Everyone has muddied their hands in the enormous realm of PC troubleshooting. Whether you are an effervescent geek or a techno-phobic noob, it is highly likely you must have ducked “expert advice” for repairing a desktop/laptop at least once in your bustling lifetime. Yes, snapping in some RAM is not a cinch you can get away with, for it takes a lot of caution and zen-level wisdom. This is why buying PCs is often an easier process when you are less informed. You wind up with a product that is not what you’d wanted, and it simply doesn’t provide value for money eventually leaving you devoid of happiness.

List of 5 Essential Components to Consider When Buying a PC

There are many considerations that need to be factored in to attain happiness in the form of a robust PC that has got it all—from a solid SMPS to a nifty hard drive. Here is a lowdown on all the necessary hardware that completes a PC.

1)Hard Drive

No introductions needed, a hard drive’s a hefty disk that physically stores all your files and applications. Its storage capacity is measured in bytes. Most hard drives are flushed with at least a few hundred Gigabytes (GB), although the latest variants run up to at least 1 Terabytes (TB). A 500GB disk has enough space for over 100,000 songs or high-definition photos, while simultaneously storing your operating system.

2)Power supply

A Switched-mode power supply or SMPS switches the load current on and off thus helping in stabilizing the output voltage. An appropriate power supply can provide greater stability and make your system faster.  To get efficient power conversion and reduce overall power loss at ridiculously good prices, you can buy SMPS online from some quality OEMs.

3)RAM

Random Access Memory is the indispensable short term memory of the computer in multifarious ways. Since accessing the hard drive is a rather slow process during CPU start-up, RAM temporarily stores the data in its fast access volatile memory.

The methodology is simple: The more memory the laptop has, the faster it runs. Ideally, one should aim for 6GB of RAM, but budgetary constraints can be a drag. Nevertheless, you always have the option of extending RAM at the ready. Even though some systems such as netbooks and Macs accept only a certain amount of RAM, a minimum of 4GB RAM always suffices.

4)PROCESSOR

Also known as the brain stack of the computer, the processor runs all your programs and performs millions of calculations in a jiffy. You don’t necessarily have to bank on the fastest chip, but being in the acquaintanceship of a state-of-the-art processor implies you’d be able to run as much software faster. Two big-shots in the ivy league of processors are Intel and AMD. Before splurging money on upgradation, always check you are getting the latest processor for your money.

5)GRAPHICS CARD

Primarily there are two types of PC graphics– integrated and dedicated. Integrated graphics are quite cheap and take care of basic visual needs. If you want to play memory-hogging games or run multimedia apps, you’ll be better off with a dedicated graphics card. It’s always a great investment to bear the brunt of processing graphics usually borne by a processor. Why? It lets you browse through a graphical website and do some high-end video editing at the same time!

Word of Caution: A dedicated graphics card costs a thick wad of money, so map out your needs beforehand!