Those of us brave enough to build our own work computers have probably figured out the pros and cons already. You’re basically on your own. If a part fails, you can’t just call Dell and have them send a tech out in a day or two that can repair the computer on-site. Here are some additions to your work computer that can help you prevent problems before they happen.
Power Is Everything
Computers turn electricity into math. Without good, clean electricity, things go wrong. A battery back up is a crucial part to have for a work computer. You want your work computer to stay on when the power goes out, and you want the power that feeds your computer to be a nice sine wave all the time.
Also known as a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, a smaller unit can keep your workstation running for a few minutes while the power is out. If you shell out a few more bucks, you can get a fancy UPS that can power your computer for hours or days by itself.
Power Conditioning Saves Data
UPS units have a lesser-known ability known as power conditioning. Your computer prefers a pure sine wave from its AC source of electricity before turning that into DC power that your computer can start doing math with. If the sine waves are malfunctioning, or if the power spikes or drops, the UPS bears the brunt of it and only passes on clean power to the computer. Read this info at Bravo Electro to get more insights about ac-dc power supply.
Memory Moves Mountains
You can think of memory, or RAM as it is popularly known, as the air intake on an engine. The same way your car’s air intake holds a charge of air that is to be fed into the processing engine very quickly, the RAM in your computer holds data close to the processor and quickly feeds the processor upon command.
The way you benefit from more and faster RAM is it allows you to run more applications simultaneously. If you like to have 50 browser tabs open while you multi-task then you should opt for more memory.
USB Hubs Are Convenient
Your work computer doesn’t have enough USB ports. You can fix this by buying a great little component called the USB hub. It does exactly as you think it does. It turns one USB port into at least four more.
Some hubs require external power while others do not. The ones that require external power actually help out if you are trying to plug in a spinning portable hard drive since those small hard drives don’t have a power source other than the USB plug.
Some really cool USB hubs come with SD card ports. It is really excellent to have this quick-access port in the hub where all of the action is happening.
Keyboards Are Cool
If you do a lot of typing on your work computer, then you know how important it can be to have a quality keyboard. Keyboards come in quite a few varieties, but the main two are mechanical and membrane. If you prefer the tactile feel of a long-throw key and you can stand the loud clicking noise they make, then you should try out a mechanical keyboard.
Membrane keyboards are quiet and soft feeling. The key doesn’t travel as far downward, and it doesn’t have a satisfying tactile response, but you can type quietly and efficiently. Mac laptop keyboards are usually regarded as the most popular membrane keyboards.
Whatever components you choose to help you in your day-to-day tasks, it’s a good idea to spend money on the things you use the most. Buying a component that doesn’t get any use will quickly become outdated or replaced and you’ll be stuck with junk.
