PC UpgradePC Repair and Troubleshooting

PC Upgrade Replacing the old with new version for

improvement What do you need?

o Hardware Upgrade or Software Upgrade Are you willing to pay? Is it worth it?

o Upgrade or Buy a new one Risks?

o Compatibilityo Breakageo Undesired Resulto Bugo Improper Function

Hardware Upgrades CPU & RAM Motherboard Display Hard Disk CD Rom Drive

CPU and RAM Upgrade

CPU Ability to execute

many instructions at a quick rate

Instruction requires many memory reference

The processor is idle while the memory is working

RAM Remembers what you

write Availability for reading Huge Capacity, Good

Speed The memory is idle

while the processor is working

Cache Memory Memory inside the processor chip Fast enough to keep up with the processor Faster access but Smaller capacity Copy of recently used instructions

o L1 Cache – very frequently usedo L2 Cache – less recently used

Reduce demand of RAM

Choosing a CPU and RAM

CPU Socket compatibility

o Intel or AMD Motherboard

Capabilityo CPU speed depends on

chipset

RAM Memory Differences

o Voltageo Capacityo Number of pins

Socket Compatibility Motherboard

Capabilityo RAM speed depends on

chipseto Capacity of RAM

allowed

Motherboard Upgrade Proprietary of PC

o Notebooks, Laptops, Models with big brand names Upgrade of motherboard is unnecessary

o Only upgrade if it can’t support the CPU and RAM Core of Computer

o Bus, Memory and Processor = Balancedo Choke Point

• slow component will slow down the entire system• fast component can’t deliver its max capability

Choosing a Motherboard

Processor and FSB speedo FSB connects CPU to RAM ; Faster CPU need faster RAM accesso Motherboard Limits FSB max speed and determines design

Amount type and Memory Configurationo Limited DIMMo Faster CPU benefits from motherboards supporting multiple

memory channels and faster memory technologies Adapter Card Bus Type

o PCI Slots and AGP Slot Internal I/O Ports

o IDE or SATA options External I/O Ports

o USB, Audio, Ethernet Options

Display Upgrade Video Upgrade

o Video images are arrays of dots (pixels) output by the motherboard

o Higher resolution – closer dot spacing – more pixels – more work Monitor Upgrade

o CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)• cheaper to produce and offered viewing angles close to 180 degrees• superior contrast, superior response time, are able to use multiple

screen resolutions natively, refresh rate can be set.o LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)

• consume less power, take up much less space, and are considerably lighter

• less flickering than CRTs, which reduces eye straino LED (Light Emitting Diode)

• provide higher contrast and better viewing angles than LCDs

Choosing Video Card What do you want? Manufacturer (ATI , NVIDIA)

Choosing a Monitor Luminance - describes the amount of light that passes

through or is emitted from a particular area, and falls within a given solid angle.

Aspect Ratio - the ratio of the width of the image to its height

Viewable Image Size - actual amount of screen space that is available for display without obstruction from the case

Display Resolution - number of distinct pixels in each dimension

Dot Pitch - distance between sub-pixels of the same color in millimeters. smaller the dot pitch = sharper the picture

Refresh rate - number of times in a second that a display is illuminated

Response time - time a pixel in a monitor takes to go from active to inactive. Lower numbers mean faster transitions

Contrast ratio - ratio of the brightest color to that of the darkest color that the monitor is capable of producing

Power Consumption – electrical energy needed to operate

Viewing Angle - max angle at which images on the monitor can be viewed, without excessive degradation to the image

HD and CD Drives Upgrade

HD Upgrade Why upgrade if you

can add one? Space on case Software for copying

files

CDR Upgrade How often do you use

your CDR? CDR – DVDR Read and Write

Upgrade for business purposes

Software Upgrade Do I need an update or upgrade?

o Software Update• provides bug fixes and minor software enhancements and

is made available by free download.• A software update is sometimes called a software patch

because it is applied over software that you already have installed.

• A software update does not provide a full software package installation.

o Software Upgrade• purchase of a newer version of software you currently use

of a more fully-featured version of your current software.

Is my current version no longer supported?o As software manufacturers release new software, they

no longer support the older versions. o Most software companies support the most recent

version and two old versions. o To check if your version is supported, you can go to the

software maker's website and check the support area. o When your software is no longer supported, it may be

hard to get answers to questions you have and this can lead to possible delays and frustration if you run into a problem with the software.

Does the new version have some features that will make my work more efficient? o Almost every software release includes a slew of new

features designed to make work more efficient or easier. o Examine the list of new or changed features to see if any

will really benefit me. o Most people never use more than 10-20% of the

features of a software package, so new features in that unused 80% are of less interest.

Has the software been out long enough to detect any significant problems?o Wait 6-12 months after a major new software version is

released before upgrading. o In the first few months, the software company finds bugs

that they didn't find when testing it and they prepare a service release or minor upgrade to fix those problems.

o This reduces the risk of upgrading and running into significant problems.

Will I run into file format compatibility issues?o If a software application has changed the file format that

the information is saved in, the new files may not be compatible with the old version of the software.

o This can cause problems when sharing files with colleagues or partners.

o If the file format has changed, wait longer to upgrade in order to ensure that most of the people you will share files with have upgraded to reduce the risk of running into file compatibility problems