Graphics Card

The graphics card can be related as the retinas in your eyes. They are an optional expansion card that connect into a PCI x16 slot in the motherboard, and generates a feed of output images to a display (such as a computer monitor). Only reason a person would need this optional expansion card is for running graphics intensive programs such as 3D modeling, or video games. The more powerful the graphics card is, the more clear and smooth those programs will run. A very powerful card can even power and run more than one monitor. Virtually all current video cards are built with either AMD-sourced or Nvidia-sourced graphics chips. There is minimal difference between these two companies other than the fact they are competing in the same market.

                                           

           AMD-Sourced Graphics Card                                                  Nvidia-Sourced Graphics Card

If the motherboard has more than one PCI x16 slot, then you can have more than once graphics card in your computer. This is known as CrossFire(AMD) or SLI(Nvidia). This will double their power and requires a CrossFire Bridge or SLI Bridge that connects the more than one graphics cards together. These Bridges generally come with the purchase of SLI or CrossFire compatible motherboards.

     

Operating Systems

An operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is an essential component of the system software in a computer system. Application programs usually require an operating system to function.

For hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs and the computer hardware, although the application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and will frequently make a system call to an OS function or be interrupted by it.

Examples of popular modern operating systems include Android,, iOS, Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows.

Heat Sink

The Heatsink is the endocrine system. It is directly attached to the CPU and keeps it cool. This is very vital because the CPU is constantly generating many volts and it heats up very fast. If it gets too hot, then your computer will freeze, or it will literally self-destruct. All manufactured CPU’s come with a heatsink, but if you plan on overclocking, it is highly, highly, highly recommend to buy a third party heatsink. Third party heatsinks are much more efficient in controlling and regulating the temperatures. There are two types of Heatsinks: Air vent and water cool.

Air vent heatsinks distribute the heat generated by the CPU by transferring heat through copper tubes and spreading it through a series of aluminum plates. Then a fan that is attached to the metal plates is continuously running and venting out the heat.

Water Cool heatsinks transfer heat through copper tubes onto a metal plate as well, but instead of a fan to cool the metal plates, it is cooled by hydro pumps. The water that keeps it cool does heat up, but then it’s looped through a radiator so the water can be cooled again.

Central Processing Unit

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the nervous system of the body. It takes the information sent out by the HDD and processes it so that other modules can make sense of it and display the information on screen.

There are two types of CPUs on the market, AMD and Intel. In terms of their function, there is nothing too different about them other than their design and the fact they are just two competing businesses. Just like Apple and Microsoft.

The typical name for an AMD CPU is something like this: “AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor”

• AMD FX-8350 Vishera - This is the brand name of the CPU
• 4.0GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) - This indicates how fast the CPU processes memory. The faster the better.
• Socket AM3+ - This indicates the type of motherboard socket required for compatibility. Make sure you buy a motherboard that says it supports AM3+ if you have this CPU.
• 125W - This shows the amount of power required to run the CPU from the power supply.
• Eight-Core Desktop Processor - This indicates how many cores are contained in the CPU. The more, the better.

The Typical name for an Intel CPU is something like this: “Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I74770K”

• Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell - This is the brand name of the CPU. The K next to 4770 indicates if the processor can be overclocked or not. If it has a K, it means it can be overclocked. Overclocking will be discussed in another post.
• 3.5GHz - This indicates how fast the CPU processes memory.
• LGA 1150 - This indicates the type of motherboard socket required for compatibility. Make sure you buy a motherboard that says it supports LGA 1150 sockets if you have this CPU.
• 84W - This shows the amount of power required to run the CPU from the power supply.
• Quad-Core Desktop Processor - This indicates how many cores are contained in the CPU. The more, the better.
• Intel HD Graphics BX80646I74770K - Intel comes with integrated HD graphics that help vamp up the resolution quality of applications.
  
  
  
  
  

  Earlier it was mentioned that the main difference between the two chips were their design. AMD's CPU has the connector pins on the CPU, where as Intel's CPU have the connector pins on their motherboards.

  
  
  
  

Cases

The case is the skin of your computer. The purpose of the case is only for the sake of compatibility, airflow, and appearance. There are mainly three different sizes of cases for computers: ATX Mid-Tower, ATX Full-Tower, and Micro-ATX Mini Tower.

The ATX Mid-Tower case is the most common sized case you see. Generally all computers you see in your Best Buy or local computer store are using ATX Mid-Tower cases. They will fit all the modules needed to power and run a computer and have efficient air flow.

The ATX Full-Tower case mainly serves it’s purpose for computer enthusiasts. A full tower case is a lot bigger in terms of it’s volume and has a lot more space for your modules to fit in. If you’re interested in doing open loop water cooling, (open loop water cooling is a form of cooling your modules that I will explain in a later post.), an ATX Full-Tower case is recommended for space is essential to installing open loop water cooling. Full tower cases have very efficient cooling because they are roomy.

The Micro-ATX Mini Tower is a very rudimentary case and very small that will only support Mini ATX motherboards. Enthusiasts that purchase these cases only do so because they desire a computer that takes up minimal space.

Optical Drive

The optical drive is the module that reads CD’s. With technology evolving and everything is becoming digital, this component is almost completely out of date. The new MAC retina display does not even have a optical drive. But this component is still very vital because when you install a new operating system (an operating system will be discussed in a later blog) the only way to install it is through its disk format. Also depending on how retro you are, you may use your optical drive to transport music from a new music album you bought on CD, to your Hard Drive. And if you love to watch movies on your computer through disks, a CD drive will be required. Also there are optical drives that support Blu-Ray Discs, but make sure to buy one that explicitly says it supports Blu-Ray.

Random-Access Memory (RAM)

The Random-Access Memory (RAM) is the stomach of your computer. It controls the volume of data that are allowed to be stored and processed at an instantaneous time. Unlike the HDD in which it stores data permanently, the RAM will only store data temporarily at that given moment. An HDD will have hundreds of gigabytes of info stored, but when you access whatever data you want, that data will go from the HDD and be put into the RAM. The more gigabytes of RAM you have, the more applications or data can be opened.

For example, if I were to open a game up, lets say Battlefield 3 in which it is 30 gigabytes of memory, about only 4 gigabytes of the information on the HDD will go into the RAM because only 4 gigabytes of data from Battlefield 3 is being used at that instantaneous moment.

The more RAM you have, the more data that can be processed, and the more processes being made in an instantaneous time, the smoother the computer will run.

NO, RAM IS NOT DOWNLOADABLE! To achieve additional Gigabytes of RAM, you must buy more RAM sticks. RAM is a physical component and serves as a vital piece as a module.

When you buy RAM, keep in mind there is Laptop RAM and Desktop RAM. The difference between these two is simply compatibility.

Desktop RAM

Laptop RAM

                               

You also may notice that RAM comes at different frequencies. For example: 1100MHz, 1300MHz, 1600MHz, etc. These numerical values show how fast the RAM can process the memory thats currently stored in it. The higher the number, the faster it will preform.