Buying a new computer: Hardware questions/considerations
When buying a computer, there a number of choices to be made among components. This page explains some of those options.
Optical drive: CD-RW/DVD (combo) vs. DVD-RW
A combo drive is a single drive that allows you to play DVDs and CDs and also to burn CDs. A DVD-RW drive allows you to burn both DVDs and CDs. DVDs have significantly more capacity than CDs; if you anticipate wanting to store large amounts of data, (for example, if you're into graphics, digital photography, or video), a DVD burner is a good idea.
XGA/WXGA vs. SXGA/WXGA+ displays
SXGA/WXGA+ displays have higher resolutions, which allows you to display more information on the screen at once than XGA/WXGA displays, although the information will appear smaller on the screen. The SXGA/WXGA+ display is a good choice if you like to display multiple windows simultaneously and don't mind everything being smaller. The "W" implies a wide-screen display.
Hard drive size/speed
A faster hard drive (7200 rpm vs. 5400 rpm) will enhance the overall performance of the computer. Increasing this is probably the second most important thing you can do to improve computer performance (after increasing RAM). The larger the drive, the more data (files) you can save on it. A 60GB hard drive should be sufficient for most needs, but if you anticipate storing large amounts of data like photos or video, then you may want a larger drive.
Integrated video vs. dedicated video
Integrated video shares memory with the computer, while dedicated video has its own memory and will enhance performance when graphics-intensive applications are run. If you play high-end games or are doing graphic or video development, this will have an impact on the computer's performance. Under normal circumstances (while writing papers, surfing the web, doing IM or e-mail, etc.), you should not see any difference. Some features of Windows Vista may work better on computers with dedicated video.
Processor speed
Processor speed is less important in computer performance than it used to be. Small differences in processor speed, e.g., between 1.6 and 1.8GHz, will not be noticeable. If you're going to be running computationally intensive applications like graphic development, simulation, or gaming, then you might consider getting a faster processor.
RAM/Memory
Increasing the RAM (memory) is most important thing you can do to enhance the performance of a computer. We recommend at least 2GB of RAM for Windows and 1GB RAM for Macs.
Wireless
The current standard for wireless is 802.11g. 802.11n is the next standard coming, and will be available in the near future. If you have the option to get 802.11n wireless, it is a good choice for the future. If not, 802.11g is the best choice for now.
Bringing a computer to campus
For campus computer requirements and recommendations, see
Bringing a computer to campus.
Assistance and questions
If you have any questions or need more information, contact the Help Desk at (920) 403-HELP (4357) or helpdesk@snc.edu. The Help Desk is for St. Norbert College students and employees only.
