INTERNAL COMPONENTS

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What's BIOS?

A BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is an electronic set of instructions that a computer uses to successfully start operating. The BIOS is located on a chip inside of the computer and is designed in a way that protects it from disk failure. A main function of the BIOS is to give instructions for the power-on self test (POST). This self test ensures that the computer has all of the necessary parts and functionality needed to successfully start itself, such as use of memory, a keyboard and other parts. If errors are detected during the test, the BIOS instructs the computer to give a code that reveals the problem. Error codes are typically a series of beeps heard shortly after startup.

The BIOS works to give the computer basic information about how to interact with some critical components, such as drives and memory, that it will need to load the operating system. Once the basic instructions have been loaded and the self-test has been passed, the computer can proceed with loading the operating system from one of the attached drives. Computer users can often make certain adjustments to the BIOS through a configuration screen on the computer. The setup screen is typically accessed with a special key sequence during the first moments of startup. This setup screen often allows users to change the order in which drives are accessed during startup and control the functionality of a number of critical devices. Features vary among individual BIOS versions.

What's a CPU?

If you’re in the market for a new computer, it’s necessary to understand the function of a CPU. Also known as the "Central Processing Unit" or "processor", the CPU is essentially the “brains” of your computer. Without the CPU, you wouldn't’t be able to play games, type research papers, or surf the Internet. Your computer would basically be a very expensive paperweight. Sometimes people mistakenly believe the case or chassis of a computer is the CPU. However, a CPU is an internal component of the computer. You can’t see it from the outside of the system; you’d have to peek inside and remove both the CPU heat sink and fan to get a good look.

The first CPUs were used in the early 1960s. They were custom designed as part of a larger computer, making them prohibitively expensive. Once engineers figured out how to mass produce the CPU, personal computers became more affordable for the average American. With the introduction of the integrated circuit in the late 1970s, it became possible for smaller CPUs to be manufactured as well. This helped transform computers from large, bulky devices that took up entire rooms to more manageable desktop and laptop models.

Today, AMD and Intel are the best-known manufacturer of computer CPUs. No matter what type of computer you have, however, your CPU works by executing a series of stored instructions known as a program. Most CPUs conform to the von Neumann architecture, which says that the CPU must fetch, decode, execute, and writeback the data in a fairly rapid succession. Since the CPU is one of the most important parts of a computer, it should come as no surprise that it is also the most expensive. In fact, if your computer is more than three years old and your CPU has been damaged by static electricity or some other factor, you may want to consider upgrading to an entirely new computer. A newer, faster CPU will often provide enough additional computing power to make the purchase a wise investment.

CPUs are sometimes called microprocessors, although these two terms are not quite interchangeable. The microprocessor, first introduced in the 1970s, reduces the word size of a CPU from 32 bits to 4 bits in an attempt to allow the transistors of the logic circuits to fit on a single part. Often, it takes more than one microprocessor to perform all of the functions of a CPU. Microprocessors are also commonly used in cell phones, automobiles, and children’s electronic toys.

What's a Dual Core Processor?

Dual core technology refers to two individual microprocessors on a single die cast chip. This is essentially two computer processing units (CPUs) in one. The advantage of a dual core chip is that tasks can be carried out in parallel streams, decreasing processing time. This is referred to as thread-level parallelism (TLP). TLP is also possible on motherboards that can accommodate two separate CPUs. When TLP is accomplished in a single CPU through dual core technology, it is called chip-level multiprocessing (CLM).

In dual core CPUs, each microprocessor generally has its own on-board cache, known as Level 1 (L1) cache. L1 cache significantly improves system performance, because it is much faster to access on-chip cache than to use random access memory (RAM). L1 cache is accessed at microprocessor speeds. Dual core chips also commonly feature secondary shared cache on the CPU, known as Level 2 (L2) cache. Motherboards may also have a cache chip designated as Level 3 (L3) cache. While faster than RAM, L3 cache is slower than cache built into the dual core chip.

Dual core technology has advantages over double-core or twin-core technology. These latter terms refer to two independent CPUs installed on the same motherboard. Dual core chips take up less real estate on the motherboard, have greater cache coherency, and consume less power than two independent CPUs. However, dual core technology also has its drawbacks. For software to take advantage of dual core architecture, it must be written to utilize parallel threading. Otherwise, the program functions in single-core mode, using just one data stream or one of the built-in microprocessors. Unfortunately, coding for TLP is quite intensive, as interleaving shared data can create errors and slow performance. Because of these and other issues, a dual core processor does not deliver twice the speed of a single-core processor, though there is a significant increase in performance under optimal conditions. Finally, dual core chips run hotter than their single-core cousins.

Whether a dual core processor is right for you will depend on what you plan to use your computer for. If the programs you regularly require are designed for TLP, then you may benefit greatly from a dual core chip. If not, you may be better served by a high-end single-core CPU. In a dual core processor each core handles incoming data strings simultaneously to improve efficiency. Just as two heads are better than one, so are two hands. Now when one is executing the other can be accessing the system bus or executing its own code. Adding to this favorable scenario, both AMD and Intel's dual-core flagships are 64-bit. An attractive value of dual core processors is that they do not require a new motherboard, but can be used in existing boards that feature the correct socket. For the average user the difference in performance will be most noticeable in multi-tasking until more software is SMT aware. Servers running multiple dual core processors will see an appreciable increase in performance.

What's a Hard Drive?

All hard drives share a basic structure and are composed of the same physical features. However, not all hard drives perform the same way as the quality of the parts of the hard drive will affect its performance. Following is a description of the common features of the hard drive and how each part works in relation to the others. Hard drives are extremely sensitive equipment and the internal workings of a hard drive should not be handled by anyone other than an experienced professional.

The Platters

The platters are the actual disks inside the drive that store the magnetized data. Traditionally platters are made of a light aluminum alloy and coated with a magnetizable material such as a ferrite compound that is applied in liquid form and spun evenly across the platter or thin metal film plating that is applied to the platter through electroplating, the same way that chrome is produced. Newer technology uses glass and/or ceramic platters because they can be made thinner and also because they are more efficient at resisting heat. The magnetic layer on the platters has tiny domains of magnetization that are oriented to store information that is transferred through the read/write heads. Most drives have at least two platters, and the larger the storage capacity of the drive, the more platters there are. Each platter is magnetized on each side, so a drive with 2 platters has 4 sides to store data.

The Spindle and Spindle Motor

The platters in a drive are separated by disk spacers and are clamped to a rotating spindle that turns all the platters in unison. The spindle motor is built right into the spindle or mounted directly below it and spins the platters at a constant set rate ranging from 3,600 to 7,200 RPM. The motor is attached to a feedback loop to ensure that it spins at precisely the speed it is supposed to.

The Read/Write Heads

The read/write heads read and write data to the platters. There is typically one head per platter side, and each head is attached to a single actuator shaft so that all the heads move in unison. When one head is over a track, all the other heads are at the same location over their respective surfaces. Typically, only one of the heads is active at a time, i.e., reading or writing data. When not in use, the heads rest on the stationary platters, but when in motion the spinning of the platters create air pressure that lifts the heads off the platters. The space between the platter and the head is so minute that even one dust particle or a fingerprint could disable the spin. This necessitates that hard drive assembly be done in a clean room. When the platters cease spinning the heads come to rest, or park, at a predetermined position on the heads, called the landing zone.

The Head Actuator

All the heads are attached to a single head actuator, or actuator arm, that moves the heads around the platters. Older hard drives used a stepper motor actuator, which moved the heads based on a motor reacting to stepper pulses. Each pulse moved the actuator over the platters in predefined steps. Stepper motor actuators are not used in modern drives because they are prone to alignment problems and are highly sensitive to heat. Modern hard drives use a voice coil actuator, which controls the movement of a coil toward or away from a permanent magnet based on the amount of current flowing through it. This guidance system is called a servo.

The platters, spindle, spindle motor, head actuator and the read/write heads are all contained in a chamber called the head disk assembly (HDA). Outside of the HDA is the logic board that controls the movements of the internal parts and controls the movement of data into and out of the drive.

What's an External Hard Drive?

An external hard drive sits outside the main computer tower in its own enclosure. The enclosure is slightly larger than the hard drive itself, and sometimes contains a cooling fan. This portable encasement allows the user to store information on a hard drive that is not inside the computer, but rests on a tabletop or surface nearby the computer. The external hard drive is connected to the computer via a high-speed interface cable. The interface cable allows the external hard drive to communicate with the computer so that data may be passed back and forth. The most common types of interfaces are USB and Firewire.

A portable or external hard drive is quite a useful piece of equipment. It allows the user to back up or store important information off the main drive, which could become compromised by online or offline activities. Sensitive documents, large music files, DVD images, movies, disk images, and even a backup of your main internal hard drive, can all be kept securely and safely on an external hard drive. When you are online, you can even leave the external drive turned off.

Another advantage of an external hard drive is that it is portable and operates on a plug-and-play basis. Any computer with USB or Firewire capability will recognize the external hard drive as a storage device, and assign it a letter. The drive can then be accessed like a normal internal hard drive. It's a snap to transfer huge files back and forth from work to home, to a friend's house, or between your desktop and laptop. Just plug in the interface cable to quickly reconstruct a working environment, making your favorite programs portable. One can easily transfer entire gigabytes of data.

If you have multiple family members using your computer system, consider an external hard drive to keep financial information and other sensitive documents secure. When you are ready to use the computer, you can plug in the external drive and have all your data and programs available.

What's a Motherboard?

A motherboard is the underlying circuit board of a computer. The central processing unit (CPU), Random Access Memory (RAM), hard drive(s), disk drives and optical drives are all plugged into interfaces on the motherboard. A video interface and sound card can be optionally built-in or added. A motherboard can come in many configurations to fit different needs and budgets. At its most basic, it comes with several interfaces for necessary components and a BIOS chip set to control setup of the motherboard. Many computer enthusiasts favor one type of BIOS over another and will choose a motherboard partially based on the BIOS manufacturer. For example, many gamers prefer the Nvidia BIOS as it is rated as one of the best for graphics applications.

An equally important feature of the motherboard is the type of CPU it will support. Some motherboards support AMD CPUs, while others support Intel processors. Within the manufacturer's categories, there are different grades of CPUs. An AMD 64-bit processor requires a different CPU socket than an AMD 32-bit processor. Thus, if purchasing parts independently, one must decide on the CPU before choosing the motherboard to ensure compatibility.

Another important consideration is the amount and type of RAM the motherboard will support. It is always best to buy a board that supports more RAM than currently needed. If new technology for RAM chips is available, getting a board that supports the newer chips will help future-proof the investment. The number of PCI slots varies from motherboard to motherboard, as do other interfaces like the number of SATA ports, differing RAID abilities, and USB and Firewire ports. As mentioned prior, sound and video capability might be built-in, though purists generally prefer to disable internal video and sound and add superior third party cards. A motherboard also comes in one of a few standard footprints or sizes. This figures in when purchasing the system case. Along these lines, many motherboard manufacturers recommend particular power supplies that have been tested with the board.

Though building a computer used to be somewhat challenging, today most motherboards are color-coded with controllers built-in, making it very easy to build a computer from scratch. The only time consuming aspect is investigating which hardware will best suit your needs while fitting into your budget. Once the CPU and motherboard is chosen, RAM is somewhat determined by the board itself. Hard drives, an optical disk, a video card, a sound card and a floppy round out the basics.

What's an Operating System?

An operating system is a program designed to run other programs on a computer. A computer’s operating system is its most important program. It is considered the backbone of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources. Operating systems are responsible for everything from the control and allocation of memory to recognizing input from external devices and transmitting output to computer displays. They also manage files on computer hard drives and control peripherals, like printers and scanners.

The operating system of a large computer system has even more work to do. Such operating systems monitor different programs and users, making sure everything runs smoothly, without interference, despite the fact that numerous devices and programs are used simultaneously. An operating system also has a vital role to play in security. Its job includes preventing unauthorized users from accessing the computer system. There are multiuser, multiprocessing, multitasking, multithreading, and real-time operating systems. A multi user operating system enables multiple users to run programs simultaneously. This type of operating system may be used for just a few people or hundreds of them. In fact, there are some operating systems that are used to allow thousands of people to run programs at the same time.

A multiprocessing operating system allows a program to run on more than one central processing unit (CPU) at a time. This can come in very handy in some work environments, at schools, and even for some home-computing situations. Multitasking operating systems work a little differently; they make it possible to run more than one program at a time. Multithreading operating systems are even more different, allowing varied parts of one program to be used simultaneously. Real-time operating systems are designed to allow computers to process and respond to input instantly. Usually, general-purpose operating systems, such as disk operating system (DOS), are not considered real time, as they may require seconds or minutes to respond to input. Real-time operating systems are typically used when computers must react to the consistent input of information without delay. For example, real-time operating systems may be used in navigation.

Today’s operating systems tend to have graphical user interfaces (GUI's) that employ pointing devices for input. A mouse is an example of such a pointing device, as is a stylus. Commonly used operating systems for IBM-compatible personal computers include Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Unix variations. For Macintosh computers, Mac OS X, Linux, BSD, and some Windows variants are commonly used.

For information on how an Operating System works click here.

What's 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.

The following are some common types of RAM:

SRAM: Static random access memory uses multiple transistors, typically four to six, for each memory cell but doesn't have a capacitor in each cell. It is used primarily for cache.

DRAM: Dynamic random access memory has memory cells with a paired transistor and capacitor requiring constant refreshing.

FPM DRAM: Fast page mode dynamic random access memory was the original form of DRAM. It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of data by column and row and then reading the bit before it starts on the next bit. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 176 MBps.

EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not wait for all of the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the address of the first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about five percent faster than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264 MBps.

SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of the burst mode concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit as it goes. The idea is that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.

DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM is just like SDRAM except that is has higher bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR SDRAM 133 MHZ).

RDRAM: Rambus dynamic random access memory is a radical departure from the previous DRAM architecture. Designed by Rambus, RDRAM uses a Rambus in-line memory module (RIMM), which is similar in size and pin configuration to a standard DIMM. What makes RDRAM so different is its use of a special high-speed data bus called the Rambus channel. RDRAM memory chips work in parallel to achieve a data rate of 800 MHz, or 1,600 MBps. Since they operate at such high speeds, they generate much more heat than other types of chips. To help dissipate the excess heat Rambus chips are fitted with a heat spreader, which looks like a long thin wafer. Just like there are smaller versions of DIMM's, there are also SO-RIMM's, designed for notebook computers.

Credit Card Memory: Credit card memory is a proprietary self-contained DRAM memory module that plugs into a special slot for use in notebook computers.

PCMCIA Memory Card: Another self-contained DRAM module for notebooks, cards of this type are not proprietary and should work with any notebook computer whose system bus matches the memory card's configuration.

CMOS RAM: CMOS RAM is a term for the small amount of memory used by your computer and some other devices to remember things like hard disk settings -- see Why does my computer need a battery? for details. This memory uses a small battery to provide it with the power it needs to maintain the memory contents.

VRAM: Video RAM, also known as multi port dynamic random access memory (MPDRAM), is a type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3-D accelerators. The "multi port" part comes from the fact that VRAM normally has two independent access ports instead of one, allowing the CPU and graphics processor to access the RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located on the graphics card and comes in a variety of formats, many of which are proprietary. The amount of VRAM is a determining factor in the resolution and color depth of the display. VRAM is also used to hold graphics-specific information such as 3-D geometry data and texture maps. True multi port VRAM tends to be expensive, so today, many graphics cards use SGRAM (synchronous graphics RAM) instead. Performance is nearly the same, but SGRAM is cheaper.

What's a Sound Card?

A sound card (also known as an audio card) is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output sound under control of computer programs. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation/education, and entertainment (games). Many computers have sound capabilities built in, while others require these expansion cards if audio capability is desired.

What's a System Restore?

System Restore should only be used after all possible solutions have been exhausted. For more details visit this Microsoft web site.

What's a Video Card?

An expansion card installed inside a computer that contains necessary circuitry to create a video signal that can be processed by a computer display. There are many different types of video cards with varying capabilities regarding monitor size supported and total number of displayable colors.

 

The information contained within this site is as accurate as can be. Mogollon Rim Computer Services is not responsible for users malfunctions.
As in life, user assumes all risks.

A Healthy Computer

Is up to date with all it's software updates, visit these links below for updates and to see how vulnerable your PC is. If you have no Anti-Virus program running I highly recommend you obtain AVG 9.0 free version.

• Microsoft Windows Update
• Secunia Vulnerability Scanner
• AVG 9.0 Free Anti Virus
• How to Remove a Computer Virus

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