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Which desktop computer is best for home? How to choose a gaming computer

Read how to choose a computer and what to look for. Let's figure out what the differences are between computers for home, work or games besides price.

Nowadays, in almost every store that sells equipment, you can find ready-made versions of computers for every taste and budget. But often, when you come to buy, you cannot understand which option is better. We'll tell you how to choose a good computer.

What do you need a computer for: gaming, home or office?

Even before going to the store, you need to decide how you will use your PC. Ask yourself what you would like to do with your computer. Based on this, you can choose one of the system options:

  1. Home or office device. Its performance is sufficient for browsing the Internet, watching videos, opening audio files, and working with standard programs - databases, text editors.
  2. Gaming PC. It is assembled in several configurations - to run simple and high-performance games.
  3. Professional use – a machine that allows you to use special programs: graphics, video editing, design and many others. In this case, the PC parameters are selected based on the requirements of the software with which you will constantly work.

Most often, users buy a device for home use or gaming. Based on your goal, you need to select the characteristics of each PC component. Let's look at each component separately so that you can understand which computer is better to choose.

How to choose a processor for your computer

The processor is the “heart” of your PC. The performance of the entire system as a whole and the number of simultaneously processed operations depend on it. Basic CPU parameters:

  • Number of Cores;
  • clock frequency;
  • number of threads running simultaneously.

The number of cores and threads are interrelated. Popular quad-core processors can have either 4 or 8 threads, that is, 1 or 2 per core. Another indicator is the frequency of the process; it reflects the speed of calculation.

Before choosing a processor for your computer, check out the experts' recommendations:

  1. A home version of a computer that will not perform special tasks can be equipped with a dual-core processor with a frequency of 2 to 3 GHz. The number of threads in this case is not important, since you will not run high-performance programs on it.
  2. A gaming PC must be equipped with a processor with 4 or 8 cores. With high frequency from 3 to 3.5 GHz. The game manufacturers recommend using Core i 5 or Core i 7. The characteristics of the latter are impressive: it is eight-threaded with a high frequency.

If you are not going to run modern games, then you can purchase a microprocessor from any manufacturer. Most modern entertainment applications are released for target audience from Intel. It is not recommended to use AMD components on gaming PCs.

Motherboard

All components of desktop computers are connected to the motherboard. It is on this that the processor and other devices are installed. When choosing this board, you need to focus on several parameters:

  • its chipset is its own processor, it controls all devices connected to this board;
  • recommended CPU power - if you put an Intel Core i 7 on a board with modest specifications, it will simply burn out;
  • socket – modern PCs run on AM 4 and Intel -1151;
  • compatible RAM;
  • number of connectors for connecting equipment.

Before choosing a motherboard for your computer, pay attention to the number of USB inputs, as well as their data processing speed (nowadays it is better to buy board models with connectors 2.0 and higher). If in the future you want to increase the performance of your computer, it is better that the board has several additional slots for RAM.

Depending on the purpose of using the PC, choose a chipset:
  • for home PC – Intel B 250/H 270, AMD – A 320;
  • for gaming – Z 270 Intel, B 350 – AMD (these modifications will allow further improvement of the equipment).

Also pay attention to the cooling system of the board, it is very important for its normal operation. A home computer only needs 2 coolers; a gaming computer needs at least 3. Water cooling is more effective, but it will increase the final cost of the PC by several thousand. Its advantage can be called a longer life of the PC compared to a conventional cooler system.

Gigabyte, MSU, Asus are rightfully recognized as the best motherboard manufacturers. Try to choose a model from one of them.

Information storage devices and their types

Now let's figure out how to choose a hard drive for a computer. To store information on a PC, two types of drives are used HDD and SSD. The latter have gradually replaced the former over the course of several years. There is no need to scrutinize the types and manufacturers of hard drives, since they are all approximately the same. A classic HDD (there is a metal disk inside to record information) must be selected according to two parameters - capacity and speed:

  • For a home, 1 TB is sufficient;
  • Gamers are better off stocking up on space and installing a 2TB disk (it is also recommended for those who want to store a lot of media files).

For gaming PCs, it is also recommended to choose more modern storage - SSD. They are a small circuit board, sometimes housed in a housing. Unlike HDDs, they are only available in capacities up to 1 TB, but it is best to take the option from 512 GB. They are purchased for their high information processing speed of up to 500 MB per second. This speed allows gamers to get rid of application freezes and long wait times for writing temporary files. These discs have only one drawback - their high price, so it is not advisable to purchase them for home use.

How to choose a computer: RAM

Information is recorded temporarily on RAM chips. The more applications you plan to run on your PC at the same time, the higher the amount of RAM you should have. The type of memory is selected based on the motherboard and the purpose of using the computer. Pay attention to what standard the motherboard supports and the recommended RAM power for it.

When purchasing, follow these tips:

  • if you are not going to run complex applications, then 4 to 8 GB of memory is sufficient, and the type in this case is not important;
  • Gamers are recommended to install several 8 GB DDR 4 dies with 2400 MHz (you shouldn’t choose more powerful ones, since the video card will take on part of the load during the game).

To reduce the risk of motherboard failure, it is recommended to purchase RAM only from trusted manufacturers - Transcend, Corsair, Crucial, AMD. They have already been time-tested and recommended by experts.

Which video card to choose for your computer

Each motherboard has a chip that is responsible for displaying graphic images on the monitor. It's enough to use the computer at home, so you don't have to spend extra money for a separate video chip. If you want to occasionally play social networking apps or undemanding office games, you can install an inexpensive video card with up to 1 GB of memory.

If you are going to play on your PC, then you will need to buy a separate board. There is a connector for it on almost every motherboard. There are only 2 brands on the market that produce CPUs - nVidia GeForce and AMD Radeon. Most developers optimize game graphics for nVidia products and their drivers.

Nowadays, powerful video cards are quite expensive, so when choosing, you need to focus on the requirements of the desired games. In most cases, it is enough to purchase a video card with the GDDR 5 standard and a capacity of 3–4 GB.

But these parameters are not enough to solve the question of how to choose a video card for your computer. You also need to pay attention to power. It is indicated on the card labeling: demanding games at medium and low graphics settings will run on the GTX 1050 adapter, a GTX 1060 with a capacity of 3 – 6 GB will allow you to set it to high, and a GTX 1070-1080 with a capacity of 6 – 8 GB will allow you to enable the “ultra” mode .

Optical drive - do you need it?

It is not necessary to install an optical drive on a modern computer. You should think about whether you need it before choosing a computer, because often the drive remains idle. In most cases, a high-speed Internet connection is enough to get new movies, games and programs. If you want to purchase licensed products on optical media, then you cannot do without a drive. Although, as experience shows, many have long abandoned this practice. Everything you need for entertainment can be downloaded from the Internet, and the operating system can be reinstalled from a USB drive.

Before purchasing, decide what media you will buy. Until a few years ago, media files and software were distributed on DVDs. Nowadays Blue-Ray discs have become fashionable, but their cost is significantly higher than that of simple media. But their image quality and information reading speed are higher. If you want to equip your PC with everything you need, then you should opt for a drive that reads different formats: DVD-RW and Blue-Ray. This way, you won't have to replace it if outdated DVDs go off the market, which experts believe may happen in the coming years.

When choosing a drive, it is important that it is made by a well-known manufacturer: Asus, LG, Samsung. This is a guarantee of the quality of this component.

Frame

When choosing components, the least attention is paid to the body. It is considered an insignificant part of the system, although in fact the life of the PC depends on how the container for computer hardware looks. First of all, you need to pay attention to such parameters as the strength of the case and its size. Most standard boxes come with a power supply right out of the box, but if you want to use your PC for gaming, it's worth buying one separately.

There are two housing options:

  • Tower – a “tower” or a standard vertical system unit, it can be placed on the floor or on a special shelf near the computer desk;
  • Desktop – a horizontal block located on the table.

For gaming builds, you need to buy a bulk case, since high-power parts are usually larger. It is best to choose a box after purchasing the video card and motherboard; you need to make sure that these components will fit in it. If you are assembling a home PC, you can also choose a horizontal one, although it is less convenient.

Pay attention to the location of peripheral elements - USB inputs, power and reset buttons. Inside the unit there should be several baskets for hard drives and drives. They should be comfortable for you. You should not buy cases with glossy parts, as they quickly lose their shine. It is best to buy metal blocks; they will definitely protect your computer parts from damage. Plastic boxes are significantly inferior to them in strength, so they are practically not found on sale.

power unit

For a home PC, you don’t have to choose a power supply; leave the one that came with the case. It is also worth doing if you are solving the problem of how to choose a computer for work. A standard PC power supply is sufficient.

If for some reason you bought a box without a power supply, then separately it is enough to buy an option with a power of 400 W. If you plan to install a video card in the future, then it is better to immediately take a higher power - 500 W. This option can even support a video card labeled GTX 1060.

Gaming computers require more energy because their performance is higher. For them you need to purchase a power supply with a power of more than 600 W. It is important that the block is 80 Plus Gold certified. It means that the unit will smooth out power surges and your PC will not fail because of them; this is very important during games, especially since such devices have expensive equipment. The manufacturer of the power supply is not important.

Computer monitor

For home use, an LCD monitor with a matte screen and a diagonal of 15 inches is sufficient. This could be a low-cost option such as TN. This is enough for Internet surfing and solving simple tasks.

If you want to play and enjoy graphics, then you should choose a more expensive option with an IPS matrix. It must be over 23 inches in size. It should support, then it will be more pleasant for you to look at the picture. The same option is worth purchasing if you want to work with graphical applications.

When playing games, the response time of the monitor is important, that is, the speed at which the image is updated on it. Choose options where this figure does not exceed 8 ms per second. It is best to buy monitors from manufacturers Dell, HP, NEC.

Accessories and Peripherals

Accessories include:

  • mouse;
  • keyboard;
  • headset;
  • columns;
  • rug.

Ordinary users should not invest large sums in them. The only exception is columns. If you want to watch movies and listen to music with high quality sound on your computer, then you need to choose speakers with stereo sound. People who prefer to watch videos and listen to audio tracks alone can only purchase a headset. It comes in two types - regular headphones and combined with a microphone. Choose mid-price headphones; too cheap ones will sound bad. The choice of accessories for your work or home PC depends entirely on your wallet and financial capabilities.

Gaming Keyboards and Mice

For gamers, the combination of convenience and functionality is important. The quality of the gameplay depends on this. Experts offer some advice:

  1. The gaming keyboard differs from the usual comfortable palm rest, as well as dedicated main buttons and buttons. They are coated with a special coating that prevents your hands from slipping. Another important detail is the backlight, it is needed by those who often play at night. Such keyboard models belong to the category of multimedia - they have additional computer control buttons.
  2. The mouse also has additional buttons. It has rubberized parts, and its shape practically follows the palm. For a gaming mouse, a special large mat is used, which gives room for maneuver. Often movements are made with a large amplitude, so it is important to choose this accessory correctly.
  3. For better sound, gamers purchase speakers with an MDF housing. The same ones are recommended for music lovers and movie lovers.
  4. Most online games feature voice chat, and many players talk to their teams via conference calls using the RaidCall or . In order to stay in the gaming community and be able to communicate with others, you need to purchase a high-quality headset. The acoustics in it should be closed or semi-open. The microphone should have a noise canceling cover. The headphone model should be adjustable so that you can fit it to your head. The soft padding of gaming headphones is located not only on the ear pads, but also on the headboard.

Now many people have begun to switch to wireless accessory models. These options should only be chosen if you will not be playing on your PC. Experienced gamers say that wireless keyboards and mice have a slight delay - literally milliseconds - but in intense online battles this can cost the entire team and your character a victory. For this reason, they recommend buying standard accessory options - with wires.

Before choosing a gaming computer, you should decide what you plan to play. Many users make a mistake at this stage - they build an expensive desktop PC, and then run only the simplest applications and old hits on it. We recommend that you listen to the following recommendations:

  1. If you are content with old hit games and don’t really like online shooters, then you can build a budget PC with the following characteristics: 1 TB hard drive, 4-core processor with a frequency of 3 GHz. The biggest expense will be on the video card - take the option with a capacity of 2 - 4 GB. You can save money if you purchase an AMD microprocessor and a Radeon video card.
  2. If you like to play games such as CS: Go, Dota 2, World of Tanks after work, then a mid-price gaming PC will help you enjoy this process. It must have a processor with a clock frequency of at least 3 GHz and 4 cores, recommended options: Intel Core i 5 - i 7, AMD FX -9370. RAM should be at least 12 GB, and it is better to take a video card with 4-8 GB. On such PCs, it is recommended to install 2 hard drives - a small SSD for online games and an HDD for regular ones.
  3. If you're willing to invest an incredible amount of money into your PC and are a fan of video games, then this is where you need to splurge. The best gaming PC should have a water-cooled processor, and the computer hardware should be the best. First of all, install one of the processors on it - AMD Ryzen or Intel Core i 7. They received the title of “best overclockable” from experts, which means that they are capable of working under load and showing maximum performance. It is also worth installing the best video card on it - GeForce GTX 1080 (or at least 1070). The hard drive of such a PC should hold about 2 TB.

As you can see, deciding which gaming PC to choose depends entirely on your preferences. The latter option will cost a lot, because other spare parts and accessories must be matched to the processor. A gaming PC with this modification is used by those involved in beta testing, as well as streamers (people who broadcast live during games).

How much does a computer cost?

Choosing the best computer is very difficult. The price of a standard PC for work or home use depends only on your wishes. On average, it can be assembled from scratch for 15-20 thousand; the exact price will depend only on the modification you choose. This is not to say that such PCs are only suitable for typing texts or checking email. They can run undemanding games (released several years ago), as well as other programs.

If you are going to play on your PC, you will have to pay from 60 to 700 thousand rubles. In this case, the final cost also depends on the selected equipment modification. Such a PC can be used for different purposes, but components for it are selected based on the system preferences of modern games, since they are the most demanding applications.

Now you know how to choose the right computer. Any questions can be asked in the comments, where you can also talk about your experience assembling a PC. Share information with friends, invite them to discuss.


It seems like a grueling task: there are so many components, the parameters of which must be compared and taken into account... If you assemble it yourself, you can damage some part, but it can be scary to trust consultants: what if they sell a very expensive version, but you only planned to watch a movie on it? This article will help you not to doubt. She talks about the main types of computer assemblies and what they should contain and what characteristics they should have. The information will help you buy the option that is suitable for a specific task: for watching movies at home, working with documents, playing games or video editing.

Main types of computers

To choose the right system unit, you should first of all decide what exactly you need to buy a computer for. According to their purpose, all PCs are divided into 3 main types. The features of each of them are discussed below.

Gaming

It is clear that such a computer is chosen to enjoy new gaming products. Therefore, its main task is to ensure the most comfortable and smooth gameplay in modern games. The gaming industry is developing quite quickly, which means that the components of such a home assembly must meet the system requirements.

To get a realistic picture, forget about frame tearing and slowdown, you will have to spend a decent amount: they are not cheap. However, the main advantage of such systems is that they are suitable not only for games. Decent hardware makes it possible to use resource-demanding software without any problems, for example, for working with graphics and audio materials, and video editing.

Multimedia

As a rule, they belong to the middle price segment. Such assemblies are designed for listening to music, watching videos, and comfortable Internet surfing. It's also enough for undemanding games.

A couple of tips:

  1. Fans of VR technologies should choose a model with a video card that supports the corresponding devices;
  2. Music lovers and fans of multichannel sound are better off buying a computer with a built-in audio interface. However, most modern motherboards are equipped with a pretty decent audio chip that supports 5.1 or 7.1 speaker systems. With such a device you can throw a great party at home (the main thing is to invite all the neighbors so that they don’t fight).

Office

For everyday work tasks, such as typing, sending emails, doing bookkeeping, this is what you need. They are also suitable for making voice/video calls via Skype or using IP telephony programs. Connecting to the Internet will also be no problem, and nothing more is needed for an office. At the same time, the components in such computers are simple, and therefore such assemblies can be purchased quite inexpensively.

Note: An office PC is also suitable for home use if the user needs a device for watching online videos, the simplest games, etc.


Criteria for selecting a system unit

To buy a suitable system unit for your home, you should select the right components. In other words, you need to pay attention to the characteristics of the hardware and choose a PC with exactly the parameters that are needed for certain purposes.

Motherboard

Video card

If we talk about PCs for office work, discrete power is not required in most cases. You can get by with an integrated graphics processor. For multimedia assemblies, this is also not important, but if the user really wants to connect glasses or a virtual reality helmet, then it is better to buy a model with a discrete GPU. It is important to study the product and pay attention to whether the device supports VR technology.

One of the affordable graphics cards that can handle serious tasks is the Geforce GTX, starting with the 1060 model and above. For example, there is just such a component, and even with 6 gigabytes of memory. This is no longer a multimedia, but a very viable gaming solution. Of course, there are simpler and cheaper computers, and not necessarily NVidia ones. For example, you can find an option with a 4 GB Radeon rx570 -

RAM

When buying a computer system unit, you should know that in the case of RAM, first of all, pay attention to its volume. So how much RAM do you need? About this - in the table below.

HDD

Selecting a hard drive is one of the simplest tasks when selecting components. For multimedia computers, it would be good to buy an option with a hard drive of 1 TB or more. This one costs in. For an office, you can have 500 GB, like the one, or even less.

Gaming solutions need something more spacious. Modern games are quite hefty, and some extra free space would definitely come in handy. A 1-2 TB HDD is suitable. The presence of an SSD for modern builds with demanding software is already becoming a standard. The advantage to the speed and responsiveness of the PC will be clearly noticeable: games run faster with an SSD. However, it is worth remembering that SSDs have a limited read and write cycle: it can fail faster if files are written and deleted frequently. Therefore, if the user plans to not only store a lot of content, it is better to take a small SSD for the operating system, and choose a hard drive for all other files.

Interesting:if you want the most powerful and the best, you should pay attention to the top-end advanced gaming system units, the power reserves of which will be enough for, perhaps, 10 years. - just like this: a 10-core “heart”, more than 60 GB of RAM, a total of 5 TB of storage and 2 very cool video cards allow it to solve absolutely any problem. It also has powerful cooling, a case with a transparent wall and backlighting.

To choose a computer these days, you don’t need any special knowledge in this area. There are several ways to get your own electronic friend. The most common way is to come to a computer salon and buy a ready-made assembled computer. In modern electronics stores, salespeople will help you, who can also choose the optimal configuration for you. And the best way for experienced users is to select a configuration on our website without leaving home, using detailed descriptions.

Now we will help experienced users and offer configurations already selected by our specialists that will help you with your choice. You can view all ready-made configurations in the computers section.

Monoblocks from well-known electronics manufacturers are now gaining great popularity. You don’t need to think about the compatibility of components and assembly. Moreover, as a rule, the warranty period is 2-3 years and is carried out by branded service centers.

The following types of ready-made computers are presented on our website:

    • Universal PCs
    • PC for engineers
    • PC for gamers
    • PC for schoolchildren
    • Office PCs

So that you do not make a mistake in your choice, we will help you figure out what a computer consists of:

  1. Case fans
  2. Memory modules
  3. Cart with hard drive
  4. Video card
  5. DVD drive
  6. CPU cooler
  7. Card reader
  8. Buttons and indicators
  9. Sound insulation layer

    10. 2. Power supply and housing.

- one of the most important components of a personal computer. It is used to supply computer components with electrical energy, as well as convert mains voltage to the required values.

Main purposes:
1. Formation of voltage received from the network to the required values.
2. Providing computer nodes with DC voltage.


Additional functions

1. Provides voltage stabilization and protection against small interference present in the external AC network.
2. Since the device has a fan, during its operation it takes part in cooling the components that make up the system unit of your personal computer.

The power output from existing power supplies is highly dependent on the structure of the computer and ranges from fifty watts (platforms with small form factors) to 1800 watts (a large number of operating stations, gaming devices or entry-level servers).

High quality power supplies are usually made
well-known companies, but there are also pleasant exceptions. Like most high-quality products, they have a fairly high cost, sometimes comparable to the cost of the case due to the fact that they contain only high-quality elements, and as for their circuits, they are very competently configured and thought out by the manufacturers.

Prerequisites for selecting the required power supply


Power consumption

PSU power is a parameter that is usually determined individually for each individual computer, and the unit of measurement for this parameter is Watt. The total power depends on the amount of electricity consumed by each element of the operating system. To calculate the total power consumed by a computer, you will need to sum up the values ​​consumed by all operating devices and add to the result a certain estimated amount of reserve, approximately 10 to 20 percent of the total power consumed. This operation will be required to ensure that the power supply you have chosen does not operate constantly at peak load. In order to correctly calculate the electricity consumption, special calculators are used.

Power supply connectors

The device must have the required number of connectors to connect all existing consumers in the system unit of your computer.
Of course, their number will be limited by the ability of the power supply to deliver sufficient power. In addition, the length of the cables to be laid from the installed power supply must be commensurate with the size of the case you choose.

Power supply weight

Before purchasing the power supply you are interested in, it is advisable to determine its weight and, in extreme cases, hold the device in your hands. This action will allow you to at least somehow evaluate its internal elements without opening the block. The large mass of the power supply indicates a lack of savings on internal components, including oversized radiators and transformers. The weight of the power supply depends on the dimensions, the thickness of the case walls, also on the number of chokes, the material used for the installed fans and radiators of the unit. As a rule, if a given device is missing some radiators or coils, that is, when the electrical circuit is simplified in design, then the weight of such a unit will vary from 700 to 900 grams. Products of average quality weigh from 900 to 1200 grams; there are also heavier models.

Active Power Factor Correction PFC

In PD there are active and passive PFC. A simple elementary coil, that is, a choke, acts as a passive PFC, which spoils the parameters of the operating circuit. For the consumer, passive PFC does not provide any benefit. The active type PFC is a boost converter built between the capacitor and the diode bridge (rectifier) ​​that produces a stabilized voltage across the internal capacitor, approximately 400 V. The active type PFC is powered by the unsmoothed rectified voltage, filters noise, and maintains current limits. in circuits, thereby forming a current diagram close to linear.

Efficiency

The efficiency of the device should not, according to the objective reasoning of experts in the field, be less than 80 percent. In addition, there is specialized certification for the efficiency plan: 85 PLUS.

Installed fans in the power supply

Fans are installed at the bottom of the unit, but can also be located on the side wall of the product. Typically, 120/120 mm and 80/80 mm fans are used. Larger fans are less noisy and more efficient, which naturally determines the quality of the resulting cooling.

Popular brands

Having analyzed all the technical characteristics, you should move on to choosing a worthy brand. In theory, a guarantee against the purchase of counterfeits and low-quality products will be the purchase and operation of a Brand Name power supply (otherwise known as a branded one). Of course, Brand Name PSUs are priced higher than products from No Name manufacturers, but the existing difference in cost is the price to pay for effective security. You can select a power supply for your computer in the power supplies section.

System unit case


The most important conditions that you should pay attention to when choosing a case are ease of installation, material of the purchased case, form factor, cooling. In most cases, these characteristics can determine the right choice and save you from replacing the case in the future or being limited when selecting components. In this regard, it makes sense to analyze the listed conditions in more detail.

Form factors

When choosing a case, you need to take into account the size you require, because there is no need for a large case if you have any restrictions related to the size of the room or workplace, and vice versa, minimalism can be reflected in the limitation of the mounted equipment.

Note: most purchased cases are equipped with a power supply, but there are models for hobbyists that are sold without power supplies. Thanks to this, the consumer is able to independently select a power supply with the required parameters.

Bigtower
This form factor is intended for computers with high power and also powerful servers with high performance. These system units contain a large number of components that provide a variety of uses. They tend to emit a large amount of heat, and the large dimensions of the case allow for an increased cooling effect.
This type of case can easily accommodate a full-size ATX system board. Such cases are large in size and have the ability to accommodate different hardware, but this will depend on what kind of motherboard is installed. The number of connected hard drives and expansion cards also depends on this board.

Moddletower
This case can easily be defined as the most popular and widespread on the globe. Naturally, the product deserves to be called the best. The Moddletower case can easily accommodate an additional hard drive, a couple of video cards, and a high-quality air ventilation system. This leaves room for standard parts. This case is really a good choice for an office or home. It remains to choose between compactness and performance. But it should be taken into account that among the advantages of this type of case is the ability to make your PC a gaming monster.

Minitower
It is most widespread among computers intended for the office. Having small dimensions, they make it possible to install devices within the limits of average productivity. This is due to the heating level and the minimum dimensions of the installed devices. The space in such cases is limited, and therefore the temperature requirements are quite high - the devices should not overheat, and there should be no unpleasant noise from operating fans. But in such case models it is possible to place only those components that will ensure work in the office with spreadsheets, presentations, texts, etc.

Microtower
Characterizing this form factor, we can say that its dimensions are even smaller compared to the Minitower, which implies a greater number of restrictions.

At the end of the review, after getting acquainted with the different form factors of the offered cases, we can say that in the product range there will always be a case that meets your requirements.

Housing material
Key points to pay attention to when choosing a case:
  • Soundproofing materials. The noise level is, of course, influenced by the material used to make the case walls, which ensures that the noise from the hard drives and fans is contained within the case. The Sileo500 (Cooler Master) case, for example, has proven itself very well. You can order this case either with a power supply or separately, and this will allow you, in case of power shortages, to purchase a higher power power supply.
  • Premium class noise and vibration insulation. Such cases are equipped with noise and vibration damping coating on the side panels, as well as vibration damping pads for mounting the HDD. The fans are also of high quality, equipped with the ability to switch speeds and operate silently in any mode.
  • Rigidity. Everything here is quite simple - the thicker and stiffer the material used, the better. Steel is recognized as the most durable material, and its thickness should be over 0.8 mm. We recommend using InWin brand cases, although the stated material thickness is 0.55-0.8 mm. the thoughtful design of the power elements compensates for this discrepancy with the above condition.

The choice of case also depends on the required size, because limited space will not allow you to use massive cases. Pay attention to the picture below, which clearly demonstrates the difference in size with the name of the form factor of the assembled cases.

Remember! The smaller the case, the harder the fans have to work, which robs the computer of either performance or low noise levels.

Remember! When choosing a processor cooling system, we must not forget that not only the processor, but also other elements of the system unit are subject to heat. All the heat generated in the system unit, in the absence of a fan, remains in the case, which leads to excessive heating of the computer components. It is in order to avoid this that it is also necessary to install fans on the case. You can find out the number and size of fans from the case descriptions.

CPU cooling


The larger the fan, the fewer revolutions it needs to make to cool the same volume of air, and accordingly the noise level will be lower. In addition, the noise level depends on the type of bearings. Our specialists are repeatedly convinced of the quality of hydrodynamic bearings. In the production of fans, durable but noisy rolling bearings can be used, as well as fairly quiet but not reliable enough plain bearings.

To cool the processor, it is advisable to use a cooler that supports PMW (pulse width modulation). PMW technology allows you to change the fan speed depending on the processor load, and in an ideal case the fan stops.

Fan blades can be designed to operate with minimal noise, to provide maximum static pressure, or to achieve maximum airflow. As a rule, at the moment there are models that try to combine all three parameters with varying degrees of success. But, unfortunately, models with non-profiled blades continue to be produced, which emit a high level of noise and do not pump air well.

Increases noise and vibration levels of an unbalanced rotor. To avoid this, you can use rotor balancing, however, this is not a cheap pleasure. Much more often the so-called rubber-mounted fan suspension is used.

A convenient product filter will help you easily select a cooling system in the appropriate section of the cooling device.



RAM models are divided into two groups:

    • Memory created according to all JEDEC requirements
    • Memory for enthusiasts

The first group is the best option for those computers whose stable operation is a primary need. Similar models are used in our standard system units.

The second group is suitable for users who want to get the most out of their computers. But if you choose such memory, be prepared for higher defect rates and compatibility problems. These memory modules will provide no more than a 3-4% increase in performance, and the risk of receiving defective products increases significantly.

We recommend using RAM manufactured by such manufacturers as Kingston, OCZ, Corsair, Hynix, as the most reliable and compatible memory modules. The volume is determined according to your needs, but there are recommendations below:


*The above amounts of RAM are relevant when using Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. It will allow you to select a 32 or 64-bit system during installation without changing the key.

Remember! Most modern processors/chipsets have a dual-channel memory controller, i.e. For maximum performance, memory modules must be installed in pairs. An exception is Intel Core i7 9xx processors, which are equipped with a three-channel controller, therefore the number of modules must be a multiple of three (3 or 6). Attention! 32-bit Windows operating systems do not work with RAM greater than 4 GB. and Intel LGA 2011 Core i7 3xxx processors, now they have 4 channels and require 4 or 8 DIMM slots, respectively.

Attention! 32-bit Windows operating systems cannot address RAM greater than 4 GB.

Many modern manufacturers produce memory in kits (2, 3, 4 or 6 modules per package). However, there is a significant disadvantage to this - if even one module fails, you will have to bring all the modules to the warranty department at once, as a result of which you will receive a temporarily non-working system unit.

6. Video card.

A device that takes care of displaying images on the monitor, calculating 3D scenes in graphic applications and games, as well as, more recently, calculating non-graphical tasks using DirectCompute 12, Open CL, nVidia CUDA, ATI Stream technologies. The last two mentioned technologies are closed and can only be found on video cards from the corresponding manufacturers.

The memory types used in graphics card manufacturing are listed in order of increasing performance:

GDDR 3, GDDR 4, GDDR 5, HBM2

Now let's talk about video chips, the choice of which baffles even experienced users. There are more than 30 types of chips to choose from, the manufacturers of which add something different to each design, from the chip cooling system to the design of the printed circuit board.

The choice depends on the type of computer that meets your requirements:

1. Office PC (Internet, office applications). The graphics system is not important, which means you can use built-in graphics, and if you don’t have it, you can use the simplest discrete video cards.

2. Multimedia computer - these are the most common home computers. Graphics requirements are quite important here, so you need to choose from mid-price video cards.

3. Gaming computers are a choice for those who cannot imagine their computer without games. It is for you, dear gamers, that nVidia and AMD are trying to make video cards that are faster than their analogues on the market. Gaming computers require a video card with high-performance chips, and if this is not enough, then 2 or 3 video cards.


4. Professional graphics stations are considered to be computers with high performance power, which are intended, first of all, for successful work in three-dimensional graphics. It makes no difference whether it will be the development of a design for components of various installations or parts, the creation of projects for structures and buildings, as well as the visualization of the results obtained after the calculations have been made. This indicates the high performance of these stations and characterizes them, accordingly, on the positive side for the consumer. Such solutions require professional video cards.

In addition to the fact that professional-class solutions are available from both AMD (ATI FirePro or ATI FireGL) and NVIDIA (Quadro FX, Tesla). As a rule, we often give preference to NVIDIA graphics cards. As the results of our tests, including data from some suppliers of complex solutions, showed, AMD solutions are inferior in terms of performance to many well-known CAD applications.

It should also be taken into account that the older lines of NVIDIA models do not have direct analogues from the AMD line, and have high advantages over them, incredible performance for double-precision operations, a volume that determines the on-board memory to be the largest, and superior to other distinguishing characteristics.

If the budget still has limits, then to build a gaming computer it is recommended to save on some components, but purchase a fast video card. You can choose a suitable video card from the whole variety in the video cards section.

7. Optical drive.

There are two types of optical drives:

1. DVD±RW (writes and reads DVD and CD discs)

2. BD-ROM (reads all types of modern optical media - CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. As a rule, it does not write anything, but there are still models with the ability to record CD and DVD)

The most common today is DVD±RW. Its capabilities are sufficient for all modern needs, and the price difference with an outdated DVD-ROM is quite small. The Blu-Ray drive is worth paying attention to if you are going to work with high-definition video materials (Blu-Ray video). Choose a suitable DVD ±RW/BD-ROM is available in the drives section.



The motherboard is one of the most valuable devices in a computer, on which all the necessary components are installed. The operation of the entire system as a whole depends on the reliability of this element.

What should you pay attention to when choosing a motherboard?

1. The form factor of the board must match the form factor of the selected case. In most cases, you can install a smaller board in a larger case, but this is not economically feasible, because larger cases, as a rule, are more expensive.

2. Compatibility with other components. The processor must be on the compatibility list on the manufacturer's website. The type of memory must match the selected memory and central processor; otherwise, the board may either not work or the module will not physically fit into the slot.

Remember! DDR 3, DDR 4 are incompatible with each other.

Modern video cards have different versions of the PCI-Express interface and they are all compatible with each other, so don’t focus on this. It is worth considering in advance whether you will add additional equipment to the system unit (sound card, network card, analog modem, TV tuner, PCI-E M.2, etc.). If yes, then select a board with the required number of slots, PCI-E and M.2. To increase reliability, using capacitors with solid polymer is excellent. As a result of their use, the fault tolerance of boards and other equipment connected to them increases significantly.

We recommend Gigabyte boards and often use them in our standard computers. They are reliable, thanks to the use of the latest developments (hard polymer capacitors, ferrite core coils). All these technologies come together under the Ultra Durable 3 brand. The above motherboards support energy-saving technologies (for example, Easy Energy Saver), thanks to which the computer will make less noise and consume less energy. Modern boards have a built-in Q-Flash utility to facilitate assembly. It is designed for flashing the latest BIOS versions, and in case of an error, it supports modern DualBIOS technology, which saves you in case of failure of an incorrectly flashed motherboard.

Don't forget about the functionality of the board. One of the criteria is the need, for example, to rewrite data from your digital video camera. If yes, then choose a board with a built-in IEEE 1394 controller. Also decide whether you plan to increase the speed of the graphics system by building Crossfire or SLI and whether you want to build a RAID. It's better to think about a board that supports these technologies from the start than to spend money on replacing the motherboard in the future.

In the motherboards catalog, you will find a wide selection of motherboards that can satisfy a wide variety of needs and requirements.

Among well-known manufacturers, it is also worth highlighting motherboards from MSI, ASUS and ASRock, which have a wide functional and price range, and even in a low price range they represent an acceptable level of comfort during assembly, configuration and operation of a computer.

9. Helpful table when choosing a PC

So, when you have decided on the manufacturer of the motherboard, we move on to matching the board and the selected components. Let's try to summarize the necessary information in a table that will help you choose a board that meets your requirements.

Accessories

Features relevant to choosing a motherboard

Conventionally, computers can be divided into three categories: office, home and gaming. It is logical that their characteristics will be minimal for an office, average for a home and high for a gaming one. Well, the price for all this is also correspondingly, the more opportunities the higher.
Go to the store, choose the cheapest one - here is the simplest office option for you. Kidding

So. Let's start with an office computer and figure out what an office computer should be like.

How to choose an office computer?


First, let's define the meaning of "office", what do I mean by this? I see this computer standing in any organization and office where accountants, managers and just workers work. They don't need high performance. Nowadays on the market you will rarely find computers and components for them with the same requirements for the 2000s. Basically, they solve such tasks as: word processing, viewing mail, accessing the Internet and other simple operations. Let's move on directly to their choice.
System unit- namely, what it should contain.
Approximately the characteristics of a modern office system unit should be as follows:
Processor model: Celeron® G540 or Intel Atom
CPU frequency: 1800 MHz
Video card family: Intel HD Graphics
Video memory capacity: Allocated from RAM
RAM: 2048 MB
Hard disk capacity: 160 GB
Drive for reading CD/DVD discs: It can be useful
operating system: No OS
I will briefly explain this choice. With these characteristics, the computer will “pull” all office applications, such as Microsoft Office, 1C, mail clients, browsers, etc. A video card is not needed here, work with graphics is not provided, but 2 GB of RAM will still be comfortable for work. 160 GB is enough. Well, I leave the choice of operating system up to you (but I would recommend Windows XP or Windows Enterprise).
The price for such a miracle is now approximately 6-8 thousand rubles.

Monitor- now you won’t find tube monitors anymore, they are all LCD, which is good. The only choice left is the diagonal. The current minimum is 18.5 inches. Price from 3 thousand rubles.
Keyboard and mouse- ordinary office ones without additional buttons. Just perform your functions. The price for a keyboard and mouse will be on average 300 rubles

Total: with 10 thousand rubles in your budget, you can easily buy an office computer.

How to choose a home computer?


This question is already more interesting. My home computer requires: working with documents, working with images, games, access to the Internet, and something else... For such a computer, you already need something more, both in terms of characteristics and additional equipment. So let's get started quickly.
System unit- the most important part of the question, here I will give the necessary average set, but you should always remember that you can upgrade it by learning something.
Approximate average characteristics of a system unit for home use:

Motherboard An inexpensive one will do, the main thing is that the socket on it is exactly for the processor that you are going to install, the slots for RAM must be DDR3 standard, and the video card - either separate (discrete), or the motherboard must support video card expansion - that is, an additional slot for a video card, in addition to the built-in video card.
The best motherboards, in the opinion of most users, are Asus motherboards. The company is very popular, its products are high quality and cheap at the same time. For assembling a computer based on Intel processors, the following models are quite suitable:
ASUS P8H61 iH61 DDR3 ATX (about 2000 rubles)
ASUS P8P67 iP67 DDR3 ATX (approximately 6500 rubles)
ASUS P8P67-M PRO P67 DDR3 mATX (approximately 3,500 rubles)
Their prices vary slightly, but their quality is undeniable among millions of users.

CPU. Here the matter is simpler, all that remains is to choose Intel or AMD. Of course, it's a matter of taste, but Intel processors are more suitable for a home computer. They are great at multitasking. Their prices are very different, but for a home computer the following models (LGA1155 socket) are quite suitable:
INTEL Pentium G850 2.9GHz VGA 5GTs 3MB 65W (about 2600 rubles)
INTEL i3-2100 3.1GHz VGA 5GTs 3MB 65W Box (about 3600 rubles)
INTEL Core i5-2320 BOX 3.0–3.3GHz 5GTs 6MB 95W (approximately 5800 rubles)
All of them are high-performance and allow you to work normally with heavy applications and play powerful games.

Video card. There are several clear leaders here: Asus, HIS, PALIT. The best in this price segment are:
PCI-E HIS Radeon HD 6850 Fan 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI (approximately 5300 rubles)
PCI-E HIS Radeon HD6670 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI (about 2500 rubles)
PCI-E ASUS HD7750/1GD5 1G GDDR5 (128-bit) HDMI DVI DP (about 3000 rubles)
PCI-E PALIT GF GTX 550Ti 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI (approximately 3,500 rubles)
The forums are simply filled with admiring reviews from users of these devices.

RAM you need DDR3 standard. It’s best to immediately take two 4GB sticks, such as
DDR3 4GB TRANSCEND PC3-12800 JetRam 1600MHz (about 1000 rubles)
or two, three or even four 2GB sticks:
DDR3 2GB OCZ PC3-10666 (OCZ3G1333LV2G) 9-9-9-20 Gold Series. (approximately 800 rubles)
All memory works stably and quickly. But do not forget that if you install 4GB-8GB of RAM, then the operating system must be 64-bit - 32-bit versions do not see more than 3GB.

HDD- choose the storage of all information to your taste. Recently, disks with a capacity of 1000 GB or 1 TB have become popular, which are relatively inexpensive and allow you to save a lot of information. The best:
3.5" SATA 1.0TB SAMSUNG SpinPoint F3 (HD103SJ) 7200RPM 32MB (about 2000 rubles)
3.5" SATA 1.0TB SEAGATE Barracuda Green (ST1000DL002) 5900RPM 32MB (about 2500 rubles)
everyone else is no different.

Optical drive- here it’s up to you to decide whether you need it or not. You can choose any, but I would recommend Samsung or Pioneer. Their price is approximately 1000 rubles.

Sound card- in principle, a fairly simple and reliable one will do, for example ASUS Xonar DSX for 2000 rubles.

Card reader- instead of an FDD (floppy disk drive for reading floppy disks), you plug this thing in right away and forget about the impossibility of working with memory cards. The price is approximately 1000 rubles.
Monitor- I recommend at least 20 inches. Among the companies I would recommend BENQ. The asking price is approximately 4,000 rubles.
Keyboard and mouse- here it’s whatever you want, with or without additional keys, what design, what company, wireless... in general, on average, you can spend about 1,500 rubles. I have an A4Tech XL-750BH mouse and a simple Genius KB-M220 keyboard.
Web camera- any, even with a built-in microphone and backlight, even the simplest one, the main resolution is at least 1.3 Mpx. For about 1500 rubles. This is if you take it with a microphone, backlight, and monitor mount. There are options for 300 rubles, and there are also for 8000. It’s up to you to decide, I bought a Defender G-lens 2552 for 500 rubles or something, I already forgot how much it costs, but definitely more than 2 years and no complaints.
Headphones- sometimes you need it. The main choice is whether you need a microphone along with them and what kind of ear pads are there (so that they are not hard). The price is approximately 800 rubles.
Columns- it’s normal for a home even when there are just 2 of them. I have a Genius SP-S350 for 500 rubles somewhere. Here it’s up to you to decide for what purposes. Since I only listen to one and don't need to entertain guests, these are fine.

Total: a home computer will cost you at least 20 thousand rubles.


This is where it's fun. There is plenty of room to choose, the main thing is not to make a mistake. A friend of mine built a superb gaming computer for himself a couple of months ago for 43 thousand. But here you should know that he assembled everything himself, or rather, he expertly selected everything for the system unit and the rest of the peripherals, too, only for his needs.
Here I will give free rein to my imagination and build a gaming computer for myself...
System unit:
CPU: IntelCorei7-2600K (approximately 9000 rubles)
Cooler: ZalmanCPNS10XPerforma (about 1000 rubles)
Motherboard: GigabyteGA-Z68X-UD3-B3 (approximately 4500 rubles)
Memory: KingstonValueRAM 2x4 GB (approximately 1200 rubles)
Video card: PalitGeForce GTX 570 Sonic Platinum (approximately 11,000 rubles)
Solid State Drive: Intel SSDSC2CW060A3K5 60 GB (approximately 3400 rubles)
HDD: WDCaviarGreen 2000 GB (approximately 2400 rubles)
Drive unit: DVD-RW ToshibaSamsungSH-222AB (about 600 rubles)
Frame: Cooler MasterHAF 932Advanced USB 3.0 (ATX) (approximately 6,000 rubles)
power unit: ChieftecNitro85+BPS-750C (approximately 3400 rubles)
Sound card: Creative X-Fi Titanium HD (approximately 5800 rubles)

Total 48,300 rubles.
Oh, and I went crazy. The configuration is certainly worthwhile, but some aspects can be argued with. Yes, and you can assemble it cheaper.
Now I want to explain my choice a little.
The older Intel processor bears the index “K”, meaning an unlocked multiplier and, therefore, not just officially permitted overclocking, but also the most lightweight one. A quiet and very powerful Zalman cooler is responsible for cooling its four cores, which received very good ratings during testing. The amount of RAM has been increased to 8 Gigabytes, however, there is no great need for this in practice yet, but, as they say, the reserve is not enough for the pocket.
The selected motherboard is based on the IntelZ68 chipset, which allows it to use cheap small SSDs to cache the main disk. In addition, of course, it has all the necessary attributes of the latest motherboard: a full range of connectors, including USB 3.0, a fairly large number of USB 2.0 ports, 2 PCIExpressx16 slots - if you decide to install a second video card.
The video card is the Palit GeForceGTX 570 SonicPlatinum model, a slightly overclocked version of the almost top-end NVIDIA chip: only the GTX 580 is better than it. And for those who are fans of AMD products, there is the opportunity to replace the card with the RadeonHD 6970, which is very similar in price and performance.
The Z68 chipset simply forces us to add an SSD to the system—in order not to put too much strain on your wallet, I only added an inexpensive 60 GB drive. It is needed more in order to install an operating system on it and so that all processes are much faster than if it were on a regular hard drive.
Of the cases, I chose the heavy, large, very black and durable CoolerMaster HAF 932 Advanced, which in the latest version has a couple of USB 3.0 connectors on the front panel. It is accompanied by the ChieftecNitro 85+ power supply, which is a model with a significant set of cables, excellent efficiency and a quiet fan.
If you want to make this system cheaper, you can significantly reduce its cost by replacing the power supply with the housing with an InWinIW-MG134 and also removing the SSD and the Corei7-2600K processor - it can be replaced with a much cheaper one, but also very fast and suitable for overclocking Corei5-2500K.
There is an option that you want more, then you should think about changing the video card to a GeForceGTX 580, as well as installing SSDs with a capacity of 80-120 GB, abandoning SmartResponse technology and installing not only the operating system, but also the applications and programs you use completely on SSD.
The Creative X-Fi Titanium HD sound card is suitable for listening to music and movies, as well as for playing games.

Monitor: either 24 inch for 5000 or 27 for 8000. It's good to play and watch movies on it.

Keyboard- the leaders among gaming devices are SteelSeries and Razer. And the price of their keyboards starts from 2000 rubles. But I would take the Tt eSPORTS by Thermaltake Gaming keyboard Challenger Ultimate for about the same amount. I even show you a picture. Beautiful and good reviews.


Mouse- the same leaders as keyboards. Prices from 1200 rubles. But I have a mouse from A4Tech XL-750BH. I’ve been using a similar X710 for 6 years now and recently bought this one (the cord on that one is too thin, but it still didn’t break) and it costs 500 rubles and suits everyone.
Web camera- here I don’t know if gamers need it, but it’s still useful. You can proceed from the selection principles that I described above (about a home PC).
Headphones- I immediately recommend SteelSeries. and I won’t even write anything else. I'll just post a picture. (2000 rubles)


Columns- well. Chic so chic. We settle on a 5in1 system (especially since the sound card will allow this). I advise you to take a closer look at Microlab FC 730 for 5000 rubles)

In total, to buy a gaming computer you will need at least 50 thousand rubles.

That's all for now. If you have any questions or suggestions, please write comments.

10 tips for buying a computer

Purchasing a computer is a very responsible matter. First of all, this is an expensive purchase. Secondly, this is a technique on which serious work may depend. Thirdly, even experienced users do not always know how to select the optimal PC components, since the market is very changeable.

We will try to help you choose a good modern computer. Of course, the relevance of the article will be greatly lost with each passing month, but the basic principles will help you navigate the near future.

So, there are over a dozen areas of PC application (from office work to graphics modeling). Let's limit ourselves to the most popular tasks. So, we need a computer to play modern video games, listen to music, watch movies, and, of course, type texts and surf the Internet. A sort of digital entertainment center for the whole family. Having identified the goal, let's move on to the solution.

A modern computer can become a real entertainment center at home

We will try to choose the most reasonable system, taking into account the best combination of price and quality, while leaving more room for improving the computer (upgrade) in the future. We decided to advise you what you need to pay attention to when purchasing. Conventionally, when choosing a PC, you need to answer 10 questions:

  • How suitable is the monitor for your tasks?
  • Is the housing reliable and easy to use?
  • Is the motherboard capable of working reliably with other PC components?
  • Is the processor suitable for multimedia applications?
  • How much RAM should there be?
  • Will the video card handle modern games?
  • Will the optical drive be able to handle DVDs and record?
  • How much hard drive capacity is enough?
  • Will the audio system sound "flat"?
  • Which pointing devices are best for multimedia and games?

We will try to help you answer these questions by recommending one solution or another.