07 Dec Picking Out New Holiday Hardware? Keep these Tips in Mind

Whether you’re looking for gift ideas or taking advantage of the holiday season to seek out new holiday hardware, it’s a good idea to do a little research before pulling the trigger on any major purchase. After all, nothing is worse than acquiring an expensive set of hardware only to have it miss the mark, leaving your expectations unfulfilled.

What kind of hardware? Typically, anything involving PC components, systems, and parts. That also covers laptops and smart devices. It’s a broad area, and as you can imagine, the ecosystem of tech components can get confusing fast if you’re not familiar with every spec on a computer system.

Companies selling their computers to the median user really like to emphasize ease of use. That’s fine, accessibility is a great thing. However, when a user purchases, say, a laptop because they saw “1TB Cloud Storage,” they might get the wrong idea. Wow, a laptop with a huge memory reserve! Except, in this example, “cloud storage” is an online-only form of file backup. A regular laptop might have significantly less SDD space, as low as 64GB.

Know your needs

But before diving into any recommendation or advice regarding holiday hardware shopping, start at the basics: in other words, know what you need.

The median user is likely to want a well-performing machine with a good memory that can accomplish the essentials with no lag input. In other words, when loading websites, working on documents, and accessing software/files, the computer can accomplish these tasks with minimal slowdown or freezes. Those who want high-performance machines, streaming/gaming rigs, and computers capable of heavy memory loads will no doubt have the knowledge to build out the perfect system (though we’ll toss in some recommendations).

With that said, jot down a few things you know you want out of a computer system. It doesn’t need to be lengthy, just a general foundation for browsing purposes. It’s good to have this list because once you start your search, the plethora of options is downright overwhelming.

That said, here are a few standard tips for the median computer user. We’re taking into account personal and business use, considering traits valuable for both.

• Cost – Establish a budget for your desired computer system, setting a spending limit
• Need – Obviously, what you intend to use the computer/laptop device for will determine the purchase and how you can get the most value for it
• Portability – Decide whether you’ll need the computer device on the go
• Personal or Professional – What do you intend to mainly use the computer device for – personal use, entertainment? Or for business/work-related tasks? Or, both?

That’s a shortlist that sets you up, but there’s still some research to do. You see, even when deals and budget-conscious options are plentiful, it’s easy to pick a computer system that isn’t up to your standards.

Why the hardware matters

Pay attention to the specs, because they’ll determine the type of performance you can expect from a PC system or laptop. It’s also important because it will help you determine the best purchase option.

Focus on a quality CPU

The central processing unit plays one of the biggest roles in computer speed and functionality. It helps “decide” how fast operations occur on your system, from running programs to simply accessing files. In fact, you can have all the fancy additional hardware peripherals you want. But if your CPU is on the lower end of performance, you will deal with bottlenecks and diminished performance.

When seeking a laptop, PC, or even CPU component, speed and quality are important factors. That does not mean you need the most expensive CPU on the market, but if there’s one component to splurge on, it’s this one.

RAM and memory for streamlined performance

RAM and memory (as in the total drive storage) are critical regardless of the PC hardware you intend to buy. The more RAM you have, the faster your system can execute processes, much like the CPU. Today, enough RAM is critically important, because idle processes on a modern computer can hog up memory. For instance, 8GB of RAM is a good benchmark, capable of fulfilling most basic processes without much interference or hitching. If you’re willing to splurge, 16GB is plenty.

However, low RAM levels can lead to lag and lackluster performance. If you’re looking at a laptop, check the RAM, as mobile hardware tends to sit at the lower end of hardware spec grade.

Storage space is another big consideration. Files and programs will fill up an HDD/SSD fast. Again, be mindful of “cloud storage,” as that requires internet connectivity to function and even subscriptions for certain services. Around 500GB to 1TB of memory should cover you just fine for virtually any PC hardware purchase.

When a holiday “deal” is like a lump of coal

When you’ve assembled that quick list of desirable PC system traits, your search will no doubt lead you to bargains and deals, especially adjacent to holiday sales.

But some of the worst traits found in deals or seemingly inexpensive hardware choices involve the specs we’ve discussed so far. Laptops are especially victim to this, given they’re designed – ideally – with convenience in mind. Functions that “should” help the median user instead cause more problems down the road.

Specifically bloatware, unnecessary apps, software, and even services. Bloatware is a common practice used by software and hardware manufacturers. In general, a new PC or system should only have the necessary files, software, and apps for basic functionality.

Bloatware can take up space on your disc drive, and in some cases, already be running when the system is powered on, even if it’s for the first time. This can greatly slow down system processes and functionality. Bloatware is intrusive, memory-consuming, and typically not needed, trying to take the place of other services. Normally, bloatware comes in the form of subscription-based services or software installed by the manufacturer. Anti-virus software trials, for example, are one of the most common forms of bloatware.

Therefore, when looking for a holiday deal or discount, be mindful that “affordable” options can come included with intrusive, performance-eating bloatware.

Conclusion

When looking for new computer hardware and systems – especially for the holidays – options can get overwhelming. However, as long as you focus on your key needs, you won’t have to burn through your budget to acquire a quality system.

Follow our quick tips for purchasing holiday hardware and you’ll find exactly what you need. For additional assistance and IT support, contact Bytagig for more information.