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Technology Stocks : Rambus (RMBS) - Eagle or Penguin -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: wily who wrote (10536)	11/28/1998 11:51:00 AM
From: REH	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93625

Don't Get Burned -- Read this before you buy your next PC. Jonathan Blackwood, Senior Technology Editor Caveat emptor-let the buyer beware. In any language, when you're well-armed with the facts you're far less likely to get ripped off when you make a major purchase. That definitely applies to PCs. But fear not. We've put together this buyer's guide to arm you with everything you need to know-from what to buy to where to buy it-before you or your company shell out hard-earned cash for your next PC. While it's true that you can get more PC for your buck than ever before, you can still get burned if you don't know exactly what to look for to fit your specific needs. PC packages-especially those with tantalizingly low prices-are not all created equal. If you overlook a detail or two, you could end up with a skimpy configuration that doesn't fill the bill, or unnecessary bells and whistles that do nothing but jack up the cost. Pick the wrong processor-you have at least seven valid choices-and you won't be happy with your PC at any price. You also need to consider what size monitor and hard disk will serve you best. Other decisions will determine your long-term satisfaction with the computer: CD-ROM, CD-ReWritable, DVD, Zip or another type of removable storage drive. Here's what you need to know before you go shopping. Intel or ...? Your buying decisions usually start with the CPU. If you want the fastest processor that will run any version of Windows (except CE), you're talking about a processor from Intel. Intel has consistently retained the lead in clock speed and performance over its rivals. Intel's Pentium II is currently available in clock speeds up to 450MHz, compared to a maximum of 350MHz (400MHz by the end of the year) for Advanced Micro Device's (AMD) K6-2 processor. Cyrix's maximum performance at this writing is a Performance Rating (PR) of 333, which represents application performance in the neighborhood of the 333MHz processors produced by its rivals. And Integrated Device Technology's (IDT) WinChip maxes out at just 240MHz. But Intel's competitors do offer value. AMD and Cyrix price their chips at least 25% below comparable Intel chips. All four processor makers offer excellent products, and we've found no incompatibilities in our extensive testing over the past few years. When purchasing corporate or enterprise PCs-such as Compaq Deskpros, Dell OptiPlexes, HP Vectras or the Gateway E-Series-you probably have no choice but to buy Intel. Corporate IT managers are a conservative bunch, much more concerned about manageability and driver stability than price or performance. They're unlikely to experiment with non-Intel processors, so Intel has the market practically to itself. Yet three of the top five vendors-Compaq, IBM and Hewlett-Packard-use AMD and Cyrix processors in their small-business or SOHO offerings. Despite Intel's best efforts to convince you otherwise, you should be much more concerned about the brand name and reputation of the PC manufacturer than the brand name of the microprocessor inside the PC. The main processors you'll have to choose from are Intel's Pentium II, Celeron and Pentium with MMX; AMD's K6 and K6-2; Cyrix's M II; IBM's 6x86MX; and IDT's WinChip. See the sidebar "CPU Choices" for a rundown of the differences among these popular microprocessors. Our tests have shown that to match an Intel Pentium II processor at a given clock speed, you need to purchase an AMD or Cyrix processor at the next higher clock speed or PR rating. For example, a system powered by the 350MHz K6-2 processor offers performance virtually indistinguishable from a system powered by a 333MHz Pentium II. How Fast? We're now at the point where hardware has outpaced the needs of software. Most users don't really need 450MHz systems. A 2-year-old 200MHz Pentium system has plenty of power for those of you who spend much of your time doing word processing, simple spreadsheets and Web surfing. And many PCs that do seem sluggish at these tasks would work just fine if you upgraded them with more RAM or a faster modem. PC processors continue to get faster-there's no standing still-so you can expect your next computer to be faster than your current one and cost much less. By the end of 1998, there will be 300MHz-class systems offered at retail by the top five vendors with 64MB of RAM, V.90 modems and CD-ROM drives (but no monitors) for $599. And 450MHz computers will break the $2,000 barrier around that time. So, the issue is really how much speed you can get for your money, rather than how much speed you actually need in a practical sense. (See the sidebar "How Much Speed Do You Need?" at the end of this story for inside information on how to interpret performance test results.) RAM and Cache Are Key Other than your processor's speed, the amount of RAM is the single most important factor affecting your system's performance. This is one instance where the amount matters more than the type. Don't accept less than 32MB of RAM. That's the minimum required if you want to switch to NT 5.0 later. We recommend 64MB of RAM for NT 5.0, so you might as well get at least that much now-especially since RAM is so cheap. Windows 98 has a minimum RAM requirement of 16MB, but it runs far better with at least 32MB. And apps run better, too, with the additional RAM. Our WinScore rating shows that an increase from 32MB to 64MB of RAM actually improves system throughput by as much as 10%. PC vendors are taking advantage of cheap memory by equipping many of their high-end systems with 128MB of RAM. While our tests show no significant improvement in system performance or throughput in the move from 64MB to 128MB, future apps and operating systems may benefit from 128MB of RAM. As for RAM types, EDO RAM is faster than the older, Page Mode RAM, but both of these use the same 72-pin SIMM slots. Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) is faster than either, and uses yet another type of slot. Go for SDRAM when possible. SDRAM is faster, and it will still be available years from now when the 72-pin SIMMs are a distant "memory." The next type of RAM will be Direct Rambus DRAMs (RDRAM), which will be packaged in Direct Rambus RIMM modules. Direct RDRAMs should be considerably faster than SDRAM, and they'll require yet another type of slot for their interface. But because most calls for data come from the level 1 or level 2 caches anyway, the performance improvement won't be earth shattering. Don't even consider a PC that has no level 2 cache. This means avoiding first-generation Celeron-powered PCs running at 266MHz or 300MHz. Today's applications make heavy use of cache, and the first bit of cache is most important. Most systems now come with 512KB of level 2 cache, but 256KB-or even 128KB as found in the second-generation Celerons-help application performance immensely. Some K6-2 systems come with a full 1MB of level 2 cache. link: techweb.com reh