In this unit, I will explain the difference electrical parts inside various machines and describe their uses. On this page, you will find a list and explanation of Personal Computer Parts (PC) as well as why you would need such parts.
Computer Parts
A quick explanation
Here is what the inside of a computer looks like once you have removed the sides panel of the casing.
The most essential parts of a computer that makes it work like normal are:
- The Motherboard – The circuit board that holds all the individual pieces of the puzzle together and communicates through the different parts of information. Whenever you are installing new parts. Here are some images of a motherboard (Right is the input sockets).
- CPU – A Central Processing Unit is like the brain of a computer, it handles all the information that the computer is given and keeps all the different programs on your computer running. Below are some images of the CPU component (Left is the pins on a CPU and the right is the top featuring the Thermal Paste).
- Storage – An SSD or HDD is a method of data storage and at least 1 of these is needed for your computer to be able to save information and must contain the OS (Operating System, Windows or IOS). A small chunk of data is always immediately taken up by your Operating System and your programs such as Microsoft Office, however, the remaining space is free for you to use to save all your personal files like work documents or music files. (HDD on the left and an SSD on the right).
- GPU – I know the Graphics Processing Unit sounds almost identical to the CPU but actually you need a GPU in order to send information to the monitor and be able to see the content on your computer. This means once you have your desired GPU you will be able to view the OS and all the information stored on your drives. Some people don’t have to worry as certain Motherboards come with integrated GPU Cards then the buyer doesn’t have to order another part. Be warned as the integrated GPU Cards are never very good. For whatever you may use a GPU for the things you will need to look out for whilst shopping is the Video Memory value in GigaBytes and the number of cores. These numbers will give you an idea of the power and capabilities of that selected GPU, the more cores the faster things load up and the more Video Memory in GigaBytes allows you to run more challenging software as well as keeping more programs open up all at once.
- RAM – When you need something for a second quickly but you know you won’t need it again later, well that’s what Random Access Memory is for, inside the computer, this small space of storage is where temporary pieces of information are stored whilst the relative program(s) is running. So if you are doing some work documents and you need to quickly search something then you wouldn’t want to lose all of your document because you minimised word, that is when the computer move the information about what is currently happening inside the Microsoft Word program and puts it on a shelf in the corner of the room than the CPU doesn’t have to focus on it whilst you continue with your google search. When the computer is turned off that is when the RAM Hardware will take the information from before and throw it away into the rubbish.
- Sound Card – The sound card is a chip that you can attach to the motherboard and allows your computer to convert regular data into a format that audio devices can understand. You cannot hear sound at all even using headphones if you do not get a sound card installed no your motherboard.
- Monitor/Display – A monitor is a term used to describe the screen that you view content on when using your computer, however, there are other types of displays that you can connect to your computer and the most well known are TVs and Projectors.
- Peripherals – When you look at computer parts many retail sellers will try to throw in different items such as keyboards, mice, mats, and chairs but most of these are not necessary to get the computer running. They are merely dependant on your preferences and can improve your experience whenever you are using your computer. A keyboard and Mouse is necessary as you will not be able to navigate through the computer without them.
The Details
Here is a detailed description of all the different computer parts, what different types there are, the different measurements such as speed and capacity, more or less functional/capable and recommendations.
Motherboard – There are many different types of Motherboards that you can buy and they all list different collections of letters and numbers expecting you to know what they mean but the majority of people do not fully understand them, all it means is the naming scheme that companies use to mark which model of the motherboard you are viewing. Intel has a combination of 1 letter and 1 number to show the brand version of the component and a number in bold to explain which generation of that component it is, followed by the SKU (Stockkeeping Unit) digits which are a set of digits that are unique to the company (in this case Intel) and can be tracked by the company.
CPU – There are quite a few different types of CPUs due to the branding and generations, As well as the different types of CPU’s which represent different speeds and quantity. A processors speed is measured in Gigahertz (GHz), Hertz (Hz) is a way of measuring the electrical vibrations per second in a circuit and 1Hz is equal to 1 cycle per second. A Kilohertz is equal to 1,000Hz whereas 1 Megahertz (MHz) is 1 million Hz and 1GHz is equal to 1 BillionHz, the majority of processors today work in GHz meaning the standards ones can do 1.5billion cycles per second. Cycles are the units of measurement in which we time the amount of time it takes for a chipset to go from one component to another and then back. Knowing this will help you decide on which processor to buy for your personal needs.
GPU – The GPU will do most of the heavy lifting so you want to make sure it is capable of doing what you need it to do however first you must understand what makes one GPU better than the other. When buying a GPU there are generally 2 values which majority of people take into consideration, that is the speed (GHz) and the Video Memory (VRAM/GB). The VRAM capacity is usually listed with the component and is measured using Gigabytes. The Video Memory is how much RAM will be dedicated purely to the graphics, this takes a load of work of your regular RAM cards also since they only have to work on keeping your software running in the background. There are a few different product lines and brands to choose from but it all only focuses on the purpose that you will be using your GPU for, an example of this is the Nvidia GeForce vs the Nvidia Quadro. Yes, both cards are from the same manufacturer, however, there is a big difference in the price with the GeForce range being an average of £200 less than the Quadro cards at the same specifications. After saying that I do need to explain what the Quadro line cards are designed for, whilst the GeForce GTX series is highlighted as Nvidia’s flagship GPU’s and “what every gamer needs” the Quadro’s are not for gaming. The Quadro GPU’s are design and configured for development workstations and what this means is people who use more than 1 monitor and a lot of graphically challenging programs have a specification that is classified as a workstation class desktop. A home PC gamer will choose the GTX card as it is cheaper for near enough the same power, however, an animator may choose the Quadro due to it being the same power but more displays with only one GPU.
RAM – Random access memory is an amount of storage space that has been dedicated to allowing programs to run on your computer. Your Ram cards only store the data that is currently being used by an open program or a program that is running in the background. RAM cards are made up of both Multiplexing and Demultiplexing circuitry which allows it to select multiple pieces of data and then add it to one streamline of data as well as combining these streamlines of data into one shared media format. The reason why RAM cards are made with this circuitry is that it prevents the computer from becoming confused and the data from being conflicted with other similar or matching data, thanks to this the programs we use can read and write data more quickly and without errors. There are two other formats of RAM known as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM). Both Dynamic RAM and Static RAM are semiconductor memory storages but while DRAM uses a tiny capacitor inside an integrated circuit to store bits of data separately whereas the SRAM uses what is most commonly known as a “flip-flop” which has two outputs and based on the variables information the outcomes will flip to the opposite result.
Sound Card – Sound works in waves and is understood and managed by electronics as an electrical representation. The sound card inside your computer is what manages these electrical representations. The flow of sound is that a microphone will record the sound waves and then convert them into electrical representations and your sound card will manage and edit those representations then your headphones or speakers will convert them again back into sound waves for your ears. The better your sound card and headphones/speakers the more immersive experience you will receive and the better quality of sound you will get. If you look at a retail sound card the seller will describe it using a numbered surround sound followed by a series of different measurements and terms like DAC, SNR, and PCIe. The first thing you should be looking out for is the type of surround system that the sound card is capable of accepting as it can tell you what you need to buy to get what you want. For example, some people have a 5.1 surround sound set up so they can get either a 5.1 sound card or a 7.1 card. The dB value listed in sound card descriptions represents the number of decibels this card can handle as well as the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) which indicates to buyers the ratio of the desired signal over the background noise. You would only need to buy a sound card to play audio through your speaker system or to record audio.
Monitor – Having some sort of display is crucial to using your computer and can make the difference for a few different types of PC builds, maybe you need a big screen for a workstation or a higher refresh rate for multiplayer gaming. For a laptop, your display will come attached to the laptop body and the specs should match up (what’s the use of having a 4k GPU if you have an HD display). When looking for which display to buy you have the choice of how much high quality you want as well as its performance (yes a monitor does more than just show you pretty images). A gamer would look into the refresh rate, sync type, curvature and the resolution that their monitor is capable of, I’ll explain some of those terms now. The most common thing to know is the resolution of your monitor because that is the number of pixels you can fit inside your screen and when doing the research you will find two measurements per monitor that look like this “1920 x 1080” Width x Height. Below is an image to show you the different resolutions and the aspect ratio’s they must be viewed in. The aspect ratio is the measurement in proportion to the screens physical size and this is relevant because it determines which images will fit the screen or be too large or too small.
Mouse – The mouse again is a choice based on personal preference while most PC gamers will shop for a mouse with buttons on the side (allowing them to assign specific functions for easier navigation) or RGB lighting, these things are not necessary to the majority of PC users. The only important thing when trying to buy a mouse is the DPI measurement, the Dots Per Inch (DPI) determines the different sensitivity that the mouse can be set to. The larger the amount of dots the less you have to move the mouse before hitting the side of the screen.
Keyboard – There are many different keyboards available to buy and the biggest noticeable differences are the number of keys, lighting options, and various touch controls. If you need a keyboard without any specific requirements then you can do with just a standard cheap one but some developers and editors use more expensive keyboards which have touch strips so they can switch between tools faster or recovery keys in case their system crashes.
GamePads – Thanks to PC’s boundless capabilities you can plug in various GamePads to use with certain software and most games and the biggest reason why a user would do this is for the ergonomic feel as well as having the convenience of button placements rather than a keyboard. A gamepad is a more ergonomically designed device used to register select inputs such as analogue direction and trigger percentages. Some people will remember the old style Atari controllers which included a joystick and one button, however, the most well know controllers in this age would be the PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 controllers including the current generation controllers for the newest version of those consoles. Below is an image of all the different types of controllers starting from the first household consoles.
Motion Technology – Motion technology is either implemented into certain controllers such as the Nintendo Wii Plus controllers and the PlayStation Dual Shock controllers while other devices with motion technology are featured as accessories like the PlayStation Move controller or the Kinect for Xbox. Having some form of motion technology allows developers of both software and video games to create a more immersive experience and improve the way customers navigate their device.
Other Sound Hardware – For sound developers and studio producers they need additional hardware such as a sound card and speaker systems. This extra piece of hardware
Internet Connectivity Hardware – You can buy certain
Capture Cards – A capture card has more input ports so your PC can understand other devices such as a microphone or a camera all at once and allow you to configure and edit the things they record. Most people who buy these create or edit some form of media on a daily basis.
My Designed Specs
Below are 4 specs that I have chosen and I recommend these to anyone looking for a new PC with the matching uses as listed below.
Beginner PC User Spec
System Uses: Browsing the internet, Creating Documents & Spreadsheets, E-mailing.
Case: Cooler Master MasterBox Lite 5 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Acrylic Side Panel
Motherboard: Asus H310M-K INTEL H310 Chipset, micro-ATX Mainboard
CPU: Intel® Core™ i3-8100 – 4-Core 3.60GHz, 6MB Cache
GPU: MSI GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti 4GB Video Card
RAM: 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4/2400mhz Dual Channel Memory (HyperX Fury w/Heat Spreader)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master MasterAir 410P CPU Fan with RGB Lighting
Case Cooling: Default Case Fan
Monitor: 21.5″ AOC E2270SWDN 5ms 1920×1080, D-sub & DVI Black Full HD LED Wide Monitor
Keyboard: Logitech K120 USB Keyboard (Black)
Mouse: Asus Optical UT200 USB Mouse
Speakers: Logitech S150 2.0 Digital USB Speaker Set
Storage: HDD: 1TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive
Medium Capability Spec
This is a specification for a medium range gaming PC just to get you started on running video games and even a little bit of VR capability.
Case: Cool Master MC500 Gaming Case w/ Tempered Glass Window
Motherboard: ASUS Prime Z270-P Intel® Z270 Chipset
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-7600K Quad Core 3.80 GHz 6MB Cache
GPU: MSI GeForce® GTX 1060 3GB Video Card
RAM: 4GB
CPU Cooler: Cooler MasterAir 410P CPU Fan with RGB Lighting
Case Cooling: 3 x 120mm Black Cooling Fans
Monitor: 22″
Keyboard: Coolermaster Devastator III RGB Keyboard + Mouse Combo
Highest Capable Spec
Case: Corsair Red Carbide SPEC-04 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Tempered Glass Side Window
Motherboard: Asus Prime Z370-P INTEL Z370 Chipset
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-8700K 4.70GHz Turbo – 12MB Cache
GPU: MSI GeForce® GTX 1060 6GB Video Card VR READY
RAM: 8GB (1x8GB) DDR4/2400mhz Dual Channel Memory (HyperX Fury w/Heat Spreader)
CPU Cooler: Cryorig C7 Compact CPU Fan
Case Cooling: Default Case Fan
Monitor: 24″ BenQ GL2460 2ms 1920×1080, D-sub, & DVI Black Full HD LED Wide Monitor
Keyboard: Coolermaster Devastator III RGB Keyboard
Mouse: Coolermaster Devastator III RGB Keyboard + Mouse Combo
Storage: SSD: 240GB Kingston SSDNow A400 SATA III Gaming MLC Solid State Disk. HDD: 1TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive
Stupidly Over The Top and Unnecessary
Case: Cooler Master Cosmos C700P RGB Gaming Case w/ Tempered Glass Side Panels
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X299-E Gaming INTEL X299 Chipset SLI/ Crossfire supported, 4 Channel DDR4 ATX Mainboard w/ RGB
CPU: Intel® Core™ Processor i9-7900X – 10-Core 3.3GHz, 4.30 GHz Turbo – 13.75MB Intel Smart Cache (Quad Channel)
GPU: RGB Watercooled (with EK Block) GeForce® GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Video Card VR READY (Two Cards)
RAM: 128GB (8x16GB) DDR4/3200mhz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance LPX w/Heat Spreader)
CPU Cooler: Water Cooling Soft Tubing
Case Cooling: Water Cooling Soft Tubing
Monitor: ASUS 28″ PB287Q, 4K Ultra HD LED Monitor, 3840×2160, HDMI, Display Port & Speakers (Triple Monitor)
Keyboard: Thermaltake X1 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – MX Silver
Mouse: Asus ROG Gladius II 12000DPI Ergonomic Optical Gaming Mouse
Speakers: Logitech Z906 Surround Sound 5.1 Speaker System
Storage: HDD: 12TB Seagate BarraCuda Pro SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200RPM Hard Drive
Setting Up a PC
Once you bought all the components and they have been delivered to your address you will then need to unbox all the pieces and fix them together inside the computer’s casing, after you have placed all the parts together you then need to go and install an Operating System before you can use your computer.
Building It
Step 1
Find a workspace with no carpet or other conducting materials such as metal objects or spare wires. Once you’ve found the workspace move all your shipping boxes there and then unbox the PC casing. Before you unbox anything else ground yourself by holding the inside of the case for 30-60 seconds, Do this so that all potential static from the different components will not shock you.
I recommend that the first things you unbox are the PC Case and the motherboard, this is because the motherboard needs to be screwed in inside the casing and most other components need to be attached to the motherboard.
Once you have been Grounded all you need to do for this step is unbox the rest of the components and place them on your worl=kspacce with any screwdrivers or tools included with the packaging.
Step 2
Be sure to keep any screws, guards, tools, instructions and etc that are included with your components as every Production company does things differently and you may need them later.
Open up your case by finding the detachable panel and unscrewing the corresponding screws. If you are unsure which screws or which panel you need to be opening then refer to the instructions included in your shipment box for the case.
Unbox the motherboard and the CPU then refer to your instruction included in the motherboards shipping box and place your CPU inside the CPU slot as instructed by the instruction booklet. Next get your CPU Fan cooler and screw it into the motherboard on top of the CPU Slot (there should be a set of screw holes around the CPU slot for the Fan). After you have finished with the CPU Cooler you can now go ahead and screw the motherboard onto your Case (Hint: turn your case on its side with the removable panel facing the ceiling).
Step 3
Add your RAM cards to the specific RAM slots on your motherboard by unlocking the safety levers and then push the RAM into the slot until it clicks and the safety levers are back in place with the RAM card in the slot. Next, connect all the loose wiring from the case to the motherboard (Case USB slot wiring and RGB if included with your case) and place your power supply unit at the bottom of your case and the back of the computer then connect the power supply wiring to the motherboard.
Step 4
If you have either an SSD or an HDD (or both) find the storage section of your case and remove the shelving so that you can screw your storage onto it and then place the shelving back where you took it from but with your storage drive attached. Now that you have put your storage drive inside your case you need to connect it to your motherboard using the matching wires.
Step 5
The Graphics card, to put your graphics card inside the PC case you need to remove the back panel and guard so that you can slide the card into the slot and connect it to the motherboard similarly to how you added the RAM cards. When you have added your graphics card you can put the back panel back but leave the guard in a safe place otherwise you won’t be able to plug in the wires to your GPU.
Step 6
Now for the boring part. To finish up your build make sure all the cables are plugged in securely to where they should be and make sure no cables will be caught by any of the case panels or screws. That’s it, you can put the screwdriver away because your build is now done and just needs plugging into a power outlet and a monitor.
Installing an OS
An Operating System (OS) is a program that receives input and gives output data so all the different components of hardware and the different software. This is what makes your device work, an OS takes the information from everything you have and makes it so other software can understand the information. for example, if you buy a storage device but haven’t got an OS installed then you can’t see what information is stored.
You can install Windows, Mac or Linux but the method works more or less the same (I recommend Windows for a Gaming PC).
Boot up your PC then press the ‘F8’ Key until the screen changes and you can select to install an OS from an external storage device (bootable USB or Disc drive containing windows disc). Once you have selected the storage device that contains your chosen OS you should be prompted with a set-up wizard for that OS and there you can select which storage device inside your computer will have the OS installed (run the OS off SSD or HDD). After that, you can hit install on the set-up wizard and when it is finished restart your computer.
What are Drivers?
Unfortunately, there is still one more thing to do before your computer is running as it should. To make sure all your accessories and components are working to their best you first need to use a web browser and visit the manufacturer’s website, search the website for the exact model of your device and then download and install the following drivers for each of your components or accessories. When a driver has finished installing you should see a notification off windows like the one below.
The reason why you need drivers is that they are a specific type of software that allows certain devices to communicate with the OS, for example, your keyboard and mouse will need drivers installing otherwise they won’t work correctly. A driver works by converting the information from one device into a format the OS can understand if you were to press the “F5” key on your keyboard windows may not react since if it didn’t have the drivers it would not be able to understand what key you are pressing and what the computer should do next because you pressed that key. With a driver installed windows would be able to understand the input of your keyboard and react with the correct response. Another example of a drivers functionality is if you paid extra to have an RGB LED light up keyboard, mouse, headset or other hardware then you would need to install a driver and a 3rd party program to be able to control what colours that device lights up as. Below is a screenshot of the website where you download the Razor Chroma Program and you can see the features it has as well as a screenshot of what the program looks like once it has been installed and open.
Video Guide
Below is a video that has been uploaded to YouTube by a Technology Orientated channel to show you which components are set at a good value for the money and how to build the PC as well as Installing an OS, configuring the components and installing the correct drivers.
Cory Robinson <_o-o_> 