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.

Power Supply

The Power Supply Unit (PSU) is the small intestines of the computer. Just like the functions of the small intestines, it distributes energy throughout the computer in order for modules that require power to operate. Power supplies come in different magnitudes of watts (standard unit for energy, measured in joules per second,) in order to successfully meet the demand of however much power your computer requires to run. A typical power supply looks something along the line of this:

                                  

As you can see, it connects to a 3 pin outlet in common households. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that the power supply is connected to a surge protector in order to avoid power surges. You may be wondering what the tentacles sticking out of the other end of the power supply is. Those are cables that connect to individual modules in the computer that require direct connect from the power source to function.

Modules that require direct connect is the motherboard, hard drive, graphics card, and CD-Drives. The motherboard connects by a 20 x 4 pin & a 4 x 4 pin, and the hard drive &  connects by a SATA power cord. The graphic cards typically connect by a 2 x 6 pin, but if you have a higher end card then it may require a 2 x 8 pin.

Although not a module, if a computer case comes with additional computer fans, they may have to connect to a 4 pin power cable that extends out from a power supply.

There are modular power supplies that can be bought. Modular supplies are the same exact thing as your standard power supply, but the cables can be detached from the power supply. This is only beneficial if you have cables you don’t use and want to make cable management easier.

Notice the sockets available to connect only the power cords you need.

Because of the many variety of power supplies on the market, not all power supplies may have the cables that will support the modules you have. Make sure you buy the correct power supply that will support all of the modules you have and also have enough watts to power your computer. Just like the motherboard, this component should also be considered to be bought last after you have figured out all the other modules you need.

Hard Disk Drives and Solid State Drives

The hard disk drive (HDD) is the brain of your computer. All the word documents you type, media programs installed, games you play, etc. are all saved onto the hard drive of your computer.

The common household HDD’s appear in the form of something like this:

A very simple design, and yet one of the most remarkable products of engineering, modern HDD stores gigabytes and terabytes of memory on disks similar to CD’s. The process of how it stores memory on disks is very complex, but the basic idea is that all data is stored in binary, and a sensor reads the binary code thats encrypted onto the disks as the disks spin up to 7,200 rotations per minute (RPM). The hard drive is connected to the motherboard using Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) cables. This cable transfers the data from the hard drive to the motherboard, in which the data is processed by rest of the other modules.

This video shows a hard drive in action.

(DO NOT TRY THIS WITH YOUR HARD DRIVE. THE MOMENT YOU OPEN THE CASE OF A HARD DRIVE, IT WILL NO LONGER OPERATE NORMALLY.)

As technology advances, more sophisticated and efficient forms of these HDD’s are made. The latest product is known as Solid State Drives, or SSD’s. As opposed to its predecessor, the solid state drive does not store memory on a spinning magnetic disk. It is stored in semi conductor chips. Therefore the SSD does not contain any moving parts and can allocate memory significantly faster than HDD’s.

Here you can observe the difference between a HDD (above) and a SSD (below).

The Motherboard

The motherboard can be thought as the skeleton of your computer. It is what connects all your modules together. The CPU, GPU, CD-Drives, RAM, Power Supply, HDD, all connect to it. Without the motherboard, the computer would have no way in functioning.

There are two types of motherboard on the market right now, AMD and Intel based motherboards. There is very little difference between these two, other than their compatibility with each chipset. If you have a Intel CPU, then you must have a motherboard that supports the correct socket. For example, the Intel Core i5-4670K Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1155 will only work with motherboards that support Intel LGA 1155 sockets, and a AMD FX-8350 Vishera 4.0GHz Socket AM3+ will only work with motherboards that support AM3+ sockets. (I’ll go more in depth with what all those wacky tech terms I just listed when I discuss what a CPU is).

Regarding all the other modules, it will work with either an AMD and Intel based motherboard, except when it comes to add-on cards such as a graphics card and/or sound card. Add-on cards are dependent if the motherboard supports the correct PCI (a standard for connecting computers and their peripherals) slots. There are some modules that connect using PCI slots and I’ll discuss of those later.

If you look up motherboards on the market, you will get pages and pages of different kinds of motherboards. That is because each motherboard have a feature unique to their model in order to be compatible with all the modules that attach to it. Also there are many different manufacturers that create motherboards. Just like how there are many different cell phone companies that make smart phones. The motherboard should be one of the components considered last because it is the compatibility checker.

    

      (AMD Motherboard) (Intel Motherboard)

As you can see, there physically is very little difference between these two motherboards. The main difference is the CPU sockets which is the rectangle shaped platforms.

Identifying the Important Pieces

It may look like a lot for your eyes to grasp, but don’t let the cables deceive you, it really isn’t much when it comes down to the modules. There are essentially 10 components to a functioning computer.

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

2. Motherboard

3. Random Access Memory (RAM)

4. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

5. Heat Sink

6. Power Supply

7. Operating System

8. Optical Drive

9. Case

10. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

You can re-think each of these individual components as organs to your body. They all perform some sort of function that is very vital to running your computer. In the next few posts I’ll go in depth with each individual component to further your understanding of why these are vital components.

Welcome to the World of Computers

What are PC modules? PC modules are electronic components that conjoin together to build the computer that sits on your living room desk. If you were to open the case of the computer, you would find something that looks like this:

Now many of you may be dumbfounded and have not the slightest clue on what you’re looking at. Don’t worry, this blog will help you understand all the innards(modules) of your PC by the time you read through it.

About Me

My name is Karros, and I’m a computer enthusiast. Since the beginning of middle school my life has been pinnacled around computers. I have successfully built a high end desktop PC to: 3D model, program, and play video games with exceptional qualities. I have also been upgrading it overtime as technology advances and my current PC becomes outdated. My reputation for building PC’s has been acknowledged in my school, and I have pieced together many computers for my friends. Although I’m overburdened with school as I try to finish my senior year and complete college & scholarship applications, I do find time in my life to explore the world of computers. I plan to go into a college for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Hopefully these majors can be incorporated into establishing a career in Computer Engineering.