“”RAM disk” is not an instruction” This is a popular joke in the computer world that makes fun of the little computer knowledge users (hereafter referred to as “civilians”) have. This joke is not only funny in that one pictures a confused chap ramming a disk drive to the wall but also because “RAM drive” has been incorrectly referred to as “RAM disk”. The basis of this week’s article is educating civilians (noobs) on basic computer hardware. Early last week, a friend called seeking assistance in picking a suitable laptop. It dawned on me that most civilians wouldn’t know the difference between a laptop built in 2005 and one from 2013. In today’s technocentric day and age, even those who claim to be computer-savvy and spend countless hours surfing the web need to know about basic computer specs (specifications). THE CPU For starters, if you are one of those blind fellows who think that the CPU is that large metal box with pretty green/blue lights and USB ports, you are highly mistaken and your high school computer teacher needs to go back to school. The CPU/(micro)processor is perhaps the most important feature to look at when shopping for a computer. The 6 key features to consider when it comes to the processor are; 1. Number of cores 2. Clock speed 3. Hyperthreading 4. Cachè size 5. Overclocking capability 6. Socket type Clock speed Processor speed is the speed at which a process runs on the processor. It is measured in hertz (Hz). The higher the processing speed, the faster the computer can run processes to completion and thus, the faster user applications will be run. Number of cores and hyperthreading To further expound on processors, I shall use the 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3930 Processor Extreme Edition. Here’s a processor that provides the perfect engine for power users who demand unrivalled PC performance. The Ultimate CPU for gamers, video editors and 3D animators. This is a CPU that has 6 cores with a turbo speed of 3.8GHz. Multi-core processors like this is basically an IC to which two or more processors have been attached for enhanced performance, reduced power consumption and more efficient simultaneous processing of multiple tasks. Comparing this beast of a processor to the puny dual core processor on my poor lappy is rather embarrassing seeing as a computer running on the i7-3930K can process 6 tasks parallel to each other at 3.8GHz while mine can only run 2 jobs at only 2.5GHz. You know how they say that the female of the human species can use sides of her brain simultaneously, now think of that as a dual core brain. Now envision a lady with a 6 core brain because that is a perfect reflection of the i7-3930K. Hyperthreading is Intel technology which allows the O/S to use two virtual processors per core. Cachè size This is a small memory location on the processor that reduces the average time to access primary memory. To understand cache, think of yourself back in Standard 3 when multiplication tables were still new to you. Your teacher would point to you in class and ask, “You! What is 9 x 13” and you’d be blank. But if she were to ask “What is 2 + 2”, you would have an answer in a microsecond. This is because you already know what that fx=sum(2:2) is 4. The processor loads into its cache memory data so it does not have to load it from RAM which is inches away. Socket type Yes, you guessed it; the socket is the connector between the motherboard and the CPU. It is advisable to consider the socket on your motherboard before purchasing a processor and the reverse also holds true. Considering the socket type is important especially if you decide that you might need to replace your motherboard later while keeping the same CPU. Or even if you want to later buy a new CPU and connect it to your current motherboard. Overclocking This is increasing the workload capability of the CPU. It’s especially popular with gamers. It’s stretching the microprocessor to the limit. It usually involves addition of extra hardware and is not recommended for laptop users. Here’s a list of popular Intel Processors your likely to find at the shops this year. 1. Core solo 2. Core duo 3. Core 2 duo 4. Pentium dual core 5. Celeron dual core 6. Atom 7. Core i3 8. Core i5 9. Core i7 Feel free to comment or ask questions.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 18:07:03 +0000
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