With the explosion of interest in AI, there are many ways to learn how to use it. Some people focus on using chatbots to interact with users via computer programs, or creating bots to perform certain tasks for businesses or companies. Others hone in more on specific areas like language learning or image recognition.
With all these different applications, one thing most intelligent digital systems have in common is a powerful processor (also referred to as a GPU or graphics processing unit). A strong CPU will let the GPU do its job without too much interference from software or hardware.
A decent amount of RAM can also help smooth out performance, keeping your machine capable of performing complex calculations quickly.
This article will go into detail about some great beginner-friendly laptops that feature at least an AMD Ryzen 5 2500X chip, which is a well-known high-performance processor. They’ll also have 8GB or higher of DDR4 memory, making them able to handle several heavy apps simultaneously. Both components work beautifully together!
These recommendations are easy to find and very affordable, so why not start off with a new laptop today? Let us know in the comments if this article inspired you to get smart with computers.
Build a good quality GPU
A powerful computer for deep learning includes at least one graphics card that is of high performance, has large memory, and is capable of running heavy workloads.
A powerful GPU will take advantage of the parallel nature of neural networks by using multiple CPU cores to perform arithmetic calculations or simulate chemical reactions. This allows it to process information much faster than an Intel processor with only integrated GPUs.
The best option is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 or newer which are around $200-300 depending on your price range. An AMD Radeon RX 580 or newer can also be a great pick as they are almost half the cost!
Both of these cards have plenty of bandwidth (the amount of space allowed to move data in and out) and feature 2GB or more of GDDR5 video RAM. Make sure you check those specifications before buying so you know if it meets the requirements of any specific model of deep learning software.
You should also research whether there are discount codes or coupons available from VRZone or other sites. These typically give percent off discounts or free merchandise because vendors try to maximize sales while keeping up morale.
Connect both the devices to your computer
Now that you have determined what components you need, you will need to make sure that they are all connected properly to your laptop or desktop. This could be tricky as some computers may not have enough ports to connect everything directly to it.
A common solution is using an external hard drive or USB 3.0 device as your main storage space. You can plug this into any port on your computer!
Another solution is buying a digital camera off-the-shelf or getting one at a cheap price from Amazon or Walmart. These usually have a micro SD card slot in which you can store the pre-loaded images and other settings.
Get a high-quality power supply
A powerful computer requires a strong internal source of electricity to function properly. Power supplies are an important part of any PC that provide the necessary current needed to operate various components in your laptop or desktop.
A lot of parts in today’s computers require several amps (amperes) of current to work correctly. An amp is like one voltimeter stick setting off another, so having enough current is very critical to ensuring proper operation.
Good quality power supplies will usually have at least 500 watts – 1 kilowatt peak output. More than adequate for most uses. If you want more powerful performance, look into getting a higher wattage unit!
There are many reputable brands that offer good quality power supplies such as Amazon, Newegg, and Tiger Direct. Make sure to do some research and read product reviews before buying though, as not all products are the same.
Research your location
With all of these equipment needs, one thing that can get overlooked is researching where best places are to purchase or upgrade an individual piece of computer hardware. This article will talk about some important things to look into when doing so!
Research whether there are any local computer stores that have large discounts online. Many times, people who work at a store may be willing to take off part or most of what they buy, if you’re in frequent shopping sprees.
By investing in new pieces, this person may also be able to pick up leftover stock from past purchases!
You could also search Amazon or eBay to see if anyone has made their own personal setup recommendations. The individuals creating these setups may offer advice on how to improve upon their settings, too!
These two sites also typically list product reviews, which can give you more information than just looking at price alone.
Research your equipment
Now that you have a base computer, it is time to research what additional components are needed to facilitate deep learning. There are several different types of computers with different interfaces that can be used for this.
One such interface is through an NVIDIA GPU, which has become quite popular due to their CUDA software development platform.
There are also CPUs that have dedicated graphics processing units (GPUs) built in, or at least integrated GPUs that can be used as one. A common example of this is an AMD Ryzen CPU with AMD Vega Graphics or an Intel i5 CPU with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Integrated Graphics.
Both of these will work just fine! They may use separate drivers from the regular Ubuntu ones, but they will function similarly. The best way to find out if your machine supports it is by looking online- most people agree that any recent generation Intel or AMD CPU does, and then look up whether there are driver issues around using the GPU effectively.
You should be able to get free drivers for Windows via microsoft.com/get/windows-10-professional-for-students or student accounts, or paid versions directly from intelor amd.org/hardware/gaming/. For Linux, check your motherboard manufacturer’s website.
Practice operating your computer
One of the most fundamental things you must do to learn how to use a computer is to practice using it!
To be able to use a computer program, like Photoshop or Excel, you need to be familiar with what all the buttons do, how to navigate through menus and settings, and so on.
The same goes for software such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other web browsers. You have to know how to perform basic tasks, such as searching the internet, reading emails, and installing apps via the browser store.
And don’t forget about general skills like taking good care of your device (charging it every night!), knowing where things are located (for example, the desktop button), and being careful with files and folders.
Overall, staying in control of your computer and protecting its data will serve you well no matter what kind of computer applications you want to run.
Know how to check your hard drive for errors
A common mistake people make when building their computer is choosing low end components. While it’s understandable why someone might choose lower-end processors or GPUs, this isn’t the best approach if you want to take advantage of all of the powerful features that deep learning has to offer.
Higher quality CPUs and graphics cards are more expensive, but they will give you better performance in terms of speed. If possible, try to spend slightly more money now to get higher quality equipment later!
If you feel like your current hardware is not cutting it, then it may be time to look into buying a new laptop or desktop computer. You can usually find discounts online or through local retailers who no longer need to sell those products.
Know how to test your RAM
One of the most important things you can do to ensure that your computer is working properly is to make sure it has enough memory. Memory is what stores all of your software files, apps, and programs!
If your computer does not have enough memory, then you will start experiencing problems when you try to access these software files. This could be because there is not enough space left in your hard drive or the operating system cannot allocate enough memory for use.
You may also encounter errors while trying to load an app onto the computer due to lack of memory. When this happens, the app may either fail to launch or crash completely.
There are several ways to check if your computer’s memory is adequate. The easiest way is to open up Google Chrome and see whether or not you get any “outloud” notifications about low memory. If you do, then your computer probably needs more memory.
Another way to determine if your computer has enough memory is by running Microsoft Windows in System Settings > Advanced. Here, you can usually find something called Computer Storage which includes both internal (RAM) and external (hard disk) storage spaces.
