That New Computer Smell
If you are like most
people when they go out and buy a new Personal Computer you probably get
excited when you take it out of the box, turn it on and marvel at how fast it
runs. When a computer is new it always seems to run faster and boot up quicker
than your old computer. The applications and games seem to run without any slow
down and when you get on the internet the pages load instantly on the screen,
and you can quickly surf from one website to another. Overtime though, your
computer can slow down and not run as quickly as it did when it was new.
This slow down can occur
for a variety of reasons and when it happens it can be frustrating and spoil
your computing experience. Often times when this happens it can be corrected by
either cleaning up your hard drive, or running some diagnostics. Perhaps the
computer has a virus and once you remove the virus, performance can be
restored. What do you do though if you have done all those things and your
computer is still running slow?
If your computer is
running slow even after you have removed any viruses and attempted to improve
system performance, it could mean that the demands you are now placing on your
computer have exceeded the computer's capability.
As we use our computers
we tend to install new software applications and attempt to run more
applications simultaneously. The new software we install can require greater
computer resources such as more computer memory and a faster CPU, or central
processing unit to run the software applications or games properly.
If you are like me you
like to have multiple software applications running or multiple internet
browser windows open at the same time and that can utilize greater amounts of
computer resources as well. The more resources you use, the slower the computer
will run.
This is a constant
problem in computing because computer technology doubles roughly every 18
months. In a demand for more feature rich software applications, software
developers create more resource consuming software programs. To meet the
increased demands of the software, computer manufacturers continue to build
faster, more expensive computers. This, in my opinion, is a vicious cycle where
in order to maintain a fast and enjoyable computing experience, the computer
user is forced to go out and buy a new computer every few years.
Fortunately for me I
have never had to worry about that problem. I am a certified computer
professional and have been building and repairing computers for over 15 years.
When I want a faster computer I do not go out and buy a new expensive computer.
I have learned how to break the new computer buying cycle by upgrading my
computer. By upgrading my computer rather than buying new, I can simply make
myself a faster computer at a fraction of the cost.
You can break the
computer buying cycle too and you do not have to be a computer professional
like me to do it. You only need to know a few things about computers, be handy
with a screw driver and be able to follow a few simple instructions; but before
you begin to think about upgrading your computer, it might be important to get
a brief overview on how a computer works.
Computer Basics
Computers are made up of
a combination of hardware and software working together. When you aren't
familiar with how a computer functions then they can seem very complex. You can
reduce that complexity, once you understand how a computer works at a basic
level.
At its most basic level
a computer receives input and produces output. A computer receives input
through input devices such as the keyboard and mouse (hardware). Every time we
click the mouse on a link or move the mouse across the screen we are giving the
computer input or an instruction to do something.
The computer receives
the input as an electronic signal created by the mouse click or keystroke on
the keyboard. This signal is transmitted through the computer and is converted
into digital data where it can be interpreted as an instruction by the
operating system, software application or game.(software)
The computer processes
digital instruction data and produces output as either an image or words on the
computer screen or perhaps as a printout on a printer.
What makes a computer
fast is its ability to receive input, and produce output quickly. There are
several components a computer needs in order to function but there are three
primary components that directly affect how fast a computer can operate.
The three primary
computer components which handle the processing of input and make a computer
fast are the:
- Motherboard
or Main System board
- CPU or Central Processing Unit
- RAM or Random Access Memory
The Motherboard
Without getting too
technical, the Motherboard is the computer component that connects all the
hardware together on the computer. You could think of the Motherboard as a data
freeway that links together all the components of the computer and allows them
to transmit data between each other and and communicate.
Every computer component
on the computer connects to the Motherboard either by being connected directly
to the Motherboard or connecting via a data cable. The devices or components
that connect to the Motherboard are the CPU, RAM Memory, Hard Drive, CD ROM/DVD
drive, Video Card, Sound Card, Network Card, Modem, Key Board, Mouse and
Monitor.
There are additional
peripheral devices which can connect to the Motherboard as well through a
variety of data ports which are connected to the Motherboard such as a printer,
digital camera, microphone, and even a HDTV. These devices can connect to the Motherboard
using one of several ports such as a USB, Parallel, Fire-Wire, SATA
(Serial-ATA), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) port.