Building a computer and

its parts
By: Cesar Ortiz
P.2nd

Two of the major CPU brands

Amd Cpu

Intel CPU

FUNCTIONS OF A CPU

CPU (also commonly called a microprocessor) stands for central processing unit .
Its a very suitable name, because it describes exactly what the CPU does. It
processes instructions that is gathered from decoding the code in programs and
other such files.

A CPU has four primary functions: fetch, decode, execute, and writeback

WHAT IS A GOOD AMOUNT OF GIGAHERTZ

(GHZ)

For a gaming computer: a quad core is the best because most games need at least a
quad core, also 3.20 GHz is the perfect amount of gigahertz for gaming.

For a everyday computer a duel core works very well because you only need like 2
gigahertz which works very well as long as you dont use it for any fancy programs on it
like video editing or gaming.

PURCHASING CONSIDERATIONS

You should look at a bang for the buck. Check out the bench marks verses the prices.
Also

Also you may want to double check which CPUs are compatible with your motherboard

Also you need know what your going to use the CPU for if it is a simple everyday pc for
work and etc., or for gaming which would require you to get a more powerful one.

CORE UPGRADE EXAMPLES

If you want to game your going to need to upgrade due to the power hunger games out
there now.so you would need a quad core CPU because lots of games now need at least
that.

Also if your going to do video editing your also going to need probably a quad core or high
such as the new 8 core (Octo Core)

And if you want to do only everyday surfing a duel core would be perfect for you its cheap
and works great for your circumstance.

OVERCLOCKING

Overclocking is the process of making a computer or component operate faster than the
clock frequency specified by the manufacturer by modifying system parameters (hence
the name "overclocking").

On a normal pc it is a very non-suggested thing to do, because doing this could ruin your
pc.

Yes it will void your warranty because it is suggested to not do it.

While overclocking if something in the pc goes wrong usually the whole pc is ruined by
and explosion.

HYPER-THREADING

Hyper-threading (officially Hyper-Threading Technology or HT Technology,

abbreviated HTT or HT) is Intel's proprietary simultaneous multithreading
(SMT)) implementation used to improve parallelization of computations (doing multiple
tasks at once) performed on x86microprocessors.

It is very helpful but not used as mush now.

Its helpful because its doing multiple tasks at once.

PICKING CPU

its really depends on the pc your panning to use the CPU for, I will choose the intel quad
core because when/if I were to build a pc it would be for gaming which would mean I need
a high power CPU.

MOTHERBOARDS/FORM FACTORS

A motherboard (sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, planar

board or logic board, or colloquially) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) found
in computers and other expandable systems

A FORM FACTOR is a mathematical factor that compensates for irregularity in the shape
of an object, usually the ratio between its volume and that of a regular object of the same
breadth and height.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATX,

BTX, MICRO ATX, MINI ITX

The biggest difference between all of these is the size. ATX>BTX>Micro ATX>Mini ITX

Also some of the bigger motherboards give you more features such as more ram slots
more memory slots and etc.

WHY DOES SOCKET TYPE MATTER WHEN

SELECTING A MOTHERBOARD?
DIFFERENCES

While many builders prefer the latest CPU technology, two older CPU sockets have
remained on the market as manufacturers produced less-expensive CPU models to
support even the lowest budgets. The oldest of these, Intels LGA 775, is being phased
out, while AMDs Socket AM2, which is newer, is expected to follow. AMDs Socket AM2+
and AM3 and Intels LGA 1366 and 1156 are well-established replacements for the former
CPU interfaces.

WHAT IS RAM? WHY IT MATTERS

Random-access memory (RAM) is a form of computer data storage. A random-access

memory device allows data items to be read and written in roughly the same amount of
time regardless of the order in which data items are accessed.

RAM matters a lot to a computer because its the computers storage also its where it
writes and collects data and without ram the computer would not work at all

IDE, SATA, RAID

Most motherboards will offer a combination of drive connections, such as four for SATA
drives and one old-style IDE connector for any combination of two hard drives or optical
drives.

Another hard drive concern: RAID. It stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks,
and it allows you to either combine several smaller drives' capacities into one large drive
or use several drives to mirror, or back up, data for added security.

EXPANSION SLOTS

In a motherboard there could be 5 to 6 expansion slots.

Motherboards can use these slots for extra video cards and sound cards

Whatever you want to add, your motherboard will need the right slots for the cards you
want to use. Still common are standard PCI 2.2 slots, though speedier and more versatile
PCI Express (PCIe) slots are increasingly taking their place. PCIe comes in a few different
flavors, depending on the number of data paths a given slot supports. The kinds you'll see
most often are x16, x4, and x1, each progressively smaller in size.

REAR-PANEL PORTS

A computer's rear panel is a lot more than just where you plug in your monitor, printer, and
network cableit's your motherboard's interface to the world. In selecting a motherboard,
you'll want to assess its rear panel carefully. Though you can always add features with an
expansion card, that's never easier than having something work out of the box. Among
the things to watch for:

Keyboard and mouse ports

USB/FireWire

Ethernet

Serial/parallel ports

eSATA ports

CHOOSING A MOTHERBOARD

Asus Striker Extreme

lots of people with a taste for Supreme Commander or World of Warcraft frequently push
their PCs to the limits, and the Asus Striker Extreme is a great tool for that. It supports up
to 8GB of DDR 800 RAM, three PCIe x16 cards (allowing for two graphics cards and a
physics-acceleration card for top 3D performance), and Intel's newest, most powerful
CPUs. It also features eight-channel audio, a rear-panel LCD screen for diagnosing
errors, and enhanced overclocking features. At $349.99, though, the faint of heart (or
wallet) need not apply.

RAM

Random access memory (RAM) is the best known form of computer memory. RAM is
considered "random access" because you can access any memory cell directly if you
know the row and column that intersect at that cell.

This question depends on the computer user you are, what programs you plan on running
on the computer, and how many programs you have open at a given time. One of the best
methods of determining how much RAM you should have is to look at the system
requirements of the programs you're running on your computer and double whatever the
memory requirements are for the program you use most.

At some points you may need more ram then you have now. An example of this would be
if you want a gaming pc your going to need more ram then you might have at the moment.

Corsair's Vengeance ram is the most popular among gamers today. It's fast, reliable, and
inexpensive when compared to other brands. Most are gravitating towards 4x4 GB sticks
for a total of 16GB. While you certainly could upgrade to 32GB, 16GB is more than you
need right now, and by the time you really need more than that you'll probably want to
build a new rig anyway.

VIDEO CARD

The images you see on your monitor are made of tiny dots called pixels. At most common
resolution settings, a screen displays over a million pixels, and the computer has to
decide what to do with every one in order to create an image. To do this, it needs a
translator -- something to take binary data from the CPU and turn it into a picture you can
see. Unless a computer has graphics capability built into the motherboard, that translation
takes place on the graphics card.

Today, there are three slots a video card is capable of connecting to. Although with most
modern computers today it'll be either PCI-E or AGP. Before buying a new video card
make sure you get a video card that will be compatible with the available slots in your
computer.

Mainstream Enthusiast graphics cards will help you play current AAA titles like Bioshock
Infinite, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Titanfall, and older 3D games like Aliens vs. Predator
and Half Life 2. Basically, you want a Mainstream Enthusiast card if you want to play at
the full resolution of your monitor with some, but not all the eye candy turned on, or you
want to play smoothly at a lower resolution with all the eye candy

POWER SUPPLY

The power supply converts the alternating current (AC) line from your home to the direct
current (DC) needed by the personal computer. In this article, we'll learn how PC power
supplies work and what the wattage ratings mean.

These are some confederations when buying a power supply. Determine the wattage you
need, Research which connectors you need, Look for PSUs with high-efficiency ratings,
Determine the robustness of the PSU, Check the number of rails, Get a modular PSU,
Compare the amperage of each voltage

Corsair Builder Series CX 600 Review: This is the size of power supply that most people
use for a standard single GPU build. It's not that a 500 watt PSU wouldn't work for such a
build but this gives me a little space and the cost increase is minimal While other brands
and even Corsair's higher-end series advertise high-end capacitors I've seen many of this
exact series go into many machines and never seen a problem. Whether it's worth it or
not to upgrade to a higher rated Silver, Gold, or even Platinum PSU actually depends on
how much you run your machine.

STORAGE (HARD DRIVE/SSD)

A SSD is basically several USB drives working in parallel with a controller to bring you
higher performance and higher reliability.

120GB: Good for the OS and some programs/games with a bit of music. Another drive for
additional storage is usually a must. 250GB: Good choice for a some programs, some
games, some music files and some TV shows/movies. Another drive for additional storage
is highly recommended, especially if you have a lot of TV/movies, even more so in HD.
500GB: Great for many programs, games, your music collection and some TV
shows/movies. Another drive for additional storage can be useful for HD content. 1TB:
Best option if your SSD is your only drive and have many programs, games, a music
collection and High-definition TV shows/movies. Another drive for additional storage isnt
necessary, unless you have a vast collection of HD content.

Yes, hard drives do fail but not often for all brands of hard drives the chance of your hard
drive failing is less than zero for most brands but nothing is above 2% chance.

1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD is the hard drive is
would choose this is because its a good price and your able to game and everyday
surfing.

CASES

When buying a pc, one of the most important components is the case this is because the
case holds everything in a small and compact space.

When purchasing a case you want to look out for a cheap one but one the reflects you
because yes it does matter even though it doesnt do anything but hold everything.

the In-Win 904 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ USB 3.0, Full Tempered Side Panel Window

Is one of the best cases to me because it plain looks amazing and its not as expensive as
most other cases

COOLING DEVICE

There are two different types of cooling systems that are most commonly used: water
cooling and fan cooling. Water cooling is when in the computer has a water source and
many pipes make the water/liquid nitrogen flow through and cool the components. Fan
cooling is a lot more nosier in the since that you hear a constant fan going this method
cools the components with wind power.

When purchasing a cooling device you really need to look out for what your looking for
and the price although the water cooling is silent if a tube breaks every single thing is
gone .yes it is a rare occurrence but it something to conceder.

the Enermax ETS-T40-BK Black CPU Cooler w/PWM 120mm Twister with TB Apollish
Blue LED is my choice this is because it is a fan and I'm on a budget so liquid cooling is
far fetched and this certain fan is virtually silent yes you do hear the fan but it is very
silent so it makes up.

OPTICAL DRIVES

The function of an optical drive is for you to dvds, cds, games, and etc. they are also
used to burn movies and songs on to a disk.

When purchasing an optical drive you want to look out for price and your choice as well.
So if you plan you watch a lot of movies on your pc you might want a Blu-ray player.

The LG 12X Internal Blu-ray Drive & DVDRW, 3D Playback Combo Drive in my opinion is
a good choice because its a good price and it does everything you need its Blu-ray and a
burner.

CARD READERS

The basic function of card readers is to connect extra stuff to your pc such as a usb port,
mic jacks, and etc.

When buying one you might want to find a cheap one because most pcs now dont need
this they already come with ports on the front or side of the case.

The eSecure All-in-1 USB Card is a good choice, I believe this because it is only 6 bucks
and it has all you would need

PERIPHERALS

MONITOR

A monitor is the display of your pc. Basically it shows you what you are doing on the pc.

27" Widescreen 1920x1080 ASUS VN279QL 5ms LED Backlight w/ Built-in Speakers,
DVI, HDMI, & Display Port is the monitor I would choose because its cheap and rotates
on its own stand.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

A operating system is the system in which the pc operates. It makes the pc easier to use
because with out it the pc would be a screen of random codes.

Pc operating systems are windows 7,8 ,and mac is on iOS

I would choose windows 7 because it can have the most customization and it is the
easiest to use