SinthusaanSivapalan

BTEC LEVEL 3 ICT

1

SinthusaanSivapalan

Content Page

Page 3 – Introducing my computer and specification

Page 4 – Motherboard

Page 5 – Power Supply

Page 6 – RAM

Page 7 – CPU Heat Sink

Page 8 – Hard Drive

Page 9 – Graphics Card

Page 10 – BIOS (Basic Input/Output Systems)

Page 11 – Fans

Page 12 - Peripheral Device

2

SinthusaanSivapalan

About my Computer

My Computer is a 4.2GHZ AMD Bulldozer 4100 which has a 8GB Corsair ram and a MSI GTX 660 Ti. The pictures you see in each hardware components are all taken by me. My computer is a high spec gaming computer so it can handle heavy graphics and also it has a faster GHZ so process faster. It has a 2.5 Terabyte of space (2x 1 TB, x1 500GB) so I have a lot of space. It also has a huge tower case and also x4 fans on it so then the air flow in the case is better and it keeps the system stable.

3

SinthusaanSivapalan

BTEC LEVEL 3 ICT

Motherboard:

This M5A97 Pro Motherboard holds all the components together and keeps it working. This motherboard is for high performance computers as it will have high specs. This motherboard has a clever BIOS system in it which can use a mouse and which has automatic over clocking feature which you can use to make your processor faster. This motherboard has a quick transfer rate so you can transfer a file faster than a normal computer and also you can use the BIOS without connecting any components apart from keyboard and monitor. Figure 1 shows the motherboard just put in the pc without any wires connected, you can see the CPU heat sink which is on the motherboard under the CPU. If you look at Figure 2 you can see that the components and hardware are all connected to the motherboard and that the wires are also connected to the motherboard.

Specification:

AMD Bulldozer 4100, 3.2GHZ Standard, Overclocked to 4.2GHZ Storage slots –

- 4x SATA 6Gb/s slots- 2x SATA 3Gb/s slots- PCI x16 slot (For graphics card)- Mini PCI slot (For hardware’s like network drive, sound card)- 4x DIMM RAM Slots (for Ram)- 8 Pin and 24 Pin Power connector (For the PSU so then it can be powered)

Power Supply:

4

Figure 1 Figure 2

SinthusaanSivapalan

XFX ProSeries 550W Power Supply –

Power supply is where it powers up all the components and the hard drive for example the motherboard, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse. It also powers up the CPU and other vital components, without a power supply you will not be able to turn on a computer or use a computer. The power supply converts your home electricity power from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC). Figure 3 shows the PSU with its voltage specification on the back, this type of power supply is used for gaming to give a good power current. If you look at Figure 4 you can see that the PSU is fitted on the computer and that the cables are all connected to the hardware's.

Specification:

550 Watts Power Supply

Japanese components (Lasts longer)

RAM:

5

Figure 3 Figure 4

SinthusaanSivapalan

G-Skill 8GB DDR3 1600MHZ RAM Memory.

About this Ram –

This ram is a Corsair Vengeance with 8GB in it. The speed of this ram is 1600MHZ so you can open application and minimizes them very quickly. These types of rams are used for gaming because 3D games like call of duty use a lot of ram so then the game can run very smoothly without any problems. The ram has a lot of memory, it has 8GB in it enough to run game. If you look at Figure 5, you can see the ram. Each ram is 4GB each. You can see in Figure 6 that both ram are put on the motherboard.

Specification:

8GB of Ram 1600Mhz standard, over clocked 1800MHZ

CPU Heatsink:

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro rev 2

6

Figure 5 Figure 6

SinthusaanSivapalan

This heat sink supports all CPU socket including the 775 and 1155. Artic Cooling is one of the CPU cooler out there which has good performance and is well worth for the price. CPU Cooler works by first heating up the copper iron then the fan spins towards the copper iron and that makes it remove the heat and makes the copper iron cold which goes back to the CPU so then the CPU is cooler. The purpose of a CPU Heat sink is because so then the CPU processor cools down and does not heat. If it is hot then the PC may be slow and if it is cool and low temperature the computer will operate faster. As you look at Figure 7 you can see the CPU Heat sink attached with the CPU processor. Figure 8 shows the Heat sink and the fan working.

Specification:

3 Copper Pipes (More Copper Pipes, the better cooling) Supports all CPU Sockets (LGA 1155, 2011, AM3+, FM1)

Hard Drive:

7

Figure 7

Figure 9

Figure 8

Figure 10

SinthusaanSivapalan

Hard Drive is used to store data in the Hard Disk Drive so then when you turn your computer off the data you stored will still be saved in your hard drive and when you turn your computer you can access the data. Hard Drive is also used when you turn on your computer as it is used to load up the operating systems. If you look at Figure 9 you can see that the hard drives are fitted on the computer without any wires.

There is two way to power a hard drive, one is with a molex power adaptor or a SATA power cable. Figure 10 show's a laptop hard drive being used in a computer.

Specifications:

1TB hard drive (Both of them) 6Gb/s Hard Drives. SATA Cable used to transfer files. SATA Power cable used to power the hard drives. 3TB storage altogether on the computer One small laptop hard drive - 250GB

Graphics Card:

MSI GTX 660 Ti Power Edition.

8

Figure 11 Figure 12

SinthusaanSivapalan

Purpose of a graphics card is to create image from the computer and make it display on the monitor. Inside the graphics card there is something called GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) which does all the work and creates image for the monitor. It also enhance the quality of your computer. Custom graphics card like Figure 11 is used to run heavy graphics applications like video games or if you want to edit videos and render them as it will take a lot of graphics into it. Figure 11 shows a MSI GTX 660 Ti power edition graphics card, you would use that kind of a graphics card for games on a high spec computer. Figure 12 shows the graphics card turned on and the fans spinning. The fan spins to the heat sink so then it cools down the graphics chip.

Specification:

2GB GDDR5 Memory Memory Bus - 192 bits Core Clock Speed - 1019 MHZ Boost Clock Speed - 1097 MHZ PCI Express X16 3.0

BIOS (Basic Input/Output Systems)

9

Figure 12 Figure 13

SinthusaanSivapalan

BIOS is where it makes sure that all the hardware’s, chips, hard drives, ports, CPU and other hardware works and functions together. BIOS are very important as that’s what it is used to start and load a computer into its operating system using the hardware’s which are connected. You also can use BIOS to over clock your CPU and make it faster or do many other things like changing priorities for which hardware to load first (E.G Check CD drive first then check hard drive or check USB drive first then Hard Drive). Figure 12 shows the manufacture logo when you start the computer up and at the bottom there is a text saying to press the DEL button to access the BIOS. Figure 13 shows the BIOS, for this kind of BIOS you can use a mouse and also it has a automatic over clocking feature.

10

SinthusaanSivapalan

Specification:

32 MB BIOS Flash Memory. Over clocking features to overclock the CPU and RAM Choose Priority for which hardware to launch first. Choose different settings Power Saving, Economical and Extreme settings.

Fans:

Fans are used in computer to keep the airflow going and to keep the computer as cold as possible so then the CPU and other components do not overheat. You can get different type of fans like colour led fans, big 200mm fans and other fans. Fans are used in computers like the CPU cooling fans or the graphics card. Fans are very important to keep the components and the motherboard cold. The better airflow you have inside your pc case the cooler and the more stable your computer and your system will be. Figure 15 shows two Cooler master fans fitted on the computer and Figure 16 shows the fans turned on and the LED turned on as well, the LED can be turned off by pressing a button.

Specification:

Max fan speed 2500RPM. LED's on the fan (White LEDS Lights) Very Quiet fans also when it runs full speed.

11

Figure 15 Figure 16

SinthusaanSivapalan

Only works when the PC is turned on. You can turn the fans off using the Computer Case or the BIOS.

Peripheral Devices:

Peripheral Devices are when there are devices and hardware’s connected to the computer but are not part of the computer. Examples are mouse, keyboard, CD-Drive, Flash drives and other devices. USB is where you connect peripheral devices to a computer like mouse, printer, keyboard, scanner and other USB devices so then you can use it on the computer. USB can be used to use items which need physical movement like mouse and keyboard. USB can be used for transferring data storage or sending out information to other devices like printer. USB can also be used as a charger as it gives out electricity through the USB port to charge your devices like cameras, mobile phones. You can also transfer data from the device to your computer by transferring like a camera. Figure 17 shows the DVD-Drive connected to the computer and Figure 18 shows the DVD-Drive opened.

Specification:

SATA Connection Write Speed - 24x

12

Figure 18

SinthusaanSivapalan

CD and DVD Support (Music and Movies) Buffer speed - 2MB CD Write speed - 48x

13