Orlando Computer Repair Services Blog | BITS

In October of 2009 I purchased a Dell Latitude E6400. As a tech I did my homework checking the specs (CPU, FSB, HDD speed, etc…) and user reviews. Little did I know that underneath the hood was a heating issue that paralyzes the system for hours at a time. Imagine being close to finishing a project up and all your programs come to a grinding halt. This is problem I faced after spending cash money for a brand new laptop.

I isolated the problem to video usage. Any video intensive application (flash video, DVD playback, slingplayer, etc…) would increase my laptops CPU usage to 100% after about 20mins of viewing. The processor usage wouldn’t drop until the computer had been sitting for at least an hour. I tried updating drivers, updating bios, and also making the switch from vista to windows 7. After I updated my machine to windows 7 and still had the issue I thought for sure all my money went down the toilet, but in a last ditch effort I ran some more utilities and read some more forums and determined the root cause of the problem. The graphics chip (GPU) was over heating causing my CPU to down clock between 500MHz and 800MHz.

I read forums about all the failed attempts to fix the overheating issue that causes 100% CPU usage. Some replaced the heat sinks, some replaced internal fans, some tried to wait on dell to develop a bios update to fix heating tables. None of these fixed the issue. After deep thought it occurred to me we have an overheating issue why not add an external fan. I went and picked up a simple laptop fan and eliminated the overheating issues. I have two 20” monitors connected to my e-port docking station and this solved my all my problems. Now I love my laptop and it works great.

Some people have this misconception that when you buy a computer, you need to buy the one with the fastest processor, most memory, largest hard drive, and most expensive video card. This might be the case for some, but it’s not always necessary to have a fully functional computer that will last for years to come.

GAMERS

Modern-day computer games don’t need an outrageously fast processor to run smoothly. If you’re going to purchase a new computer or upgrade your current computer for gaming, invest in computer memory and a good video card to increase video performance. When purchasing a video card, keep in mind the human brain can only process about 30 frames per second. Buying a video card that can produce 40 or 50 frames per second may result in overspending and produce unnoticeable changes in performance.

STUDENTS

Laptops tend to be a better purchase for students because of their portability and versatility. When purchasing a laptop, the goal is to choose the features you need without going over budget or sacrificing lifespan. The truth is off-the-shelf laptops are going to have the recommended specifications (memory, hard drive space, DVD-Burner, WIFI, etc…) with the ability to run any office suite or educational software thrown at it for at least 3 to 5 years. That being said, three optional upgrades that will have a direct impact on performance and set your laptop apart from others are: the amount of processor cache, hard drive speed (RPMs), and battery life.

BUSINESS ELITE

The needs of business users are similar to the needs of students. You don’t need the fastest processor, or excessive amounts of memory to handle business applications. The version of operating system needed for business users differs from the student or home version due to the necessity of connecting to an office network. Business users should always consult their IT director before making purchases.

RESEARCHERS / GRAPHICS DESIGNERS / MATHEMATICIANS

If you’re doing research or computations, the faster you can process the data, the better. Your processor cache, processor clock speed, and hard drive speed (RPMs) need to be as fast as you can afford. This will allow data to be gathered and processed quickly. Graphics designers and video editors have an additional need of a good video card.

In short, when purchasing a computer, the amount of processor cache and hard drive speed will have the most direct impact on performance, and if you’re planning to use your computer for intense graphical applications invest in a good video card.