1. The power supply unit - PSU The power supply unit is the hardware component of your pc, that transforms the current from the wall socket in usable current for your other components(cpu,gpu etc).
Some common things you will hear(or read) about the psu, is the efficiency factor(in %), the power rating, and the connectors. We'll get right on it, to explain what all these mean, do, and what should we look for when buying a psu.
- 24pin atx = the main motherboard connector, you plug this into your motherboard;
-4 pin molex = these can power your dvd-writer, your hdd, a case fan, etc. -4pin fdd = fdd aka floppy disk drive. Yes! a floppy disk drive power connector; -4pin p4_12v = the cpu power connector, this goes into a socket near your cpu usually; -15pin sata = sata power connector(some hdd's don't have these, so you have to power the respective hdd using a 4pin molex connector). Most modern hdd's are powered by this connector -6pin pci express = this comes into your gpu, if it needs it; Lower performance gpu models do not require such a connector, but the more powerfull ones do. 2. The central processing unit - CPU This hardware component is the one that handles allot of the work you do on your pc. I will not go in much detail about this component except some basic information and advice:
- dual core is usually enough for the average user(quad core and more is usually used by professional software and some games, but it's mainly a future-proofing measure) - frequency - the more the better - the cache is also pretty important, so try to get a cpu that has a big cache - don't be cheap about your cpu, a weak cpu will hold you down in anything you would want to do with your pc. - search for reviews, guides and any info you need before purchasing a cpu. As I said, I don't want to go too much in detail about the cpu because the internet is literally full of information, you just have to search for it. Below you have some pictures of how a modern cpu looks. |
3. The graphics processing unit - GPU The gpu's have advanced a lot over the past years. Today, a modern gpu can accelerate videos(offering a greater performance in video playback than the cpu alone), help in converting videos to different formats, perform complex calculations(google gpu folding, or litecoin mining for some info about this), 3d editing and model creating, and of course, play your favourite game.
It's fair to say that there are two types of gpu's: dedicated or integrated. While a modern integrated gpu can offer acceptable performance for the average pc user and use less power, it's fair to say that any pc user can observer a better performance by having a dedicated gpu in their pc. Again, I cannot stress enough the importance of searching the internet for information about the gpu's available for purchase today. The strict basics of the dedicated gpu unit would be to know this: it has connectors to witch you connect your monitor(screen), it hase a core("the brain"), memory chips, and the cooling system. Below, you have a sample of how a dedicated gpu looks - with and without the cooling system: 4. The hard disk drive - HDD and the solid state drive - SDD The HDD and the SDD store your personal information on your pc. Obviously the bigger capacity, the better(relating to your needs). The capacity is measured in Gigabytes or Terabytes(1000Gb = 1 TB).
When talking about performance, the SDD is king in this domain. But, HDD's also do well for the average user(and more), but there are things you need to look out for: - The hdd's speed in rotations(in plain english...actually there are moving components inside a hdd-unlike the sdd-and these have a speed rating). You must try and get a hdd that has 7200 rpm. This is very important, there is a big difference between 5200rpm drives and 7200 rpm. - take note that there are 10k rpm drives also, but those are kind of expensive, and usually if you are that performance hungry, you would choose an SSD. - The hdd's buffer is also important, higher is better, but this(in modern hdd's found in computer stores) do not present major differences in performance.(32mb cache drive vs 64mb...the performance gains are not mind blowing for the average user) 5. The motherboard This is where you insert your cpu, this is where your RAM goes into, this is where you insert your dedicated gpu card. The motherboard is the one responsible of all these hardware components coming together and working as a team.
For advanced details, beyond those found in the pictures below, google is your friend. Some general tips, when buying a motherboard would be: - the motherboard is a detrimental part of your possibility of upgrading your computer's performance. - the chipset model, might impact performance and other features a lot. Research before you buy. 6. The Ram. Today, modern computer memory is named: DDR3 RAM. Of course the predecessors of this type of ram is the DDR2/DDR/SDR etc. Capacity, speed and timings are the three important characteristics.
Conclusions These are the most basic things needed to know about these hardware components. Being a basic guide, I have explained the basics, but if you want to find out more, there is a lot of information to be found about every one of them in detail.
This is the end of chapter 2, from the Pc Basics tutorial. I hope you had a good read! |