Machine Translated by Google

ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER

Goyo Moreu goyo@esmonet.com

Machine Translated by Google

What are the elements of the Computer?

These elements are commonly known as computer hardware and mainly comprise physical and
tangible elements such as:

1. Chassis (box or tower)

2. Power Supply 3. PCB
(Printed Circuit Board, Motherboard, or Motherboard).
4. CPU (Processor).
5. Heatsink (Processor Fan)
6. RAM memory (Random Access Memory, or Random Access Memory).
7. GPU (Graphics Card, or Video Card)
8. hard drive
9. Recorder
10. OS (Operating System)

It is important to know the elements of a computer well because that way we will know which one best suits
the use that we are going to give it.
Machine Translated by Google

• The chassis, box or tower

The box will be in charge of housing

the other components of the PC in
its interior.
Mount.
The quality and capacity of the box
to eliminate heat must be
proportional to the components that
we mount: if we mount higher-end
components, they will heat up more,
so we will need a larger box with
more capacity to eliminate heat,
while in lower range equipment the
box can go to a secondary point.

Thus, we have to consider both the size (leaving aside the box format, either ATX or microATX), as well
as the fans that come or that we can mount additionally later.
The aesthetic factor may also be relevant, although making sure of what is mentioned about ventilation and
cooling.
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What types of boxes can we find?

Currently you can find any type of chassis to mount our computer, depending on the motherboard that we plan to
assemble, which we will see later.

For HTPCs or small equipment there are specific boxes.

And they can always be customized

Even in the drum of a washing machine.

Machine Translated by Google

• The power supply

It practically transforms the energy of the home network into various voltages, depending on
the specific component to which it is directed.
The power supply is of vital importance since it must have enough power, if not
If so, it is very likely that all other elements will be affected and the computer may fail.

The majority of damage to the internal components of the computer in a fault is due to a bad power
supply, so I will tell you the same as all our clients.
"It is highly recommended to invest in a good source, which has enough power to support all the
devices that are incorporated into the system."

Font Types

What kind of PC computer power supplies are there?

There are two types of power supplies, AT and ATX, the former are the oldest and were used until
Pentium technology, from which ATX sources began to be used.

They differ by the number of connectors to the motherboard and by the technology they incorporate, for
example the ATX do not have a switch, they are turned off through the PC software.
They have a single main connector to the motherboard while the ATs have two connectors.
On the other hand, note that some brand computers, as well as barebones due to their non-
standard dimensions, use power supplies of specific dimensions, sometimes making it impossible
to obtain a substitute for them anywhere other than the manufacturer's own.
Machine Translated by Google

• The PCB, motherboard or motherboard

The motherboard is one of the most important parts of the computer, since it is where all the
components will be connected and therefore the one that will partly provide the general performance
of the entire computer. Keep in mind that the most expensive plate is not always the most suitable,
that will depend on the needs of each user. There are several board formats, the most common is
ATX, but there are others such as microATX (popular for HTPC, small computers...) or miniITX
(smaller, ideal for very small equipment).

• When choosing a motherboard, the following points must be taken into account:

Socket: It depends on the processor, it can be AM3, 1155... If you opt for AMD, it is recommended
to choose a motherboard that supports the new AM3+ socket AMD processors that will be released
soon.

Chipset: The chipset is the main chipset on the board. For socket AM3 boards, good and cheap
choices are the 870, 880G (with integrated graphics), and the 890GX and 890FX for advanced
configurations. For socket 1155 boards there are the H61 (for basic configurations), the H67
(allows you to use the processors integrated graphics but does not allow OC), the P67 (allows you
to OC unlocked processors but does not use the integrated graphics) and the Z68 (it is the most
complete, it allows you to overclock and use the integrated graphics apart from other novelties).

Expansion options: If there is the possibility of putting several graphics cards in SLI or CrossFire, if
new processors are going to come out for the same socket, the number of ports or sockets... For this
reason it is not recommended to buy a board with AM2 socket now, 775, 1156 or 1366, as the new
processors will not appear for these boards.
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• Today's motherboards usually have integrated sound and network cards.

There are also boards with integrated graphics card. While the integrated sound and network cards are
usually more than enough, the integrated graphics perform very little when it comes to gaming, so they are not
recommended if the computer is going to be for that purpose. If the programs to use do not have many graphic
requirements (office automation, music and video playback...) the performance offered by the integrated one is sufficient
and it is not necessary to spend more on a graphics card.

In the last 50 years, and due to the vertiginous development of microelectronics, the size and price of PCBs have
not stopped falling, while their reliability, speed and general performance have continuously increased.

Manufacturers and types of Plates:

Abit, Albatron, Aopen, ASUS, ASRock, Biostar, Chaintech, Dell, DFI, ECS EliteGroup, Epox, Foxconn,
Gigabyte Technology, Intel, MSI, QDI, Sapphire Technology, Soltek, Super Micro, Tyan, VIA, XFX, Pc Chips,
Zotac.
Machine Translated by Google

• Processor (CPU)

Anachronistic of the Central Processing Unit. We can say that it is the heart of the computer, it
the
is in charge of processing all the information that we give it. To do this, it extracts, one by one, ,

instructions from the program that is in the main memory, analyzes them and issues the necessary
orders for their complete execution.
Today AMD offers processors that have 16 cores, it was the first and so far the only one.

Source: http://www.amd.com/es/products/server/processors/Pages/server-processors.aspx

The CPU connects to a socket (plug or hole) on the motherboard.

The sockets are not all the same for all the processors, in this way a motherboard and a processor with a different socket cannot be connected.

The CPU is made up of the following two units:

·Arithmetic-logic Unit (ALU: Aricmetic-logic Unit)

·Control unit (UC: Unit control)
It is also made up of a certain number of records that are used as temporary storage of the data
that is relevant to the process at any given time. These registers have a main characteristic and that is
that they are capable of high speed reading/writing tasks, much faster than main memory.

Arithmetic-Logical Unit
The Alu is in charge of executing the arithmetic operations (additions, subtractions, etc.) and
logics (Comparisons, etc.) required by the running program. Normally the most expensive and difficult
operations to perform are arithmetic. The ALU's are composed of operators, circuits capable of
performing arithmetic and logic operations. The set of operators, as well as their operation, varies
greatly from one ALU's to another.

Control unit
The control unit directs and coordinates all the operations that take place in the other parts of the
computer. These operations can be summarized as:

· Interpret the content of memory.

·Order the different elements of the computer to carry out the individual tasks.
·Attend and decide on possible interruptions that occur during data processing.

In order to carry out these operations, the CU uses internal registers and control and timing
circuits.
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• The sink

The heatsink is responsible for dissipating the heat produced by the processor to maintain a good temperature.
Processors usually include a heatsink as standard (BOX or INBOX version), which in most cases is sufficient if
you are not going to overclock. It is recommended to change it to improve temperatures and reduce noise. When
choosing a heatsink, make sure that it is compatible with the socket on the motherboard where it will be placed.

Among the economic ones are:

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 PRO

Scythe Katana III
OCZ Revenge 2
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus

If a strong overclock is going to be performed, among the recommended ones are:

Night NH-U12P SE2

Nights NH-D14

Prolimatech Megahalems (does not include fans)

Lately, "Heatpipe Direct Touch" technology is being used in some cases, where the heat pipes are in direct
contact with the processor, which can allow more efficient heat dissipation.
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• RAM memory

Ram memory is where data that needs to be accessed quickly is written.

When opening a program, it loads a series of data into memory since accessing them from the hard drive would be
much slower.

Certain operating system files are also loaded into it. What is stored in RAM is erased when the computer is turned off,
but not when it goes into hibernation.

How much RAM do I get?

They ask us this question every day and we always say the same thing, "At most 4" which is what Windows can
detect but real 3.

Nowadays, computer stores install 32-bit versions unless they ask us otherwise. The 64-bit versions are for those
computers that have more than 8 GB, if any of you have tried 64-bit versions with less than 16 GB RAM, you will
know that the only thing you have achieved is having one problem after another. Of course, not all pockets can afford
so much RAM, so when you go to buy a computer, don't be fooled.

Windows version Limit in 32 Bits Limit in 64 Bits

Windows 7 Ultimate 3 GB 192 GB

Windows 7 Enterprise 3 GB 192 GB

Windows 7 Professional 3 GB 192 GB

Windows 7 Home Premium 3 GB 16GB

Windows 7 Home Basic 3 GB 8GB

Windows 7 Starter 2 GB Does not exist

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As with motherboards and processors, we are not going to say all the types of RAM that exist because
there are many, but we will see a brief summary of memory types.

DDR = "Double Data Rate"

It works at twice the speed, that is, if it is 133 it actually works at 266 and so on with DDR2,
DDR3 and this year we will see DDR4.

DDR2 memories

DDR2 memories have higher latencies than those achieved with

conventional DDRs, which affected their performance. Reducing latency in DDR2 is not
easy. The very fact that the DDR2 memory buffer can store 4 bits and then send them is the
cause of the higher latency, due to the fact that it takes more time to "listen" by the buffer and
more time to work by the devices. memory modules , to collect those 4 bits before you can send
the information.

DDR3 memories

These modules can transfer data at an effective clock rate of 800-1600 MHz, compared
to DDR2's current range of 533-800 MHz or DDR's 200-400 MHz.
DDR3 technology is expected to be twice as fast as DDR2, the fastest memory today, and the
high bandwidth that DDR3 promised to deliver is best for the combination of dual system and
quad core processors.

DDR4 memories

DDR4 that will have higher seek speed and greater efficiency in terms of energy consumption.
The first modules to be marketed will have speeds of 2,133 and 2,667 Mhz, a year later another
range will be launched with speeds close to 3,200 Mhz.
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• The graphics card (GPU)

For practical purposes, it is like a complete miniature computer, only in charge of the graphics
exclusively.

The graphics card is responsible for processing the graphics and sending the video signal to the
monitor or screen. In most games it influences more than the processor. There are two companies
that dominate the market: AMD/ATI and NVIDIA.

Tips to keep in mind when choosing a graphics card:

• Normally the graph that we will need is proportional to the screen resolution with which we will
play: the higher the resolution, the more powerful the graph. For resolutions such as 1280x1024
or 1440x900, a minimum of HD 5670 is recommended. For 1920x1080 and above, an HD 6770;
and so on proportionally. The ATI Radeon HD 5450 and HD 5570 are good options for upgrading
older PCs or budget configurations, offering decent performance at a low price.

• Keep in mind that some games work better with some graphics than with
others with similar performance. If there is a game that is going to be used predominantly, it is
recommended to look at reviews to see which graphics card performs better with that game,
although this is not entirely reliable since with more recent drivers than those used in the review
it may be possible get better performance.

• It is common to find several cards with the same graphics chip. This is due to
AMD/ATI or NVIDIA only manufacture the main chip, while the rest of the graphics circuitry
is handled by an assembler. If we are going to buy an AMD/ATI graphics card, the best
assemblers are HIS and Sapphire. If we buy an NVIDIA graphics, the best are eVGA and BFG.
Other assemblers such as ASUS, Gigabyte and Zotac would follow. There are also versions
with OC or better heatsinks but with a higher price than the normal ones.
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• It is a very common mistake to choose the graphics card according to its memory size, since
some graphics cards are sold emphasizing the memory capacity when in fact the graphics
chip is quite bad. 512MB is recommended for mid-range or low-end cards, and 1GB or more
for high-end cards. For example, it is useless to have a 1GB HD 5670 because that GB is not
going to be used. In this case, it would be better to buy the 512MB version if it is cheaper,
since it will perform practically the same. The higher the resolution, the more memory is
needed.

• If the computer is not going to be used for gaming, in most cases a motherboard with
integrated graphics is sufficient. Boards for AMD socket AM3 processors and with 880G or
890G chipset are a good choice in this regard as they carry an ATI Radeon HD 4200 as
integrated graphics. Another option is to use the graphics that are integrated into Intel socket
1155 processors, for which a board with an H61, H67 or Z68 chipset is needed.

• Make sure the power supply is powerful enough to support the graphics card and must have
the necessary connectors (or use adapters). The most powerful graphics cards need to be
connected directly to the power supply via one or two 6- or 8-pin connectors (PCI Express).

• If you need a lot of graphic power, if the board allows it, you can put several
graphics cards in SLI or CrossFire. If the computer will be to work with CAD, QuadroFX and
FireGL are options to consider. In this case, it is highly recommended to go to the page of the
developer of the program with which you will be working to check if there is any specifically
recommended card.
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• Hard Disk

The hard drive is responsible for storing all the data.

The capacity of this can be chosen to taste, considering the size of the files or programs
with which we will work.

If we are going to put a single hard drive, it is recommended to partition it to put the operating
system and programs on one partition and our personal data on another, so if the operating
system is lost for some reason (a virus, for example) or we have than formatting it, we can
more easily recover our personal data since the other partition will remain intact. The ideal is
that the partition where the operating system will go is at the beginning of the disk and that it
is not large, in this way we will achieve a little more speed.

We can find both hard drives and motherboards with SATA 2 (3 Gb/s) and SATA 3 (6 Gb/s)
ports on the market. They are usually compatible with each other (a SATA 3 hard drive can
be put on a motherboard with SATA 2 ports and a SATA 2 hard drive can be put on a
motherboard with SATA 3 ports).

The advantages of a traditional SATA 3 mechanical hard drive over a SATA 2 are
practically nil, since the speed of these hard drives does not exceed that of SATA 2 in any
case. The big difference is noticeable in SSD hard drives, since some models do work at a
speed higher than that supported by SATA 2, so SATA 3 is necessary to take advantage of it.

Older hard drives and motherboards have IDE (also called PATA or ATA) connectors, but
they are slower and the cable is considerably thicker. For reasons of backward compatibility,
many current boards also have PATA connectors, however in a current computer the limited
speed of these can cause a bottleneck.

SSD disks are beginning to be implemented and have numerous advantages (much
faster, they do not make noise, smaller, less heavy, consume less...) but they have a lower
capacity and are more expensive than traditional hard disks.
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• The Recorder

Usually a DVD recorder is sufficient, although there are also HD-DVD and Blu-ray recorders.

Brands such as Pioneer, Liteon or LG are recommended.

You have to make sure that the recorder is SATA and not IDE/ATA, since IDE ports
tend to disappear on current boards.

It is an element that can often be saved if you are not going to use it or you already have a recorder from
an old computer.

• The Operating System

And finally, we need the operating system.

If the computer will be mainly for video games, the installation of Windows 7 64 bits is
almost mandatory, since almost all video games require Windows to work.

If the use that we will give it will be office automation, to navigate or others, nothing better
than a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu, Debian or Archlinux.

Also, if we have the right hardware, we can install Mac OS X, although it won't give the
performance it would on a Mac.

We must consider that the operating system has to be 64 bits if we install 4GB of RAM or more, since
a 32-bit OS will only recognize 3.25GB and will not take advantage of it.
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• Definitions

HTPC: Computer dedicated to multimedia tasks that is normally located in the living room,
connected to the TV.

Overclocking (also known as overclock, oc, or oceo): The practice of increasing the
factory speed of a processor. Today, almost all manufacturers sell unlocked processors or
graphics cards to allow it to be done. A controlled and careful overclocking gives very good
results, but an overclocking that is too high can permanently damage the component that
we want to overclock.

Crossfire: ATI technology that allows us to use two graphics cards at the same time. It is necessary
that both the motherboard and the graphics cards are compatible. Currently there is a technology
that is CrossFireX that allows you to connect up to 4 graphics cards in series

SLi: Same technology as crossfire, but for Nvidia cards.

Socket: Interface with which the processor connects to the motherboard. Currently socket
1156 and 1366 are used for Intel processors, and AM3 for AMD processors. Intel's Socket
775 and AMD's AM2 are becoming obsolete and are therefore not recommended for new
configurations.

SATA (Also called Serial ATA or S-ATA): Data transfer interface between the motherboard
and storage devices, such as hard drives and optical drives. It is a recent format, which
replaces the IDE.

IDE (Also called ATA or PATA): Data transfer interface between the motherboard and storage
devices. IDE's are older than today's SATA, they are more
slow and use much larger bundles of cables.

Box: Also known as "casing". It is what you see of the PC, and the components are inserted
inside it. Assembling a computer without a box can be dangerous, since inadvertent bridges
may occur between soldering points of the integrated PC components of different voltages.
Even static electricity could affect integrated circuits.
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Recommended Free Software in Spanish:

1. Dropbox: is a free multi-platform file hosting service in the cloud, which allows you to store and
synchronize files online and between PCs, mobiles, etc. and share files and folders with others.

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/downloading?src=index

2. Picassa: it is a free application that allows you to organize your photos, retouch them and share them
in a very intuitive way.
Download link: http://picasa.google.com/

3. CDBurnerXP: is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray

and HD-DVDs. It also includes the ability to create and burn ISOs.
Download link: http://cdburnerxp.se/downloadsetup.exe

4. ThunderBird: It is a secure, fast and easy email application with the best implementations in the
industry such as smart anti-spam filters, a built-in spell checker, extension support, etc.

Download link: http://www.mozilla.org/es-ES/thunderbird/

5. OpenOffice: it is a completely free office automation tool and alternative,

compatible with most office suites, including Microsoft Office.

Download link: http://www.openoffice.org/es/programa/

6. GIMP2: is an image manipulation program of the GNU project, it is used to process graphics and digital
photographs. GIMP can also be used to create simple animated images. Replaces the popular Photoshop.

Download link: http://gimp.es/descargar/

7. VideoLan: it is a multimedia player that comes with its own codecs. Thus, if you haven't installed any on
your PC you won't have any problems playing any format. Replaceable by Windows Media Player.

Download link: http://www.videolan.org/

8. PDFCreator: is a program used to create PDF files from any

document. This is thanks to a virtual printer: just send the document to the virtual printer, and PDFCreator
will translate it to PDF.
Download link: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

9. 7-zip: It is another multi-format decompressor, translated into 53 languages that improves compression
by 50% compared to standard ZIP compressors. Since it supports RAR format, among many others,
you can leave WinRAR aside.
Download link: http://www.7-zip.org/download.html

10. Pidgin: it is a multi-protocol instant messaging client, so not only

is a free substitute for the Live! Microsoft Messenger, but it will also allow you to
manage all your messaging accounts in a single program, from an elegant, comfortable and intuitive
interface. It supports the protocols MSN (Live! Messenger), XAMPP (Google Talk and similar), AIM, and
many more.
Download link: http://www.pidgin.im/download/
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Links of interest:

Stores:
http://tienda.esmonet.com
http://www.esmoelectronica.com

Technology:
http://blog.esmonet.com/
http://es.engadget.com/
http://alt1040.com/ http://
www.elotrolado.net/ http://
www.xataka.com/ http://
mundogeek.net/ http://
ecetia.com/ http://
gizmologia.com http://
gizmovil.com http://
monkeyzen.com http://
appleweblog.com

News:
http://www.libertaddigital.com/
http://www.20minutos.es/ http://
www.europapress.es/

Who:
http://extracine.com
http://www.cineol.net/

Social networks:

https://www.facebook.com/Esmonet

https://twitter.com/#!/Tienda_Esmonet

http://www.youtube.com/user/Esmonet