If you are a person with limited knowledge about IT, this article is the perfect introduction, as we explain how a computer actually works. There are numerous components that come together to bring you a screenful of digital data, which include the following.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU) – This is the heart of the computer; there are two main brands, Intel and AMD, both of which deliver state of the art CPU chips that can process data at an alarming rate. The Intel core i9 is the latest CPU that gamers need for very high performance, while the AMD equivalent matches for speeds.
- Graphic Card – When looking for a computer graphic Card, AMD have a wide range of hi-spec cards that are very reasonably priced. What exactly does this component do? It converts the data to a language that the screen understands and when you are playing a high-definition real time game, you need a graphic card that is up to the task.
- Solid State Drive (SSD) – We are phasing out hard disk drives, as the data transfer date is limited to 7,200 rpm, which is the fastest speed that type of drive can attain. Data is either read or written onto the drive and SSD start at 500Gb capacity, going up to several terabytes; the average PC is much faster using SSD and you can order these from any online computer hardware supplier. Click here for a few alarming ways that the Internet can affect you.
- Direct Random Access Memory (DRAM) – RAM chips are essential for a computer; they provide temporary memory storage for programs and the current DDR4 is the latest generation. A PC should have at least 8Gb of RAM, while a high-spec machine would have 32Gb installed, which makes the computer super-fast. The online computer component store would sell many types of DRAM chips and you must make sure you order compatible chips for your hardware.
- MotherBoard – Also known as a mainboard, this is a large circuit board that other components can be inserted and this is an expensive piece of kit. If your PC stops working, let’s hope it isn’t a faulty motherboard, as this would be a considerable cost. This board is screwed to the computer casing and then the other components can be fitted; the connectors are designed to eliminate human error; you can’t plug a component in the wrong place.
- Power Supply – This is an electrical box that controls the amount of electricity going into the computer; 600W is considered suitable. The Thai government takes cyber-security very seriously and every user should take precautions when going on the Internet.
Once you have installed all of the hardware, then you can boot up the computer and select the start-up you your operating system, which might be Windows or Linux, depending on the computer. There are lots of free resources online to help you build your own computer and you will get a lot of satisfaction from being able to build a PC from scratch.
