Small Business Desktops Chapel Hill NC

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Originally published at Internet.com

When it comes to buying a new desktop computer for your small business, the good news is that, as always, PC prices continue to fall and performance continues to rise. But the evolving desktop also comes with new technologies, specifications, assorted gizmos and confusing marketing lingo - which explains why shopping for a new small-business PC can feel like visiting a foreign country whose native language changes every eighteen months.

In this article, we'll decipher the latest PC buzzwords splashed across marketing literature and consider which ones may or may not be most valuable to your business.

Lenovo 3000J Series Desktop

Processors On Parade
Major shifts in CPU technology have taken place in the past year. The latest and greatest is the introduction of dual-core processors. These effectively squeeze two processing units into one physical chip. While it used to be only servers that featured multiple CPUs, dual-core processors now bring multi-processing capabilities to the desktop.

Both Intel and AMD are aggressively marketing dual-core CPUs for the desktop. Intel introduced its dual-core desktop solution with the Pentium D models and is now pushing the newer Core 2 Duo. AMD sells its dual-core desktop processor under the name Athlon 64 X2.

Dual-core processors provide the most benefit to desktops that are used to multitask, or run several applications at the same time. But because they also benefit from newer architecture overall, the latest dual-core processors tend to also consume less power and generate less heat than even their single-core predecessors. That's good news for the environment and for your bottom line - think smaller electric bills.

Intel's Core 2 Duo, in particular, is considered by many the best performing dual-core desktop processor now available.

Forward-looking PC buyers should choose a desktop PC with a dual-core processor. Both the Athlon 64 X2 and Core 2 Duo are strong choices. Avoid the older, inefficient Pentium D dual-core processor, which you will still find in many vendor's desktop PC inventories. Don't be fooled by Megahertz speeds alone. Older Pentiums (including the D and the 4 models) may advertise higher clock speeds than the Core 2 Duo, but actually perform real tasks more slowly.

For the small business owners looking for performance on a budget, consider an AMD-based single-core solution like the Athlon 64. In comparison, the inefficient and power-hungry single-core Pentium 4 line just doesn't stack up. Take a pass on ultra-low-cost desktops using the AMD Sempron or Intel Celeron processors - technology best left to low-end home computers.

Dell OptiPlex 745

Good Memory
Just about every small business desktop available uses DDR2 SDRAM. The DDR2 memory is available in a variety of speeds, which varies from model to model.

DDR2 memory speeds range from 400 Mhz to 1,000 Mhz. Most of today's small business desktops use 533, 667, or 800 Mhz memory. While the latter is of course fastest, the real-world difference is not significant enough to strongly influence a purchasing decision.

The amount and expandability of the memory is more important than the actual speed. Many small business desktop configurations start with a minimum of 512MB of memory. For a light workload this may do, but a well-equipped desktop should be outfitted with at least one gigabyte (GB). Many can accommodate a maximum of 4GB.

Whether you can easily add memory later depends on how many internal slots the desktop has and how many are already in use. Most models feature either two or four memory slots, some or all of which will be occupied with the memory you choose at purchase.

Newer "dual channel" DDR2 memory offers improved performance but occupies more of your available memory slots, since its modules must be installed in pairs.

HP Compaq dc5750 Business PC

Smart Storage
The latest buzzword in disk storage technology is SATA, or Serial ATA. SATA drives transfer data from the disk to memory faster than earlier hard drives. Actual transfer speeds vary quite a bit and generally do not come close to the advertised SATA speeds, which are theoretical maximums. Regardless, SATA drives come with most small-business desktops.

Hard drives also vary in rotation speed. Faster rotation, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM), improves the throughput and responsiveness of the drive. Most small-business desktop drives feature 7,200RPM. Stay away from low-end disks rated at 5,400RPM, although few should show up in business-oriented PCs. For high-performance applications like high-definition video editing, consider a 10,000RPM drive, the fastest single-drive solutions you'll find in business desktops.

Of course, hard drives also vary in capacity. These days, 80GB is about as small as you'll find at the low end. 160GB is more common, although most small-business desktop vendors offer a range of drive capacities. You may even have the choice of 250GB or larger drives.

Gateway E-4610S SB

Expandability also varies. Smaller desktop cases may accommodate two hard drives, while larger systems can accommodate as many as four. However, with many external hard drives now on the market both in USB and networked versions, limited internal storage expansion is not necessarily a significant limitation.

High-end small-business desktops include a more advanced storage technology known as RAID, or "Redundant Array of Independent Disks." A RAID array combines two or more hard drives. RAID arrays can enhance performance, data protection and integrity, or both. A RAID array configured for maximum performance distributes data across all of the hard drives.

Unfortunately, if one drive goes bad, you lose all your data. Conversely, a RAID array configured for maximum data protection mirrors data between drives. In this case, if one drive fails, the other contains a complete, up-to-date backup.

Not many small businesses need the speed advantage offered by a RAID array, but data backup is another story. In mirroring mode, a RAID array can be invaluable for protecting business-critical applications.

Networking and Graphics
Many desktop PCs now feature gigabit