With everyone working from home these days, most people need to upgrade their older computers. We get questioned all the time as to what would be best, so I’ve outlined a simple way of helping customers make that decision.

First, you should understand the basics. Not all computers are the same. There are a LOT of options. This may help you understand them.

Chromebooks – These are not Windows computers. They are essentially a beefed up Android device running a specialized operating system. They will get online, let you browse the web and install Chrome based applications. They DO NOT run Windows applications at all, but could be used to remote into one.

MacBooks – These also do not run Windows. So if you’re looking for a Windows PC, don’t look at Apple products. MacBook computers require their own version of programs and not all of them are available for Mac computers.

Processors – Celeron, Pentium, i3, i5, i7, and i9, plus AMD Ryzen

Celeron and Pentium are ENTRY LEVEL processors. Think of them as your first ‘go cart’. They don’t go fast, but they will work (to a point for most operations).

Intel i3, i5, i7 are the Good, Better, and Best (there is an i9 processor as well, personally, I labeled it as ‘better than best’. These processors are current and can easily get your work done in a timely fashion. The i3 and the i5 are standard business class processors. The i7 and i9 are for people who really need a super fast processor for engineering jobs.

AMD Ryzen processors are very similar to the Intel processors, but made by a different company. They compare very closely to the speed of the Intel processors. These processors are available in most brands of computers (except Mac).

Hard Drive Storage – Do you really need a terabyte of storage space? You might, if you’re into saving movies, music and tons of data. For most users, 250gb is fine. Some may need more depending on your use.

Solid State Drive – It’s 2021. Get a computer with a solid state drive. There is no reason not to with prices dropping every day. You’ll get a faster computer, more responsive and something that you won’t want to throw against the wall. Otherwise, a slow standard hard drive may offer more space, but won’t last as long or give you the ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ when the PC boots in 15 seconds rather than in four minutes.

RAM — More is better! In 2018, Windows 10 ran fine with 4GB of RAM. Now with the updates of 2019 and 2020, you really need a minimum of 8GB of RAM. If you have 16GB, you’ll even be better off. The more RAM the better. It’s a bigger playground for all your applications to work together.

Touch Screen or Not? – That’s a personal decision. Touchscreen is nice for some things, but fingerprints can be annoying.

Stylus – As long as your touchscreen laptop supports it, you can use one as a pointer or to draw, or make notes. Not all touchscreen devices support a stylus or digitizer pen.

Graphics card – Laptops are preconfigured, so don’t expect to upgrade a video card. It’s not possible. If you are looking for a gaming computer, buy a gaming laptop with a good video card. If you are only using it for web surfing and word processing, you’ll be fine with anything that’s included in a laptop.

USB Ports – Computers are getting smaller every year. The USB ports are now USB-C (smaller and offer more versatility), but they won’t take your flash drive. Be sure to look for a PC with at least one standard USB drive. The ‘C’ ports are like the new charging ports on your Android phone. You can get USB Hubs to allow more than one USB port on a computer. Just be sure to get a POWERED one, so you don’t run into power issues.

Accessories – You can get wireless keyboards and mice. Some require a USB receiver, but some are Bluetooth and will work without a receiver. It all depends on the manufacturer. Be sure to check if your computer supports Bluetooth before buying a keyboard/mouse that only works that way.

Antivirus – Most computers come with something already installed. Microsoft includes Windows Defender, which is actually pretty good. Beck PC recommends Malwarebytes over any of the other protection programs out there.

As always, you can call us to ask more information as for what to buy. Some people prefer laptops, others like desktops, while others prefer all in one computers. Keep in mind, almost nothing comes with a DVD/CD drive any longer, but external devices are available. Call us if you have more questions.

John ~~ 502.523.9460