One of the most exciting parts of getting a startup off the ground is picking the right computer hardware for your crew. Trying to figure what is considered too much and too little will come down to the type of startup that you are running.
Is it creative-heavy that focuses on rendering times? Or is it mainly documents and the Office Suite that your computer needs to be able to handle. A prebuilt gaming computer is the best choice.
Here are 5 tips on choosing the right computer hardware.
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1. Mac vs PC
Microsoft and Apple will continue to dominate the computer space for the foreseeable future. Their platforms are user-friendly and have a wide variety of products.
Right now, there is no competition between Mac and PC, the PC is the absolute winner. We say this because Apple plans to move forward to its own CPUs as soon as the end of 2020, meaning that all Intel-based Macs that are currently on the market will start to become obsolete.
If you’re looking for longevity, choose a PC.
2. Performance
The next tip is to look into the price of performance. If you’re running a digital design studio that requires a lot of muscle power from the CPU and GPU, you’re going to want to make sure these two components are top of the line.
Look for a high-end AMD Ryzen CPU like the 3700x series or, if the budget allows it, AMD Threadripper.
For GPU’s you’re going to want to look at Nvidia’s new GPU lineup that includes their RTX 3080. This graphics card can handle any render that you throw at it in no time.
3. Storage
Storage is another key component. Are your employees going to be storing everything on a central storage device, or their personal computers?
It is recommended to always keep data in one place so that there is no employee fraud. So this means for their computers, a simple NVME M.2 Solid State Drive will be sufficient for them running their operating systems and programs.
But for your central storage device that the data is on, you will want high-end NAS hard drives. These drives are meant for large data storage and can withstand years of use.
Check out this guide on hardware sizing for central devices.
4. Mobility
Do you prefer your employees all working from the office or from home? Mobility can play a huge factor in what type of computer hardware you want.
A laptop is perfect for on the go work and easily picking up from where you left off from the office. But a desktop offers a higher price-to-performance ratio.
A recommendation is to do desktops that allow for remoting in. This means that if employees choose, they can remote in from personal devices that they can then use to work from any secure spot.
5. Upgradeability
Don’t skip on the upgradeability of hardware either. Later down the line, it is easier to replace individual parts with a desktop compared to having to shell out more money for replacing entire laptops. The cost of hardware is going up and this will make replacing an entire system harder.
This is why it might be smarter to build or have someone build a desktop for you. Mainline desktops like Dell or HP can make this problem harder, as they are not designed to be upgraded the same way.
Computer Hardware: The Foundation of Every Startup
Every startup will need some type of computer hardware. Whether it be for simply writing up a business plan or developing the next big game out on the market. Just be smart about the kind that you choose.
If you want to learn more about making the most of your startup, be sure to check out our other articles. If you know a startup that is in need of computer hardware, be sure to share this article with them.
