The computer of your dreams. Part 1: The Philosophy of a Rational Approach
Everyone has their own needs. A gamer is picky about the hardware, which can easily rotate all modern toys at maximum quality settings, professionals need a machine that will quickly and efficiently solve their work tasks, ordinary home users want to get a universal multimedia center ...
Is there a computer that can satisfy every need of users equally well? At first glance it may seem that it is enough to stock up on several kilobaxes, take the top-end hardware, and here it is - a dream computer. But will it really be equally good for any task? Personally, I think not. The concept of a perfect computer is not limited to a single system performance. There are many other factors to consider. Power consumption, dimensions and appearance, noise level, the presence of any specific functions, finally, the price.
Yes, the price. The last factor is one of the most important (other factors also undoubtedly have their meaning, but we'll talk about them later). Despite the progress and general trends in the IT industry, high-performance computers still remain an expensive pleasure. If we talk about gaming and multimedia PCs, the acquisition of a top-end system will cost not one thousand conventional units, and not everyone has that kind of money. Most are not ready to spend on the computer and the amount of about 1k $. And a significant part of our compatriots are forced to fit into even half the budget. Not everyone lives in the default city, our country is huge, as is the difference between salaries there and in the regions. Not everyone has a good and stable income, even by the standards of their city. And someone does not have their own earnings at all. At the same time, everyone wants to have a good, good-quality car in his use. Do not forget that the iron tends to quickly become obsolete. In most cases, from 1 to 5 years is enough for the computer to stop coping with the tasks initially assigned to it.
The solution to the problem can only be a rational approach. Setting the necessary tasks, analyzing the iron market, shaping the approach, and based on this - the choice of PC components.
It may seem to you that I am now saying the obvious things, and you will not be interested in further reading this water. But I wouldn’t reach for the “close” button. Maybe the above and obvious, but I just can not do it differently. I can not immediately rush straight to the pit and move on to the specifics, until I bring to you the basics, the concept, the philosophy of this approach.
Over the course of several articles I will try to most fully cover the topic of choosing a computer for gaming and multimedia tasks. A little will be said about office workhorses, home servers, and some other related things. However, nevertheless, my calculations are definitely not suitable for a number of people:
If you belong to the above categories, I will have a huge request - just pass by. No need to incite holivary in the comments.
')
For everyone else - it's time to move from the introduction directly to the disclosure of this topic.
In the first part of my opus, I will not directly tell about this approach, its essence and key points, how it was formed, the experience of applying this approach in practice, and in general who I am and why my thoughts are worth your attention.
I'll start from the end. I am an ordinary student of an ordinary high school in an ordinary Ural city =) I began to be interested in computers when I was a middle-school student, and every year my passion for this field grew. After graduating from the 9th class I went to the technical school for the relevant specialty and studied there for 4 years, during which I was completely mired in IT (in particular, I grew a beard: P). Well, having received a diploma of a technician and not finding good job prospects, I decided to continue studying by profile, this time at the university. I came to the budget without any problems, but a little to the wrong specialty (which, in principle, is not so bad and generally fixable). Of all the IT destinations, I am most interested in iron. I was never particularly attracted to programming and development, and I simply didn’t go deep into network technologies and security, although I plan and make attempts to develop these areas in myself (for which, in particular, I entered the university).
In general, I zhelezyachnik. I can call myself him, perhaps, since 2004 - it was then that the iron took over the progerstvo and the rest. Over the past years, I managed to observe the industry, rework the mountain of thematic material, try out a lot of personal experience, and most importantly, form my own views on this area.
The financial situation in the family had a great influence on them - it was never fun, which played a role. The purchase of the first computer was difficult then, and all further acquisitions and upgrades were always considered very carefully. A rational approach was simply necessary. I always re-read a large number of different articles and reviews before I buy this or that piece of hardware. With the advent of normal human Internet at home, I became a regular at several iron sites and forums, adding to my wealth of knowledge and, if possible, sharing them with others.
Especially I always liked to help people with the choice of iron, and even more - with the selection of configuration. Having started up the rake when buying the first computer and the first upgrades, I wanted to protect myself and others from similar errors. I liked the “Intelligent computer for reasonable money” heading in “Igromania” magazine and similar sections in other publications, I went shopping and got acquainted with the assortment, studied prices, actively participated in thematic discussions on forums. At one time I even had my own website with the appropriate page (the name and idea were brazenly stolen from “Gambling”, which I had had time to be disappointed by that time), but because of the reluctance to engage in its promotion, it was very poorly attended and, as a result, completely sour.
Over time, some amendments were added to my enthusiasm. For example, I did not help everyone. Having reason to believe my advice is useful, I love it when people listen to them, rather than asking a bunch of questions first, and then doing everything in their own way. I still love when a person at least understands what he wants. I love it when a person is unbiased towards any phenomenon, or, for example, a company. As a result, I began to ignore a part of such requests and topics. But in general, the love for this occupation has not gone away.
The audience of habr in this plan perfectly is suitable for similar theoretical calculations. People here, on the one hand, overwhelmingly educated and cultural, one way or another connected with the IT-sphere, on the other hand, are ready to accept new information from adjacent areas with interest. That's why I decided to write my opus here, and not on a personal site, not on LJ, not on PS overs and not on any forum.
Well, about me on this for now. We turn directly to the essence of the approach and its key points.
To begin, I will formulate a few statements:
These are the postulates on which my vision of a rational approach rests, and which I will disclose in the course of my publications.
So you decided to buy a computer. The same "dream computer" - the maximum capacity with minimal cost. Well, we will try to find a rational solution to this problem.
- Why two cores and not four?
- Why Pentium and not Kor2Duo?
- Why DDR2, but not DDR3?
One of the most common questions that people have when seeing a configuration.
Why? Yes, because. If you put questions in this way - you yourself do not understand what you want.
A person comes to the forum and asks him to tell him which iron is better to take. It is good if at the same time he names the tasks that are set for the computer, or the budget that is planned. If everything indicates at once, it is generally a holiday. Unfortunately, it occurs on the strength in half of such cases. Some immediately begin to be clever: “I want this piece of hardware to be in the computer, this one and this one - it is they and no others”. Duck, if you are such a cool piece of iron, that you think other devices are unworthy, can you and will pick everything up? And neither here nor there ... Do you need a checker or go?
The inability to set a task, the inability to ask questions, the inability to identify needs is one of the main problems.
To choose a high-quality configuration, you need to know why the PC itself is needed. And the more detailed this information is, the better.
Here you will recall the generally accepted division of computers into gaming, multimedia and office. But remember out of place. This is just a general classification, we need a specific problem statement.
Make a sign (you can mentally, but you can also pen on paper), divided into 3 columns:
And start filling it with tasks. I will list a few of the most significant:
I beg you, no need to add here any "films", "studies" and other "office work". With such tasks a rare dinosaur can not cope.
Made up? Well thought? Now we throw out the third column. In general, we throw it out completely - you should not focus on what we do not plan to do. We begin to specify the first column (for games, for example: do you plan to play freshly high-demanding novelties? What quality settings and level of visual effects are you going to use? What resolution is you planning to play?). The result of this creativity will be the answer to the question “why do I need a computer”.
Further it is necessary to decide on additional requirements. This includes parameters related to appearance, size, noise, power consumption, etc. Just select the most important ones for yourself.
Think about your financial capabilities. Consider that for solving tasks that require high performance, iron quickly becomes obsolete, and think about the planned life of the computer. Reflect on planned upgrades, their frequency and quantity. After that, determine two amounts - the maximum amount of money you are willing to spend for the best solution of the tasks set, and the desired amount, in which it would be better to enter the final configuration. There are no minimum levels, they are fundamentally contrary to the principles of a rational approach. And yes, consider the planned budget for the system unit and the periphery both separately and together.
This stage is the most difficult. It will have to work out a large number of different reviews and tests of a wide variety of iron.
The first step will be to determine the key components of the system, the performance and capabilities of which will most strongly influence the solution of the tasks.
The second step is to study the comparative tests of a large number of devices. This will give an overview of performance.
The next step is to make an approximate configuration for the “top bracket” of the budget. Sales managers, by the way, consider that only this step is enough in general =) But they solve their tasks, and you - your own.
The last, most difficult and most important step is “balancing”. Here you will need: firstly, reviews of specific glands with all their features (the more reviews of the same device you study - the fuller and more objective the look will be), and secondly, the prices of the companies in which you plan to make a purchase (not worth try to buy everything in one place, because even if your chosen company is a “price-maker” in the local market - another store can make a better offer on a particular device). It is at this point that particular attention should be paid to the 2.3 and 4 postulates. Studying iron in more detail, we move down the price, trying to get the maximum price reduction with minimal loss of resources, and as long as this condition is met - you can decrease as much as you like (I would decrease at least to the level of the “desired bar”). We evaluate the performance and capabilities of the resulting configuration and draw the conclusion on the basis of which we adjust the key components to the right side. Do not forget about the first postulate - if the configuration for the price has gone below the “desired bar” - you need to rejoice, and not urgently finish it with something steeper. Why waste money and spend it on resources that you generally will not be used?
Naturally, the more knowledge you have about modern hardware, the fewer steps you take. But this article is not for iron gurus =)
Stage Four: Purchase.
Here, I think, nothing will be complicated. The main thing is not to forget that a slight difference in the name of the models of the same piece of iron can result in serious differences in their parameters, as a result of which one is very careful about “analogs”, especially those that the already mentioned managers will offer ...
In this first part comes to an end. Here I explained only the general principles and algorithms. In the following parts I will turn to more specific issues, trying to describe each moment of this approach in as much detail as possible and clearly.
This is my first post on Habré. Do not kick your feet. Questions, suggestions and suggestions are accepted =)
Boomburum - thanks for the inspiration. Reading your reviews, I realized that it was time to finally stop being lazy and write something useful myself. Also thanks to those who pushed into karma, bringing me out of the minuses, which made this post technically possible =)
Is there a computer that can satisfy every need of users equally well? At first glance it may seem that it is enough to stock up on several kilobaxes, take the top-end hardware, and here it is - a dream computer. But will it really be equally good for any task? Personally, I think not. The concept of a perfect computer is not limited to a single system performance. There are many other factors to consider. Power consumption, dimensions and appearance, noise level, the presence of any specific functions, finally, the price.
Yes, the price. The last factor is one of the most important (other factors also undoubtedly have their meaning, but we'll talk about them later). Despite the progress and general trends in the IT industry, high-performance computers still remain an expensive pleasure. If we talk about gaming and multimedia PCs, the acquisition of a top-end system will cost not one thousand conventional units, and not everyone has that kind of money. Most are not ready to spend on the computer and the amount of about 1k $. And a significant part of our compatriots are forced to fit into even half the budget. Not everyone lives in the default city, our country is huge, as is the difference between salaries there and in the regions. Not everyone has a good and stable income, even by the standards of their city. And someone does not have their own earnings at all. At the same time, everyone wants to have a good, good-quality car in his use. Do not forget that the iron tends to quickly become obsolete. In most cases, from 1 to 5 years is enough for the computer to stop coping with the tasks initially assigned to it.
The solution to the problem can only be a rational approach. Setting the necessary tasks, analyzing the iron market, shaping the approach, and based on this - the choice of PC components.
It may seem to you that I am now saying the obvious things, and you will not be interested in further reading this water. But I wouldn’t reach for the “close” button. Maybe the above and obvious, but I just can not do it differently. I can not immediately rush straight to the pit and move on to the specifics, until I bring to you the basics, the concept, the philosophy of this approach.
Over the course of several articles I will try to most fully cover the topic of choosing a computer for gaming and multimedia tasks. A little will be said about office workhorses, home servers, and some other related things. However, nevertheless, my calculations are definitely not suitable for a number of people:
- Benchers and technomaniacs. For people who are engaged in extreme overclocking and benching, innovation will simply not apply to the nature of their activities, and technomaniacs are just a special category of people who find it difficult, even almost impossible to prove that good hardware is not limited to expensive top devices.
- People who do not see the point of rationalization. Yes, there are individuals who, due to a certain tightness of their wallet, consider this approach to be simply unworthy of their attention. In general, it seems to me that there are no such habre. But it may seem to me a lot, so just in case I warned.
If you belong to the above categories, I will have a huge request - just pass by. No need to incite holivary in the comments.
')
For everyone else - it's time to move from the introduction directly to the disclosure of this topic.
Part 1. The philosophy of a rational approach
In the first part of my opus, I will not directly tell about this approach, its essence and key points, how it was formed, the experience of applying this approach in practice, and in general who I am and why my thoughts are worth your attention.
I'll start from the end. I am an ordinary student of an ordinary high school in an ordinary Ural city =) I began to be interested in computers when I was a middle-school student, and every year my passion for this field grew. After graduating from the 9th class I went to the technical school for the relevant specialty and studied there for 4 years, during which I was completely mired in IT (in particular, I grew a beard: P). Well, having received a diploma of a technician and not finding good job prospects, I decided to continue studying by profile, this time at the university. I came to the budget without any problems, but a little to the wrong specialty (which, in principle, is not so bad and generally fixable). Of all the IT destinations, I am most interested in iron. I was never particularly attracted to programming and development, and I simply didn’t go deep into network technologies and security, although I plan and make attempts to develop these areas in myself (for which, in particular, I entered the university).
In general, I zhelezyachnik. I can call myself him, perhaps, since 2004 - it was then that the iron took over the progerstvo and the rest. Over the past years, I managed to observe the industry, rework the mountain of thematic material, try out a lot of personal experience, and most importantly, form my own views on this area.
The financial situation in the family had a great influence on them - it was never fun, which played a role. The purchase of the first computer was difficult then, and all further acquisitions and upgrades were always considered very carefully. A rational approach was simply necessary. I always re-read a large number of different articles and reviews before I buy this or that piece of hardware. With the advent of normal human Internet at home, I became a regular at several iron sites and forums, adding to my wealth of knowledge and, if possible, sharing them with others.
Especially I always liked to help people with the choice of iron, and even more - with the selection of configuration. Having started up the rake when buying the first computer and the first upgrades, I wanted to protect myself and others from similar errors. I liked the “Intelligent computer for reasonable money” heading in “Igromania” magazine and similar sections in other publications, I went shopping and got acquainted with the assortment, studied prices, actively participated in thematic discussions on forums. At one time I even had my own website with the appropriate page (the name and idea were brazenly stolen from “Gambling”, which I had had time to be disappointed by that time), but because of the reluctance to engage in its promotion, it was very poorly attended and, as a result, completely sour.
Over time, some amendments were added to my enthusiasm. For example, I did not help everyone. Having reason to believe my advice is useful, I love it when people listen to them, rather than asking a bunch of questions first, and then doing everything in their own way. I still love when a person at least understands what he wants. I love it when a person is unbiased towards any phenomenon, or, for example, a company. As a result, I began to ignore a part of such requests and topics. But in general, the love for this occupation has not gone away.
The audience of habr in this plan perfectly is suitable for similar theoretical calculations. People here, on the one hand, overwhelmingly educated and cultural, one way or another connected with the IT-sphere, on the other hand, are ready to accept new information from adjacent areas with interest. That's why I decided to write my opus here, and not on a personal site, not on LJ, not on PS overs and not on any forum.
Well, about me on this for now. We turn directly to the essence of the approach and its key points.
To begin, I will formulate a few statements:
- The choice must be based on needs;
- Productivity gains and price increases must be proportionate;
- We must try to use the full potential of iron;
- Preferences should be taken into account, but one should not be biased and rely not on stereotypes;
- Consideration of perspective is important, but it is impossible to predict everything for several years to come.
These are the postulates on which my vision of a rational approach rests, and which I will disclose in the course of my publications.
So you decided to buy a computer. The same "dream computer" - the maximum capacity with minimal cost. Well, we will try to find a rational solution to this problem.
Stage One: Problem Statement
- Why two cores and not four?
- Why Pentium and not Kor2Duo?
- Why DDR2, but not DDR3?
One of the most common questions that people have when seeing a configuration.
Why? Yes, because. If you put questions in this way - you yourself do not understand what you want.
A person comes to the forum and asks him to tell him which iron is better to take. It is good if at the same time he names the tasks that are set for the computer, or the budget that is planned. If everything indicates at once, it is generally a holiday. Unfortunately, it occurs on the strength in half of such cases. Some immediately begin to be clever: “I want this piece of hardware to be in the computer, this one and this one - it is they and no others”. Duck, if you are such a cool piece of iron, that you think other devices are unworthy, can you and will pick everything up? And neither here nor there ... Do you need a checker or go?
The inability to set a task, the inability to ask questions, the inability to identify needs is one of the main problems.
To choose a high-quality configuration, you need to know why the PC itself is needed. And the more detailed this information is, the better.
Here you will recall the generally accepted division of computers into gaming, multimedia and office. But remember out of place. This is just a general classification, we need a specific problem statement.
Make a sign (you can mentally, but you can also pen on paper), divided into 3 columns:
- Regularly;
- Periodically;
- Occasionally.
And start filling it with tasks. I will list a few of the most significant:
- Games;
- View HD content;
- Work with 2D graphics;
- Work with 3D graphics;
- Video processing and encoding;
- Sound processing;
- Participation in distributed computing projects;
- Storage of a multimedia collection or other large data.
I beg you, no need to add here any "films", "studies" and other "office work". With such tasks a rare dinosaur can not cope.
Made up? Well thought? Now we throw out the third column. In general, we throw it out completely - you should not focus on what we do not plan to do. We begin to specify the first column (for games, for example: do you plan to play freshly high-demanding novelties? What quality settings and level of visual effects are you going to use? What resolution is you planning to play?). The result of this creativity will be the answer to the question “why do I need a computer”.
Further it is necessary to decide on additional requirements. This includes parameters related to appearance, size, noise, power consumption, etc. Just select the most important ones for yourself.
Stage Two: Determining the Budget
Think about your financial capabilities. Consider that for solving tasks that require high performance, iron quickly becomes obsolete, and think about the planned life of the computer. Reflect on planned upgrades, their frequency and quantity. After that, determine two amounts - the maximum amount of money you are willing to spend for the best solution of the tasks set, and the desired amount, in which it would be better to enter the final configuration. There are no minimum levels, they are fundamentally contrary to the principles of a rational approach. And yes, consider the planned budget for the system unit and the periphery both separately and together.
Stage Three: Market Analysis
This stage is the most difficult. It will have to work out a large number of different reviews and tests of a wide variety of iron.
The first step will be to determine the key components of the system, the performance and capabilities of which will most strongly influence the solution of the tasks.
The second step is to study the comparative tests of a large number of devices. This will give an overview of performance.
The next step is to make an approximate configuration for the “top bracket” of the budget. Sales managers, by the way, consider that only this step is enough in general =) But they solve their tasks, and you - your own.
The last, most difficult and most important step is “balancing”. Here you will need: firstly, reviews of specific glands with all their features (the more reviews of the same device you study - the fuller and more objective the look will be), and secondly, the prices of the companies in which you plan to make a purchase (not worth try to buy everything in one place, because even if your chosen company is a “price-maker” in the local market - another store can make a better offer on a particular device). It is at this point that particular attention should be paid to the 2.3 and 4 postulates. Studying iron in more detail, we move down the price, trying to get the maximum price reduction with minimal loss of resources, and as long as this condition is met - you can decrease as much as you like (I would decrease at least to the level of the “desired bar”). We evaluate the performance and capabilities of the resulting configuration and draw the conclusion on the basis of which we adjust the key components to the right side. Do not forget about the first postulate - if the configuration for the price has gone below the “desired bar” - you need to rejoice, and not urgently finish it with something steeper. Why waste money and spend it on resources that you generally will not be used?
Naturally, the more knowledge you have about modern hardware, the fewer steps you take. But this article is not for iron gurus =)
Stage Four: Purchase.
Here, I think, nothing will be complicated. The main thing is not to forget that a slight difference in the name of the models of the same piece of iron can result in serious differences in their parameters, as a result of which one is very careful about “analogs”, especially those that the already mentioned managers will offer ...
In this first part comes to an end. Here I explained only the general principles and algorithms. In the following parts I will turn to more specific issues, trying to describe each moment of this approach in as much detail as possible and clearly.
This is my first post on Habré. Do not kick your feet. Questions, suggestions and suggestions are accepted =)
Boomburum - thanks for the inspiration. Reading your reviews, I realized that it was time to finally stop being lazy and write something useful myself. Also thanks to those who pushed into karma, bringing me out of the minuses, which made this post technically possible =)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/79845/
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