I personally prefer Linksys, but others here also like Netgear and Dlink.

Monitor: The basic 17" CRT monitor will work great. Get the lowest DPI you can. If extra bucks are in the budget get an LCD. You won't regret it.

Software: You will need a good AV software. AVG and Avast are free and easy to use. You will also need a software firewall. I have used the free versions of Zone Alaram and Sygate. Sygate was very easy to setup and use. Great for a beginner. You will need anti-spyware tools. Including Spywareblaster and IE Spyadds. As for office software, I personally prefer WordPerfect over M$ office. You can also download Star Office for free.

Misc: Get a larger tower case. They provide better air circulation and run cooler than the cramped desktop and mini-tower cases. Get a floppy just in case. Get a really good surge protector or UPS. Here I only use APC. Their products and service are first rate. The basic keyboard and mouse are fine for most users. If you are a serious touch typist, get a natural keyboard. They are easy on your wrists and your performance will improve. A mouse is a personal thing. I personally prefer a trackball. I am nursing three logitech trackman Vista's and I think they are great. These are things you should try out if you are going to upgrade.

This should give you a start....

[Abbadon]

Originally posted by classicsoftware
ON BOARD PERIPHERALS: I may cause a stir here, but for the average user I feel on board NIC,Video, and sound are just fine.
[/B]

I agree on most parts, except this one maybe. Even for non-gamers, I always advice a seperate vidcard. The onboard variaty steals away from other system resources, which is no biggie in a non-gaming enviroment, but still: WinXp Pro runs heavy and when you're running several apps simultaniously... I dunno, maybe just supperstition or gut feeling on my part. :)

Onboard nic and sound are just fine indeed.

Maybe ad a dvd-player into the mix? There are combos: dvd-player + cd-writer nowadays; all in one neat little device.

[Erik]

classicsoftware,

I didn't say that thos systems are any good, just that it is probably what would be found in most homes. Many people don't really know anything about computers, and how to configure them, so just go for the best deal they can find. Maybe if they know a bit more they will just go for something with some upgrades, but still from one of the major makers. These won't be the best systems, or probably not even good systems, but I would bet they are the most typically found. As I said if by typical he is asking about what would be found in an average buyers home, or in other words most commonly found. You know how many people have asked me for advice on buying a computer, who I have told don't buy the Dell specials because I could build a better one for the same money have just went and bought one anyway?

Now if by typical he means a good middle of the road system, that isn't the latest, but won't be a paperweight next month, then I pretty much agree with your specs. Except for the onboard video that is. You can get good video cards really cheap, and as Abbadon mentioned they free up system resources. I really don't see much reason for using system RAM or processor power to graphics if a video card is so cheap.

[saphalline]

I, too, will be nit-picking classicsoftware, but only because you have presented the most thorough answer thus far. I don't mean to be mean, honest! :eek: :D

Intel's P4 "Prescott" doesn't have a slower FSB (same 800MHz FSB as the other new P4's), just a longer pipeline (31 vs 20). It doesn't perform as well as the older "Northwood C" at speeds under 3.4GHz, so I don't recommend getting a Prescott for most people, despite the increased cache (1MB vs 512KB) and improved hyper-threading and improved branch predicting algorithms. Again, the only reason Dell uses them is because they're "new" so they must be "better", right? :rolleyes: Prescott is signified by the letter "E", Northwood C by the letter "C", and Gallatin (aka Extreme Edition) by "EE". Older P4's to avoid are "B", "A", and the ancient "Willamette".

Average hard drive size these days is more like 120GB. Whether or not you actually need this much space, 120GB represents the "sweet spot" for pricing.

Onboard video: I agree, this is fine for most people. While it's true that a dedicated vid card improves performance, the fact of the matter is that WinXP's eye-candy can be turned waaaay down. Not to mention that since 3GHz is quickly approaching as the average speed of a new PC, and since RAM is dirt cheap these days, giving up some CPU speed and RAM for onboard video is not going to bring a PC to its knees! Especially when all you're doing is surfing the web while listening to some MP3's. Besides, I have played a few games on a Dell with onboard video, and I was pleasantly surprised at the performance.

Good point about cooling. Gone are the days of the 386 when a heatsink slapped on the CPU was all that was needed (and no thermal pad/paste!). Nowadays you need a massive heatsink, thermal paste, and a fan - just on your CPU! You'll likely to also have a heatsink & fan on your vid card (and maybe mobo chipset), two fans in your power supply, and an extra case fan or two just to keep the rest of your system happy. The whole thing is getting out of hand - as computing power rises, so does the need for cooling and wattage. 400W for your power supply is a must, and some people are even buying 550W PSU's!

RAM - 512MB is average for those who build. 256MB is considered the minimum for WinXP. 1GB or more for those who use intensive apps, like games, big Photoshop files, CAD, etc. I have 1GB and plan to double it soon.

[malcore]

Just to nit-pick a bit more. There are two oddities when it comes to the Pentium 4. One is called the 2.4A (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-116-178&depa=0) and the other is called the 2.8A (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-116-180&depa=0). The odd thing is both are Prescott chips, both use a 533Mhz FSB, both have 1Mb of L2 cache and both have the strange "older" A identification letter.

So classicsoftware is partially correct as is saphalline, neither are ever wrong.:)


Edit- another strange thing is neither of these processors support hyperthreading.

[classicsoftware]

Nit pick away......

On second thought,

You really think you need a 500 watt PSU to run a 1 HDD, 1 CD-R and sime system case fans.........?????????????


I thought I put together a really decent middle of the road system tahtw ill serve an average user pretty well without costing an arm and a leg.......

You really think 512 MB RAM is needed for an average user.

I'd rather keep the lower PSU, the smaller HDD, the lower amt of RAM and spend the difference on a nice flat panel display...... IMHO......