If Only Some One Can Write A Song Saying The Exact Same Thing. :)

So You Need To Buy A Computer But You Don't Know What Specs Are Good These Days

Hi.

This is literally my job.

Lots of people are buying computers for school right now or are replacing computers as their five-year-old college laptop craps out so here's the standard specs you should be looking for in a (windows) computer purchase in August 2023.

PROCESSOR

Intel i5 (no older than 10th Gen)

Ryzen 7

You can get away with a Ryzen 5 but an intel i3 should be an absolute last resort. You want at least an intel i5 or a Ryzen 7 processor. The current generation of intel processors is 13, but anything 10 or newer is perfectly fine. DO NOT get a higher performance line with an older generation; a 13th gen i5 is better than an 8th gen i7. (Unfortunately I don't know enough about ryzens to tell you which generation is the earliest you should get, but staying within 3 generations is a good rule of thumb)

RAM

8GB absolute minimum

If you don't have at least 8GB RAM on a modern computer it's going to be very, very slow. Ideally you want a computer with at least 16GB, and it's a good idea to get a computer that will let you add or swap RAM down the line (nearly all desktops will let you do this, for laptops you need to check the specs for Memory and see how many slots there are and how many slots are available; laptops with soldered RAM cannot have the memory upgraded - this is common in very slim laptops)

STORAGE

256GB SSD

Computers mostly come with SSDs these days; SSDs are faster than HDDs but typically have lower storage for the same price. That being said: SSDs are coming down in price and if you're installing your own drive you can easily upgrade the size for a low cost. Unfortunately that doesn't do anything for you for the initial purchase.

A lot of cheaper laptops will have a 128GB SSD and, because a lot of stuff is stored in the cloud these days, that can be functional. I still recommend getting a bit more storage than that because it's nice if you can store your music and documents and photos on your device instead of on the cloud. You want to be able to access your files even if you don't have internet access.

But don't get a computer with a big HDD instead of getting a computer with a small SSD. The difference in speed is noticeable.

SCREEN (laptop specific)

Personally I find that touchscreens have a negative impact on battery life and are easier to fuck up than standard screens. They are also harder to replace if they get broken. I do not recommend getting a touch screen unless you absolutely have to.

A lot of college students especially tend to look for the biggest laptop screen possible; don't do that. It's a pain in the ass to carry a 17" laptop around campus and with the way that everything is so thin these days it's easier to damage a 17" screen than a 14" screen.

On the other end of that: laptops with 13" screens tend to be very slim devices that are glued shut and impossible to work on or upgrade.

Your best bet (for both functionality and price) is either a 14" or a 15.6" screen. If you absolutely positively need to have a 10-key keyboard on your laptop, get the 15.6". If you need something portable more than you need 10-key, get a 14"

FORM FACTOR (desktop specific)

If you purchase an all-in-one desktop computer I will begin manifesting in your house physically. All-in-ones take away every advantage desktops have in terms of upgradeability and maintenance; they are expensive and difficult to repair and usually not worth the cost of disassembling to upgrade.

There are about four standard sizes of desktop PC: All-in-One (the size of a monitor with no other footprint), Tower (Big! probably at least two feet long in two directions), Small Form Factor Tower (Very moderate - about the size of a large shoebox), and Mini/Micro/Tiny (Small! about the size of a small hardcover book).

If you are concerned about space you are much better off getting a MicroPC and a bracket to put it on your monitor than you are getting an all-in-one. This will be about a million percent easier to work on than an all-in-one and this way if your monitor dies your computer is still functional.

Small form factor towers and towers are the easiest to work on and upgrade; if you need a burly graphics card you need to get a full size tower, but for everything else a small form factor tower will be fine. Most of our business sales are SFF towers and MicroPCs, the only time we get something larger is if we have to put a $700 graphics card in it. SFF towers will accept small graphics cards and can handle upgrades to the power supply; MicroPCs can only have the RAM and SSD upgraded and don't have room for any other components or their own internal power supply.

WARRANTY

Most desktops come with either a 1 or 3 year warranty; either of these is fine and if you want to upgrade a 1 year to a 3 year that is also fine. I've generally found that if something is going to do a warranty failure on desktop it's going to do it the first year, so you don't get a hell of a lot of added mileage out of an extended warranty but it doesn't hurt and sometimes pays off to do a 3-year.

Laptops are a different story. Laptops mostly come with a 1-year warranty and what I recommend everyone does for every laptop that will allow it is to upgrade that to the longest warranty you can get with added drop/damage protection. The most common question our customers have about laptops is if we can replace a screen and the answer is usually "yes, but it's going to be expensive." If you're purchasing a low-end laptop, the parts and labor for replacing a screen can easily cost more than half the price of a new laptop. HOWEVER, the way that most screens get broken is by getting dropped. So if you have a warranty with drop protection, you just send that sucker back to the factory and they fix it for you.

So, if it is at all possible, check if the manufacturer of a laptop you're looking at has a warranty option with drop protection. Then, within 30 days (though ideally on the first day you get it) of owning your laptop, go to the manufacturer site, register your serial number, and upgrade the warranty. If you can't afford a 3-year upgrade at once set a reminder for yourself to annually renew. But get that drop protection, especially if you are a college student or if you've got kids.

And never, ever put pens or pencils on your laptop keyboard. I've seen people ruin thousand dollar, brand-new laptops that they can't afford to fix because they closed the screen on a ten cent pencil. Keep liquids away from them too.

LIFESPAN

There's a reasonable chance that any computer you buy today will still be able to turn on and run a program or two in ten years. That does not mean that it is "functional."

At my office we estimate that the functional lifespan of desktops is 5-7 years and the functional lifespan of laptops is 3-5 years. Laptops get more wear and tear than desktops and desktops are easier to upgrade to keep them running. At 5 years for desktops and 3 years for laptops you should look at upgrading the RAM in the device and possibly consider replacing the SSD with a new (possibly larger) model, because SSDs and HDDs don't last forever.

COST

This means that you should think of your computers as an annual investment rather than as a one-time purchase. It is more worthwhile to pay $700 for a laptop that will work well for five years than it is to pay $300 for a laptop that will be outdated and slow in one year (which is what will happen if you get an 8th gen i3 with 8GB RAM). If you are going to get a $300 laptop try to get specs as close as possible to the minimums I've laid out here.

If you have to compromise on these specs, the one that is least fixable is the processor. If you get a laptop with an i3 processor you aren't going to be able to upgrade it even if you can add more RAM or a bigger SSD. If you have to get lower specs in order to afford the device put your money into the processor and make sure that the computer has available slots for upgrade and that neither the RAM nor the SSD is soldered to the motherboard. (one easy way to check this is to search "[computer model] RAM upgrade" on youtube and see if anyone has made a video showing what the inside of the laptop looks like and how much effort it takes to replace parts)

Computers are expensive right now. This is frustrating, because historically consumer computer prices have been on a downward trend but since 2020 that trend has been all over the place. Desktop computers are quite expensive at the moment (August 2023) and decent laptops are extremely variably priced.

If you are looking for a decent, upgradeable laptop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

14" Lenovo - $670 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD

15.6" HP - $540 - 11th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

14" Dell - $710 - 12th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD

If you are looking for a decent, affordable desktop that will last you a few years, here are a couple of options that you can purchase in August 2023 that have good prices for their specs:

SFF HP - $620 - 10th-gen i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD

SFF Lenovo - $560 - Ryzen 7 5000 series, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

Dell Tower - $800 - 10th-gen i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

If I were going to buy any of these I'd probably get the HP laptop or the Dell Tower. The HP Laptop is actually a really good price for what it is.

Anyway happy computering.

Got some new canvases for Christmas and got into the painting mood. Decided to paint a sunset with clouds. Mostly clouds. It been a long time since I painted something, I can't even remember the last time I did something like this. I spent most of my day sitting and just painting. It was awesome!!

Hundred of people died a few days ago in a big fire in Greece. The survivors dont have homes because the fire burned them down. Some people of the area made this bank account so if anyone would like to help will be able to donate. Families with little kids are homeless. The whole country is mourning. PRAY for Greece ACT for Greece HELP Greece

I don’t have any time to stay up all night worrying about what someone who doesn’t love me has to say about me.

Viola Davis (via purplebuddhaquotes)

Being the oldest

Parent 1: You have to set an example for your siblings!

Parent 2: You have to become successful and earn a lot of money.

Parent 1: That's why we came here, to live a better life and let you have a better future.

Parent 2: So study something useful and choose a good career. That's your only goal right now.

Parent 1 and 2: Don't disappoint us!

Oldest sibling: *nods sadly* Okay

Art Giveaway!

I counted all the votes and an art giveaway won! Sorry for anyone who wanted the charm giveaway, I’ll have my shop open this summer! But until then, thank you for all of your support and continue reading for more info!

Rules:

You must be following me to enter

1 like and 1 reblog allowed per person (i.e. only 2 entries per person to avoid spamming and give everyone the same chance)

you must respond within 24 hours if you have won or I will choose a new winner

Prizes!

1st Place:   winner may request any two characters of their choice. The characters may be either adult or baby/chibi! If you only want one character, that’s fine too. One adult character may be replaced by two babies if the winner chooses to! (ex. Keith helping with snack time drawing) Colored

2nd Place:  One baby drawing of your choice!  sketch and minimal color

If you have any questions, please let me know!  Good luck!!

Giveaway Ends Friday March 9th!

@daedelweiss DTIYS!

My goal for this year is to get back into art, and finally use the drawing tablet I got last year. So finding this challenge was a good start. Not entirely happy but this is what I can do right now, gotta say not a bad start. Here is to getting better through practice.

Whats you favorite fairy tale? (Essay)

My favorite fairy tale or the fairy tale that means the most to me is the Three Followers. The story of of one master and three followers who were the best of friends, until ambition, envy, loneliness, and duty took hold of the friendship they had and destroyed it. Destroying themselves in the process. This story is supposed to teach children that although these feeling do not have to be evil if you let them take a hold of you and emotions get the best of you, whatever you were trying to achieve will be beyond you reach. Something we should have thought of when the arguments began. Thought I will not go into details, this happened to my friends and I. These emotions turned our friendship that we once thought as hard as steel into tatters and shreds. We fought and blamed one another because of a desicion that was not in our control. In the end all that has left was anger, guilt, and memories of a happier time. A lot of time has passed since then, and for all that my friends did to me from verbally and physically, to the scars they gave me both literally and emotionally, I can say I have forgiven them for it. Some might think me a fool for it but if I were to stay with the anger and guilt they would have taken over me until nothing was left. I didn't want that. "The past doesn't define who you are, it just a starting point for who are going to be." I wasn't going to become a person who held grudges, never forgetting what had divided us but one who always remembers the good memories that united us. I hope that one day in the long future we will meet again, though we might not be the best of friends ever again. I hope when our eyes meet and I see not hatred or anger but nostalgia and forgiveness. I hope that day will come.

daydreaming is often a coping mechanism for people who are often lonely or don’t receive a good amount of love in their life, so they make people inside their heads that will love them so they can feel the right amount of love.

Look

I know some people might not care about this. I know some people think this is to complicated. And I know some people think this won’t affect them. But here’s the thing, IT WILL definantly effect you no matter where you live. It will effect you tumblr user, you reddit users, and you watching youtube.

If this law gets passed then it’s gonna inspire the rest of the world. It was just like how in the USA.

The video is barley sixteen minutes and less if you skip ahead.

IT IS THE TRANSLATED AND SIMPLE VERSION OF ARTICLE 13’S IMPLICATIONS

Don’t have time to watch? Then just reblog. It takes two seconds on phone and two clicks on a computor