Issue 23.16
A client recently asked me what the differences are between home, business and gaming computers. It is an interesting question because the basics are the same for all three. The differences are subtle, but can make a big difference in certain types of performance and especially in cost.
Business class computers are usually the most inexpensive and have the least impressive performance specifications. That seems odd to many people until you realize what they are designed for. Most business computers are small and use the resources of company servers, central storage devices, etc. They don’t require heavy duty graphics capability and are usually used for record keeping, data storage and customer contact. They are generally not used for gaming, typesetting and graphics manipulation, high end video creation or enjoyment, etc. When businesses need a graphics workstation, server or other high end computers, they buy them for those specific purposes and pay the extra for those specialized computers.
Home computers are the in-between systems. They usually have a little more storage and memory and often a faster processor. Home users are more interested in photos, video, editing and some games including some on-line games that push the system a little. Many home users get the business class systems because they don’t need the added power and want to save money.
Gaming systems are designed for the power user. They usually have high-end graphics cards which give ultra-reality to graphics and fast response times for action sequences. These graphics cards can often cost as much or more than the rest of the computer put together. They often have high amounts of RAM (Random Access Memory) and multiple, solid state or extremely large hard drives if the player wants to store many different action games. They usually have high speed internet cards and users often pay a premium for the highest speed internet connection they can get.
They do all this to have an edge when competing with other players over the internet. A more powerful internet connection or graphics card can help them see and respond more quickly to threats and opponents. All of that comes at a cost however. Gaming computers can easily cost twice or even three times as much as a standard business or home computer. I have seen gaming computers that cost well over $10,000, but most are in the $1000 to $2000 range and many are custom built to the user’s specifications.
For most of us, this is overkill and an unnecessary expense, but for those whose lives are centered around the excitement of online gaming, it seems to be justified. If you want the extreme power of gaming computers, make sure you consult with a good computer tech or buy prebuilt gaming computers such as the Alienware Computers from Dell. It all depends on how much speed you need – and remember to always have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has worked in the computer industry for over 33 years, 26 years of it locally with Bits ‘N’ Bytes and Musicomp and currently works as a computer consultant. If you have questions you can reach him at 435-668-7118 or shaun@musicomp.net.