Hardware and Software Essay Sample
* Analog Computers
-most extinct today
-can execute several mathematical operations at the same time
-uses uninterrupted variables for mathematical operation
-utilizes mechanical or electrical energy
* Hybrid Computers
-combination of digital and linear computing machines
-digital sections execute procedure control by transition of parallel signals to digital 1s
* Mainframe Computers
-have the capacities to host multiple runing systems and run as a figure of practical machines and can therefore replace for several little waiters
* Microcomputer
-computer with a microprocessor and its cardinal processing unit -can be called as personal computing machines
* Desktops
-intended to be used on a individual location
-widely popular for day-to-day usage in workplaces and families
* Laptops
-miniaturized and optimized for nomadic usage.
-its portability and capacity to run on battery power have served as a blessing for Mobile users
* Personal Digital Assistants ( PDAs )
-handheld computing machine
-palmtop
* Minicomputers
-smaller than mainframe computing machines. bigger than microcomputer -mid-range system or workstation
* Supercomputers
-highly calculations-intensive undertaking
-large dealing treating power
* Wearable Computers
-record-setting measure in the development of computing machines
-consistently in operation as they do non hold to be turned on and off
-constantly interacting with the user
Elementss of the Computer System
* Hardware Devices
* Software System
-Operating System
-Middleware
-Application
Part of the Computer
A computing machine is made up of four indispensable parts:
* System unit
* Monitor
* Keyboard
* Mouse
The system unit is the chief portion of the computing machine. It houses all the constituents that make the computing machine tally.
System unit is composed of:
-Central Processing Unit ( CPU )
* “microprocessor”
* encephalon of the computing machine
* performs all the operations that computing machine does
-Random Access Memory
* “memory”
* temporarily shops your computing machines activities until they are transferred and stored for good in your difficult disc when you shut down or re-start. * ‘the more memory your computing machine has the faster it will react. -Hard disc thrust
* where information and plans are stored for good
-Motherboard
* where all the other devices in your computing machine are connected -Chipset
* bridge french friess. logic french friess. glued french friess
* contains accountants for the memory. PCI coach. peripheral cards -Cache RAM
* hardest french friess found in the motherboard
-RAM french friess
* surface mount- bit is soldered right onto the board
* socket – bit is soldered into the board and a bit is inserted in a socket
* RAM sockets normally perpendicular to the motherboard on smaller circuit boards called sticks -Slot
* ISA ( Industry Standard Architecture ) slot is the most common slot * black
* PCI ( Peripheral Component Interconnect ) slot is popular and widespread criterion * White
* Express is a computing machine enlargement card criterion designed to replace PCI * Used in consumer. waiter and industrial application as a motherboard degree interconnect and as enlargement card interface for attention deficit disorder in boards * Key difference between coachs is a topology based on point to indicate consecutive links instead than parallel bus architecture * AGP ( Accelerated Graphics Port ) is a individual. light brown slot * Provides a high velocity dedicated connexion for picture
* Provide a faster and larger bandwidth
* It allow a the picture card to utilize system memory
All About PROCESSORS
What Processor should I acquire?
With today’s processor engineering. a laptop’s public presentation is more dependent on GPU [ Graphics ] than CPU.
Mobile processors from the clip of the earliest Core Couple are more than sufficient to run into most demands but public presentation is frequently hampered by in writing capableness. Example: a. Core2 Duo + Intel X3100
b. Pentium Dual Core + Intel X4500
c. AMD TurionX2 + ATI HD3200
Based on existent experience. system “a” will hold the lowest overall public presentation even if it has the best Core2 Duo Processor.
Why?
This is best explained utilizing the air lane as an illustration. The air lane is like the Core2 Duo processor. travel clip is really fast. But so when you get to the terminal or the tool place there is merely one Teller and therefore there is a long line of autos waiting to pay and issue.
This is what happens when you have an integrated picture that does non fit the velocity of the processor. It becomes the constriction of the system.
To get the better of the constriction a fast processor should be matched with an every bit fast in writing processing unit ( GPU ) besides called a Video Card.
The GPU is like a 2nd processor that processes natural informations and converts it into the images that you see on your notebook’s screen. A GPU is like an e-pass card that allows you to breeze through the long line of autos waiting to pay toll the manual manner.
Does everyone necessitate an e-pass card?
It depends on how in writing intensive your day-to-day undertakings are.
A ) If you live or work in the South and go through the SLEX all the clip so the e-pass becomes a necessity. In the same manner if you do a batch of in writing intensive operations like bet oning. desktop publication. picture and exposure redacting so you will necessitate a dedicated GPU. B ) If you seldom track the SLEX. an E-pass becomes a luxury than a necessity. You can line up and pass 10-15minutes like most travellers. In the same manner if you do non utilize your laptop for in writing intensive operations. like if your chief undertakings would be to
make work. excel. look into your electronic mail. surf the following. YM and Skype. it would be nice to hold a dedicated in writing processing unit ( GPU ) but is non a necessity.
If you see yourself as the type of user that falls under Group-A our advise if to concentrate on the GPU and non the processor. If you are portion of Group-B our advice is to acquire the processor that will offer the longest battery life alternatively of the fastest velocity.
A fast processor does non do you type faster. encoder better. it does non do your email range faster. does non do your YM faster or do your Skype clearer.
Facts:
A fast processor is merely utile if it is supported by a fast GPU ( Graphic Card ) .
– Without a fast GPU the lone purchase of a fast processor is to get down up the computing machine faster.
– will a faster processor make you read this article faster?
A 3. 0 GHz processor will non be twice every bit fast as a 1. 5 GHz processor.
– the L2 cache ; chipset. RAM. HDD and GPU contribute greatly to public presentation.
Laptop processor makers have been concentrating on increasing battery.
– this maybe the advantage of the latest processors non needfully rush
Approximately HARD DRIVE
Difficult Drive: What Is It?
* A difficult thrust is the chief signifier of informations storage on a personal computing machine. It is where your assorted plans and files reside. How Do You Know What’s Good?
* The primary factor with a difficult thrust is capacity… that is. how much informations it can keep. * Hard-drive capacity is measured in Gs ( GB ) .
with bigger being better.
* Optional Footings to Know:
* Rotational Speed
* If you are seeking high public presentation. so you besides should see a difficult drive’s rotational velocity. measured in rotary motions per minute ( RPM ) . * The faster a difficult thrust rotates. the faster it can reassign informations. In add-on. some thrusts include particular buffers or caches that can foster increase the effectual transportation rate. * However. in a laptop. the faster the Rotational Speed the quicker it will devour the battery life.
Why is my Difficult thrust reported smaller than that in the specifications? Computers running on Windows may look to hold a difficult thrust smaller than what is stated in the product’s specifications. certification. or what is stated on the box. Particularly. Windowss reports smaller capacity in the Windows Explorer tool.
Difficult thrusts are described and advertised by makers in footings of decimal ( basal 10 ) capacity.
In denary notation. one M ( MB ) is equal to 1. 000. 000 bytes. and one Gigabyte ( GB ) is equal to 1. 000. 000. 000 bytes.
Windows and other plans use the double star ( basal 2 ) enumeration system. In the binary enumeration system. one M is equal to 1. 048. 576 bytes. and one G is equal to 1. 073. 741. 824 bytes. In layman footings:
-A maker will label the thrust as 40Gb intending 40Billion bytes. -The same Hard Drive will be reported in Windows as 37. 25GB because in Windows Explorer it is computed as 40. 000. 000. 000bytes divided by 1. 073. 741. 824bytes peers 37. 2528Gb -The denary system is what we use in mundane life but Microsoft wants to be different…
Partss of a Difficult Disk:
A drive’s storage capacity determines how many platters are on the same spindle. While both sides of every platter have their ain RW caputs. these caputs are all on weaponries that are parallel to each other ( believe of the dentition of a comb traveling between thin. parallel whirling wheels ) .
Rotational latency
-refers here to the clip a thrust spends waiting for the right sector of a platter to revolve beneath its several caput. Logically. the faster the disc spins. the shorter the delay clip. Therefore a Laptop difficult disc with a 7. 200-rom rotational velocity will offer a lower latency than a 4. 200-rpm thrust.
Average seek clip
-refers to how long it takes an RW caput to travel to the right place on a coveted path. You’ll find that seek clip is about 12 msecs ( MS ) in laptop difficult thrusts. while many desktop units achieve better times of less than 10 ms. Part of the ground for this velocity slowdown in the portable signifier factor is that RW caput positioning in laptops is more critical as a consequence of the smaller platters used in the thrusts.
All about RAM
Memory: What Is It?
Memory is a type of impermanent storage that holds the plans and informations you are presently running. When you see the term “memory” by itself. it means the computer’s chief random-access memory ( RAM )
RAM ( Random Access Memory ) . by and large is used to depict a computer’s dynamic storage country. where natural information is made available to the CPU. and which serves as a conduit for processed informations received from the CPU. Everything uses RAM and hence everything from the Operating System to intensive 3D bet oning benefits from the increased sum of RAM. The greater the memory. the better public presentation you’ll experience when running multiple applications or working with larger files How Do You Know What’s Good?
-The primary factor with memory is its capacity or how much informations it can keep.
-Memory capacity is measured in Ms ( MB ) or Gs ( GB ) . with bigger being better.
Memory Speed
-If you are seeking high public presentation. so you besides should see the memory’s velocity. or how fast it can interchange informations with the processor. This velocity. which will be the same as the computer’s front-side coach velocity. is measured in MHz ( MHz ) . with faster being better. Different types of memory ( SDRAM. DDR-SDRAM. and RDRAM ) are distinguished chiefly by the velocities they can manage.
Types of Memory
* EDO MEMORY ( Extended Data Output ) – Once considered cutting border. EDO is merely FPM DRAM that is been somewhat modified to modestly hike public presentation. The alteration allows one read to get down before the last 1 has been completed. and the convergence can increase natural transportation velocity by 20 per centum. * SDRAM ( Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory ) has mostly been superseded by DDR-SDRAM. but you still see SDRAM on some systems. For basic calculating demands. you likely won’t notice much of a public presentation difference between SDRAM and the faster DDR-SDRAM. But given DDR-SDRAM’s popularity. the lone ground to travel with SDRAM is if it was the lone pick on an otherwise desirable computing machine. DDR1-SDRAM ( Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory ) is the dominant type of memory today. DDR refers to Double Data Rate. where information is sent both at the beginning and the terminal of each clock rhythm. ensuing in faster entree velocities. DDR2 SODIMMS For notebook-pc’s offer a figure of betterments over the old DDR1 coevals memory solution. These include a space-saving signifier factor. low power ingestion. improved thermic features. and high bandwidth. All this consequences in greater public presentation per W and improved battery life compared to other memory criterions. More power. less juice.
DDR2 notebook SODIMMS are rated at 1. 8 Volts. which is about a full Volt ( 0. 8V ) lower than DDR1 SODIMMs and characteristic IC’s based on the FBGA procedure. This means that notebooks with DDR2 faculties require up to 65 % less electromotive force than those running DDR400. therefore bettering battery life. Samsung. a prima semiconducting material maker. ran internal trials and showed that a notebook Personal computer equipped with Samsung DDR2 memory lasted close to 10 % longer before necessitating reloading
* Note: DDR1 and DDR2 memory can non be used on the same DIMM slots due to an alignment alteration in the PCB.
How Much Memory Do You Necessitate?
Unlike processors and difficult thrusts. where the engineerings have come so far that “Basic” picks are good for most people. memory is an country where the budget-oriented pick 128 Ms can do jobs. While it’s possible to acquire by with this sum. we don’t urge it. We’re non entirely: Microsoft recommends at least 256 Ms of memory for computing machines running Windows XP. as virtually all new computing machines do. As for the type of memory. DDR-SDRAM is the best pick here because of its value for the public presentation. On norm. duplicating the sum of memory in your system will give you ample “space” to work and do an obvious difference in overall velocity. particularly with today’s memory-hungry applications. such as graphics-intensive games. The bottom line is that adding memory makes your computing machine more efficient and allows you to make more things at one time.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What do footings like “PC2700” and “DDR333” mean?
These footings indicate a combination of memory type and memory velocity. For a assortment of grounds. they are non user-friendly footings. What’s it all intend? The PC133. DDR333. and DDR400 Numberss are the front side coach velocities at which the RAM can be accessed. This equals MHz per rhythm. Think about it as a velocity bound on DDR’s two-lane main road. The DDR333 main road is designed to back up combined traffic speeds up to 333MHz ( 2 lanes going at 166MHz ) . While DDR400memory allows traffic speeds up to 400MHz ( 2 lanes at 200MHz ) . But delay. the RAM says it is PC-2700. What’s that? PC- is a new appellative criterion for the velocity of DDR memory. It’s equivalent to the theoretical velocity of the RAM.
Where possible. disregard them and merely concentrate on the memory’s type and velocity. Tips:
1. RAM Memory is easy Upgradeable
2. RAM Memory Monetary values are traveling down as you read this article
3. RAM is the cheapest manner to better the public presentation of your Laptop
4. The More RAM and Better. It ne’er hurts to hold More Random-access memory
5. If your notebook is under guarantee. best to hold the RAM upgraded by the Laptop seller to avoid holding the guarantee voided. About Motherboards
A computing machines motherboard is one of the most of import parts of the computing machine. Without it. nil else can run since it’s what everything else has to stop up into. The first measure is calculating out the rudimentss: What features do you necessitate? And how much are you willing to pass? While we can’t answer these inquiries for you. this usher will assist demystify the myriad cryptic pieces of the misunderstood motherboard. and give you the tools you need to happen the one best suited for you and your Personal computer. Form Factor: ATX. BTX. MicroATX. MiniITX
Merely like purchasing a auto. taking a motherboard begins with sing the size. Motherboards come in a figure of different “form factors. ” which is merely a fancy manner of stating you can acquire them big or little.
Which you’ll want depends on what you need the system for. and in what sort of instance you’re planning to put in it.
Your instance must back up the motherboard signifier factor you choose. which might be a job if you’re upgrading a system purchased from a major seller ; bigger companies sometimes use proprietary instance designs that can do upgrading a challenge.
When shopping for motherboards. wage close attending to the sort of instance it was designed for. ( If you’re purchasing online. this information will about ever be included in the motherboard’s proficient specifications ; if you’re purchasing it in individual. inquire your salesperson. )
Larger instances. such as towers. back up the ATX signifier factor. and this board format allows the most room for ports and expandability.
The 12?9. 6-inch ATX design has been the criterion of criterions for about 10 old ages. and by and large remains the go-to pick for people piecing their ain desktop systems at all degrees of public presentation.
Intel introduced the larger BTX motherboard format a few old ages back. as a manner of countering heat and power-consumption issues ATX experienced with modern hardware.
It’s been employed by some companies such as Gateway and Dell. but it has ne’er caught on for place Personal computer builders. in portion because of the coming of more-efficient processors. You’ll be distressed to happen BTX boards many topographic points outside Intel’s Web site.
In recent old ages. the smaller MicroATX ( 9. 6?9. 6-inch ) and MiniITX ( 6. 7?6. 7-inch ) signifier factors have gained in popularity.
As Media Center Personal computers have become more common. the demand has grown for quiet. compact. low-power boards that fit little instances.
These form factors. nevertheless. besides offer fewer enlargement slots and I/O ports ( more on that later ) . and won’t be ideal for every system.
Socket Type: LGA775 or AM2
Possibly even more of import than the sort of instance you’ll put in your motherboard into is what sort of processor you’ll install in your motherboard.
The motherboard’s socket type and chipset must fit the processor’s demands. If the two aren’t in sync. the processor might non work at all and could even be physically damaged.
So whether you’re traveling a Central processing unit from one motherboard to another or purchasing one
new. you’ll have to pay attending to a few things.
First. is the processor by AMD or Intel? A motherboard designed for one won’t work with the other.
Next. what specific socket type does your processor necessitate? LGA775 ( besides known as Socket T ) is the current criterion for Intel processors. while AMD’s latest CPUs are designed for Socket AM2.
Both sockets offer the greatest current scope of upgrading capableness. and while there’s no manner of stating how long they’ll be about. opportunities are you’ll be set for a piece
Front-Side Bus
Opportunities are. you’ll ne’er necessitate to worry about the velocity of your motherboard’s system coach ( besides sometimes referred to as front-side coach. or FSB ) . which is the way along which information travels between your processor and your RAM and other devices. such as PCI cards and difficult thrusts. Equally long as your CPU matches the motherboard’s socket type. you’ll likely be all right. But if you want to squash every last ounce of public presentation out of your machine. cross-check your processor’s and motherboard’s FSB speeds to avoid any possible constrictions. The highest current evaluations for FSB velocities on Intel motherboards are 1. 333MHz and 1. 066MHz ; most quad-core Core 2 Extreme and dual-core Core 2 Duo processors make full usage of these velocities.
Chipset
As with coach velocity. a motherboard’s chipset appellation is of concern chiefly to partisans. You’ll frequently see the words “Northbridge” or “Southbridge” ; they refer to the two different french friess consisting the chief system chipset.
The former manages high-speed communications between the CPU. RAM. and AGP/PCI Express coachs ( more on that in a minute ) . and the latter between slower subsystems. such as difficult thrust accountants. power direction. and the PCI coach.
Under most imaginable fortunes. you’ll ne’er need to cognize what your Northbridge and Southbridge french friess are. so don’t worry about how they’ll affect system choice or performance—for the most portion. they won’t.
Random-access memory
Your system’s trusty processor can’t make your computer’s work alone—it needs the aid of random entree memory ( RAM ) . where computing machines store codification and informations while making their number-crunching.
Besides. observe what memory standard your motherboard supports. because you’ll want to acquire RAM that matches it every bit closely as possible. If. for illustration. your motherboard supports DDR2 667. acquiring DDR2 533 memory won’t take full advantage of the power your system has. DDR2 800 memory. on the other manus. will work. but your motherboard won’t cognize how to take advantage of the excess bandwidth.
Finally. how much RAM can your motherboard clasp? When shopping. pay attending to how many RAM slots the motherboard has. the RAM sum each one can keep. and what the board’s maximal entire capacity is. Many smaller signifier factors will merely hold infinite for two RAM french friess. while ATX motherboards might hold four or more slots capable of keeping 8GB or even 32GB.
Most motherboards today feature a ready to hand engineering called dual-channel memory architecture. By put ining two RAM french friess into fiting Bankss ( which are normally color-coded ) on a motherboard set up this manner. you can efficaciously duplicate informations throughput. And faster RAM. like more RAM. is ever a good thing.
Drive Connections: IDE. SATA. Raid
In old ages gone by. you’d unfastened up a instance and see moving ridges of level. grey IDE thread overseas telegrams linking your assorted difficult. floppy. and optical thrusts to your motherboard.
Today. most difficult thrusts connect via Serial ATA ( ( SATA. Consecutive Advance Technology Attachment ) . which is faster ( 1. 5 or 3 Gbits per second are the traveling rates. and still-faster velocities are on the skyline ) . and uses neater and smaller cords.
Another difficult thrust concern: Foray. It stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. and it allows you to either combine several smaller drives’ capacities into one big thrust or utilize several thrusts to mirror. or back up. informations for added security.
Not every motherboard supports RAID. so if it’s something you’re interested in. verify its handiness on the board for your difficult thrusts ( SATA or IDE ) before buying.
SATAIDE
Expansion Slots
Among the cardinal characteristics of any motherboard are the enlargement slots. ATX motherboards might incorporate five or six ; the smaller signifier factors might hold merely three.
However many. they allow you to equip your computing machine with a broad scope of capablenesss it might non hold been designed with.
Typically. these include constituents such as artworks or sound cards. though TV-tuner cards and physics-acceleration cards are other possibilities. Ethernet accountants are another possibility. excessively. though these are by and large integrated into motherboards these yearss.
Today’s highest-performance PCIe picture cards by and large require one x16 slot. and if your motherboard supports AMD’s CrossFire or Intel’s Scalable Link Interface ( SLI ) engineerings. which allow you to put in two picture cards for supercharged public presentation. you might necessitate two.
You won’t ever acquire the full x16 bandwidth on the 2nd physical slot ( that’s a cardinal item to look into before you buy ) . but the velocity and quality
addition will be considerable however.
Rear-Panel Ports
A computer’s rear panel is a batch more than merely where you plug in your proctor. pressman. and web cable—it’s your motherboard’s interface to the universe.
In choosing a motherboard. you’ll want to measure its rear panel carefully. Though you can ever add characteristics with an enlargement card. that’s ne’er easier than holding something work out of the box.
Rear-Panel Ports
Among the things to watch for:
* Keyboard and mouse ports
* USB/FireWire
* Ethernet
* Serial/parallel ports
* eSATA ports
Overclocking and Tweaking
You likely wouldn’t have needed to read this far if you’re into overclocking. or forcing your computing machine beyond its manufacturer-rated velocity.
It’s slightly hazardous and might cut down your processor’s natural life-span. but it can be a fun manner of proving your system’s heart ( and yours ) . so some motherboard makers include constitutional characteristics and public-service corporations merely for the intent.
Frequency tuners. particular heat-dissipation methods. and other safety steps are among the options some tweaker-friendly motherboards offer—but they don’t come cheap. If you won’t use these characteristics. it’s non deserving paying excess for them.
