What Does a CPU Do? - As the brain of your PC, the CPU allows you to operate software. And, of course, there is a connection between the power of the computer and the work of the CPU.
TW Tech Glossary - Misplaced your bible? Well here it is! This truly took a while to complete and should be used by all from beginners to advance techies. Look into it, you won't be sorry. (Very Resourceful)
Types of CPU's (Processors) - Upgradation is not something new to the field of computers. The computer has come a long way from being just a calculating machine to a device that has become a necessity everywhere. There is no industry or business that can't benefit from the usage of computers. Whether it's amanaged server used for dedicated server hosting, personal desktop computers, or just your student friendly notebook computers. The number of ways we can benefit from computers are numerous. The main component of a computer has seen great changes in the past. First generation computers made use of magnetic core memory whereas second generation saw the advent of transistors. It was in the third generation which began in the 1960s that gave rise to microprocessors.
Types of PC Cases - Computer cases come in a variety of colors, designs, materials and for those who wish to bare all, there are clear acrylic cases available. You'll hear of all types of hardware lingo like: ATX computer cases, full tower computer cases, desktop computer cases, custom computer cases, aluminum computer cases, cheap computer cases, gaming computer cases, mini computer cases, and on and on and on...you get the drift.
227 Categorized CompTIA A Plus Q and A - CompTIA A+ Certification is widely recognized as the first certification you should receive in an information technology(IT) career. Whether you are planning to specialize in PC hardware, Windows operating system management, or network management, the CompTIA A+ Certification exams measure the baseline skills you need to master in order to begin your journey toward greater responsibilities and achievements in information technology.
CompTIA A+ Certification is designed to be a "vendor-neutral" exam that measures your knowledge of industry-standard technology.
The number one goal of this Q and A tutorial is a simple one: to help you pass the 2009 version of the CompTIA A+ Certification Essentials Exam (number 220-701) and the Practical Application Exam (number 220-702), and thereby earn your CompTIA A+ Certification.
What is Central Processing Unit (CPU)?
Sometimes we refer to the CPU as the system box or brain. It is the computer chip that does all of the processing for the computer. Inside this tiny chip are millions of transistors (electrical switches) that are connected so they can carry out mathematical calculations. Everything a computer does is essentially a mathematical calculation.
How the CPU Works
To properly perform its job, the CPU must complete a cycle of four steps. The first step in this cycle is to fetch a instruction from a software program's memory. Once the CPU fetches the instruction, its second step is to decode the instruction. By decoding the instruction, the CPU is able to organize the information from the instruction in a manner that allows the CPU to complete the next step, which is executing.During the execution step, the CPU completes the instruction. It accomplishes this by following the information gained during the decoding step. Once the CPU has finished executing the instruction, the final step in this cycle is to write-back the results that occurred during the execution step. The CPU can write-back the results to its own internal register, or to the main memory of the computer.
Tips
What benefit does it (MMX) offer users?
MMX technology raises the PC experience to new levels, when software designed for the technology runs on systems based on the new processor. It delivers 10 to 20 percent more processor performance over Pentium processors at the same clock speed due to the microarchitectural enhancements.
Additional performance and/or enhancements in quality of graphics, video and sound may be achieved to the extent that the programmer takes advantage of the technology. On the Intel Media Benchmark, which measures multimedia performance, the processor delivers more than 60 percent performance improvement over Pentium processors at equivalent clock speeds.
Power Supply
New CPUs require higher rating power supply. Hence always ensure that your power supply is rated at 350 W at least.
Cool It!
Invest in good heatsink and fan combination for your processor.
Genuine Article
Always buy Genuine CPU. Check Hologram seal on Intel CPU box. In case of AMD, make sure that the plastic casing is not broken.
Cache That Monkey
If you plan to do CPU intensive tasks such as graphic processing, gaming and animation go for CPU with 256 KB or more of L2 cache. The Pentium 4 Northwood has 512 KB of L2 cache. For gaming applications, go for CPU which supports 3DNow! or SSE.
Palomino
If power requirement and heat dissipation are not an issue, you can go for cheap and affordable Palomino cores.
Save the Money
If you want only basic office applications, you can go for cheap CPU like Cyrix M III processor. This cheap CPU works with any socket 370 motherboard.
High End Users
For high end 3D design and CAD applications, you will require a processor with highest clock speed and the largest on board cache memory. Pentium and Athlon processors are best for such type of applications.
Intel Based System:
CPU Cooling - COOL your CPU first. Then it will perform. Processor cooling is very important from performance and reliability point of view. Always provide good quality cooling fan with high rated heatsink.
Intel Based System:
Extra 12 V Power For Pentium 4 - All Pentium 4 processors require extra 12 volt power supply. Make sure the power supply for new processor has necessary four pin 12 V connector. This connector fits into the ATX 12 V connector on your Motherboard.
Intel Based System:
Hyperthread Technology - Intel's 3.06 GHz processor incorporates Hyperthreading technology which gives better CPU performance when running multiple applications simultaneously.
Intel Based System:
CPU Type - Willamette CPU's are fabricated using 0.18 micron fabrication process. Willamette requires more power and generate more heat. New Northwood CPU's are fabricated using 0.13 micron fabrication process. Northwood CPU's have L2 cache of 512 KB.
Intel Based System:
Intel Drivers - Intel supplies drivers for new 800 series chipsets including 845, 845 - DDR and 850 chipsets called the Intel application accelerator driver. These drivers increase the performance of your IDE devices. They offer better boot times and also surpass 137 GB limitation of the IDE drives in the native Window drivers. SSE2 type of special instructions in Intel CPU's help deliver better performance with certain types of data.
AMD Based System:
CPU Cooling - COOL your CPU first. Then it will perform. Processor cooling is very important from performance and reliability point of view. Always provide good quality cooling fan with high rated heatsink. Use thermal paste for better contact between heatsink and CPU. If by chance you forget to connect the fan supply and switch on the motherboard, you will damage the AMD CPU with in seconds. Always use CPU heatsink and fan combination that is certified by AMD.
AMD Based System:
Proper Mounting - As bare Silicon is exposed at the top surface in AMD CPU, heatsink installation should be done properly. You should not slide the heatsink on the top surface of CPU. A small scratch or friction may damage CPU.
AMD Based System:
Power Supply - It is always better to go for minimum 300 w power supply for AMD based system.
AMD Based System:
Special Instructions: The 3DNow! instruction set streamline power of certain applications.
AMD Based System:
Memory: You can use SDRAM or DDR memory. SDRAM is cost effective option for basic applications. However for demanding applications ( graphic or high end gaming), go for DDR memory. DDR memory is good for high speed applications.
AMD Based System:
Type of Processor - AMD Duron processors offer reasonably good performance with respect to their price. But as they are phased out, it is better to go for Athlon processor. They are available in old 0.18 micron Palomino and new 0.13 micron Thoroughbred core. New technology requires less power and generates less heat. Not all motherboards support them. Hence always ensure that your motherboard supports new CPU before buying the motherboard. Extra check the motherboard manual.
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