What do I need to consider when buying hardware to meet my needs?

Posted by Darth Android on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Darth Android
Published on 2011-06-14T23:46:49Z Indexed on 2012/04/04 11:32 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 337

Filed under:

hardware-rec

|

benchmarking

|

community-faq

I'm looking to build a new computer from the ground up. I'm not sure what to look out for and need guidance and help on how to pick the hardware needed to construct my new rig.

How do I know what to buy?

How do I find out if a given CPU will be enough for a certain game or application that I want to run?
How do I find out if a given graphics card will be enough for a certain game or application?
What is important when looking at motherboards?
How much memory do I need?
How do I know how much wattage I need for a power supply?
What size case do I need?
What relevant standards do I need to read up on and be aware of?

PCI, PCIe, SATA, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, etc...
What "gotchas" do I need to be on the lookout for?

Please keep responses generation-agnostic to ensure they will be helpful to our future users.

While Stack Exchange does not permit shopping recommendations, it doesn't provide any general advice to consider when buying hardware. So, instead of just telling those that ask what to buy that it's not allowed, let's tell them how to figure out what they need.

This question was Super User Question of the Week #20
Read the June 20, 2011 blog entry for more details or submit your own Question of the Week.

© Super User or respective owner

Related posts about hardware-rec

Buying replacement Macbook Pro Battery - Genuine vs. eBay

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I'm looking to replace my Macbook Pro's battery (15", last model before the Unibody). It's currently at 55% capacity (as reported in System Information and Battery Health Monitor). I've reset the SMC firmware, calibrated the battery, and it's just not lasting that long anymore. I've seen some genuine… >>> More
How to improve Windows Aero desktop performance?

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
Sincerely I don't understand why in Windows Experience ratings, the "Game Graphics" in my pc is 5.0 and "Graphic Elements" (windows aero desktop performance) is 3.9. How it is possible? My VGA is nice for games but bad for Windows Desktop? What I can do to improve windows aero desktop performance? >>> More
What exactly is a Mobile mouse? + Mouse Recommendation

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I am really disappointed with Logitech. My first cordless wireless mouse was from them and it lasted like 5 years. So I decided to get another one from them http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10099373&catid= And this mouse sucks bad. After… >>> More
Buying used MacBook, what to look at?

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I'm planning to buy used MacBook, I'm looking for more recent models, but detailed specification is not important. I would like to know what should I especially look at when buying used MacBook? What are common flaws in those models (manufactured 2009/2010)? I don't care about minor damages,… >>> More
SD to PCI adapter

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
We are looking for a way to plug a SD card into a PCI slot without going through a USB interface. We want to read the SD card's serial number directly and issue SD commands. The Chumby and the Google Android G1 phones both have SD slots that you can read from Linux without going through USB, but… >>> More

Related posts about benchmarking

How to run benchmarking on MySQL?

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
My server has installed MySQL Server 5.1. I would like to run benchmarking on the MySQL, but I couldn't found sql-bench, which is Benchmark Suite provided by MySQL. The MySQL Benchmark Suite seem like complicated to be install or setup into my server. I need one can be direct setup to test the benchmark… >>> More
Codeigniter benchmarking, where are these ms coming from?

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
I'm in the process of benchmarking my website. class Home extends Controller { function Home() { parent::Controller(); $this->benchmark->mark('Constructor_start'); $this->output->enable_profiler(TRUE); $this->load->library ('MasterPage'); … >>> More
Benchmarking PHP page load times

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
How could I measure the time taken to load a page (with various different PHP statements)? Somewhat like the stats available here - http://talks.php.net/show/drupal08/24 >>> More
Graph representation benchmarking

as seen on Stack Overflow - Search for 'Stack Overflow'
Currently am developing a program that solves (if possible) any given labyrinth of dimensions from 3X4 to 26x30. I represent the graph using both adj matrix (sparse) and adj list. I would like to know how to output the total time taken by the DFS to find the solution using one and then the other method… >>> More
Database Trends & Applications column: Database Benchmarking from A to Z

as seen on SQL Blog - Search for 'SQL Blog'
Have you heard of the monthly print and web magazine Database Trends & Applications (DBTA)? Did you know I'm the regular columnist covering SQL Server ? For the past six months, I've been writing a series of articles about database benchmarking culminating in the latest article discussing my three… >>> More