If you work in a specialized field that requires something with a little more horsepower than what you’ll find at the average big box retailer, then you may find yourself considering putting together your own PC. Commercial PC workstations can be quite expensive due to the use of proprietary parts, along with warranty and support programs that only serve to jack up the price for those who don’t need it. You may be able to save your company thousands of dollars while still getting the power packed machine you need by simply building your own computer(s).
Today, we’ll look into the basics of building a business machine rather than overpaying. Here are some quick tips to get you on the right path to building the perfect PC.
Utilize GPUs Intended for Gaming to Save Big Bucks
Workstation graphics cards produced for commercial and industrial use may offer very specific features not found in consumer models, but unless you absolutely require that functionality, you shouldn’t consider spending the extra money. Desktop graphics cards usually meant for gaming can produce plenty of power at a heavily-reduced price point. The cost savings can be so great that you can afford two or more consumer GPUs for the same as a commercial card, giving you more capacity and performance at a more reasonable price point. Gpunerd.com has reviews and benchmarks to make choosing the right card for your rig as easy as it can be.
Use High-Speed Drives to Cut Down on Wait Times
The pain of moving large files across traditional storage media is very real for some. Slow transfers and access times not only frustrate the operator but directly affect your ability to make money. The cost of traditional platter-based hard drives makes them an attractive option for the budget conscious consumer; however, the extra performance gained from solid-state drives can pay for itself many times over its life. Intense loading operations that take minutes on a standard system only take seconds if they’re accessed from a solid state drive, giving you the ability to work faster.
Invest in Reliable Power
PC power supplies can sometimes fall to the bottom of the list of priorities, with many leaving little room in the budget and having to settle on an inferior product. The quality and quantity of power that you feed your workstation is very important for the correct functionality of your hardware and protection for valuable circuitry. A good rule when shopping for a power supply is to always go with a trusted name, and check the 80 Plus rating to determine expected performance.
Choose a High-Grade CPU
It’s easy to get hooked on the number of gigahertz a processor performs at and use that as a determination of quality, but there’s a lot more to it than just a number. Many commercial software packages today are built around multi-threaded CPUs. Multi-threaded applications break the workload down into smaller chunks, so they can all be worked through at the same time, rather than having to work the instruction linearly. A better indicator of true processor performance comes from real-world benchmarks that can be found online curated by enthusiasts. Also, you can check out reviews and roundups from experts for wise options.
You don’t have to break the bank to acquire the power you need to get work done quickly and efficiently. With a little knowledge, you can easily build the right machines to fit your goals while leaving some room in the budget for other projects.