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| | Many of you have asked what are some guidelines for purchasing a new computer. This webpage is intended to try and give you some direction in a
way that it is always up-to-date.
For the time being, we are recommending Dell computers. They are
reliable, cost competitive and they offer up to a 4-year warranty. In addition,
their service and support is second to none. When we need replacement
parts, we normally have them the next day or on the 2nd day depending on what
time of the day we call for the replacement parts.
One thing we DO NOT recommend is to purchase parts and build your own
computer. If you decide this is the way you'd like to go, you will have to
take the responsibility of keeping track of all warranty information and
resolving problems under warranty with the manufacturer.
One good place to start with the specifications of a PC is with the software
you intend to run on the PC. In most cases, computer software will give you
the minimum hardware necessary to run the software and the recommended hardware for
the best performance of the software. Use this as the basis for
configuring your computer.
As for the specifications for a new computer, use the below chart as a basic guideline
and recommendations when configuring a new PC computer. Remember
that these are only suggestions and not strict guidelines. We are
just trying to give you some idea of what to look for when shopping for a new
computer.
| Processor |
The processor should be the fastest available or something
within 10% of the fastest processor. For instance, if the fastest
processor available is 3.0Ghz, you should purchase something between
2.7Ghz and 3.0Ghz. To give you an example of the changes in
technology when it comes to processors, in just 6 months, processor speeds increased by
about 20%. As for the manufacturer of processor, both Intel and AMD processors work very
well. For laptop computers, we recommend a processor that
will provide the best extended battery life. One processor that we do not recommend
for computational use is the Intel Celeron processor since these processors perform poorly when used for
computational purposes. Otherwise, they will work just fine. If
you are going to use the computer for heavy computational use, you may
want to consider the Intel Xeon processor, the Intel Itanium processor or
the AMD Athlon 64 processor. Mobile Processors are slower in
clock speed but perform as well as most regular Intel or AMD processors.
Use the same 10% guidelines above within the mobile processor speeds. |
| RAM (memory) |
The absolute minimum amount of RAM that we recommend is
equal to ½ of the total RAM an average computer will hold. If a computer
will hold a maximum of 2GB of RAM, the minimum you should consider is 1GB
of RAM. Under no circumstances should you ever go below ¼ of the
maximum RAM. A general rule of thumb... If this is computer is going
to be used for computational use, more RAM is almost always better. |
| Hard Disk Size |
We always recommend the largest hard drive available.
With the increasing space needed to load the operating systems and
programs, the amount of disk space required to hold the OS, programs and
your data increases. |
| Monitor |
When you can afford them, we recommend the LCD flat panel
monitors. They give you far more desk space, their quality is very
good and they use less power.
When you are not able to afford the
LCD monitor, we recommend the CRT monitor with the flat screen. For
the CRT monitors, these will provide the best quality image on the screen.
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| Video Card |
There are many video cards that have 32MB, 64MB, 128MB and so on. You
should decide what video card to order based on the planned use and needs you have for the
computer you are purchasing. If you are going to be doing very detailed, high
definition graphics, you should consider something with a reasonable
amount of RAM for the job you are doing. |
| Floppy Disk Drive |
Many companies do not provide you with a
floppy disk drive as a regular feature. Many are making them an
option and charge about $15 add it. Since there is only 1 size (1.44MB) available, adding this to your
computer should be something you decide based on your needs. |
| CDROM, CD-RW, DVD, DVD_RW |
There are many drives available for writing data to a CD or
DVD media. The main difference between the CD-RW and the DVD-RW is
the amount of data that can be stored on a single disk. The CD hold
about 650MB of data and the DVD holds about 4.7GB of data. In any
case you should always get the device with the fastest write
speed.
One thing to keep in mind is that the writable CD is a great way to
backup your data.
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| Network Card |
A network card is normally included in the configuration of
the PC. However, if you are purchasing a laptop, you may want to get
a wireless network card in addition to the internal network card.
Many areas on Campus have access to the Internet via UF's wireless
network.
The one thing to keep in mind with wireless network cards
is that they MUST be WiFi compatible.
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| Sound Card and Speakers |
Most of the time, the sound card and the speakers that come
with a new computer are sufficient for the needs we have in the
Department.
Normally laptop computer have the speakers built into the
computer. With a desktop computer, you may need to purchase the
speakers as an option to your computer.
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| Removable Media |
Sometimes you may want to have the option of storing your
data to some sort of removable media other than a floppy disk or a
CD. Due to their limitations, Zip Drives are not as popular
as they use to be. Unless you have a specific need for this type of
media, we recommend that you avoid these drives.
One form of removable media that is becoming very popular are the
USB Flash Memory Sticks. These devices can hold up to 2GB (at a
price) and can be carried in your pocket. These are compatible with
most any computer that has a USB port.
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| Printers |
In most cases we recommend the Hewlett Packard line of
printers. They have a wide variety of the types of printer available
and they are extremely reliable. |
| UPS |
A UPS is always something that is nice to have on critical
computers that are doing computations or are servers on the network.
With a UPS you can avoid most interruptions due to power failures or
fluctuation in the power. |
| Warranty |
What kind of warranty should I look for? If someone
offers a 1 year warranty, that is far too short. The minimum
warranty you should settle for is 3 years. We expect all computers
that we purchase to last for 3 years so we want to keep them under
warranty during that time.
Here is something to keep in mind. Labs computers are financially
supported by your lab funds and not Department funds. Having to
replace parts that are not under warranty can be rather costly.
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