Personal Computing For Dumbasses
and Business majors. Oh wait...
Processors [CPUs]
The Central Processing Unit is the ringmaster. It runs the whole show. When you pull out Windows Calculator to punch in "2+2", the CPU is using complex algorithms to display "4" on the little calculator screen. It sends instructions to any and every component in your computer. For you psychology majors, its equivalent to the thalamus.
The days when Intel and AMD fought to prove who's dick was bigger by measuring mega-[mhz] and gigahertz [ghz] are long over, now everyone focusing on "model numbers." This, in fact, is marketing garbage to confuse the fuck out of everyone even more, and to cover up the fact that CPUs are not going to run past 3.4ghz for a LONG time. "Why?" you ask, because you can only fit so many nano-midgets into each processor package/sweatshop without attracting the attention of PETA, PTA, and ATB. Not to mention the ATV that almost gave mercy to Ozzy Osbourne.
WTF is your point? When looking at CPU specs, don't get fooled by the ghz, there's more than meets the eye. First, ask your salesperson what the entry level, and mainstream processors are. I would suggest a mainstream processor for just about anyone, except the very few of you that only use the computer for e-mail. Believe me, you'll need it.
CPU specs that matter to YOU:
Here's a little story for you that I hope will clear up the three most important aspects of a CPU. You have about 8lbs. of weed on your kitchen table. Not ordinary swag, we're talking about 8 pounds of honest-to-Bob Chronic. This shit is unparalleled by your competitors, so someone snitches on you. Now you got the pigs on your ass, but the weed is still on your table. Its time to take some action.
Speed; The speed of the processor is what determines how fast a task can be done. Such as packing eight 1lb. packages of Chron. Let's pretend that a 1.2Ghz processor can prepare a package in 5 minutes, whereas a 2.4Ghz can do it in 3 minutes. Not a big deal, huh? Well, when you have eight packages to make, you are saving a total of 16 minutes. Something you will need while getting away from the law!
Cache [pronounce "CA$H"]; You can think of this as little hands for a processor. Whereas a processor with 128K of cache [Intel Celeron, AMD Duron] has one hand to hold files up for reading, a processor with 512K [some Intel Pentium 4s and some AMD Athlon 64s] has four hands. So that means that the P4 and the A64 can have 4x as many files at hand than the Celeron and Duron.
Why is that important? Let's take a look at our little drug smuggling story. To make a package, you need to 1) weigh the weed, 2) cut the Saran wrap, 3) pack it tightly, and 4) seal it. Each one of these tasks is a one hand operation. So lets see, I said the Celeron only has one hand, so it can only do one task at a time. An Athlon on the other hand [no pun intended] has 4 hands. So it can do all 4 tasks at the same time. For the sake of simplicity, we'll assume that you can weigh, cut, pack, and seal the packages all at the same time, so its not sequential. Although your arm can move really fast, its still just one arm. So even if the Athlon was slower in moving its arms, since it has four of them, it'll still be faster than you.
Front Side Bus [FSB]; The Front Side Bus is the speed at which the processor communicates with other components. Current FSB speeds range from 400Mhz to 1066Mhz Even if your processor can process all kinds of shit in a second, if it can't give those results to the components that need them, it doesn't mean jack shit. Allow me to explain.
Okay, so you've finished making your pound bags, now its time to stash them in the trunk of your Impala. So you can pack a pound of weed in under 2 minutes, but you only have one leg. Oops.
So now, why would I recommend a mainstream processor to most people as opposed to an entry-level one? When shopping for a computer, if the salesperson asks what the computer is for, all you say is "school stuff." In reality, you want to be able to make illegal copies of movie DVDs, music CDs, rip MP3s, play Doom 3, download porn, all at the same time. Yet that piece of shit Celeron with 128 megabytes of RAM, running Windows XP [which requires at least 256MB] can't handle all that shit, and you complain: "But it's a new computer!" Just because the parts are in new condition, doesn't mean its new technology dumbass. Cheap computers are cheap because you are buying old technology. No it won't play Doom 3. No it won't rip movies in 5 minutes. No it won't give you head when you are feeling lonely. You ask for a computer just for "school stuff," you get a computer just for "school stuff." Typing papers, researching on the web, and printing don't require many resources. Its all that other shit you're trying to do [which has nothing to do with "school stuff"] that would make you shell out more cash.
01. Introduction
02. Processors [CPUs]
03. Motherboards
04. Memory [RAM]
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