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PC components and their purchase

• This article describes the main components (parts) you can find inside a PC case and introduces the term "minimum HW requirements". There will be notes at the end of this article that might influence your purchase decision. Particular component descriptions include specifications and technical terms that are not always explained in detail, as most would make a separate article.
• Most people do not need to understand what is inside a PC case. Being influenced by advertisements and the visual aspect, they buy a computer in a hypermarket. If you are not at least a bit experienced, you may buy an overcharged PC and later regret it. It is ideal to choose a computer company to build your PC on demand. If you already have a computer, you can find out if you can keep the components in use or if you can exchange some older ones to gain improvements that will provide the service you need for another time period. However, it is not always that easy. In fact, computers are like Lego - by exchanging a part you can achieve great improvements (upgrades). It is advisable that you think of possible upgrades at the time of buying your PC.
• Choosing the components can be quite complicated, as you cannot choose them randomly. This article is dedicated to components, not to recommendations. If we decided to write articles about recommendations, it would mean to cover all innovations and market trends which could be every week. That is not our goal. We only want to give you an idea of what makes a computer. If you need a piece of advice, I recommend that you ask a specialist in a computer shop or some other advanced user, or alternatively you can find detailed information about your topic on the internet - it can either be an internet shop, internet forum or a website dedicated to HW reviews. It is ideal to take information from more sources, as they can provide different opinions, experience and results from performance test programs. A specialist will help you choose what you need according to the planned usage. The most powerful computers are required for games, for processing graphics and videos. Less powerful PCs are suitable for common office work and internet. Even a cheap computer can be sufficient, but you have to define what you expect from it. The seller should say if the chosen PC complies with your needs and should optimize the selection of components.

Components

Examples of cases (www.morex.cz)

• Case (chassis) - keeps all components together and safe. It differs in type (Tower, Desktop), format (AT, ATX, MicroATX, BTX), appearance and used material of which it is constructed (most frequently steel, aluminium and plastic). The inside area of a case should be large enough to hold all parts and provide optimal air flow to prevent overheating inside the case. The case inside contains standard fittings for the motherboard, drives, disks and positions for additional fans. There exist numerous accessories for demanding users to upgrade the function and design of their PCs.

• Computer Power Supply Unit (Computer PSU) - supplies power to all components. It is usually built in the case, but you can also buy the case and the PSU separately. They differ in format (AT, ATX, MicroATX, BTX) and performance. The noise a PSU produces is another criterion which depends on the used cooling system (fans from 8 to 15 cm or passive cooling). A big fan provides not only cooling for the PSU, but also the necessary air flow and leads the heat out of the case. A 350 - 400W PSU with a 12cm fan is a standard, 500W and higher are recommended for powerful PCs. The PSU performance specification does not tell us the actual power consumption of a PC (it is usually dozens of percents lower). Actual performance and features of PSUs of the same performance claimed can differ by manufacturer. It is advised that you do not underestimate the selection of a PSU, as it can break down and destroy the whole computer.

• CPU (CPU / Central Processor Unit / Microprocessor) - Processor is an electronic chip capable of loading and processing data and instructions from the memory. The selection of a processor determines, to a certain extent, the selection of other components.
• The CPU performance can generally be rated by the CPU frequency quoted by the manufacturer. This frequency denotes the speed the CPU needs to process basic tasks - in MHz (200-xxxx) or GHz (0.2 -xx). The more powerful processor, the more powerful the computer is (depending on usage; other components, such as operating memory, hard disk and graphic card influence the performance, as well). The MHz specification is not always important. The architecture of particular models, which differ by manufacturer (AMD, Intel, IBM, VIA) and type (Sempron, Athlon, Pentium4, Pentium Core 2,..), has great influence. When deciding what CPU to buy, it is advisable that you ask an advanced user or find detailed information and tests on the internet.
• Processors are constantly developing and their prices are coming down. Many advanced users do not buy the most powerful processors, but they go for a compromise - they plan to exchange it in the future and invest the saved money in other components, especially a motherboard with the potential of exchanging the processor in the future (good technical parameters and type of used socket). However, the interval between particular exchanges is usually not long, mostly couple of months. It is not years, as one would think. Many users exchange more components including the motherboard or the whole PC altogether.

Extract from the technical specifications of AMD processors

Extract from the technical specifications of Intel processors

• Motherboard (MB, Mainboard) - the basic part of a computer. It executes several important tasks, such as:
• It provides physical connection of the other parts using slots, connectors and sockets. It also supplies power to some parts and operating instructions and data to the others.
• It provides communication between all connected parts.
• It integrates some components (chips and related electronic parts) that are usually connected through extension slots, e.g. sound card, network card, and if there is a suitable chipset used, the graphic card, as well.
• There exists a great amount of motherboards with various features designed for various processors. For an office computer, you can, upon certain conditions, use a cheap motherboard with an integrated graphic card. If you want to use your PC for games and multimedia, it is more suitable to buy a motherboard of a higher quality with a graphic card in the PCIEx slot (older AGP is not much in use now). If some HW element of the card is not integrated directly into the motherboard, you can use an extension card or external device.
• Chipset - is a set of integrated circuits (chips) intended to produce a certain activity. In computing, the term "chipset" refers to graphic card and motherboard. On a motherboard, the chipset usually consists of two chips referred to as Northbridge and Southbridge. The features of a chipset on a motherboard are determined by supported processors, memories, buses and some others.
• Northbridge - handles communication between the processor, graphic card through the AGP or PCIe 16x/8x bus, Southbridge and front side bus (in new AMD processors, memory controller is integrated in the processor). Northbridge's task is to connect the most demanding parts on the motherboard to each other and Southbridge.
• Southbridge - provides the operation of slower components on the motherboard.
• It provides connection of disks and drives through SATA and PATA.
• It provides connection of peripheral parts through USB and SUPER I/O (keyboard).
• Support of devices connected through PCI or PCIe
• Optional support of sound chips and network cards.
• The most popular manufacturers of chips for motherboard producers: Intel, AMD, nVidia and VIA Technologies.
• Examples of Intel chipsets: 845PE, 848P, 865P, 915P, 915G, G33, P31, P35, 975X
• Examples of AMD chipsets: ATI Radeon™ Xpress 1100, AMD 580X CrossFire™, AMD 690 Series 
• Examples of Nvidia chipsets: nForce 680a SLI, nForce 650i Ultra, nForce 500
• Examples of VIA Technologies chipsets: K8T900, K8T890, K8M890, PT890, P4M900, P4M890

Examples of motherboard specifications. Every line can be considered a criterion for selection.

• Socket - a type of fitting to fix the processor on the motherboard. Together with the motherboard features, it determines what type of processor can be used in the computer. This is important for future upgrades. If you buy a computer with an older socket, where usage of new processors is not assumed, you will probably encounter problems with exchanging the processor (you can face the same problem if you need to fix your computer urgently, but you have a wrong motherboard that is not on the market anymore). The most popular types of sockets:
• Sockets for AMD processors (starting from the oldest): Socket 7, A (462), 754, 939, AM2, F (L1) (1207FX)
• Sockets for Intel processors (starting from the oldest): Socket 478, 603, 604, T (775),

• Cooling - Fans are an important part of every computer. The basic ones are located on CPU, graphic card, PSU and the chipset on the motherboard. Additional fans for better air flow are sometimes integrated in the case. Type and quality of the case with its coolers and fans largely influences the system stability and noise. The basic cooling elements are: fan of the processor and coolers of the graphic card and PSU. Basic types of coolers are: passive (without a fan) and active (with a fan). Exceptionally, you can also see other types of cooling, e.g. water cooling system.

• Operating memory (RAM) - memory for storing data after turning on the computer. It is the main memory that handles the communication with the processor that processes data. If the data is not in RAM, it is loaded from the hard disk which is much slower. This could cause a problem in case the RAM is not large enough which means it cannot take much data and so it must be loaded from the hard disk which slows down working on computer. In case of a power failure or computer turn off, data is deleted. The common size of a RAM is within the range of 256MB - 2048MB (2GB). The RAM size and speed, together with the processor, influence the performance and potential of the whole computer. When buying a PC, pay particular attention to what type of CPU is used on the motherboard. If buying a new computer, DDR2 or newer DDR3 are usually used, with the speed of 400 - 1066MHz.

KVR800D2E5/512 512MB 64M x 72-Bit DDR2-800 CL5 ECC 240-Pin DIMM - Clock Cycle Time (tCK) CL=5 2.5ns (min.) / 8ns (max.), Row Cycle Time (tRC) 60ns (min.), Refresh to Active/Refresh Command Time (tRFC) 105ns, Row Active Time (tRAS) 38ns (min.) / 70,000ns (max.), Single Power Supply of +1.8V (+/- .1V), Power 2.025 W (operating), UL Rating 94 V - 0

• Hard Disk (HDD) - memory based on magnetic recording for permanent storage of user data and documents (data is saved on the disk even if you turn off your computer). The operating system and all installed programs are saved on the hard disk, too. Usual size of HDDs in older computers was only dozens or hundreds of MB. Newer ones usually have hundreds of GB. Before using the HDD, it must be partitioned and formatted. Comparing to the RAM memory, the access and reading from an HDD is much slower. The most important parameters when buying an HDD: size, price per 1GB, rotation speed, cache-buffer size and the interface through which the HDD is connected.

• Formatting - process of preparing a disk for daily use. It is executed by creating a file system and by checking if the disk contains damaged files. If formatting a disk containing data, all will be lost.

• Floppy Disk Drives - drives that read and write on removable floppy disks. Floppy disks enable to transfer small files (floppy disk size is 3.5" and capacity 1,44MB). The greatest disadvantages of an FDD are: slow speed of reading and writing, low capacity and low reliability. Today, CDs are used to distribute programs. Some up-to-date PCs do not contain FDDs at all and they rather use Flash disks. FDD disks must be protected from physical damage, heat and strong electromagnetic field.

• Graphic Card (VGA) - a device that controls display quality and the fluency of processed graphical data. It is very important for multimedia, games and films. Main parameters:
• Graphics chip - determines the quality, processing speed and relating supported functions. The chip type is the main indicator of the performance and features. Some shops only provide simple specifications without mentioning what chip the card contains, e.g. GeForce8 is a general term for several subtypes with very different features and prices.
• Memory - some graphic cards use the main computer memory (RAM). However, this is the worst and slowest way to gain cache for the graphic card. The most efficient solution is a graphic card with a fast and large memory built directly into it. Today, it can be DDR2, GDDR3 and GDDR4 with the memory interface of 64bit - 512bit and size of 128MB - 768MB. The memory size is not the main indicator of the card performance, even though many people claim it to be.
• Cooling - another way to distinguish quality and poor-quality graphic cards. If the cooling is not sufficient, the card can get overheated and damaged. A quality passive cooler can provide better job than a poor-quality cooler with a fan.
• Sheet of specifications of graphics chips GeForce8 from www.nvidia.com:

• Optical drives - drives that use a laser beam to read and write. The laser beam creates and focuses using optical lenses.
• By type:

• Combo - drives that support more types of media, but cannot write on all of them. The best-known is a DVD Combo that can read DVDs and write CD-R(RW).
• DVD±RW - multiformat burner that writes and reads almost all DVDs and CDs, though, DVD-RAMs and double-layer DLs can be an exception. Older burners were able to work either with DVD-R or DVD+R.
• Some people may think that all media are the same. Dimensions of classical CDs and DVDs are equal. The best way to distinguish them is to watch their description, usually written directly on the disc. If you look at a writable disc that does not contain any data yet, it is usually labelled with type and supported writing speed. The quality (life) and usability (compatibility) in particular devices can differ according to manufacturer and type. Rating the quality is quite complicated. The best-known companies are: 3M, Maxell, Philips, SONY, TDK, Traxdata, Verbatim. Some media models made by the biggest companies are produced by third-party manufacturers, e.g. Ritek Co., Matsushita, InfoDisc and others. Defining the usability and compatibility of media is complicated, especially in non-branded media. In this case, you have to find more information on the internet or just give it a try.
• Most frequently used CDs and DVDs for optical drives:
• CD/DVD/BD±ROM - Read Only Memory - Media only designed for reading, usually manufactured by pressing. They already contain data, e.g. DVDs with films distributed for sale. Data cannot be changed.
• CD/DVD/BD±R - Recordable - Media for writing. After data is written on the disk, this data cannot be changed or erased.
• CD/DVD/BD±RW (RE)- ReWritable - Rewritable media designed for multiple writing with the capability of deleting and re-writing.
• DVD-R(RW) (Format by Pioneer, Panasonic) vs DVD+R(RW) by Philips, Ricoh, Sony). The plus and minus formats are very similar. They were created thanks to the rivalry of manufacturers and licence fees. Since 2005, most drives in PCs have been able to work with both formats, however, some desktop players may prefer just one of the formats. Moreover, some players are sensitive to certain types of media according to manufacturer or type of surface.
• DVD-RAM - a DVD that can be used the same way as a hard drive, without using a burning program. DVD-RAM media are not supported by all DVD drives. Their smaller speed and higher price may be a problem, as well. Its great advantage is the quality of data storage, automatic check of written data and up to 100 000 rewrites (rewritable DVDs claim 1 000 rewrites). Windows Vista includes support for DVD-RAM directly in the system. In older systems, you have to use a third-party application, e.g. InCD.
• Blue-Ray (BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE) - Potential successor to DVDs. This is a new generation of media and drives that allow to store up to 25GB on one disc (50GB for DL). It is used in PLAYSTATION 3. It is promoted by Blue-Ray Disc Association associating more than 170 great members.
• HD DVD (High-Definition Digital Versatile Disc) - a competitive format to Blue-Ray and another potential successor to DVDs. Promoters of this format are: Sanyo, NEC, RCA, HP, Toshiba, Niveus and Acer. Those media can take up to 15GB on one disc (30GB for DL). It is used in XBOX 360.

*it is not recommended, it must be supported by the drive and burning SW
**CD-RW 1-4x / CD-RW High-Speed 4-10X / CD-RW Ultra-Speed 10-24X - Some car CD players and drives in electronics had problems with reading rewritable media. It was very important what type of medium was used (manufacturer, supported writing speed and sometimes even speed at which the medium was burnt). The oldest CD drives cannot read CD-RWs at all (media can be read by drives supporting Multiread, Multiread2 - almost all CD and DVD drives manufactured after 2001. However, High and Ultra media can cause problems even in newer drives.).

• Double-Sided - media recordable on both sides. The classical single-sided media are labelled as SS (Single-Sided) or they have no label.
• Dual Layer (DL) - media and drives that support recording in two layers and so enable to save up to 2x more data. The classical Single-Layer media are labelled as SL (Single-Layer) or they have no label.
• Printable - Media with printable surface for direct printing using special printers.
• LabelFlash - Is a new technology for labelling CDs or DVDs using laser (requires appropriate drive and medium).
• DVD categories by size:
• DVD-5 - SS/SL - 4.7GB (4.38 GB)
• DVD-9 - SS/DL - 8.5GB
• DVD-10 - DS/SL - 9.4GB
• DVD-18 - DS/DL - 15.9GB
• It is not recommended that you save money on media. If you buy low-quality non-branded media, your data may become unreadable within several months. Some media are not compatible with some drives and have problems with reading and writing even on the first use. Sometimes, this problem can be solved by using new firmware, but often the only option is to use completely different media.
• In order to find out information about the drive and its properties, I recommend Nero InfoTool.
• To test the correct functionality of the drive, I recommend Nero CD-DVD Speed. In DVD burners, I usually test the reading speed of an original CD and DVD, burnt CD and DVD, alternatively reading speed of a rewritable CD and DVD. If some deflections occur, something is wrong (if the speed is slow, it can be caused by enabled PIO mode; in such case activate DMA mode).

The most frequent extension components in PCs

• Sound card - a card that handles sound input and output in the computer. In older computers, sound cards were stand-alone extension cards which became a standard part of the motherboard. First integrated sound cards provided poor-quality sound and were very performance-demanding. However, this has changed and a large amount of motherboards contain chips that provide the highest quality. Extension cards still exist; they are mostly used as a substitute for integrated solutions or as a solution for demanding users. Besides a quality sound card, you need to have an appropriate set of speakers. It is ideal if you have a combination of an HD sound card and home theater speakers (both 5.1 / 5 satellites and 1 subwoofer).

• Network card - enables to connect your PC to a computer network. Network cards differ in type of used media and supported speed. The most frequent type of connection is through a twisted-pair cable and the RJ45 connector, or wireless transfer (Wifi alias IEEE802.11). A card enabling connection with RJ45 is usually a part of the motherboard. As for wireless connection, it is a standard in portable computers, but in desktops you have to use an extension card.

• Modem - an HW device providing connection between computers and to internet. Its name is derived from the words MODulator / DEModulator because modem modulates one signal to another (analogue to digital, one frequency to another) and another modem demodulates back to the original signal. It is advisable that you leave the selection of your modem to a specialist. Modems differ in type (external/internal), purpose (for analogue/digital line, broadband connection, mobile networks). Modems have different features (e.g. data transfer speed, faxing option). Connection quality depends on the chosen modem and the quality of the transfer route.
• Cards for video processing - There exists a great amount of cards for receiving TV signal. They mainly differ according to the type of processed signal (analogue, digital, satellite) and can be either external or internal. Supplied utility SW and newly the existence of drivers and official support for Windows Vista are becoming an important criterion lately.
• Video editing cards - cards with multiple inputs and outputs to connect analogue and digital video devices. Besides playing video in computer, they allow users to edit sound and apply various effects. There exists a great number of external and internal video editing cards. Variability of possible connections, type and features of the supplied SW are important, as well.

General example of the purpose of particular components: cheap (low end), main stream and powerful (high end)

Valid for summer 2007

Basic selection of system requirements

• Minimum HW requirements - Every program may require specified minimum HW requirements in order to launch. In the case of operating systems, it can be certain HW requirements, such as operating memory, fast processor and enough space on the hard disk. In applications, a specified version of an operating system can be required, or other minimum HW requirements or some other software needed for the full functionality.
• Before buying or installing a new PC and operating system, it is recommended that you check if the installation can be executed and if everything is going to work. Possible ways of checking the HW for the chosen OS (example for Windows Vista):
• 1. Compare the parameters of the computer with the minimum HW requirements for Windows Vista.
• 2. Check the components by Hardware Compatibility List (www.microsoft.com/hcl/) - List of hardware supported and tested by Microsoft. In case your hardware is not listed there, it is recommended that you gain the information from the manufacturer if the device is supported in Windows Vista. For the devices that are not supported it is necessary to get the drivers and supporting files before the installation of Windows.
• 3. Check the components - Some devices are supported directly in the OS, unlike others that require supporting SW (applications and drivers). Many older devices are not supported in new operating systems and you may not be able to use them at all. This is usually written in the specifications, on packaging or on manufacturers' websites.
  

Basic system requirements for Windows Vista

• Sufficient disk space (app. 10GB) and a DVD drive if installing from a DVD are required.

Buying components. How to decide?

• In case you want to have your PC built from particular components, you can do that yourself or, because of service, you can choose a shop to do that for you. If you want to try that yourself and you do not have enough experience, ask for advice before choosing components and be prepared that you can face complications. Documentation supplied with components is very often too brief, inaccurate or is missing altogether. Beware! A computer is not just a matter of assembling, but you also have to install SW and drivers, set up internet connection and do many other steps which can be a nightmare for beginners. Assembling components incorrectly or in an incorrect way can cause their damage or destruction.
• Price - Theoretically, higher price should mean a more powerful computer. But it does not! The price is based on the profit margin of the seller and depends on the selection of components. Branded components and PCs are usually more expensive and should provide higher quality. Price cannot be easily estimated by specification, but must be evaluated upon particular components which are not always exactly specified, e.g. the graphic card GeForce 8 can be a cheap 8400 GS or much more expensive 8800 Ultra. Moreover, particular components differ according to manufacturers who use parts of various quality and include various SW. Price can be affected by the cost of consequential administration and related expenses (e.g. electric energy). Prices of some components can be estimated upon rating price/performance (some processors, RAM, hard disks).
• Appearance - Appearance depends on the case type and partially on components. The quality and performance of a PC cannot be estimated just by the type of case. Some less experienced users choose a PC by its appearance and presented advertisements. However, they can later get disappointed. Specialists in computer shops will offer you the optimal solution, including various design options. Sometimes people want to know exact dimensions of the keyboard and case when buying a computer in order to choose proper furniture, or they choose furniture after they have bought a computer, or they adjust furniture according to the computer and vice versa.
• Brand - The brand and quality are relative terms, though both play a crucial role. Brand is made of service, used components and the company operation within a city, country, continent or worldwide. The best known HW worldwide manufacturers are: Dell, IBM, HP.
• In the past, branded PCs were entirely built of the company's own parts which boosted the price of the components and sometimes caused their unavailability. I have an experience with RAM - delivery took 5 weeks and the memory was 4x more expensive than the same part to a non-branded PC.
• Today's branded PCs are not based on their own parts in the same extent, but despite that, their service and upgrade can be complicated and expensive. Non-branded PCs composed of standard parts can be serviced by nearly anybody and such parts are easily available and exchangeable.
• Branded computers are debugged and tested. Some computer sets have limited exchangeability of parts to ensure maximum stability thanks to successful tests performed on the given configuration.
• Service - A good service can be executed by a service person or a worldwide company. Extent of the necessary support can be a problem. In large companies, there exist departments specialized in particular fields, and so the knowledge and experience of one person can be limited to a certain field. If buying a PC for home use, the selection is quite easy, while it could be a bit more complicated for companies. They have more requirements - specialization in particular solutions, time needed for trouble-shooting and other specified requirements. Then, the solution those companies usually choose is their own company specialists, a hired IT company (Outsourcing) or a different company for particular problems. I have personal experience, good and bad, with branded and non-branded service. The branded ones are given more trust, however, sometimes at an unbelievable price.
• Seal- Sometimes the case is sealed. Breaking this seal you may loose the guarantee, and so you have no other option than to use the service of the company you bought the computer from. In smaller companies, you can discuss whether you want the seal or not. Impossibility of own service is a frequent reason why advanced users build their computers themselves.
• Guarantee - Typical guarantee for a computer set is from 1 to 2 years or extended to 3 or more years (usually not applied on optical drives and peripheries). Guarantee can differ by region and country. Sometimes you can get a guarantee referred to as lifetime (but the lifetime is limited by certain conditions). You can also gain phone or internet support with your guarantee.
• Limited guarantee - Manufacturers may define limitations and exceptions for applying and handling guarantees. It is advisable that you read carefully the guarantee and service terms. Though companies have to adhere to local law of the country of sale, they define e.g. pixel faults tolerated in LCDs (based on the standard ISO 13406-2).

• Location - Computer should be protected from extreme heat, dust, cigarette smoke, humidity and water. Air-holes should never be covered, or the computer can get overheated and so the lifetime of the components shortens. In some cases, a certain level of protection from physical access to the computer is required in order to protect PC from thefts of components and data. Computer protection from voltage fluctuation in the power system using some type of over-voltage protection or a UPS may be required, as well.
• Software - When buying a PC, you can also purchase SW at a reasonable price. Most frequently, an operating system, antivirus program and an office SW are purchased. Advanced users can find alternatives in freeware and shareware programs.
• Computer piracy - is a process of unauthorized distribution of programs, music or films protected by copyright. Every program or any other piece of work was created by a person who deserves a reward. If you do not purchase a program or music directly from the author or in a shop, the author never receives any reward and you can be legally prosecuted.
• OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) - A term denoting the "original" manufacturer who produces SW or HW equipment for other manufacturers who implement the products in their own products or resell them under their own brand (usually add their own documentation and packaging).  For example, nVidia manufactures graphic card chips and sells them, together with a suggested design proposal, to other producers of graphic cards. Some large PC manufacturers work the same way - they use a supplier that produces parts or whole units for other companies, change the appearance, however, particular parts are not much different from the parts made by competition. OEM HW is usually packed more simple (so-called bulk) and is not intended for end users. Technical support and documentation are usually not included. Sometimes, OEM products have shorter guarantee (e.g. processor in OEM without the original cooler).
• OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) Software - OEM Software is more reasonable. It is only intended to be sold together with a new computer. SW is bound to a certain computer or component. If you put your computer out of operation, you cannot use this SW anymore. In case of SW from Microsoft, OEM SW support is provided by the seller, while the classical version enables to contact directly the Microsoft support.
• Retail - Retail version in a box. Besides documentation and the product itself, you can gain an interesting SW and additional accessories at a good price. Sometimes there can be more Retail package versions available with different contents; they are usually labelled with different letter in the name or different Partnumber.
• Examples of differences between retail and bulk packages (different by manufacturer and type of package):

• Marketing - Marketing language and leaflets are very relative and also limited. If you are not experienced, you may tend to easily believe that a high-speed modem 56K is the best way to connect to internet, that Wifi allows you to connect to internet anywhere without cables and at a high speed. However, reality can be different. Classical modems are being replaced by ADSL, Wifi only works in signal-covered areas, and most powerful integrated graphic cards are not sufficient for a more demanding usage.
• Some advanced requirements when buying a PC - PC manufactured by a company, with a certificate of the manufacturing process complying with a standard (e.g. ISO). Worldwide service (or within a country). Service in customer's location within x hours, or possibility of lending a spare computer for the time of fixing. Specialized SW delivery. Leasing, rental.
• Silent Computers - When planning and assembling a PC, it is necessary to consider cooling of the inside areas of the computer. If you use unsuitable components, your PC can get overheated and colapse. The first precondition is a speacious case and an appropriate selection of fans or passive cooling. Cooling for the processor and graphic card is a critical point, as those two parts produce the greatest heat of all components. The hard drive and optical drive can mean a cooling problem, as well. Choosing appropriate components and cooling elements, you can significantly lower the heat and noise. Be careful in case you are buying a computer set and the PC is advertised as silent, as your idea of a silent computer may be different!
• Power-saving computers - Lowering the power consumption may be one of the requirements for a new computer or server. The key point is the selection of low-power components and an efficient PSU. In large companies with a great number of PCs, this can bring savings of a huge amount of money. Power saving in data centres can also mean lower cooling requirements and the potential of upgrading the capacity. This popularity of power consumption policy can also influence the selection of a PC monitor - the older CRT technology is being replaced by power-saving LCDs, but on the other hand, high power consumption of plasma screens can discourage users from their purchase.

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