Which computer model is better to buy. Inexpensive gaming system unit: description, tips for choosing

I decided to devote several articles to the choice of various devices such as a system unit, monitor or laptop for work at home or the Internet. In this article, I decided to start with an article about how to choose a computer, namely the system unit.

Let's start with the fact that first you need to decide why we are buying it at all. This can be divided into several criteria: "For work", "For fun and games" and "Crap! So that you can do everything in it !!! "

Let's take a little look at what is included in each criterion:

"For work" R12; this includes working with documents, working on the Internet and browser games like "Farm" (but it does not include working with video processing, editing, and so on, I will explain later why), since they do not require great performance and consume small computer resources.

"For entertainment and games" R12; this category includes working with multimedia and of course games, because they require more performance and take up a lot of computer resources

"Crap! So that you can do everything in it! " R12; This category includes work with multimedia, work with 3D graphics (if you do not want the computer to slow down), games with the latest technology, plus this category of computers will provide you with sufficient performance for many years to come.

Now let's take a look at what parameters a computer is selected by. What do we see in the shop windows when we choose a computer? And we see tags on which some incomprehensible numbers are written, these are its parameters. Next, I will try to explain to you what is written there. And so, where do we start our choice:

1. The case of the system unit

The case is not that important when choosing. Does not affect performance, so it can be chosen to taste. By the way, system units with excellent performance do not always have beautiful cases, so you shouldn't pay close attention to this. Let it be better not beautiful, but nothing will slow down and everything will fly, plus it will provide good performance for many years to come (in the event that you have chosen the 3rd category of computers)

2. Processor and their number

On the tags in the store, the first thing to do is indicate which processor is installed and the number of cores in it. Basically, the labels do not indicate the number of cores, but simply indicate the processor model (this is in ordinary stores, in online stores all parameters are indicated). How to determine how many cores by the model.

For Intel processors usually the number of cores indicates the presence of the word “Quad” or “Duo” in the model name, where “Quad” indicates that the processor is four-core, and “Duo” is R12; two nuclear.

On processor models AMD usually the number of cores is indicated by a number and the letter X preceding it.For example, if the notation is present x4 R12; then the processor has 4 cores, if x2 R12; then dual-core. (As a last resort, you can ask the seller)

3. Core clock speed

When choosing a computer, pay attention to this parameter. It is usually denoted like this R12; 2.8GHz, that is, it is measured in hertz (well, this is natural, because the frequency is measured in them). The frequency of the computer cores varies from about 2.6 to 3.3 GHz. In general, I will not go deep into this parameter. Therefore, the larger it is, the better (although 3 GHz is enough to try, the main thing is that there are more cores)

4. RAM

This is the next IMPORTANT parameter that you should pay special attention to, since the RAM plays a large role in the performance of the computer. It is measured in gigabytes and at the time of this writing varies from 2 GB to 32 GB. (Below we will consider for which type of computers which memory is better to choose)

Small digression:

Friends often ask: R12; "And with what memory is it better to buy a computer?" Not understanding at the same time what memory is in general. So, I explain it so that it is clear to a simple user. The computer has two types of memory: operational and physical. Operational R12; it is like a temporary one, in which something is constantly recorded and stored there until it is needed, and after being unnecessary it is erased or overwritten with the latest used information (like a transshipment point or warehouse, and the larger it is, the better, the faster the computer will work ). A physical R12; this is what is stored on the hard drive, i.e. all your files that are permanently there. The speed of your computer does not depend on its volume, but how many movies will fit on your computer.

5. Video card

Also a very important parameter of the system unit. Namely R12; video card memory. This is something like video-only RAM. This parameter is especially important if you want buy a computer for games... It is also measured in Gigabytes, so it is very important not to confuse it with RAM. It is indicated in the video card model and varies from 512 megabytes to 2 gigabytes. This parameter affects the performance of the video and you should pay attention to it if you choose a computer for games, i.e. the bigger, the better.

6. Hard disk

And the last important parameter is R12; it is a hard disk or its capacity. Hard disk space does not affect computer performance. How much you can cram into your computer depends on it (i.e. files that take up a lot of space or weigh a lot, for example, movies). I will try to explain it in human language, so that it is clear to the user who is not very versed in this, and I will give comparisons.

Hard drives range from 320 Gigabytes to 2 Terabytes. Those. in one terabyte 1000 gigabytes, and in one gigabyte 1000 megabytes (it all depends on the console). For example, one song of some sort should be from 3 to 10 megabytes. And here it is already easy to calculate how many songs can fit on a 320 Gigabyte hard drive (simple mathematics). Let's make an even clearer comparison. One movie (depending on the quality) weighs on average 3 Gigabytes (from 1 GB to 10 GB), and it is easy to calculate how many movies will fit on a 1 Terabyte hard drive (1000 divided by 3, it turns out about 300 films).

Now it remains to decide what you will have in your computer, documents (which take almost nothing) or a collection of films.

Now let's find out how to choose a computer using an example.

For example, we need a computer at home to work with documents, well, and surf the Internet (let's say in classmates). Basically, we will use a program for working with Microsoft Office documents that works with the usual ".doc" formats (that is, with ordinary documents) and some kind of browser (no matter which one)

1. In this case, you can pay attention to the case of the system unit.

2. When working with documents, too much performance is not required. But we also do not want the computer to slow down. Therefore, we choose a dual-core computer.

3. The clock frequency of the core is also not too important and you can stop at choosing at least 2.8 GHz

4. RAM for working with documents is quite enough from 2 to 4 Gigabytes

5. The video card also shouldn't be chosen "Super duper", but it will be enough for 1 Gigabyte (even 512 MB will be enough)

6. You should not choose the most powerful hard disk either (the word “powerful” does not fit, I would say R12; “large”). 320 GB is enough (well, if you have several movies there, you can choose 500 GB)

Well, that seems to be all the main components that follow choose a system unit.

So what do we do? In general, I went to the online store and tried to choose according to the above parameters, and this is what I got: such a computer will cost you from 11 to 16 tr, which is quite acceptable for work.

Now let's try to choose a gaming computer.

1. You shouldn't pay attention to the case, although gamblers will choose it first by the case (remember, the case does not always mean high performance, in this case the marketing ploy of selling a computer under a beautiful case with low performance and unreasonable overpricing can simply be used). If you still want a beautiful computer, then be sure to check the other parameters.

2. Here, of course, a quad-core computer is more suitable, and it is important to pay attention to the line of processors. for example, for Intel processors, the latest line is R12; i3, i5 and i7. An Intel i5 processor is fine. AMD has lines of processors such as AMD Athlon, AMD Phenom, AMD A-6, AMD A-8, AMD A-10, AMD FX. Processors of the AMD A-8 or AMD A-10 line are quite suitable.

3. The clock frequency should be chosen at least 3 GHz.

4. RAM for games is suitable in the area of ​​8 dash 16 Gigabytes (you can take 8 GB, if not enough, you can always add it by buying another bar)

5. The video card plays an important role in the choice, because games consume a lot of video memory due to the fact that they consist mainly of graphics. And we can say that the video card plays the first role in this matter. Therefore, we try to make it as powerful as possible, for example, 2 gigabytes, and also so that it has two cores (by the way, yes, they also come in two cores). It is important that it has support for DirectX 11. This parameter is not indicated on the video card itself, so be sure to check with the seller. If the sales assistant is experienced, he will tell you, otherwise ask for another salesperson who understands this.

6. The hard disk requires a small amount of space, unless, of course, you have 100 games installed at once, although games can be stored in image files and they also take up a lot of space, so we choose a hard disk with a volume of 1 Teraby (1000 Gigabytes). By the way, if you run out of space, unlike the processor, you can also buy it separately and add to the existing one.

Well, now let's summarize the selection of a computer for games. We go to the online store and look at the parameters we selected above.

Result R12; "Core i5-4670 (3.3GHz), 8GB, HD7850 (2GB), 1TB, DVD ± RW", a good gaming computer worth 28,690 rubles, which is quite acceptable for a good gaming computer.

Well, if you really want a car of the beast and your chickens don’t peck money, then we drive in the highest requirements in the search parameters of an online store (by the way, there are not always such computers in stores because of their high cost) and we are stunned by the prices.

That's basically all that I wanted to share with you in this article. Now you know in general terms how to choose the right computer in terms of basic parameters and accessories. If you have any questions, then leave them in the comments, I will try to answer everyone!

In this article, I will tell you how to choose a computer for home and what you should pay attention to when buying.

So, you've decided to buy a desktop computer for your home. First of all, you must decide for yourself which pc you will consider:

• New computer(system unit)
• Used computer... This option will be several times cheaper. But the downside is that there will be no guarantee.

Used computers are much cheaper than new ones, but here you should at least somehow understand computers, their structure and how they work.

Because now there are a lot of unscrupulous sellers who can shove you some super old or half-damaged pc. You will need to check everything yourself and know what to look at.

With a new computer, everything will be easier. The store will advise you exactly what you need. But consultants will not always care about what exactly you need.

Very often, when buying a computer, they also buy it, there is also an article about this on the site.

Here, too, you need to rely on your knowledge of computers. So, the first thing you should do before buying is to decide for what purpose you need a PC:

• Mainly for games(tanks, GTA, shooters, races, etc.) and work in resource-intensive programs.
• Mainly for the Internet and working with documents(typing, printing, watching online videos, movies, etc.)

If you will be play a lot of games, then you should first of all pay attention to the following parameters:

1. Frame size... Yes, this is important for games. Distinguish between the sizes of the cases (the most popular) ATX (standard size), mATX (reduced square size case - mini) and Full Tower (very large and roomy case). Games require a very powerful processor and powerful graphics card. Consequently, these parts will heat up at maximum performance, which means they will generate a lot of heat. To provide decent and competent cooling, you need a large case (at least for the air to circulate better inside). For games they take either ATX or Full Tower.
2. Processor and graphics card... This is very important for toys. For example, for GTA5, you need a very powerful processor (ideally, you need a new four-core core i7 6700), or a processor not lower than the core i 3 line (new generation). Older processors such as Intel Pentium, Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon x 2 will not work for modern games. Only old games can be played on such processors. A video card for modern new games is also needed quite powerful. Ideally, this is NVIDIA Ge Force 1060, 1070, or 1080.
3. RAM... A very important parameter for games. The amount of RAM should not be less than 4 GB. Better 8 - 16 GB.
4. HDD... For games, some people want to buy an SSD of 500 - 1000 GB, which is completely useless. An SSD drive is appropriate for use only under Windows and for applications. Games can be safely installed on a regular hard disk drive (HDD). Earlier, when SSD drives first appeared, many thought that installing games on these drives would increase their fps, but this is not so. Therefore, ideally, an SSD disk should be installed for the system and programs (128 - 250 GB is enough for the eyes) + a hard disk as a second one, for storing data, for installing games on it, etc. A 1TB or more hard drive is fine.)

If you will be mostly spending time on social networks, watching online videos, working with documents, then an inexpensive computer with average specifications will suit you.

The main thing here is to understand that it is not worth taking a very weak PC for minimal money. Since even the usual viewing of online high-definition video requires a good processor and not the weakest video card. Observe here:

1. Processor and graphics card... Our tasks do not require an expensive core i7 processor and a new generation video card. It is enough to have any processor of the core i3 line “on board” (the above is optional). The video card is suitable for the middle or low price category (for example, NVIDIA Ge Force GT 740)
2. RAM... Earlier, a couple of years ago, it was assumed that 2 GB of memory was enough for normal viewing of online video. Now, believe me, this is too little. The minimum starts at 3 GB. 3-4 GB will be enough to watch Full HD video online without brakes.
3. HDD... You don't have to choose per terabyte here. Disks with a volume of 250 - 500 GB are suitable, quite. But it's better if there is an SSD drive. In our case, the ideal option would be a computer with a 128 GB SSD drive. The hard drive as the second is not necessary in our case.

Now you know what to look at first of all in the store. Now you shouldn't have any difficulties with the question how to choose a computer.

In this article I will tell you how to choose a home computer for such purposes as work and study. Beginners very often do not know at all which component of the computer is responsible for what, what it is needed for, and, therefore, cannot choose the computer themselves. They have to seek advice or buy a computer almost at random, which may turn out, for example, too weak for the needs of the user (if they decided to save too much), or vice versa - they will overpay a significant amount for modern "hardware" that will never be used for all of its power, since the user needs it for the simplest tasks, such as surfing the Internet, creating some kind of text document or spreadsheet, printing something, watching a video and other similar tasks. And in this article I will just tell you which components and from which price category should be purchased if the computer will be used for the simplest office tasks: work and study.

What exactly do I mean when I talk about an office computer? This is a budget version of a computer (you can assemble it somewhere for 15,000 rubles), the performance of which will not be high and will serve for work and study. More specifically, on such a computer you can easily work with office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the like), surf the Internet, watch videos, use simple and "light" (in terms of resource intensity) programs like Skype, online disks, various managers downloads and, in general, everything that is not related to modern resource-intensive games. In this case, the computer will not work somehow, but will work fast enough! A very weak computer that will slow down on modern operating systems (Windows 7, 8) can be assembled for less than 10,000 rubles, but who needs such junk that can only work with torment?
Perhaps the only thing that will be practically impossible on a computer with a normal office configuration is playing modern games. But you choose a computer for work and study? So you don't need toys, and if there is a need for someone to play, then you should collect an expensive gaming computer in this way for 40-50 thousand.

First of all, if you are not completely familiar with the hardware of the computer, I would advise you to figure out which component of the computer serves what, what it looks like, what basic characteristics it has. One of my previous articles will help you with this, which I recommend for beginners to read before reading this article! Because it is not an option to simply choose components for assembling a computer almost at random, without understanding what, why, and why at all ...

In this and the following similar article (on assembling a gaming computer), I will cover exactly stationary ones, i.e. home computers, and we'll talk about laptops and netbooks in a separate article:

I note right away that in these articles I will mean exactly the assembly of the system unit with all the necessary components, excluding the monitor, keyboard, mouse and other peripherals! Let's talk about the choice of various peripheral devices some other time.

Should you buy a ready-made system unit?

First, a ready-made, already assembled system unit will always cost several times more!

But here it is also worth considering your experience. If you have ever assembled a computer from separate components, then in this case, you should not even think about buying an already assembled computer. Why overpay a tangible amount (maybe about 5,000 rubles or more) if you can already assemble a system unit from individual purchased components?

If you are a beginner, have never even opened this computer box and do not know what and where it connects, then in this case, the easiest way is to buy a ready-made system unit and not bother. Overpay for the already installed operating system (but not always) and, accordingly, for the fact that the computer is already completely ready for work. Most often, everyone has at least one friend who is familiar with computers and could help you with the assembly. If you have such an acquaintance / relative / friend, and he does not refuse to help, then, of course, it is worth assembling the computer in separate components. Well, in that case, you probably won't even need this article, because your person will tell you everything :)

Below I will show by example the selection of individual components for the subsequent assembly of a computer! But if you decide to buy a ready-made system unit for work / study, then see that it consists of components of about the same level and with similar characteristics, which I will discuss below ...

We select components for a budget office computer!

The most convenient way to select components, in my opinion, is through various online stores. For example, for Moscow, these are: Yulmart, Wow! , Citylink. There are also others in bulk. Look at one of the sites and you will understand what I am talking about ... Basically, in any city there are similar online stores, where it is convenient to choose components according to various parameters. And yet a very convenient way to pick up components is the Yandex-Market service. Using it, you can, just like in online stores, filter the selected equipment by various parameters, and then select one of the stores where at the moment there is what you are looking for.

So, what we need for a simple, inexpensive computer:

Choosing a processor... It's not that hard here. For an office computer, we do not need any fashionable processors with 4 or more cores, for example, the Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 line. These are decent, for example, Core i7 will cost you about 18,000-20,000 rubles, at least!

Let's dwell on simple processors from the Intel Pentium line. For our requirements, a processor with a frequency of somewhere around 3 GHz (gigahertz) with two cores is quite suitable. This will cost about 4,000 rubles.

As an example, Intel Pentium G2030, for 3730 rubles:

You can even take it cheaper with a frequency of 2.5 GHz.

Choosing a motherboard (system) board... First of all, we need to filter out exactly those boards on which we can install the selected processor. The characteristics of the processor always indicate a connector for installation on a motherboard or "Socket" in a scientific way. For example, we chose the Intel Pentium G2030 processor and in the characteristics we see that its socket is LGA 1155:

This means that the boards must be chosen to support the installation of a processor with such a socket! In addition, it will be good if the board has all modern interfaces for connecting devices:

• USB 3.0 - for corresponding flash drives and external hard drives;

  SATA3 - for connecting hard drives and SSDs to the board;

  DDR3 RAM support.

The top firms are Asus and Gigabyte and are considered the most reliable, but the price will certainly be higher. For our purposes, you can choose one of the MSI motherboards, which are cheaper, but the quality is still high. For the price, you can freely keep within the region up to 3000-3500 rubles.

As an example of a suitable motherboard - MSI B75MA-E33, for 3100 rubles:

Suitable for the processor mentioned in the 1st paragraph, there are all modern connectors, expansion slots. In general, what you need.

Choice of RAM... For office tasks, 2 GB of memory is enough with one module (bar). Be sure to check the characteristics of the motherboard what frequencies of RAM it supports and also build on this when choosing. For example, in point # 2, I showed an example of a motherboard that operates at a number of frequencies, including 1600 MHz. So you can take memory with such a frequency and you get something mediocre. We are also looking for the type of memory to be DDR3, because DDR2 is already slowly becoming a thing of the past. Such memory will be quite enough for a simple computer for office tasks. From the firms we choose Kingston or Hynix - the most famous on the market.

There are always at least 2 slots for RAM on the motherboard, which means that later you can buy another memory module and increase the total volume! RAM significantly affects the performance of the computer and if it is not enough, you will immediately feel the slowdown of the entire system.

Here is an example (DIMM DDR3, 2GB, Kingston, KVR16N11S6 / 2 for 1440 rubles):

Choosing a hard drive... It should be noted right away that when assembling a budget version of a computer, we cannot afford an SSD disk, because they are much more expensive than ordinary HDDs, which we will take. The main characteristic of a hard disk is volume. In fact, the choice of a hard disk is an individual matter, because everyone knows how much data he will store on his computer. Someone downloads a whole mountain of movies in good quality, while someone will mainly store installed programs and ordinary office documents. If we fit into the budget of the system unit for 15,000 rubles, then we can hardly afford a disk with a volume of more than 500 GB. And to be honest, this volume will be enough for the majority, if you are not greedy. Personally, this would be enough for me!

It would also be nice if the HDD would support the modern SATA3 interface, which has a much higher data transfer rate than the outdated SATA2. When choosing a board, we have already taken into account that it supports all modern interfaces, so you can take a SATA3. From firms I would recommend Seagate and Western Digital. I personally buy Seagate drives and find them the most reliable.

A hard drive with the parameters listed above will cost about 3,500 rubles.

Example: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.12, ST500DM002 for 3370 rubles:

Choosing a case... If we take all the components that I showed in the example, then it has already been spent: 11,640 rubles. In total, there is still 3360 rubles in order to purchase a case and preferably a CD / DVD-ROM, since the majority of users still need to use discs.

The case can be taken directly with the power supply and can be kept in the region of 2,000 rubles. A power supply unit is suitable for us for 300-400 watts, because our computer is far from powerful. The video card requires the most, but we will use the built-in one, since it will not be required for our tasks. When choosing a case, the most important thing for us is its form factor. The form factor determines which motherboard will fit in that case.
Nowadays the format of mini ATX (mATX) motherboards is very popular and the motherboard that I showed with the example in point # 2 is just this format (this is always indicated in the characteristics of the motherboard!). The case should be of the same form factor as the motherboard, but you can take with a margin, for example, an ATX case. The ATX case will accommodate both a full-size large ATX motherboard and its mini ATX form factor board.

If the case is taken immediately with a power supply unit (this is usually cheaper), then you definitely need to make sure that, in addition to the appropriate power, the power supply unit has all the necessary wires to connect to all our purchased accessories.

It is necessary that the power supply has the following connectors (conclusions):

• For connecting the motherboard. A 20 or 24 pin connector is required. You need to look at the characteristics of the motherboard, what kind of connector it has. But if the power supply has a 24-pin, then it can be connected to a 20-pin one. In the documentation, this connector may be called "ATX 20/24 pin";

  Additional power for the processor. The power supply must have a 4-pin square connector, which in the documentation may be designated like this: "CPU 4-pin";

  For connecting hard drives SSD and CD / DVD-ROM. To connect the power supply of the listed devices, the SATA connector is currently used. It is desirable that the power supply unit has at least 2 of them, since we will have a hard disk and a CD / DVD-ROM installed!

The rest of the connectors for our assembly are optional.

An example of a description of the connectors that the power supply has:

Connectors must be indicated when choosing a case along with a power supply, otherwise it turns out that you are buying at random!

An example of a case with a 450 Watt power supply for 1966 rubles:

Of course, you should understand that the case cannot be high quality for that kind of money. There may be low-quality material and other imperfections you notice. But at the moment we are assembling a budget computer, which means that we have to save on something one way or another.

Selecting a CD-DVD drive (drive)... For office tasks, and indeed very often many users today need a disk drive. For example, even for reinstalling Windows, since not everyone knows how to write the system to flash drives and boot from them. Also, the drive may be needed to install any programs, burn discs with music, movies, games, and so on. In general, to date, flash drives have not yet clearly supplanted floppy drives.

If we take my example, then 1394 rubles are left to choose a drive, which is quite enough.

There are quite a few companies producing quality drives, and here are some of them: NEC, Asus, Pioneer, Plexter.

Of the characteristics, you just need to pay attention to the fact that the connector of the selected drive for connecting to the motherboard is SATA, as well as what types of disks the drive can read and write. Frankly speaking, if you take a drive that costs more than 1000 rubles, it is unlikely that it will be unable to read any of the types of CD or DVD discs. We do not consider Blu-Ray drives, because, firstly, they cost an average of 4500 rubles, and secondly, they are not needed by a wide range of people in my opinion. For example, I never once had the need to burn Blu-Ray discs on a computer, and read them too.

An example of a selected CD / DVD drive for 1160 rubles:

OK it's all over Now! Using the example above, I made a selection of components for a budget computer that will be used for work and study, costing up to 15,000 rubles and at the same time it will be comfortable to work with it.

Why didn't you choose video and sound cards?

While reading the article, you might have noticed that by showing the example of the selection of components for a budget office computer, I did not consider the choice of video and sound cards. And you probably ask: "Why?". The fact is that most motherboards already have an integrated (built-in) video card, as well as a sound card (the sound card is built in, perhaps, in all motherboards today). If the motherboard has an integrated video card, then you will see the corresponding connector on the back panel of the board, which looks like this:

As a rule, you will not find the characteristics of a built-in video card when buying. But it's easy enough to understand that such a video card is not designed to run complex graphics applications and, of course, modern games (if only old ones). On the integrated vidyuhe you can freely work with any documents, with difficulties (slowdowns) to work in graphic editors like Abobe Photoshop. But when you try to play any modern games, they either simply will not start at all, or it will be impossible to play them due to the terribly low performance. But for a budget computer, an external video card is not needed, because the launch of games on it is not planned, and for everything else, an integrated one will serve quite well!

The presence of a built-in sound card on the board can also be seen from the corresponding connectors on its rear panel:

The built-in sound card is more than enough for the vast majority of users! It is suitable, perhaps, for everything except recording music through connected instruments and other tasks related to professional work with music. For example, if you play an electric guitar and want to connect it to your computer to run the appropriate programs, then connecting to the built-in sound card is a bad idea. The quality will be poor. For such purposes, it is recommended to buy an external sound system!

That is why, when choosing components for a simple computer for work and study, we did not consider buying a separate video card and sound card :) I hope this is understandable ...

Well ... After reading this article, you only need to select components of about the same level, relying on the criteria and characteristics that I gave above and place an order through any online store (this is the most convenient). It often happens that one store does not have all the necessary components with certain characteristics, and therefore you have to take it from several stores. But this is not at all scary. After the purchase, all that remains is to fix all the components in the system unit (case) and you're done!

On a computer assembled from approximately the same components that I mentioned above, it will even be possible to run various non-modern games. Well, if a computer is bought specifically for games (especially in all modern ones and preferably with a margin in advance), launching very "heavy" graphics applications, or will be used for any other tasks that will require a lot of computer resources, then the assembly will be completely different and cost about 3 times more :) And I will tell you about the selection of components for a gaming computer in one of the following articles:

That's all for now ... Good luck! Till;)

Good time everyone! In this article, you will learn how to choose a computer system unit for your home. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the personal computer. Every year, more and more Internet services become available, which greatly simplify a person's life. Computing technology has achieved unprecedented popularity. Every home has at least one personal computer and possibly several portable devices.

Unfortunately, along with the performance of computers, the requirements for their components are also growing. In other words, for some tasks, the performance of portable computing equipment may not be enough. So, despite all the attempts to popularize laptops, netbooks or tablets for complex tasks, the personal computer is still an indispensable device.

Pros and cons of the finished assembly

Self-assembly of the system unit, of course, is more profitable. A person selects exactly those components on which it is important to focus, while the PC user can independently adjust the cost and quality of the computer assembly.

However, for a high-quality computer assembly, it is necessary to have some technical knowledge, otherwise, even with a rather high cost of the component, it may happen that the computer will not work at its full capacity.

In other words, it is still desirable for a person who does not have sufficient knowledge of computer technology to purchase a ready-made assembly. Contrary to popular belief, not all assemblies are carried out in the basements of service centers or by employees of electronics stores. By purchasing an original system unit of a well-known company, the buyer can be sure that the assembly of this machine was carried out by highly qualified specialists.

General assembly information

As mentioned above, assembling a computer manually, a person can independently adjust the configuration so that the PC meets the requirements for which it is assembled. By purchasing a ready-made assembly, the buyer can also choose the model that is suitable for a specific purpose.

For example, when purchasing a computer to work with a server, you need to pay attention to the speed and, most importantly, the amount of RAM. For working with 3D graphics and video games, the performance of the video card is extremely important. And for video processing, it is desirable to have a productive processor.

Unfortunately, highly specialized assemblies of system blocks are extremely rare. Basically, computers are divided into a price segment, in which expensive models are simply equipped with more productive parts, without focusing on any specific function.

One way or another, purchasing his first computer, the buyer wants to get a universal device with which you can comfortably browse the Internet, play modern games, watch high-definition video and possibly work in photo / video editors. In other words, the customer wants a modern computer with above average performance.

Choosing a processor

When purchasing a computer, it is advisable to pay attention to the manufacturer of the system unit. Of course, inside the case there are parts that are not related to the activities of this or that company, but at least you can be sure of the quality of the assembly.

Many buyers, first of all, pay attention to the processor, and this is quite reasonable, because by purchasing a system unit on the eighth generation of processors, you can be sure that all other PC details are relevant.

As for the number of cores, the main thing here is to compare their number with frequency. For example, when purchasing a computer with a quad-core processor, the core frequency should be 3-3.5 GHz. If the frequency is below these values, the processor should have more cores. If the buyer has a choice, it is advisable to take a model with an emphasis on frequency. This is due to the fact that many applications still cannot work with more than two cores.

RAM

If you rely on the latest generation of processor when choosing a system unit, your computer will certainly be equipped with DDR4 memory. The difference between DDR3 and DDR4 is not that great, but any computing technology tends to become obsolete. It may happen that over time you will have to buy fast memory, and then DDR3 may no longer be on sale.

As for the amount of memory, everything is simple here, modern computers need as much RAM as possible. A 64-bit operating system alone consumes several gigabytes of RAM. Eight gigabytes may not be enough, when you open 20-30 tabs in the browser, as for modern games, they may require up to 15 GB of RAM.

Video card

To begin with, when purchasing a ready-made assembly, you should always give priority to discrete video cards, for a number of reasons, they are much more productive than integrated ones.

To cope with modern video games, a video card must have at least 2-3 GB of video memory and a 256-bit bus. You should also pay attention to the type of memory when choosing the current GDDR5 memory.

Hard disk type and size

One of the simplest parameters. Each customer decides for himself how much space will be enough for him, however, one should not forget that one movie, at least in 720p, takes on average about 5 GB, while some modern games can take up all fifty gigabytes.

What you should definitely pay attention to is the presence of an SSD drive. Quite often, this media is assembled to install an operating system on it. This configuration allows you to achieve a tangible increase in the speed of work.

Now you know exactly how to choose a computer system unit for home. The approach to purchasing a ready-made assembly should be as scrupulous as assembling the system unit manually. There are many other small, but less important parameters for me that significantly affect the performance of the computer. For example, the quality of the original sound depends on the model of the sound card, and the presence of USB3 will allow you to exchange data with flash drives at a higher speed.

Not everyone is ready to buy a laptop, since their cost is quite high. For the same price, you can assemble a more powerful system unit. But if you are not ready to independently choose components and install them in a PC, just buy a ready-made system unit. We will tell you how to choose a computer system unit for home.

Top system units of 2016

Tasks

Despite the fact that mobile devices are gradually replacing desktop PCs, as evidenced by statistics, desktop computers are still popular with some categories of users:

• educational institutions;
• gamers;
• video editing specialists.

For the former, the affordable cost and "stationarity" of devices (they are more difficult to steal) are important, the rest prefer desktop PCs because they provide more performance at a lower cost. And for games and video rendering, equally powerful devices are needed.

Moreover, not every user is ready to purchase computer components and assemble a PC from them, after which it will need to be configured. It takes time, effort and some knowledge. Therefore, in some cases it is easier to purchase a ready-made system unit.

Choosing a suitable system unit for your home, you need to decide on the tasks for which it is bought. They can be divided into three large groups:

• games / video processing;
• surfing the Internet / working with documents;
• education.

Depending on the goals set, the system unit is selected in terms of power and performance.

Monoblocks are not taken into account in our rating. This is a separate category of computers that have more performance than laptops, but also a higher price tag. In addition, they are still inferior to desktop PCs in terms of power and price.

Specifications

We assume that when you buy a ready-made system unit in the future, you will not change its components yourself. Therefore, we will not describe in detail all the characteristics of the components that are important to know when assembling the device yourself.

When buying a ready-made system unit, you also need to pay attention to the characteristics of the components that are used in it.

Sellers do not always indicate in the description of the system units of the component manufacturers, so it is impossible to understand how high quality they are.

CPU

The processor is the heart of any digital computing device. It determines the overall performance of the PC. The system units use processors from two companies Intel and AMD. The former are more productive, the latter are cheaper. For more information on how to choose them, see the article "How to choose the right processor for your computer."

The most important parameters of the processor when buying a system unit:

• manufacturer;
• Number of Cores;
• clock frequency.

Video card

It can be discrete or embedded in the processor. It all depends on the purpose for which the system unit is purchased. When using a PC for surfing the Internet or working with various simple programs and office applications, the graphics core built into the central processor is suitable. If you are buying a computer for gaming or video processing, you need it to come with a discrete graphics card.

There are many discrete video card manufacturers (MSI, Asus, Palit, Gigabyte and others), but there are two families of GPUs: NVIDIA and AMD (Radeon). More productive video cards - NVIDIA, but their price is higher. The most top-end solution to date is the GeForce GTX 1080.

If you cannot find out the manufacturer and type of the graphics chip, pay attention to the following parameters of the video card:

• amount and type of memory;
• memory and GPU frequency;
• memory bus width;
• connectors for connecting a monitor.

The higher these parameters, the more productive and more powerful the video card is.

RAM

For details on how to choose RAM, see the article "Choosing RAM: characteristics, specification and features." When buying a ready-made system unit, pay attention to the main RAM parameters:

• volume and type;
• frequency;
• timings.

As for the manufacturers and the availability of cooling radiators, it will be difficult to find out these parameters when buying a ready-made stationary unit. But they are not that important to the performance of the device.

Motherboard

The motherboard integrates all the components of a desktop PC. Its reliability and build quality differ depending on the manufacturer. The most famous motherboard companies:

• Asus;
• AsRock;
• GigaByte.

Buying an assembled system unit, you are unlikely to use it for extreme overclocking, so you should not worry about the reliability and durability of the motherboard. The main thing in this case is the connectors that are on it.

The modern model should have the main connectors:

• USB 3.0 and USB 2.0;
• PS / 2 for connecting a keyboard / mouse;
• audio connectors;
• DVI / D-Sub for monitor connection.

Depending on the specification of the motherboard, it can be equipped with other ports for connecting external and internal devices.

We do not take into account such characteristics of the motherboard as: the number of slots for RAM, socket, number of PCI slots and others, since the assemblers of the system unit have already provided for all these features.

Other parameters

It is also important to know the capacity of the power supply that is installed in the computer. It should be enough for the device to work stably. The best option when the power supply is at least 500 watts. But it can be more depending on the components used in the desktop PC.

Please note that in order to reduce the cost of the system unit, shops use power supplies from unknown manufacturers that do not differ in reliability. Therefore, be sure to find out which brand of power supply is installed in the computer.

In terms of internal storage, the PC uses SSD and HDD. For stable operation of the device, their minimum volumes should be: 120 GB and 500 GB, respectively. Please note that the amount of memory must be sufficient to store the data that you will download to your computer.

The best choice

Today, you can find system blocks on sale from both official manufacturers and assembled in stores. We will only talk about models assembled under a certain brand at the factory.

Computers that can be purchased today vary in power. Therefore, they can be conditionally divided into several categories.

Games / video processing

Desktop PCs in this group are the most powerful and productive, so they have the highest cost. But when installing such a device in your home, you will not have any problems with running modern games, processing or watching videos in 4K resolution over the next few years.

The system unit is positioned by the manufacturer as a gaming one, since it is assembled on the basis of a 6th generation Intel i7 processor with overclocking capability, has 32 GB of RAM and two internal drives (SSD and HDD). Another benefit is Windows 10 Home pre-installed from the factory.

Buying this model, you will receive a stylish accessory, since the system unit has an original design.

The disadvantages of the model include the presence of only two USB 3.0 ports, a discrete graphics card not of the latest generation and too high a cost.

Advantages

• specifications;
• design;
• card reader;
• Windows 10.

Flaws

• price;
• a small number of USB 3.0 ports;
• power unit.

The special thing about this desktop PC is that it is equipped with a professional graphics card NVIDIA Quadro K2200 and a 6th generation Intel i7 processor. Therefore, high performance in any game or video processing is guaranteed.

At the same time, the manufacturer used only 16 GB of RAM, which may not be enough when rendering video. And a 120GB SSD will not allow you to install all the games and programs that the user wants. In addition, the lack of a pre-installed OS will force you to spend extra money on the purchase of Windows 10 Home.

Advantages

• specifications;
• professional video card;
• price;
• a large number of USB 3.0 ports.

Flaws

• design;
• lack of OS;
• lack of detailed information about the components.

Price: 76,000 rubles.

Despite the 6th generation Intel i7 central processor and a powerful video card, the Acer system unit is equipped with a rather weak power supply unit, which is enough to provide the power of the device end-to-end. The lack of an SSD drive will slightly reduce the "nimbleness" of the pre-installed Windows 10 Home operating system. But a 2TB hard drive is enough to store all of the user's data.

In addition, the advantage of the Acer Aspire T3-710 is the keyboard and mouse that come with the device, and support for wireless charging of smartphones, so you won't need to worry about losing your USB cable somewhere.

Advantages

• specifications;
• Windows 10;
• HDD;
• keyboard and mouse included;
• wireless charging of smartphones.

Flaws

• price;
• power unit;
• low frequency of RAM;
• a small number of USB 3.0 ports.

Education

A stylish modern system unit with a middle-class technical "filling" is suitable for any schoolchild or student, as it is able to work with even the most complex programs, including the creation of drawings.

A spacious hard drive will provide the ability to store all data without the need to connect an external HDD. But the lack of an SSD drive will not allow you to demonstrate the full potential of the 64-bit Windows 8 preinstalled on the device.

The presence of a card reader and 4 USB 3.0 ports expand the functionality of the Lenovo X310.

Advantages

• CPU;
• a large number of USB 3.0 ports;
• video card;
• card reader;
• design;
• Windows 8.

Flaws

• there is no information about the power supply;
• price.

The lack of a preinstalled OS will add work to setting up your computer, but the presence of an Intel i5 processor and a GeForce GTX750Ti video card will ensure high performance in any office and educational program.