How to choose a system unit

The system unit is not a single integral device. It is a complex of interconnected components, each of which defines the technical specifications and specifications of the computer.

How to choose a system unit: a list of characteristics that need attention

When choosing a system unit for home or office, you need to pay attention to the following technical characteristics:

1. Model, clock frequency, number of cores of the embedded processor;

2. The amount of RAM;

3. Volume and type of hard disk;

4. Clock frequency and memory capacity of the integrated video card;

5. The number of case fans.

Other options that you can pay attention to, but not necessarily:

1. Power supply;

2. Technical characteristics of the motherboard.

Parameters that determine the convenience, but not the capabilities of the system unit:

1. Availability of optical drive;

2. The presence of a card reader;

3. Ports on the front panel;

4. Ports on the back.

Embedded processor

The overall performance of a computer depends on four parameters — the processor’s clock speed, the number of its processing cores, the amount of RAM, and the speed of the hard disk. The characteristics of a video card or graphics accelerator are also important, but not prevalent. They are important primarily for processing graphics - in the form of drawing models in computer games or rendering video in the appropriate editors.

Therefore, if high performance is required, a “more powerful” processor is also required - with 4 cores and a large clock frequency. The most popular models in this segment are from the Intel Core i5 and i7 lines. However, it is worth remembering about the generation of the processor. The same Intel Core now exists in seven generations, and the first is not very productive - unlike the last.

The processor model Intel Core, except for the line (i3, i5, i7) is complemented by a four-digit numeric code. The higher this number is, the correspondingly, the higher the performance of the chip.

RAM size

The computer in its work writes a lot of data in memory. Therefore, the higher its volume, the faster the system unit will work. The minimum required volume today is 2 GB. It will be enough for “studying”, surfing the web, working with documents, etc. The optimal value is 4 GB.

If you need to perform more demanding tasks, including playing, then the amount of RAM should be higher. For a gaming computer, the required minimum is 8 GB.

Hard disk size and type

All necessary data is stored on the hard disk of the computer - from the files of the operating system itself to documents, photos and user downloads. Therefore, the more its volume, the, respectively, more information can be recorded in the computer's memory.

The minimum required volume for the operating system is 20 GB. But this is clearly not enough for the user. For example, a movie in acceptable quality "weighs" 4.5 GB. And the flagship games in the prescribed form occupy more than 100 GB each!

Thus, you need to choose the volume of the hard disk based on your needs. But it is better to "stock up" than then feverishly choose what to remove in order to free up space. The minimum recommended hard disk capacity is 320 GB. 500 GB is better. 1 TB and more - if you plan to organize a “file storage” on your computer.

The type of hard disk is important. SSDs are faster and more stable than HDDs. However, they are much more expensive and have a limited operational period.

The optimal configuration is to use a small SSD-drive (up to 100 GB) for the operating system and a large HDD-drive (from 500 GB) for user files, games and programs.

Characteristics of the integrated video card

Without a video card, the computer will not be able to display the image on the screen. So it is needed anyway. However, it is worth remembering that video cards are of two types - integrated and discrete.

An integrated video card is usually of much lower power. It uses the resources of the processor and RAM in order to process graphic information. Therefore, for games, it almost does not fit - except for the oldest and undemanding to the technical characteristics of the computer.

Discrete video card is better suited for processing graphic information - both games, and rendering videos or image editing. And, the more powerful it is, the better it copes with these responsibilities.

The performance of a discrete graphics card is influenced by the power of the integrated computing chip and the amount of video memory. And, if the information on the first parameter is difficult to obtain, then the second is usually indicated on the price lists or in the list of technical characteristics of the system unit. In short, the more video memory - the better. But more expensive. Therefore, it is advisable to buy a system unit with a powerful graphics card if you need a gaming configuration or a system for processing video or images.

It is easy to understand whether an integrated or discrete graphics card is built into the system unit. If the connector for the screen is located on the top of the rear panel of the case - then it is integrated. If on the bottom - then discrete. The accuracy of this "test" is quite high.

The number of fans in the case

Virtually all components of the system unit during work intensively heated. A processor, for example, when performing a particularly demanding task can heat up to 80-100 degrees! The video card, hard drive, power supply, even the RAM and cables that connect all this together are also heated.

High heat leads to a drop in performance and reduce the operating period of the system unit. In order for the temperature not to be too high, the most strongly “heated” elements are equipped with cooler fans. They are installed, for example, on the processor, video card and power supply.

But due to the closed configuration of the system unit, these coolers do not cope with their task too successfully. Additional fans are needed, which will pump cold air into the case and bring hot air out.

For the average configuration, 1 cooler on the rear panel is enough. If it comes to a powerful or just high-performance system unit, more fans are required. 2-3 will be enough.

Power supply

The main function of the power supply is the conversion of alternating current from a household network to a constant one, which is necessary for the operation of a computer, and its delivery to components (motherboard, video card, etc.) And the power of these components directly depends on how much current they consume.

Therefore, the more components are installed in the system unit and the more productive they are, the more powerful the power supply unit is required.

However, it is worth considering that in the ready-made configurations, a power supply unit of sufficient power is already installed, so there is no need to worry about this issue. The problem can only arise when upgrading (installing new components) computer. Often the power of a unit installed in ready-made configurations is extreme and does not imply the connection of other devices. Then when upgrading you need to install a new one.

Motherboard parameters

The motherboard is the main functional element of the computer. It is connected to the rest of the components - from the processor to the video card.

Pay attention to its characteristics is required only if you plan to upgrade the computer. Then the following parameters are important:

1. Number and type of expansion slots (required for installation of expansion cards - video cards, network cards, sound cards, specialized devices);

2. The number and frequency of RAM slots (the last parameter is important for creating an optimized configuration);

3. Characteristics of the chipset (necessary to optimize the interaction of all peripheral equipment - processor, video card, permanent and random access memory, connected via USB devices);

4. Processor socket (determines which processor can be installed in the motherboard);

5. The presence of a built-in video card;

6. The presence of built-in "expansion cards" - sound, network cards, etc .;

7. The configuration of the connectors (for example, if you need to bring an additional USB unit to the front panel, this will require a separate connector).

However, in the overwhelming majority of cases, these parameters can be ignored.

Summary

The choice of the system unit begins with the definition of the purposes for which it will be used. Based on the purpose of the computer, you can identify the necessary and sufficient characteristics. First of all, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the processor, RAM and permanent memory, as well as the video card.

For specialized configurations, it is also desirable to take into account the power supply capacity and the number of fans built into the chassis.

For configurations that are planned to be upgraded in the future, you need to take into account the features of the motherboard so that you do not have to change it.

And finally, it is desirable to take into account the ease of use of the system unit.

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Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.