|
|
|
Computers - Frequently Asked Questions? |
| |
| |
How much Memory do I need? How can I upgrade?
RAM is important for any power-hungry tasks you might carry out, typically playing games and video editing. Essentially, the more RAM you have, the faster your computer will run.
512MB is currently cited as an acceptable minimum, but 1GB or 2GB is better. Increasing memory is one of the most cost effective ways of improving the performance of your computer.
RAM modules are thin circuit boards, usually about an inch wide and six inches long, and they plug directly into the motherboard. RAM comes in many different forms and types; check either in the user manual of your computer, or visit the manufacturer's website to find out what type of RAM your computer supports and how much you can add.
Upgrading for desktop PC's (with Windows XP)
You can see how much RAM your PC currently has by:
- Going to Start
- Right-clicking My Computer
- Selecting Properties
The amount of RAM should be clearly displayed at the bottom of the window.
Once you have purchased your module(s), the upgrading procedure itself is a fairly simple case of opening up your PC and fitting the module onto the appropriate connector. Some modules are designed so that they only fit a certain way onto a connector. If something does not fit, do not force it as it may damage either the module or the connector ? check that you have the correct type of module and that it is the right way up.
If installed correctly, the new total amount of memory should be displayed on the boot up screen the next time you turn on your computer. If not, you can check by going through the procedure described above.
Upgrading for Mac Desktops
You can check on the memory status of your Mac by:
- opening the Activity Monitor
- clicking on the System Memory tab
The coloured pie chart should tell you if you are overloading your RAM. If the chart displays mostly green and blue (representing free and inactive memory, respectively), then you probably will not need to upgrade for a while. If the chart is mostly yellow and red (active and wired), then you are running out of memory.
You can find out what type of RAM your Mac needs by:
opening up System Profiler
- For OS X 10.0 to 10.2 go to Applications/Utilities, and launch System Profiler
- For OS X 10.3 onwards, go to Apple Menu, About This Mac, then More Info.
Installing the module in a Mac is almost identical to upgrading memory for your PC. Apple has detailed and reliable instructions for the installation of RAM in all of its hardware ? be sure to check the support section of their website (www.apple.com/support/).
ESD strap/safety
When installing delicate components it is important that an ESD strap is worn to prevent potentially damaging your computer. See the Definitions page for more details.
|
What Hard Drive do I need?
Your hard drive stores all of your information; everything you write, record, save, use, is all permanently stored on the hard drive. It's where all the programs you use 'lives'. It is, essentially the most important component of your computer. There are a few things worth noting when shopping for a hard drive.
Capacity
The size of a hard drive is measured in terms of how many Gigabytes (GB) of memory it can store. Most hard drives these days typically come with 250GB of memory, which is more than enough for a basic home computer running an OS and an ISP - students who are using computers to research and write essays on shouldn't worry about capacity too much. Capacity is important for people who want to store and edit images, or audio/video files, or computers that are to be linked as part of a network in an office. Most PC's have plenty of (physical) space inside for an extra hard drives to be installed ? big towers can accommodate three or more. Having an extra hard drive is a good idea, as if one of them fails due to a virus or any other reason, then the OS can be transferred to the other drive whilst the problem is fixed. If you want to upgrade your computer by adding another hard drive, make sure to check if the models available on the market are compatible with your machine. It is possible to purchase external hard drives. These are portable and can be attached to many different machines, although they are commonly used for expanding the capacity of a laptop's memory.
Rotation Speed
A hard drive is essentially a large magnetic disc onto which all your data is stored - the faster a disc spins, the faster information is written/read. Today's common market speed of hard drives is 7200rpm, although users handling large amounts of data and need a quicker response time can get 10,000rpm types.
Interface
An interface, in computer terminology refers to any component which connects two parts of the machine. The most commonly used hard drive interface in home PC's is the SATA interface, supporting transfer rates of either 150MBps or 300MBps (Bits per second). Transfer rate measures how quickly data is transferred to and from the hard drive, and is related to a hard drive's rotation speed. SATA interfaces are improvements upon the older ATA (now referred to as PATA for disambiguation purposes) technology. Other interfaces include SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) which is more suitable for large multitasking operations. Most external hard drives will have a USB interface, although some external drives are now coming equipped with SATA interfaces as well.
Buffer
When you load a program or document, the hard drive will not only access this, but will also load its buffer memory with extra information that the CPU is likely to ask for next. The majority of desktop hard drives have buffers that are either 8MB or 16MB in size.
|
What Monitor should I buy?
CRT or LCD?
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors use the same display tubes that are inside TV sets and have been the standard type of computer monitor for years. The picture quality and colour fidelity offered by the most advanced CRTs is unparalleled. With a CRT you get great colour, depth and resolution, and are generally inexpensive. The main problem with a CRT monitors is the amount of space they take up. They are usually deeper than they are wide, and are heavy and cumbersome to move. Another problems with CRT monitors is that the glass screen can reflect light into the user's eyes causing what is known as 'glare', although this can be easily countered by fitting an anti-glare filter in front of the screen.
In contrast to this, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors, commonly associated with laptops, take up much less space. They are much lighter, are more energy efficient, suffer much less from flickering, and as the screen has a matt finish, there is no annoying glare. The main disadvantage with an LCD monitor is that the resolution cannot be altered without severely compromising image quality ? they only have one optimal resolution, which will be problematic for gamers who, for some titles, will want to adjust their screen size. They are also generally more expensive to buy than a CRT monitor of the same size.
The space-efficiency of LCD displays has also given rise to multi-screen formats ? two or more screens linked together in either a panoramic view or as a grid. This is ideal for any kind of editing work where it is required to be able to refer to different programs quickly without having to click through a series of windows.
What size screen should I get?
Regardless of what type of monitor you decide to get, one of the top things to consider is the size of the screen. A larger monitor means you have more on-screen space, which is important. The standard monitor size these days will be around 17-19 inches (measured diagonally across the screen, approx. within an inch of the quoted size). If you need something bigger for studio work, meetings or presentations, anything between 24-30 inches would suffice. Understandably, an increase in size means an increase in price; keep this in mind with regards to your budget.
What about Resolution?
Resolution is also important factor to take into account, vital if you will be using your machine for imaging, as the higher the resolution, the more information you will be able to view at once. A resolution of 1024x768 should be adequate for most tasks. Remember that LCD monitors are optimised for a specific resolution ? the one you buy is the one you get.
Extras
Monitors come with a plethora of extra plugs, jacks, sockets for peripheral attachments, such as extra speakers, webcams, headphones, microphones etc. Items such as anti-glare screens (mentioned above) magnifiers and other filters fit on over the front of the screen, making the working environment more comfortable.
Your Working Environment
Think about where you will be using your computer and what for. For example, students may have to cope with limited living space, meaning that an LCD would be a more suitable choice. Photographers and graphic artists need screens with high colour fidelity and resolution, and so in this case a CRT would be the most appropriate option. Sound engineers working in a recording studio will want to have at least two screens multi-linked for handling audio files and running programs such as Cubase, and may wish to attach extra speakers to the monitor when playing back compositions. Think about what you will be using your computer for, and where before you begin to think about what sort of monitor you will buy to go with it.
|
Which Graphics Card should I buy?
If you are going to use your PC for either gaming or photo/image editing, then you will probably want to invest in a graphics card. A graphics card, or Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) will greatly enhance the visual performance of your machine, allowing for sharper, smoother visuals and greater clarity.
There are a number of competing firms that manufacture GPUs, including as ATI, nVidia, 3D Labs and Fujitsu. The GPU industry is fast and ever-evolving ? there is a steady stream of new, more sophisticated programs which require equally sophisticated hardware to run. As such, it it hard to recommend a specific brand or type of GPU as the industry changes so quickly.
If you decide that you want a GPU to boost the performance of your PC, then be sure to check the specifications of your machine and do some research. There are several magazines and websites devoted to gaming and imaging that will be able to offer the most up to date advice on which card is the most suited for you.
What is a Dedicated graphics card?
A dedicated graphics card is one that comes with its own RAM built in, memory that is 'dedicated' to supporting the card.
This means that the GPU will not take up any extra space on your computer, as it comes with its own.
|
|
| |
|
|
