Basic Computer Terms You Should Know Before Buying A PC

Basic Computer Terms You Should Know Before Buying a PC

Have you decided to get rid of that old paperweight and buy yourself a new computer? Good for you but before you go running out to buy the latest and greatest machine, there are some basic computer terms you should know. We will run through each of these terms for you and what they mean.

The terminology used below is the same for PCs and Macs and for desktops and laptops. If you have any doubts about the machine you are buying. don’t buy it! Go and do some research online to see if you can do better
When you are looking to buy a computer you will hear basic computer terms like the following:

The Processor

This is the brain of your computer. It can also be referred to as the CPU. Processors come in many different varieties. Processor speed is termed as clock speed measured in gigahertz or GHz. more the value of GHZ the faster the computer.
I am now using a 3.06 GHz  Intel^®  dual core^TM  i3 processor. Processors can also have dual or quad cores. This is essentially two or four processors in one respectively. The more cores the better but they will also be more expensive. We will also see terms like Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, and i7. It is important to know the differences between these options.
The Core Duo consists of two cores on one die but the Core 2 Duo is a more modern processor that is found in a lot of new PCs. the Core 2 Duo has two dies. Then the i3 processor is a recent release by Intel for new home machines. Then the i5 and i7 are used with quad core processors and higher end machines. The i7 is the top of this line and obviously the most expensive.
There are different brands of processors like Intel or AMD and different levels of processors like the Pentium 4 or the Atom. The Atom processor is a much slower processor used in notebooks.

The RAM

The RAM or memory is what your computer uses to store information while you are using the computer. I am using Transcend 4 GB DDR3 Ram .This can also be referred to as Random Access Memory. I personally would not buy a computer with less than 2 GB of RAM. Your RAM Bus speed will need to be identical to your FSB speed as to not create bottlenecks. In a pre-built system this is not something you need to worry about but if you are building your own system then you will want to get memory that matches the FSB speed divided by the number of cores that you have. For example if your system has a total FSB of 1600 and you have 4 cores (quad) then your RAM Bus speed should be 400 MHz.

Optical Drive

The optical drive in your computer should be able to read and write CDs and DVDs. If you have not purchased a computer in a while some of the newer options might seem strange to you. You can have any one of these or a combination of these formats: DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-+R, DVD-/+RW, DVD-RAM, Blu-ray, HD-DVD. A CD holds 700 MB. A CD-R can read and write to a CD. A CDRW can read write and rewrite to a CD.
If you are getting a DVD burner you should try and get a drive that writes in all formats such as +R or -R. They will all play in your computer but some other hardware might require one of these formats. A DVD can hold About 4 GB of data. A DVD burner that allows you to burn a DL or dual layer will allow for double the capacity and can fit about 8 GB of data on it. A dual layer drive is required as well as dual layered media.
Then we see the newer formats like Blu-Ray and HD-DVD that allow you to burn and watch high definition videos or store even more data. A Blu-Ray disk can hold a whopping 25 GB in a single layer and 50 GB if the disk is dual layered. HD-DVD disks can hold up to 15 GB of data but I really do not see many systems or people using this format.

Wireless Network Card

If your computer has a wireless card you will be able to access the Internet without a wire connecting you to a router/modem. Wireless cards are rated by their speed.
The lowest speed starts from A and goes up through N. You will want to buy a computer with a 802.11G or 802.11N wireless connection. 802.11g can see speeds of up to 54 Mbit/s. And with 802.11n the newest iteration of wireless we can achieve 600 Mbit/s. I am using a 802.11n router personally but most of my equipment and peripherals use 802.11g. I find this to be fine for streaming video or audio and transferring files over my home network. But if you are constantly transferring huge files or folders you might want to jump right into the 802.11n game.

Network Card

Your computer should have an Ethernet port on it. This port will allow you to physically connect to the internet or your internal network by plugging it into your router / modem.
Normally any machine you will buy now has a Gigabit connection. Gigabit is represented as 100/1000 and there are also 10/100 connections. That number is how many megabits you can transfer per second.

Operating System

This is the software that makes your computer go. You can buy a computer with the Windows 7 or 8 any flavor of Ubuntu Linux as well. Windows 8 is good for touch screen pc. You can choose windows 7. Different versions are home premium, home basic, professional, Ultimate. I am using windows 7 ultimate.
You can also buy a computer without an operating system to install it yourself. This is the key part of your system as well as normally the most expensive. But, if you choose Ubuntu or another flavor of Linux then your operating system is free.

Hard Drive

This is where you will store all your files whether it be music, movies or word documents. You will need a hard drive to store them on.
Seagate and WD (Western Digitals) are most famous companies and are good.
Hard drives are rated by size and speed. These are available in two different speed, that is 7200RPM and 5400 RPM. More the speed of HDD you can access fast.
If you need more space you should get a bigger drive or you can buy a portable USB hard drive to attach to your computer. Normally 500GB is used maximum 1TB is used..

Video Card

 

This is the part of your computer that allows you to show what you are doing. Without a video card you would not be able to see what you are doing on your monitor. Normally it is already built-in in mother board. 
Different video cards have different abilities like the option to use multiple monitors, have a HDMI output or even the ability to watch HD movies on your computer. This has never been important to me and I always take whatever is available. Some examples of good video card brands are MSI, XFX, Asus, Gigabyte.
Your video card does have to connect to your monitor so make sure they have a VGA, DVI or HDMI port in common.
There are also computer components like the monitor, keyboard and mouse but we’re pretty sure that you’re familiar with those basic computer terms.
Now, you have a basic knowledge of what you are looking for start shopping around. The best deals are found online.

Monitor

There are three types of monitor namely CRT, LCD and LED. But CRT(cathode ray tube) monitors are disappearing in markets. LCD and LED are all same but only change in backlight. In LCD Florescent lamps are used, but in LED it is done by LED lamps. LED monitor is most preferable because it has more moving angle. 

 The next thing to select is aspect ratio. Monitors are available in 16:9  and 4:3 . The old monitors have aspect ratio 4:3.  But the HD videos are in 16:9 ratio. So 16:9 ratio is preferable.   

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RAM (Random-access memory)

Random-access memory

Random-access memory (RAM /ræm/) is a form of computer data storage. A random-access device allows stored data to be accessed directly in any random order. In contrast, other data storage media such as hard disks, CDs, DVDs and magnetic tape, as well as early primary memory types such as drum memory, read and write data only in a predetermined order, consecutively, because of mechanical design limitations.

Therefore, the time to access a given data location varies significantly depending on its physical location.
Today, random-access memory takes the form of integrated circuits. Strictly speaking, modern types of DRAM are not random access, as data is read in bursts, although the name DRAM / RAM has stuck.

 However, many types of SRAM, ROM, OTP, and NOR flash are still random access even in a strict sense. RAM is normally associated with volatile types of memory (such as DRAM memory modules), where its stored information is lost if the power is removed. Many other types of non-volatile memory are RAM as well, including most types of ROM and a type of flash memory called NOR-Flash. The first RAM modules to come into the market were created in 1951 and were sold until the late 1960s and early 1970s.

History

Early computers used relays, or delay lines for "main" memory functions. Ultrasonic delay lines could only reproduce data in the order it was written. Drum memory could be expanded at low cost but retrieval of non-sequential memory items required knowledge of the physical layout of the drum to optimize speed. Latches built out of vacuum tube triodes, and later, out of discrete transistors, were used for smaller and faster memories such as random-access register banks and registers. Such registers were relatively large, power-hungry and too costly to use for large amounts of data; generally only a few hundred or few thousand bits of such memory could be provided.

Magnetic core memory was the standard form of memory system until displaced by solid-state memory in integrated circuits, starting in the early 1970s. Robert H. Dennard invented dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) in 1968; this allowed replacement of a 4 or 6-transistor latch circuit by a single transistor for each memory bit, greatly increasing memory density at the cost of volatility. Data was stored in the tiny capacitance of each transistor, and had to be periodically refreshed in a few milliseconds before the charge could leak away.
Prior to the development of integrated read-only memory (ROM) circuits, permanent (or read-only) random-access memory was often constructed using diode matrices driven by address decoders, or specially wound core rope memory planes.

Types of RAM

The three main forms of modern RAM are static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM) and phase-change memory (PRAM). In SRAM, a bit of data is stored using the state of a flip-flop. This form of RAM is more expensive to produce, but is generally faster and requires less power than DRAM and, in modern computers, is often used as cache memory for the CPU. DRAM stores a bit of data using a transistor and capacitor pair, which together comprise a memory cell. The capacitor holds a high or low charge (1 or 0, respectively), and the transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuitry on the chip read the capacitor's state of charge or change it. As this form of memory is less expensive to produce than static RAM, it is the predominant form of computer memory used in modern computers.

Both static and dynamic RAM are considered volatile, as their state is lost or reset when power is removed from the system. By contrast, read-only memory (ROM) stores data by permanently enabling or disabling selected transistors, such that the memory cannot be altered. Writeable variants of ROM (such as EEPROM and flash memory) share properties of both ROM and RAM, enabling data to persist without power and to be updated without requiring special equipment. These persistent forms of semiconductor ROM include USB flash drives, memory cards for cameras and portable devices, etc. ECC memory (which can be either SRAM or DRAM) includes special circuitry to detect and/or correct random faults (memory errors) in the stored data, using parity bits or error correction code.

In general, the term RAM refers solely to solid-state memory devices (either DRAM or SRAM), and more specifically the main memory in most computers. In optical storage, the term DVD-RAM is somewhat of a misnomer since, unlike CD-RW or DVD-RW it does not need to be erased before reuse. Nevertheless a DVD-RAM behaves much like a hard disc drive if somewhat slower.

Memory hierarchy

Main article: Memory hierarchy

One can read and over-write data in RAM. Many computer systems have a memory hierarchy consisting of CPU registers, on-die SRAM caches, external caches, DRAM, paging systems and virtual memory or swap space on a hard drive. This entire pool of memory may be referred to as "RAM" by many developers, even though the various subsystems can have very different access times, violating the original concept behind the random access term in RAM. Even within a hierarchy level such as DRAM, the specific row, column, bank, rank, channel, or interleave organization of the components make the access time variable, although not to the extent that rotating storage media or a tape is variable. The overall goal of using a memory hierarchy is to obtain the higher possible average access performance while minimizing the total cost of the entire memory system (generally, the memory hierarchy follows the access time with the fast CPU registers at the top and the slow hard drive at the bottom).

In many modern personal computers, the RAM comes in an easily upgraded form of modules called memory modules or DRAM modules about the size of a few sticks of chewing gum. These can quickly be replaced should they become damaged or when changing needs demand more storage capacity. As suggested above, smaller amounts of RAM (mostly SRAM) are also integrated in the CPU and other ICs on the motherboard, as well as in hard-drives, CD-ROMs, and several other parts of the computer system.

Other uses of RAM

In addition to serving as temporary storage and working space for the operating system and applications, RAM is used in numerous other ways.

Virtual memory

Main article: virtual memory

Most modern operating systems employ a method of extending RAM capacity, known as "virtual memory". A portion of the computer's hard drive is set aside for a paging file or a scratch partition, and the combination of physical RAM and the paging file form the system's total memory. (For example, if a computer has 2 GB of RAM and a 1 GB page file, the operating system has 3 GB total memory available to it.) When the system runs low on physical memory, it can "swap" portions of RAM to the paging file to make room for new data, as well as to read previously swapped information back into RAM. Excessive use of this mechanism results in thrashing and generally hampers overall system performance, mainly because hard drives are far slower than RAM.

RAM disk

Software can "partition" a portion of a computer's RAM, allowing it to act as a much faster hard drive that is called a RAM disk. A RAM disk loses the stored data when the computer is shut down, unless memory is arranged to have a standby battery source.

Shadow RAM

Sometimes, the contents of a relatively slow ROM chip are copied to read/write memory to allow for shorter access times. The ROM chip is then disabled while the initialized memory locations are switched in on the same block of addresses (often write-protected). This process, sometimes called shadowing, is fairly common in both computers and embedded systems.

As a common example, the BIOS in typical personal computers often has an option called “use shadow BIOS” or similar. When enabled, functions relying on data from the BIOS’s ROM will instead use DRAM locations (most can also toggle shadowing of video card ROM or other ROM sections). Depending on the system, this may not result in increased performance, and may cause incompatibilities. For example, some hardware may be inaccessible to the operating system if shadow RAM is used. On some systems the benefit may be hypothetical because the BIOS is not used after booting in favor of direct hardware access. Free memory is reduced by the size of the shadowed ROMs.

Recent developments

Several new types of non-volatile RAM, which will preserve data while powered down, are under development. The technologies used include carbon nanotubes and approaches utilizing the magnetic tunnel effect. Amongst the 1st generation MRAM, a 128 KiB (128 × 2¹⁰ bytes) magnetic RAM (MRAM) chip was manufactured with 0.18 µm technology in the summer of 2003. In June 2004, Infineon Technologies unveiled a 16 MiB (16 × 2²⁰ bytes) prototype again based on 0.18 µm technology. There are two 2nd generation techniques currently in development: Thermal Assisted Switching (TAS) which is being developed by Crocus Technology, and Spin Torque Transfer (STT) on which Crocus, Hynix, IBM, and several other companies are working. Nantero built a functioning carbon nanotube memory prototype 10 GiB (10 × 2³⁰ bytes) array in 2004. Whether some of these technologies will be able to eventually take a significant market share from either DRAM, SRAM, or flash-memory technology, however, remains to be seen.

Since 2006, "solid-state drives" (based on flash memory) with capacities exceeding 256 gigabytes and performance far exceeding traditional disks have become available. This development has started to blur the definition between traditional random-access memory and "disks", dramatically reducing the difference in performance.

Some kinds of random-access memory, such as "EcoRAM", are specifically designed for server farms, where low power consumption is more important than speed.

Memory wall

The "memory wall" is the growing disparity of speed between CPU and memory outside the CPU chip. An important reason for this disparity is the limited communication bandwidth beyond chip boundaries. From 1986 to 2000, CPU speed improved at an annual rate of 55% while memory speed only improved at 10%. Given these trends, it was expected that memory latency would become an overwhelming bottleneck in computer performance.
CPU speed improvements slowed significantly partly due to major physical barriers and partly because current CPU designs have already hit the memory wall in some sense. Intel summarized these causes in a 2005 document.

“First of all, as chip geometries shrink and clock frequencies rise, the transistor leakage current increases, leading to excess power consumption and heat... Secondly, the advantages of higher clock speeds are in part negated by memory latency, since memory access times have not been able to keep pace with increasing clock frequencies. Third, for certain applications, traditional serial architectures are becoming less efficient as processors get faster (due to the so-called Von Neumann bottleneck), further undercutting any gains that frequency increases might otherwise buy. In addition, partly due to limitations in the means of producing inductance within solid state devices, resistance-capacitance (RC) delays in signal transmission are growing as feature sizes shrink, imposing an additional bottleneck that frequency increases don't address.”

The RC delays in signal transmission were also noted in Clock Rate versus IPC: The End of the Road for Conventional Microarchitectures which projects a maximum of 12.5% average annual CPU performance improvement between 2000 and 2014. The data on Intel Processors clearly shows a slowdown in performance improvements in recent processors. However, Intel's Core 2 Duo processors (codenamed Conroe) showed a significant improvement over previous Pentium 4 processors; due to a more efficient architecture, performance increased while clock rate actually decreased.

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avast! security

avast! revolutionizes home security

avast! Free Antivirus is an antivirus that needs no introduction. Praised by many users for protecting their PCs, avast! software offers comprehensive security in a way that's efficient and easy to handle, all backed up by a brand that you can trust.

Everything you need for safeguarding your PC

avast! Free Antivirus provides real-time protection for your computer. It constantly updates its database of virus definitions to ensure you get maximum protection against viruses and spyware. Five different types of scans are available. You’ll get a rapid, meticulous scan which will target removable media and files that you choose, as well as launching a scan when you boot up your computer. The software is also able to scan rootkits at system startup.

avast! Free Antivirus also offers a selection of tools to help you perform various tasks: there's a tool for updating the software on your computer; a tool for cleaning your browser (mainly of toolbars and unwanted extensions); a tool that lets you use it via remote control (to control your PC or your mobile devices remotely and troubleshoot a friend’s computer); and or a tool for creating rescue disks.

A new interface and improved performance

For the 2014 version, avast! Free Antivirus completely revised its installation process (the size of the installation file has also been halved). This ensures quicker, easier and more secure operation.
avast! Free Antivirus has undergone a complete redesign of its interface, resulting in the most important changes since version 5.0: it’s now much clearer and allows easy access to various features and settings from a sidebar. The home page is now customizable and lets you add up to four shortcuts to quickly access the tools you use most often (scan, clean your browser, etc.).

With avast! Free Antivirus 2014, an optimized scan engine means scans are faster. Scanning EXE files is twice as fast, while scans of text content (web pages and scripts) is up to 10 times faster.

The memory usage of avast! Free Antivirus 2014 has been optimized. The software will only load modules in use, thereby reducing the amount of memory used by avast! and leaving more free memory for other, unrelated tasks.

A first rate free antivirus

With a great new interface, enhanced protection and advanced settings, avast! Free Antivirus should be your first choice if you're looking for a free and reliable antivirus.

avast! Free Antivirus 2014's new features

• New interface 
• Improvements to the installation process 
• Performance enhancements (reduction of installation packages, quicker scanning of files, optimized memory usage) 
• New plugins for browsers 
• DeepScreen: technology that allows avast! to make better decisions in real time when an unknown file is executed 
• Hard mode: intended for inexperienced users to lock down their computer more securely 
• Continuous system update improvements 
• Improved malware cleaning 
• Uses enhanced memory

Pros

• 5 protection shields
• New installer and interface
• Remote help feature
• Windows8 compatible
• Second line installation option
• Much better resource consumption

Cons

• Nothing so far

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TuneUp Utilities 2013

TuneUp Utilities 2013

TuneUp Utilities 2013 is a PC analysis and optimization tool that is a great way to help speed up your lagging PC. It has 1-click maintenance options, as well as a variety of different features to ensure your PC is running its best. These include methods to optimize your system during startup, clean broken keys in the Windows Registry, restore accidentally deleted files, and check your hard drive for errors, to name just a few.






TuneUp Utilities 2013 is an optimization application that has become an essential part of PC maintenance programs.

Overview

If you’ve had your PC for awhile, it’s not uncommon for it to get slower over time. Part of this has to do with accumulated clutter. You’ll want to use an application that optimizes your computer to get it back up to speed. TuneUp Utilities 2013 is a good option. The program helps remove browser traces and other file clutter to ensure your PC is running its quickest.

New features for 2013

TuneUp Utilities 2013 comes loaded with a bunch of great features. Here are some of the highlights of what you can expect to get from this useful optimization app:

• New: TuneUp Disk Cleaner 2013 - Your computer collects a lot of data clutter on a daily basis, which clogs your hard drive and can ultimately lead to system crashes and privacy breeches. Disk Cleaner 2013 scrubs a variety of different PC files, like chat logs, history lists, and even cached files from more than 150 popular programs.
• New: TuneUp Browser Cleaner 2013 - This feature can clean various traces such as Flash cookies out of your browsers to help protect your privacy. Browser Cleaner is compatible with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and Firefox.
• New: TuneUp Live Optimization 2.0 - Programs that run in the background when not in use can eat up RAM and slow down your computer. Live Optimization 2.0 can set resource-heavy programs that aren't currently in use on "standby" with one click. In the same vein, you can create exceptions for programs you want to keep running.
• Enhanced: TuneUp Registry Cleaner - Registry Cleaner is a simple and easy to use tool that scans and cleans areas in your registry to help prevent clutter.
• Enhanced: TuneUp Shortcut Cleaner - This feature has been enhanced to clean orphaned shortcuts, defective Windows history lists, and other programs on your hard drive.

The newest version of this app also supports Windows 8.

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          From Tuneup.com

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