What is the computer buying guide for programming? Answering this question is one of the first steps you should take to start programming. Choosing the correct and suitable hardware – despite the staggering prices of the hardware and system market – is a relatively difficult task and requires a lot of precision. On the other hand, there are many and varied fields of programming, and each of them requires special hardware.
In this article, we compiled a guide for buying a computer for programming. This guide is suitable for people who are confused about choosing their hardware system and do not know what points to pay attention to when buying or upgrading their system.
Points to consider before buying hardware
Many think that they have to have a huge budget to buy the right hardware; If you need to specify your field of work before starting coding and checking the computer buying guide for programming. So choosing a programming field is the most important step to pay attention to before buying a computer for programming. For example, many areas of programming do not deal with graphics, and you can easily remove the graphics card and its related costs from your shopping list.
The next important thing is to be realistic and buy based on your goals and vision. At the very beginning, it is better to determine what level (beginner or professional) you are interested in programming. Maybe you want to learn to program or are still hesitant in choosing your field of work. In this case, it might not be bad to use online programming environments to make certain decisions.
Rating system power based on context
In the above sections, we talked about the importance of choosing the domain before reviewing the computer buying guide for programming, as well as the general hardware required for coding. In this section, we have listed the most commonly used and demanding fields of programming in order of hardware requirements so that you can make a better decision in case of a limited purchasing budget. The field that ranks first requires the least and weakest hardware, and the further down the list you go, the more powerful hardware you’ll need:
- Processor, micro, and chip programming
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Web Design
- Programming for Windows
- Mobile programming (Android and iPhone)
- Network, hacking, and security
- Fields of artificial intelligence
- game development
General tips when buying hardware
The minimum hardware required is generally the same for many programming fields. So, if you are not looking to upgrade the system and intend to start learning, pay attention to the tips in this section of the computer buying guide for programming. In the next sections, we will discuss specific fields such as web design, gaming, and artificial intelligence that are not included in this category.
CPU selection
To program, you need an Intel i5 or i7 processor with a minimum frequency of 2 to 2.5 GHz per second. Of course, you can also use an i3 processor, but you should be careful that with this i3 processor, programs run relatively slowly. If the system has a lot of processing, you must close and reopen your programming environment.
Amount of RAM
RAM is one of the most important parts of the hardware system that you should select according to the work field of a programmer. The minimum recommended RAM in most areas of programming is 4 GB, and many adjust their purchase budget accordingly. But the troubles begin when programming in practice with this amount of RAM. Therefore, we recommend that you consider at least 8 GB of RAM.
Hard drive type
The presence of an SSD hard drive makes programming resources loaded and available more quickly. Often for programming, a 128GB SSD with an HDD is sufficient. That is, use the combination of these two hard drives; Consider an SSD memory with little space and an HDD hard drive with a lot of space. Of course, if you install more programs, you should consider this space more.
Graphic card
As we said, most programming fields do not need graphics. So you can save money by choosing lower graphics. But if you are thinking about areas such as game development or creating programs with high graphics, you should go for an Nvidia graphics card (at least the 940MX version and preferably the Nvidia GTX 1060) along with more than 8 GB of RAM.
System requirements for web programming
You don’t need very powerful hardware for web programming. Programming with HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP languages is possible with the following equipment:
- Processor: Intel Celeron
- RAM: One or two GB
- Hard: It doesn’t matter
- Graphics: You don’t need it
So, starting web programming, you don’t need to worry about your hardware. Of course, if you want to use other technologies, frameworks, libraries, etc., in a web project, you will need a more advanced system, and you should upgrade the above items depending on the need.
System requirements for game development
Game making has different parts. Programming game logic, making game music and sound, designing images or 3D models, and gluing all these parts together all require a powerful system.
Most game developers deal with the game engine so that with its help, they can make different parts of their game faster and test the game simultaneously. Game engines have high graphic power and are a combination of several software. So it is better to choose the system you need according to the game engine you want. Note that game engines need high processing power and graphics to be used properly. So if your computer is weak, don’t go for gaming.
System requirements for artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is one of the most up-to-date programming fields. Most fields of artificial intelligence need to process a large amount of data, and if you don’t have the right hardware, your code will either not be executed or return the wrong answer.
Due to this large volume, calculations are performed in parallel on several cores. But in many cases, even processors are not a good choice, and in this case, you should consider getting a suitable GPU; Because most processors have a few small but complex cores and provide fewer computing threads. While GPUs perform calculations with thousands of threads in parallel and simultaneously.
In some fields, such as deep learning, a combination of the two is used: the host code runs on the CPU, and the CUDA code runs on the GPU. So, depending on your needs, you have to upgrade these two parts, which is why the provision of the required artificial intelligence system is often associated with very high costs. If you don’t have this budget, you can use Google Kolb. Google Collab is a free development environment with unlimited resources and provides many features to developers.
Important points in buying accessories
The monitor or display is the first thing you should pay attention to because it will greatly affect your vision and the quality of your coding. In the computer buying guide for programming, we recommend using a monitor of at least 16 inches or larger with Full HD resolution.
Choosing a good keyboard and mouse is the next step and can make writing your code easier. We suggest using soft keyboards with LED backlight. Also, preferably choose mice that fit the dimensions of your hand.
Finally, consider a suitable table and chair for your programming time. Many mistakenly neglect this matter, while in the long run, you will get tired and feel a lot of pain and dryness in the back and other body areas. So be sure to allocate a part of the budget to a suitable desk and chair. Equipment such as headphones, microphones, etc. It is unnecessary and thinks about them after some time when you have money.