How to buy a Desktop | The Best Desktop Computer Buying Guide in Hong Kong 2022-11-30 Desktop Computer, or known as personal computer (PC), we have been using computer for many years, many of Hong Kong families and businesses rely heavily on their desktop computers for working or entertainment purposes. However, there is a wide range of desktop computer brands, configurations, models in the market. So, how to choose the right desktop computer for yourself? How to choose the right personal desktop computer for yourself? we sell and introduce all major brands of desktop computers or workstation computers for home or commercial customer, such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus, etc, guaranteed licensed in Hong Kong, with best prices and quality, included on-site warranty, free delivery within Hong Kong for order purchased over $500, welcome for any enquiries or quotation request. >Click here to view all desktop models Advantages of desktop computers Better performance Easy extension Easier to repair or upgrade Cost-effective Better Stability and Durability Central Processing Unit CPU CPU generation CPU Levels Computer memory More Capacity, better performance? So how much memory do I need? Storage Space SSD is recommended SSD vs HDD Chassis Size What is the difference of the size of the case? What chassis should I choose? Expansibility RAM expansion Hard Drive Expansion Graphics card expansion Wifi and bluetooth Windows Business Computers Home Computers Recommended Computer Brands Advantages of desktop computers Better performance The hardware used in desktop computers is generally better compare to laptops, all-in-ones, or any other computer products, the hardware have more room to perform because of the high performance power supply of desktop computer. Easy extension Desktop computers are also more expandable than other computer products, you can easily expand your memory, hard drive, graphics card, wifi, Bluetooth, audio, or any other hardware. Your personal computer is always ready to meet your needs. Easier to repair or upgrade Desktop computers are easier to disassemble than all-in-one computers or laptops, it's easy to upgrade or repair your computer's memory, hard drive, graphics card, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sound, and other hardware. Cost-effective Desktop computers are generally less expensive than laptops or all-in-one computers, and may even have better configurations than other computer products at the same price point. Therefore, desktop computers have a very high price/performance ratio. Better Stability and Durability Since desktop computers are normally placed in a fixed spot, user will not not move the computer a lot, so, manufacturers can use larger, better-performing cooling components. Compare to the laptop manufacturers, they can only choose smaller parts due to constrain of size, portability and battery life, the performance difference between the two is huge. Therefore, the stability and durability of desktop computers are generally better. Central Processing Unit CPU (intel) As the brain of a computer, CPU is the most important component of a computer. If you looking for the answer of how to choose the right computer, you should start with the CPU. Therefore, it is very important to know how to distinguish the different of CPUs. CPU generation You may have heard of the 10th generation i3, 11th generation i5, etc. You may also have seen a set of numbers like 11750, 10100, etc. These are all CPU models, and the first 1-2 digits of this set of numbers are generally refer to the generation of the CPU, for example, 11750 is the 11th generation, 10100 is the 10th generation, 6500 is the 6th generation, etc. For now, the most popular processors on the market in 2022 will be the 12th and 10th generations. CPU Levels Once you could distinguish about the CPU generation, you should know the CPU grade, i.e. Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or server-class CPU Xeon, entry-level CPU Pentium, etc. Intel has even launched core i9 processors in recent years. The more advanced model, comes with more cores included and better performance of computing power, and the more expensive it is. We recommend i5 or i7 for general clerical work, and i9 or Xeon workstations for graphics or video editing. For the same generation of Intel CPUs, the computing power rank order is Pentium< core i3< core i5< core i7 Computer memory Random Access Memory (RAM) is mainly used for faster access and temporary storage of data in the computer. When the computer needs data from the hard drive, the processor takes the data from the hard drive and loads it into RAM. Because RAM read write speed is so much faster than hard drives, better RAM clock speed and capacity helps you computer run faster and more efficiently. More Capacity, better performance? Some customers think that memory capacity is the key to computer speed, so they added a high-capacity memory to their desktop computer. In fact, memory is one of the factors that affecting the speed of a computer. After all, computers are like human bodies, every component are affecting each other's performance. The higher memory capacity, the more data can be extracted and loaded into the memory, improve the multi-tasking performance. However, the high memory capacity is normally not required for daily clerical work, so even if you have plenty of memory, it will not be useful. So how much memory do I need? DDR4 is the mainstream memory currently available in the market, with 4G, 8G, 16G and 32G capacities. We recommend 8GB to 16GB for general office clerical, 16GB to 32GB for graphics or gaming, and even 64GB to 256GB for servers, depending on the purpose. Generally, desktop computer have at least 2-4 RAM slots, allowing plenty of room for customization and capacity expansion. In addition, when two DIMMs of the same configuration and capacity are installed in the right slot, "dual channel" mode will be activated and improve your memory performance. It may not make much difference for general clerical usage, but dual-channel is recommended for gaming or graphics usage. Storage Space Nowadays, computers are generally equipped with one of two types of hard disks, one is the traditional hard disk (HDD), the other one is the solid state drive (SSD). Traditional hard disk mainly concerned with capacity while the SSD is concerned about speed. SSD is recommended SSD have become a standard in almost every computer in recent years. Because SSD is much faster than traditional HDD. SSD use flash memory for storing data and accessing, providing you with near instant reading speeds. This is why we recommend that you choose a computer equipped with SSD as first priority when buying a new desktop computer. Some desktop computer are now come with SSD+HDD, such as 256 SSD+1TB HDD, which offer the advantages of the speed of an SSD and the capacity of a HDD. SSD vs HDD Traditional hard drives generally have a larger storage capacity, more affortable price and easier for repair or date recovery when the data is damaged. However, traditional hard drives access speed are slower, larger in size, and have durability issues because they use spinning discs and cantilevers across them to read each data segment, which may cause physical tear damage over time. SSD is faster, smaller, noiseless, energy efficient, and durable, although they have a read/write life. However, compared to traditional hard drives, SSD are more expensive, have less storage capacity, and difficult to repair or recover date when data is damaged. Chassis Size There are three mainstream types for computer chassis, MT (Micro Tower), SFF (Small Form Factor) and TY (Tiny), which corresponding to medium, small and mini size computer chassis respectively. Computers can also mean workstations (Tower Workstation), all-in-one computers (AIO), and so on. Different brands have different names for case size, for example, HP's mini-desktop model is called DM (Desktop Mini), and Lenovo's mini-desktop is called TY (Tiny), but both are very mini, almost the size of A5 paper. What is the difference of the size of the case? The main difference is the expansibility of the computer, performance and cooling airflow. A larger case generally means more room for hardware expansion and better airflow to help with cooling. What chassis should I choose? Nowadays, it is popular for Hong Kong offices to use SFF small form factor chassis, which is very suitable for Hong Kong SME offices because it is compact with providing enough space for hardware expansion. Expansibility The expansibility of computers generally includes RAM, graphics card, hard disk and Wi-Fi Bluetooth card expansion. RAM expansion Ram upgrade is the most common type of computer expansion, as mentioned in the memory introduction above. Most of desktop computer have at least 2-4 RAM slots, provide plenty of room for customers to upgrade the RAM capacity. Hard Drive Expansion Since SSD normally have less storage capacity than hard drive, customers would like to add HDD to expand the storage capacity. Generally, desktop computer need aware about the size of the chassis when installing additional hard drive. For example, SFF computers generally only have space for one 3.5" hard drive. Alternatively, you can consider to install M.2 NVMe SSD, which is also a good choice for capacity expansion. Graphics card expansion If the computer need to handle with graphics work, a graphics card will usually be added. However, it is important to note that you need to aware the size of the chassis and power supply, as there are often problems with "not fitting". If you need to handle with graphical work like gaming or multimedia editing, we recommend purchasing an MT case computer or a more professional workstation computer. Wifi and bluetooth Computer generally come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but it is not necessarily for business computer, after all, computer usually using wired Internet access for a faster and more stable network, so wifi and Bluetooth are not considered essential features in business desktop. If you really need it, you can add a PCIE wifi card or an USB wifi card. Windows The difference between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home is mentioned in the previous article, for more details, please see > Difference between WINDOWS 10 Home and Professional. We mainly sells HP and Lenovo business computers, and provides on-site warranty. For more information, please see > All Desktop Products. Business Computers Windows 10 Pro is usually installed in business computers because it supports more business features, such as BitLocker, information protection, access rights assignment, computer groups, Windows Update for business, etc. More importantly, Business Edition desktop are generally provided with a 3-year on-site warranty to ensure the life cycle of your computer. Home Computers Home computers generally have Windows 10 Home Edition installed, which provides the most basic Windows features and provides 1-year warranty. Recommended Computer Brands We recommend famous computer brands such as HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus and other branded PC. For more information, please see > All Desktop Products
