Assembling a Computer Part 2 (Types of Components)

The first step to constructing a computer is figuring out the components you need and discarding the ones you do not require. So this second section of my blog is to introduce the types of components, their functions towards the computer and how they interrelate, familiarizing with the equipment is definitely a good stepping stone before putting them together, as it makes a lot it easier to troubleshoot any errors with the finished product when you know what is causing the problem and where the problem is coming from.

The CPU

CPU installed on a motherboard

CPU, the abbreviation for central processing unit, but more commonly referred to the processor in general, the CPU is the brains of the computer where most calculations from the user is processed. It is the most important element in the computer, because without it no other components can run as it acts as a central core which data received is calculated then sent back, it may be an image, an audio file or launching an application. So a processor is essential for data to flow back and forth. An absence of a processor is identical to a human with their brain removed or an incomplete electrical circuit. Modern CPU's are small and square and contain multiple metallic connectors or pins on the underside. The CPU is installed into the CPU socket located on the motherboard. Be aware that each motherboard will only support a specific range of CPU so you must check the manufacturer's specifications before purchasing one. Modern CPU's also provide attached heat sinks and a small fan that go directly on top of the CPU to help dissipate heat.

The Motherboard

An ATX motherboard

A motherboard is the physical arrangement in a computer that contains the computer's basic circuitry and components. On the typical motherboard, the circuitry is imprinted or affixed to the surface of a firm planar surface and usually manufactured in a single step. The most common motherboard design in desktop computers today is the AT form factor (Advanced Technology) Based on the IBM AT motherboard. A more recent motherboard specification, ATX, improves on the AT design, ATX is an abbreviation for Advanced Technology Xtended.

Memory (RAM)

RAM sticks

(Random Access Memory) Memory found in computers, smartphones or tablets. RAM is the temporary work space where instructions are executed and data are processed. What makes RAM "random access" is its capability of reading and writing any single byte. This "rate" differs from storage devices such as hard disks or flash memory chips which read and write sectors containing multiple bytes. In addition to this RAM is used as temporary space to keep data when switching between applications that are running and pending user inputs processed by the CPU are stored. Storage is different however because whatever saved in a hard disk is permanent until modified or deleted by the user, whereas RAM is cleared when the computer is shut off.

Storage

The internals of HDD and SSD
*Left HDD*
*Right SSD*

Storage, it comes in two main classes, identified as SSD (Solid State Drives) or HDD (Hard Disk Drives) Dependent on your budget and personal choice you may have a mix of both or just an individual drive to store your data, HDD's are commonly found and used in most of the computers as it is very cheap to obtain a large capacity drive at this present-day. HDD's are big heavy and bulky so it retains itself inside the computer case and is not portable. However the rate of data transfer and write speed is slower compared to SSD's and HDD's are more prone to crashes and data misplacement as its architecture is out of date. SSD's provide a faster write speed and data transfer rate and comes in a much smaller form factor, however SSD's do not have a large storage capacity only ranging from 250GB-500GB at most. SSD's are significantly more expensive than HDD's because of the performance and portability of it. This is because HDD's are written by a magnetic pin that spins around at 5000-7000 RPM to code data and store it as non volatile data on the physical disk. This is based on a very old architecture, thus making HDD's very cheap whereas SSD's are separated into different cores and the code is written digitally by the computer and stored making it faster in all purposes, There are higher SSD's options in 2015 because of the advancement in technology we are able to have 2TB-6TB drives but they come at $10000 each and is mainly made for high end tech industries to store and retrieve their data from their massive databases around the world. Tech Industries like Apple, Google, Samsung etc...

GPU

Dedicated Graphics Cards

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is the component that produces the beautiful sharp images when you are watching YouTube or the interactive environment, blood, explosions found in video games. A GPU produces images and movement by forming a minimum of 10 million polygons per second then rendering those polygons, transforming them and going through several lighting adjustments just to produce that cat picture you clicked on Facebook. CPU's usually come built in with an integrated GPU but at this current era, graphic requirements are high and nobody wants to watch pixelated YouTube clips, so additional larger cards called dedicated graphics cards are installed onto the motherboard to make viewing experiences notably better.

PSU

A 600 Watt PSU

Every computer requires electricity to run! A power supply unit converts the mains AC to DC for the components to run. It also regulates the voltage to eliminate spikes and surges common in most electrical systems, this is to keep the components safe and prevent damage. Power supplies are rated in terms of watts they generate. The more powerful the computer, the more watts your power supply needs to provide.

Case/Chassis

A glass chassis

A computer case/chassis is definitely should not be ignored because it is very important as it houses all your components, so it must be durable and spacious so you don't have trouble with cable management. Mostly fabricated from steel or plastic but nowadays many users tend to use glass, so its easier to spot a leak or damage in the internals.





OS

Apple's Newest OS

The operating system is a software that manages computer hardware and software resources and links them together, so they can communicate. The operating system is an essential component of the system because any type of application program require an operating system to function. Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard and mice, sending output images to the display screen from your GPU & CPU, keeping track of files and directories from your storage disks, generating print jobs to send to your printers etc... Major examples of OS's would be Microsoft and Apple's OSX.