A Personal Computer (PC) is a very essential personal technology for student, and it’s important that you select one that will be able to handle all the tasks your student will need to accomplish. If you’re sending your student off to college soon, read our buying tips to find out the key things you’ll need to consider.
Laptop Vs. Desktop
In most cases, laptops are going to be the form factor of choice over a desktop computer, because students often need to work on and off campus. That said, there are areas of study, such as engineering and graphics design, where students may need a high-end PC that will handle the powerful software they may be required to use. It’s possible for a laptop to meet those high-end requirements—but such a system may be outside of your price range. Normally, desktop PCs are more affordable than laptops with the same processing power and video capabilities, and the former may better fit your budget.
Weighing The Options
If you’re investing in a laptop, you’ll want to discuss how important portability and performance will be when on campus. Generally speaking, a larger, heavier laptop will pack more performance than a lightweight model, because there’s more space for hardware inside the bigger model. If a student’s primary usage will consist mainly of accessing the Internet, using a word processing application, and streaming video, a light- weight notebook should be up to the task. On the other hand, those that will regularly be creating presentations, editing images, and doing serious multitasking may need to sacrifice some portability to get the kind of performance they need.
Features
Some features may be more important than others, depending on the types of tasks you perform. We’ll briefly cover some of the key considerations.
Processor. Among modern CPUs, the biggest performance difference is the number of cores (for an AMD processor) or threads (for an Intel processor) that are built into the processor. The more that are available, the faster applications installed on the system will run.
Memory. Most current PCs will include at least 4GB of memory, but if your student will regularly have
multiple applications open at once, such as a word processing program, an instant message application, and a social networking site, it’s a good idea to invest in a PC with 6GB or 8GB of memory, as the system can better handle multitasking.
SSD vs. hard drive. A laptop will likely only have one internal storage device: an SSD (solid state
drive) or an HDD (hard disk drive). SSDs are much faster and use less energy than an HDD, while hard drives usually offer more storage space. Those that value speed when loading applications and the operating system should go with an SSD. People with large collections of multimedia may prefer an HDD for the extra storage space.
Ports and graphics. Will your child be regularly connecting the laptop or desktop PC to an HDTV,
perhaps in order to stream movies and other Web content? If so, you should look for a system with an
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output. Students who will need to connect a variety of
peripherals—such as a printer, Web cam, or charger for a mobile phone and tablet—should ensure that the laptop or desktop PC offers enough free USB ports
Important Choices
Does the student need a
laptop or desktop PC?
What types of tasks will
be performed on the PC?
Will it need to meet a specific
set of specifications?
Does the system offer
enough outputs and connectivity
for the peripherals
the student plans to
connect to it?
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