Buying computers for CG(Computer Graphics) is not something one should rush into,i have seen so many people who are new to CG buy the wrong computer,the surprising thing is that even people who claim to be "experienced" at CG also buy the wrong computer for CG,not necessarily because of a low budget but because of ignorance.So i compiled this list(in no particular order) to help us make better decisions when buying a computer for CG .

Mobility:
Should you buy a Desktop or Laptop ?.This is very important ,so important .You have to know what you want, are you going to be indoor all the time,are you going to be on the road all the time,are you a "workaholic" and like to yank the computer out at any given opportunity to start designing or animating.These are factors you have to consider before buying a desktop or a laptop.

Screen Size:
14 inch,15 inch,17 inch,21 inch ?.There are so many options to choose from but your aspect of CG matters a lot before choosing the right screen size for a computer be it a desktop or laptop.If you are just a graphic designer a 14 inch computer might be manageable but if you are an animator or game developer 14 inch might not be okay for you because you will have to do a lot of zooming and panning to have a good view of the animation or game scene you are working on,so choose wisely when purchasing a computer with a small screen.In my opinion someone who is into CG should not go below a 15 inch screen.

RAM:
This stands for Random Access Memory,this is a temporary storage your computer uses when processing information.As a CG artists it is advisable to have as much RAM as possible , imagine rendering a scene with 5 million polygons (for animators and 3D artists) or designing a vector logo or flyer that is about 4000 x 4000 pixels(for graphic designers) your computer will run very slowly and hang so many times and probably crash if you have a very little RAM .So it is advisable to have a RAM size that is considerably okay ,lets say around 4GB if you are on a budget(which to be sincere might still not be okay).But if you can afford it i will advise going for 8GB and above.
Processor :
The processing speed of the computer you are planning to purchase has to be considerably okay ,whether you are on a budget or not please try not buy a crawling processor.On the specification of the computer you are about to buy you should see something like dual core ,core i3,core i5,core i7,Core i7 is the highest in this case but there are also different speeds for core i7 (for intel processors),you should also look out for something like 2.5 GHz or 3.5 GHz,it is advisable not to buy anything less than 2.5GHz if you are planning to use a computer for CG(Computer Graphics).There are so many other processor specs like Quadcores etc.So explore and check out the specs of the processor and its speed before buying a computer.

Operating System:
This is another thing most people overlook when buying a computer,you have to consider the kind of software you make use of before buying a computer with a particular operating system.Take this for an example -if you make use of Autodesk 3Dsmax do not make the mistake of buying a Mac computer because Autodesk 3Dsmax is not available for Macs.You have to check the specifications of the software you use before you buy a computer with a particular operating system and make sure it is compatible.

Video Card/Graphics Card/Graphics Memory:
A video/graphics card is a device installed on a computer that sends graphical information(what you to see) to the screen of a computer.Choosing the right computer with the right video/graphics card and graphics memory is very paramount for people who are into CG ,failure to do this will cause a decrease in performance and speed of workflow,besides some particular software needs precise video card or video/graphics memory to perform well.So when you are choosing a computer check out the graphics card and memory and cross check with the software you make use of to see if it meets the requirement of the software .

Ports:
This might not be important in all cases but in some cases it is not something you should over look.It is advisable for you to buy a computer that has as many very vital ports as possible ,such as at least 3 usb ports, an RJ45 port,a microphone inlet,an headset port and so on.Take this scenario for example you are working as a team and you need to connect to central server where you can share resources you will need an RJ45 port for networking and you will need to plug in a mouse ,a walcom or any other device for efficient workflow,or if you are a video editor or compositor you will need a fire-wire port (IEEE 1394 port) to capture videos from your camera to your computer.So it is advisable to check out the ports on a computer before buying it and see if it has all the vital ports you will need.

Battery Life:
The battery life of a computer cannot just be left out (if you plan on going for a laptop).Especially in Nigeria where we have electricity issues the battery life of a computer is a very important thing to put into consideration when buying a computer.Some laptops have 6 cell batteries ,while others have 9 cells ,so choose wisely and check out the specs for how long the battery lasts.

Storage Space and Storage Type:
The storage space of a computer is very important ,this is how much space you have on the computer to store data,it is very important to try as much as possible not to buy a computer with a storage that is less than 500 GB why?.Because as a CG artist or animator or game developer,there is one thing that is constant ,the higher the quality,the higher the file size whether it is videos,3D models ,vector or psd files ,the higher the quality the bigger the file size ,so you need a lot of storage space.
Storage type is not something so many people know about, nowadays laptops and desktops usually have either HDD(Hard Disk Drive) or SSD(Solid State Drive).They both have their advantages and disadvantages but SSD has more advantages than HDD. The only advantage HDD actually has over SSD is that it is cheaper ,on the average SSD is usually about two times the price of HDD for a particular storage capacity,so this adds up to the total price of the computer you are planning to buy.However SSDs are a lot more durable because they don't have movable parts like the HDDs ,SSDs can survive more shock and vibrations better than HDDs,the transfer speed and rate of SSDs(for copying files) is faster than that of HDDs. In conclusion SSDs are a lot better than HDDs,so check out the specs of the computer you are considering and choose wisely.
I hope i nailed it.Is there anything you thought i should have added ?, get the comments rolling in.




Dont forget to share and sign up on CGPadis and enjoy more articles, news, discuss in the forums and so on.Sign up here. www.cgpadis.com/join



Source : http://cgpadis.com/blogs/post/9

Very insightful. .. However you did not give the Ram limit for the Graphic memory or video card that can run graphic programs with ease.

Great insight!

Thank you. Is there any thing you think i should have added,keep the comments coming in .Lets learn from each other