! Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Your PC, Inside and Out Written by Gavin Philips Published August 2017. Read the original article here: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/ download_your_pc_inside_and_out_part_1/ This ebook is the intellectual property of MakeUseOf. It must only be published in its original form. Using parts or republishing altered parts of this ebook is prohibited without permission from MakeUseOf.com. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Table of contents 1. Your PC: Inside and Out 6 2. The Case 6 2.1 Layout 6 2.2 Airflow 7 2.3 Noise Insulation 8 2.4 Your New Case Buying Guide 9 Size and Form Factors 9 Expansion Bays 12 Material 13 Brands 14 3. Motherboard 14 3.1 Motherboard Sizes 14 ATX 15 Micro-ATX 15 Mini-ITX 15 3.2 Chipsets 16 Who Makes the Chipset? 17 Parts of the Chipset 17 3.3 Motherboard Features 18 CPU Socket 18 RAM Slot 18 Power Sockets 19 PCI and PCIe 20 Connectors 21 Other Motherboard Features 22 3.4 The I/O Panel 23 PS/2 Connectors 23 USB Ports 24 Ethernet Port 24 eSATA 24 Video Connectors 25 Audio Connectors 25 3.5 Motherboard Brands 27 4. Power Supply Unit (PSU) 28 4.1 Power Supply Unit Varieties 28 Non-Modular 28 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Modular 29 Semi-Modular 29 4.2 Power Rating 29 Checking Your Power Requirements 30 4.3 Efficiency 32 4.4 Connectors 34 Molex 34 24 Pin — Motherboard 34 4+4 Pin — CPU 35 SATA 36 PCIe (6+2 Pin) 37 4.5 The Dangers of Cheap Unbranded Power Supplies 37 4.6 Brands 38 5. Central Processing Unit (CPU) 38 5.1 Clock Speed 40 5.2 Multiple Cores 40 Multiprocessing 41 Cache 42 5.3 AMD vs. Intel 42 5.4 CPU Heatsinks 44 Liquid Cooling 45 6. RAM 46 6.1 How Much RAM Do You Need? 47 6.2 RAM Sizes 47 6.3 RAM Speed 49 Voltage 49 6.4 Brands 50 7. Storage Devices 50 7.1 Hard Disk Drive 50 Brands 52 7.2 Solid State Drive 52 Worth the Money? 54 Brands 55 7.3 What Numbers to Look Out For? 55 Capacity 55 Cache 56 RPM 56 Physical Size 56 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Write Cycles 56 7.4 Optical Drives 56 Brands 57 8. Graphics Cards 58 8.1 Video Connectors 58 HDMI 59 DisplayPort/Mini DisplayPort 59 DVI 60 VGA 61 8.2 PCIe Connector 61 AGP 62 8.3 IGP vs. Discrete Graphics 62 8.4 AMD vs Nvidia 63 Cryptocurrency 65 8.5 Multiple GPUs 66 8.6 What Numbers are Important? 66 VRAM 66 GPU Model 67 8.6 Brands 69 9. Expansion Cards 69 9.1 Network 69 Ethernet 70 Wireless 70 9.2 Sound Card 71 9.3 Extra I/O 71 9.4 Storage Controllers 72 9.5 Diagnostics 72 10. Upgrading Your Computer 72 Simple Upgrades 72 Advanced Upgrades 73 Expert Upgrades 73 Other Upgrades 73 10.1 Building Your Own 74 11. Your Final Destination 75 Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Your computer is essential to your life. And you want to know more about its inner workings — that’s why you’re here. Computers are now central to almost every facet of every job, organization, business, charity, and family around the world. Understanding how a computer works, then, is incredibly important, for several reasons — and you don’t have to be an expert or a buff to make sense of it all. 1. Your PC: Inside and Out No matter your expertise with computers, there is always something new to learn. Computers, and their components, are multifaceted machines. The technology and hardware inside them is constantly under development, and minute details can change. But some things remain constant: CPUs, RAM, GPUs, PSUs, motherboards, HDDs, SSDs, cases, and more. While their technical specs change, their function remains the same. In this guide, we’re going to set out exactly what each component does, why it does it, and why that is important. 2. The Case The most obvious place to start is the case. As the skeleton of the computer, many people think of it as nothing more than something to bolt the other components to for protection. However, the case is vital for airflow and noise insulation, as well as keeping dust out of your expensive parts. 2.1 Layout The layout of your case is actually quite important, although it is largely standardized. Perhaps the most widely-used case layout is the following: Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Indeed, most budget cases use this design, and for good reason: it is a conventional, solid design that works well for a basic computer. However, mid-range, high-end, and self-built PCs will significantly differ. For instance, you’ll find the power supply below the motherboard to offer increased stability and airflow. Unused hard drive cages might be removed, and the 5.25″ bays might be completely removed if there is no relevant drive (some modern or self-built PCs have no optical drive — mine doesn’t!). 2.2 Airflow So, if a case isn’t just for anchoring your hardware to, what is it for? Airflow is one thing. In fact, it is one of the most important performance factors of a case. Your PC components can get very hot, causing them to degrade faster. Good airflow can keep them cool, increasing their reliability and lifespan Many cases come with one or two integrated fans. Some cases will have additional mounting holes, allowing you to add extra fans. The most common fan size is 140mm, followed by 120mm. 80mm fans are commonly found on smaller cases used for compact builds. Fans also come in 92mm, 60mm, and 40mm variants, but these are not as common. Case airflow is big business and, as such, there are three main airflow models: 1. Negative Pressure: when the exhaust exceeds the intake, a negative pressure gradient is created, effectively sucking the hot air from the case 2. Equalized Airflow: the exhaust and intake are of equal strength, creating a “wind tunnel” of sorts to remove hot air 3. Positive Pressure: when the intake exceeds the exhaust, a positive pressure gradient is created, expelling hot air from the case 4. Numerous fans are an assured method for keeping your system cool — but there is a significant trade off: noise. There are three main solutions to reduce noisy fans: 5. Isolation. Isolating fans from the case prevents noise-creating vibrations passing to the case. This doesn’t make the physical fan quieter, but reduces overall noise. Mid and high- end cases provide rubber grommets for this purpose. 6. Upgrade. Cheap fans creating noise? Upgrade to a better fan that uses ball or fluid bearings, rather than cheap sleeve bearings. They’ll last much longer, too. 7. Alternative. Buy a case with larger fans to begin with (hindsight is great!). They generate the same throughput (Cubic Feet per Minute — CFM), while spinning less (RPM). There is a litany of information available over at silentpcreview.com, covering everything to keep your system as quiet as possible. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! 2.3 Noise Insulation Silent fans decrease your noise footprint. But they’re not the only piece of hardware generating noise. Your CPU heatsink fan will be spinning constantly. A high-end GPU can come with three fans. As such, the case itself is a primary noise reducer. The most common noise reduction technique for all hardware is the same as for noisy fans: isolation. Isolating vibrating parts with silicon or rubber can drastically reduce noise transition. Better yet, it is usually a cheap fix, too. Noise cancelling PC case technology hasn’t actually progressed that far. When we explored how to keep your computer quiet way back in 2012, the common solutions were: • Reduce your computer fan speed • Remove or replace fans • Use sound dampening • Seal up your case And in 2017, that advice remains the same. Some cases come with integrated features, such as a noise reduction panel, as pictured below. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! The foam-like material “absorbs” sound, making things quieter. This type of noise insulation isn’t without issue though. For starters, it needs an extremely well-sealed case, which can in turn adversely affect thermal performance (trapping too much heat). Secondly, they can be a conduit for dust — further exacerbating heat issues. 2.4 Your New Case Buying Guide Cases have additional features to consider before purchasing. We’ll go through them now in a handy buying guide. Whether you’re upgrading or starting your first self-build, we’ll set you on the right path. Size and Form Factors Cases are generally referred to by the motherboard size form factor they can host. You’ll likely encounter three “main” sizes: Mini-ITX: Mini-ITX maximum size is 170mm x 170mm. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Micro-ATX: Micro-ATX maximum size is 244mm x 244mm. Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! ATX: ATX maximum size is 305mm x 244mm (though some companies stretch this to 305mm x 254mm). Copyright © 2017 MakeUseOf. All Rights Reserved ®. ! Along with motherboard size form factor, cases themselves come in different shapes: • SFF: Small Form Factor cases encompass a variety of compact cases • Desktop: has morphed into a generic term, but actually refers to a horizontal design-case, sometimes with the intent of placing a monitor on top. • Mini, Mid, and Full Tower: these represent conventional vertical towers, and relate to the motherboard size.