Computer Technicians 301: Planning computer configurations – the right tool for the right task

SoHo and HTPC

Before we start mentally assembling a small-office-home-office machine, we should apologize for using the term a bit loosely here – for all intents and purposes, a home computer used by the common Jane or Joe has about the same requirements as an office machine. As we mentioned, a decent PSU is mandatory, although power should rarely exceed 350 or 400 W, even with today’s components. Machines like these can usually get away with smaller cases, mATX, uATX or even ITX motherboards, although, of course, an ATX motherboard can also be used. Integrated graphics and networking are good options, as is integrated sound, because a common machine doesn’t really need any of those components dedicated – the integrated features will work well for most intents and purposes. Someone who uses their computer to listen to music, read the daily newspapers, check their mail or write a document doesn’t need an expensive GFX card or a dedicated 1Gbps NIC – 100Mbps should work. Some upgradeability is needed, of course, but even two PCI slots should be able to accomodate that.

The single-core CPU should ideally be trailing-edge, a Sempron or Celeron, or a lower-end pure-breed one, as they’re commonly cheaper, don’t put out as much heat as their speedier cousins, and a SoHo doesn’t need as much CPU power

We’ve already discussed the memory requirements here, but it should be noted that a single memory stick should do nicely, as there’s no need for dual-channeling or particularly good latencies – however, for the benefit of the whole computer, RAM speed should match that of the CPU and motherboard for optimum performance. Hard-drive size depends on the amount of data the average user’ll need, while the disks themselves might be either PATA or SATA, depending on the price. For a home user, anything from 80 to 120 GB should be just fine. For SoHos it should rarely go past 80 GB, though they might opt for more in case they want to make sure the computer works for the next ten years, or if they’re lax about their work policy and allow their workers to keep downloaded programs, videos and music onboard. Regarding opticals and removable media, a single DVD+RW drive should be enough for home users and SoHo backups – but, again, depends on work policy. You should discuss this with the employer, as they would either opt for an RW or a regular reader drive; in case they pick the latter, all backups will be done through the network.

Of the miscellaneous components, a set of small speakers should do fine for a home user, possibly a headset, something that might be necessary for a SoHo in case they utilize Skype a lot. The keyboard and mouse should be of the garden variety – basic PS/2 models, as high port speed isn’t an issue. The printer, scanner, monitor and everything else is pretty much up to the client, since it depends on how much they’ll shell out for it – or most importantly, how much they need a printer, or if they can cram a CRT screen onto their desk.

Finally, as a special sub-category, there are the HTPCs – Home Theater PCs. Although they share common points with home PCs, they will require slightly more power, up to about 450W, silent PSUs and fans, as well as a bigger hard-drive, a dedicated network card for remote movie polling, a dedicated soundcard for higher quality ouput, and, of course, decently set up TV and audio outputs. A purebred CPU might be neccessary because video decoding is a tough, number-crunching task, something a Sempron or Celeron might be able to keep up with – barely.