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Computer Components: What’s important to have?

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When you start talking about computer components, just about everyone has an idea of what that means.  As computers age, and new purchases are considered, the thought inevitably turns towards what sort of system you should have.  In this post, I’ll help you weed through the clutter, the keywords, and the confusion. Together, we’ll help you determine the best computer components to look at for your next computer.

Question #1: Desktop or Laptop?

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you looking to purchase a new desktop or laptop.  For the purposes of this article, in my opinion a system that is an “all-in-one” with everything contained in the monitor is a desktop unit.

There really isn’t a lot to consider in determining whether to go with a desktop or a laptop.  The obvious answer is whether or not you want to take the system with you on the road.  If you do, then you will want a laptop.  If you don’t, then perhaps look at a desktop.  Keep in mind that the computer components in a laptop verses in a desktop are more tightly configured. As a result, it can be more difficult to increase those things. Additionally, space constraints at your house could also lead you towards the purchase of a laptop.  One other thing to consider in the case of a laptop is the size and weight of the laptop.  For example, if you get a laptop with a big 17″ screen, then that may have some hefty weight to carry around as well. The end result of that is that your big laptop may function more as a desktop.

Question #2: CPU Considerations

For the purposes of this post, I’m going to focus on the latest Intel based processors.  Currently, the ones you can find in most systems are the Intel i3, i5, i6, and i7 processors, each with it’s own various speeds of operation.  What really matters, though, is what you intend to use the computer for.  Are you getting this computer to be a gaming computer, or are you intending it to be strictly for typing letters and creating spreadsheets?  The answers you supply to these questions will guide your decision on how much processor you need.  Also, as you probably know, the newer the processor, the more expensive it will be.  For most people, something in the i5 range will be all you will need.

Question #3: How much RAM?

The more RAM (also known as memory) you have, the better off you will be.  The good thing about RAM (Random-Access Memory) is that it is incredibly inexepensive, and is one component that you can easily add more later — although keep in mind that each motherboard has limitations on how much RAM you can add to it.  For most systems, though, the minimum you will want to have is 8GB of RAM. RAM is important is because the more RAM you have, the more programs can be loaded into that space. That increases the speed of the computer because RAM is faster to read from than traditional hard drives.

Question #4: Traditional Hard Drive or SSD?

Recently, the growing trend has been towards replacing your traditional hard drive with a SSD drive. The biggest differences are that traditional hard drives use disk platters and heads to write the data magnetically, and the platters spin at various RPMs (usually 5400 or 7200 RPM).  With a traditional hard drive, you get more storage capacity, but you really are looking at a piece of equipment that will fail over time because of heat buildup.  With SSD technology, the platters and disk heads are replaced with memory chips, so you have the immediate speed increase from that.  For many people, adding RAM and replacing their existing traditional hard drive with an SSD drive will make it feel like their system is brand new.  SSD prices have been coming down, but generally speaking, you will be looking at a smaller capacity drive when compared to a traditional hard drive.  However, if you can, go with the SSD.  You won’t be disappointed.

Final Tally: The Computer Components to strive for

So, with all of that said and done, here are the computer components you should look for in your next system:

  1. For portability and space considerations, go with a laptop.  For ease of access, though, go with a desktop.
  2. Regarding the CPU, stick with i5 or greater.  Don’t go with an i3 processor because those types of systems have been around a while.
  3. For RAM, start with at least 8GB, but try and determine what your system can accommodate.  Most product sheets will tell you the maximum amount of RAM you can have in your system.
  4. For storage, go with a larger size SSD, perhaps a 500GB SSD or greater.  The greater the space for the SSD though the more it will cost, so keep that in mind.  It also depends on how much you data you have to store as well.  If you have to go with a traditional hard drive, start at 1TB and try to get one that is at least 7200 RPM.

Of course, I’m here to help as well.  If you need me to help price out a system for you, just reach out to me.  I’m at 919-606-6725, or you can email me at mike@techsolutionsnc.com.  Also, sign up for our newsletter and you will receive a special coupon to use on your next service.  Just fill in the information below!

Why having a home firewall isn’t enough security

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home firewall

Why having a home firewall isn’t enough security.

By Mike Ellis.

Having a firewall for your computer, as discussed in my post on the security settings you need enabled on your computer, is a must for any computer system. However, while having a home firewall is good, it’s not enough security. Today, I’m going to explain in greater detail why this is the case.

In normal firewall operations, if someone outside of your network attempts to make a connection to you, that traffic is blocked by the firewall.  That is one of the main purposes of the firewall, to prevent unauthorized access to your computers. I can go into great detail other aspects of the firewall, and talk about the DMZ and what that means, but in this case, I’m going to just leave it at this. So, unauthorized user outside of our network attempts to connect to your computer, and the firewall blocks it.  So far, so good.

However, what happens when you want to make a connection to something outside of your network? What, you say, you don’t make connections to other computers? Well, here are some that you may make many times a day without even thinking about it:

The key to this list is that each of those services that you and your computer makes each day is to a server, or, in all actuality, a series of servers, all located all over the web. So yes, you make connections to other computers all day long, perhaps without even realizing it.

There is actually nothing wrong with that at all, the point is to gather data, whether it be in the form of that email you are waiting on, or to see what status update your significant other left, or to see what the price is for that new game is.  The difficulty, though, lies in this one little fact:

When you connect to a website, you actually download content from the website into your computer.

I hope I’m not making you feel foolish for writing it this way.  If I am, please accept my apologies, for that is not my intention. In my experience, though, there are a lot of people who just don’t realize what actually happens when they go to a website. So, when you do access a website, your firewall isn’t going to stop you because it’s default behavior is to allow that traffic, so when you connect, you download content into your computer for viewing.  If that content, i.e., that website, is compromised, then you could be bringing into your computer a virus, spyware, trojan horse, keystroke logger, etc., without you even realizing it. Just like that, your computer, your network, even, is compromised — unless you have good, reliable anti-virus software that can detect the malware.

So, if that’s the case, how do I prevent my computer from being compromised? Well, first of all, you need to have a defense-in-depth strategy in place concerning your computer.  You need to have your firewall, you need to have current and reliable anti-virus software, you need to keep your computer updated, and you need to keep your User Account Control settings enabled. The key here is that one of these things may not stop the compromise, but combined together, they might just do the trick.

Another thing you need to have is someone who’s got your back, someone who will take time to explain what is happening, why it is happening, how they are going to clean it up, and how they are going to prevent it from happening in the future.  My company, Tech Solutions NC, is able to be that resource. Do you need support? Reach out to me by phone at 919-606-6725, email at mike@techsolutionsnc.com, or by leaving a comment on this post.

The internet is a useful tool, and there are a lot of good things about the internet. The key to using it, though, is to safeguard your computer and yourself from the things that lurk in the shadows.  That’s my goal — to help you safely navigate the waters of the internet without harm.