How to know the right computer specs for your freelancing job!

For a freelancer whose bread and butter relies on a machine, choosing the right computer for your online work shouldn't be left to the sales guy to decide. You need to know what specification suits your freelance work. While this may be a little difficult for those who are not tech-savvy or who are not into computers at all, there are things that you need to consider so you can make a better choice in purchasing your gadget without wasting your money.

WHAT IS YOUR LINE OF WORK?

The best way to know the computer specs that is right for you is to know first what line of business are you into? For example, if you are a data encoder and normally uses a browser and Microsoft office apps, then your job does not require a computer with a high graphics card to perform your task. On the other hand, let's say you are a graphic artist that edits high-quality images using Adobe applications, then it is preferred that you have a computer with a high-quality display for you to see the best colour settings for your project - not to mention the high processor that application requires in order for it to run normally.

For me, I use multiple tabs on my browser and other apps open at the same time. So I made sure I have enough storage of RAM to support multitasking jobs.

To give you an idea of what I'm using for my freelance job:

• Computer: Huawei Matebook D14 (Laptop)

• Processor: Ryzen 7 3700U

• Display: 1920 x 1080 IPS full view display / Additional 24' monitor

• Storage: 500 SDD and 1TB external drive

• RAM: 8 GB

• UPS: None

• Video card: Radeon RX Vega 10 Graphics

• O.S: Windows 10

• Headset: Plantronics Blackwire 3320 Headset w/ Noise-canceling

• Webcam: Generic Camera

So with that information listed above, here's the kind of work I'm using it for:

1. Photo editing using Adobe Photoshop

2. Online meeting and communication

3. Call Monitoring, documentation and reporting using Microsoft Apps

4. Web page and blog management

LAPTOP OR A DESKTOP?

Once you have decided on the right computer specs that fit your job, the next thing that you might want to consider is whether to buy a desktop or a laptop. Initially, I use a desktop computer on my first two jobs as a freelancer because the tasks are not that hard to perform using my old Intel-5 computer with 8GB of RAM. I can freely do my tasks before with a 24' monitor and a big keyboard. But things changed when I encountered power interruption while working with a task along the way on my home-based career not to mention the time doctor that stops when my computer shuts down. I didn't invest with a UPC before as I rarely even experience power outages in my 7 years of residency in my place - or to invest for a generator that costs thousands of pesos. What I have before is an old laptop computer that lasts for only 2 hours. It was really troublesome when that happens to me before. So for that very reason, I purchased a laptop that carries 56 watts, runs for 7-hours straight, and charges for a very short time. It has a Ryzen-7 processor w/ built-in GPU and a good screen display. I guess that's just one of the pros of using a laptop, but for me, I love that I can carry my laptop and walk around the house while doing my work. I have had no regrets about using this setup ever since. Here are some other benefits to choosing laptops over desktops:

1. Portable – great for travellers and digital nomads

2. Lightweight – with the latest laptop models, you can get laptops that are lightweight and not bulky

3. A good option if you get a lot of power interruptions in your area

4. Takes minimal space

STORAGE

New computers nowadays are using SDD type of storage as it is faster than the old HDD and it can greatly speed up the process of booting up your installed programs - it helps my computer to boot up completely for just 9 seconds only. It should be one of the things that you might need to consider in purchasing a computer for your freelance work - the general rule is, the higher the SDD storage that a laptop has, the higher the price it is being offered in the market unless you are dealing with an old version of a laptop that probably still uses HDD - it would be too inconvenient to upgrade to SDD. Although, there are other brands of laptop that has dual storage type and offer less SDD with big HDD space, even so, your decision should still be based on your needs. If your job does not require you to store heavy files on your computer and uses an online storage system then you can just settle with computers that offer less storage. For me, 250GB SDD is decent for an average type of freelance work.

RAM

Don't forget the RAM. RAM is how much active memory your computer has. Think of this of your conscious mind – how many things you can think about at the same time. In computers, this translates to how many programs or internet tabs/websites/apps you can have open at the same time. The more RAM you have, the more things you can keep open at the same time.

If you can afford it, I recommend getting a computer with at least 8GB of RAM. If you’re doing video editing or anything similarly heavy, I recommend at least 16GB of RAM or above.

I hope this helps!