By the end of this unit I should be able to...

1) describe different methods of purchasing a computer

2) interpret information in various hardware specifications
3) make informed choices when selecting hardware components
4) purchase compatible components required to build a complete
computer system.

Three Ways to Buy a Desktop Computer System

There are several ways to purchase the computer of your dreams. The method you select
will be determined by your knowledge, time and budget.

Before we look at different purchasing methods, let’s first define what is meant by “Desktop
Computer System”. A basic computer system comprises the following hardware and software.

Base Unit Monitor Keyboard Operating System Applications

& Mouse

Task 1: The changing face of computer systems

For many years consumers had a choice of two types of computer systems,
desktop and laptop, when purchasing a home computer.
Search for company on the Internet that sells computer systems. Using this
retailer’s website, search for different categories (types) of computer system
that can be purchased. Type a report that…
Ÿ names at least three new categories of computer system
Ÿ indicates a price range (cheap model to expensive model) for each
category
Ÿ includes a sample image of each category of computer system.
Add your name in a footer and submit your report to your teacher.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Method 1: Off the Shelf Desktop PC Package
(specification)
The majority of home computer users and businesses Ÿ Genuine Windows 7
Home Premium (64-
bit) for superior digital
will buy a computer system as a single purchase. This entertainment
Ÿ Intel® Celeron® G5
type of purchase will state exactly what comes as 40T processor for out-
standing performance
part of the package (specification). The purchaser Ÿ 4GB memory for top
system performance
has no opportunity to make changes to this list, with & running multiple appli
cations
Ÿ 500GB hard drive for
one exception. storing all of your
digital files
A monitor is often Ÿ Intel HD Graphics
selected separately. Ÿ USB Keyboard and
Mouse
Ÿ DVD writer SATA
DVD RAM
Ÿ 21” Widescreen Mo
nitor

Method 2: Off the Shelf but with Modifications

Increasingly, retailers (particularly on-line sellers) are
offering customers the opportunity to adjust the
specification of their purchase.
Note that the advert has a “Starting Price” of £1049. The
customers can then choose upgrades to the basic system.

Selecting the dearest option from the three

upgrades shown would increase the price of
the Desktop to £3,569.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Task 2: Class competition to design the most expensive Dell Desktop PC
Open a new web page and use a search engine to search for “Dell UK”.
Navigate to the computer systems for sale. Note that retailers constantly
update the look of their sites to attract customers. The Dell pages you find will
probably look different from the example shown below.

This task has three parts:

a) Select a computer system to start with. Ensure that you have added it to
your shopping basket.
b) Adjust the options to upgrade your chosen computer system. Remember that
you are trying to create the most expensive computer system.
c) Look for an option that will allow you to obtain a printed summary of your
choices.

When you have finished, collect a post-it note from your teacher. Write your
name, the name of the PC and your final price on the post-it. Stick your post-it
up at the front of the class.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Method 3: Purchase Every Component Separately and Build it Yourself
This is undoubtedly the most difficult method of purchasing a computer system but building
your own computer isn’t as hard as you might think and can be very rewarding. All it requires
it a bit of knowledge about what to buy and where to put it.

What will you have to buy?

Empty Case (Tower)

Power Unit & Fan

Optical Drive
(Blu-Ray, DVD, CD)

Backing Storage
(Hard Disk Drive)
Motherboard

Graphics Card

Processor
Sound Card Memory (RAM)

By purchasing all of your hardware separately you can often end up with a computer system
that would have cost you substantially more off-the-shelf.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Task 3: Additional Hardware
In addition to the standard devices on page 4 there are many other components
that can be purchased for a desktop PC.
Use the website www.dabs.com to research further components.
E-mail your teacher stating which device (other than those shown on the
previous page) you would choose to buy if you were building a computer system
of your own. Say why you have chosen the device.

Learning to Build Your Own Computer System

As well as being aware of what components to purchase, to build your own computer you
should be aware of the following.

Ÿ As each component will vary vastly in price (a cheap graphics card is

£20 and a really expensive one is £3500), it’s vital to have a good
understanding of the specifications of each component. As computing
hardware constantly develops and improves, you should make sure your
knowledge of components is up-to-date.

Ÿ To ensure the components you buy fit into your tower, or can be
connected to your motherboard, you must also understand the
different types of connection that exist for each component.

The following pages will describe the important information to look for when searching for
each component.

Note, a good understanding of units is very important as they can be used to identify the
differences between two similar devices.

In computing, Speed is measured using Hertz.

Ÿ Kilohertz - KHz (slow)

Ÿ Megahertz - MHz (medium)
Ÿ Gigahertz - GHz (fast)

Storage is measured using bytes.

Gb Tb
Ÿ Kilobytes - Kb (small)
Ÿ Megabytes - Mb (medium)
Ÿ Gigabytes - Gb (large) Kb Mb
Ÿ Terabytes - Tb (very large)

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 The Tower and Power Supply Unit
A typical tower specification is listed below. All specifications are very detailed so you’ll
need to learn to pick out the important facts. These are shown in the diagram below.
1. 11 drive bays: 3 x 5.25" tool-less drive bays / 2 x 2.5" drive
bays (dedicated) / 6 x 3.5" tool-less drive bays

2. Motherboards: Standard ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX

3. Expansion slots: eight

4. Maximum graphics card size: 318 mm (12.5")

5. Maximum CPU cooler height: 170 mm (6.7")

6. Cooling System: 1 x 120 mm rear TwoCool™ fan / 1 x 140 mm

top TwoCool™ fan / 2 x 120 mm front intake fans (optional)
/ 1 x 120 mm side intake fan (optional) / 1 x 120 mm side
exhaust fan behind motherboard (optional)

7. Water cooling support: top water cooling grommets

8. Enlarged CPU cutout

9. Front I/O ports: 2 x USB 3.0 with internal motherboard

connector / Audio In/Out

9. Two built in USB ports

are installed at the front.
The expansion slots
6. This tower comes with a could be used to add
built-in fan and the more at the back.
potential to install a
water cooling system (7).

1. Drive bays are where you

3. Expansion slots allow would install DVD drives,
other devices to be hard disk drives etc.
plugged into the back of There are usually 2 sizes:
your tower (speakers, 5.25 inch
network cables etc) 3.5 inch

2. Three types of motherboard can be fitted to this

tower (standard-ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ITX).
Every other component installed in the tower is
plugged into the motherboard.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 A typical power unit specification is listed below. This takes power from a mains plug at
230Volts and converts it to around 12Volts. It will supply the motherboard and other
devices (DVD Drive, Hard Disk Drive etc) with power.
1. Product Description: PULSE 500W PSU 2. The number of Watts
tells you the power limit
2. Wattage: 500W of the supply unit.
3. Size: ATX 12V
3. This tells us that the power
4. Input Range: 230Vac, 10A, 50-60Hz supply unit will power a
5. Connectors: 12Volt, ATX motherboard.
1 x 240 +4 PIN Main,
1 x CPU 4-PIN 12V, 5. The types and number of
2 X SATA, connectors (plugs) are important
as these list the types of devices
that can be powered by the unit.

For example a SATA connector

would supply power to a SATA
4. These numbers simply Hard Disk Drive.
tell us that this works
on a UK mains
electricity supply.

Task 4: Examining a Tower Specification

Look at the tower specification below and answer the questions. E-mail the
answers to your teacher.
Ÿ Dimensions ( W x H x D ): 185 x 420 x 445 mm
Ÿ Material: ABS / Mesh/ 0.6 mm SGCC
Ÿ Colour: Black
Ÿ Side panel(s): TAC 2.0
Ÿ Drive bays: 5.25" x 1 , 3.5"x 1 +6(internal)
Ÿ Expansion slots: 7
Ÿ ATX / Micro ATX
Ÿ I/O ports: 2 x USB 2.0 / 1 x HD Audio / 2 x USB 3.0
Ÿ Fans Front: 2 x 120mm silent fan
Ÿ Weight: 5.78kg

1. How many 5¼ inch bays does this tower have?

2. State the types of motherboard that can be installed in this tower.
3. How many slots are available if the customer wishes to expand the hardware
installed in the tower?
4. How many USB ports come with this tower?
5. If you purchased this tower would you need to buy an additional fan?

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Motherboard
The motherboard is the heart of any computer system. Everything plugs into the computer’s
motherboard. This is necessary as its role is to allow all the different parts of the computer
system to communicate with each other.

Motherboards come in a variety of sizes. Some standard sizes are shown below.

Pico
Nan -IT
o-I X
TX
Min
i-IT
X
Mic
ro-
AT
St a X
nda
rd-
AT
X

A few of the devices, found inside a computer system, that could be plugged into a
motherboard are shown below.

Graphics Card

Processor

Sound Card

Hard Disk Drive RAM modules

Blu-Ray Drive (memory)

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Look at the motherboard specification below. The important information is again explained in
the diagram below the specification.
1. Product Description: Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4
2. Product Type: Motherboard - ATX
3. Power Connectors: 24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector
4. Processor Socket: 1 x Socket FM2
5. Compatible Processors: Athlon II X4, A8 series, A6 series, A4 series, A10 series
6. Max RAM: 64 GB (4 DIMM slots - DDR3)
7. Ram Bus Clock: 1600 MHz, 1333 MHz, 1066 MHz, 1866 MHz
8. Storage Ports: 7 x SATA-600 (RAID), 1 x eSATA-600 (RAID)
9. Expansion Slot(s): 3 x PCIe
10. USB: 4 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0
11. Audio: HD Audio (8-channel)
12. LAN: Gigabit Ethernet

10. There are a total of 6 USB ports.

4. Only processors that
On a computer system these
fit a FM2 socket can
would be used to plug in your
be fitted to this
keyboard , mouse, scanner etc.
motherboard.

11. An eight speaker surround 5. This lists the

sound system (8 channels) processors that
can be plugged into this can be fitted to
motherboard. the FM2 socket.

9. PCIe (peripheral
component interface
express) tell us what 3. This tells us the type
type of expansion of power supply unit
boards can be fitted. connections that can
This is where sound be used with this
and graphics cards motherboard.
are fitted.
6. This motherboard has four DDR3 memory slots. A
total of 64Gb of memory can be fitted.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Task 5: Interpreting a Motherboard Specification
Open a new word processing document.
Using www.dabs.com find a motherboard costing roughly £150 to £250.
On page 1 of your blank word processing document enter the following:
Ÿ A Heading
Ÿ Your name in a Footer
Ÿ An image of the motherboard you selected
Ÿ A detailed specification of the motherboard. This may be copied and
pasted from www.dabs.com.
On a new page in your document start a bullet point list.
Using the information on page 9 to help you, explain as much of the specification
as possible. Use one bullet for each piece of information.
For example, if the specification states:
Product Type: Motherboard - micro ATX
You would type:
Ÿ This as a micro ATX motherboard

When finished print your document and hand it in to be marked. You get 1 mark for
every fact you explain in your own words (and 0 if you simply copy the specification).

Processors
In its simplest terms a computer is nothing more than an intricate box of electronics that
calculates numbers very quickly. The component of the computer that carries out all these
calculation is the processor.
The processor is one of the most expensive components to purchase.

AMD Opteron Inte

l Cor
e i7

um 4
el Penti
Intel Int
Core
i5
Intel AMD S
on empro
Xeon AMD Dur n

Task 6: Identifying the Age of Processors

Using the world wide web, find out which of the processors above is the oldest
and which is the newest. Research one other difference between the two.
E-mail your answers to your teacher.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 When examining a processor specification you should be looking for the following:
1. Product Description: Intel Core i7 3770K
2. Product Type: Processor
3. Number of Cores: Quad-Core / 8 threads
4. Cache: 8 MB
5. 64-bit Computing: Yes 8. The clock controls how fast
the processor carries out
6. Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 instructions. The higher the
7. Compatible Processor: LGA1155 Socket number the faster the
processor.
8. Clock Speed: 3.5 GHz
9. Max Turbo Speed: 3.9 GHz 9. Processors can be “over-
clocked” by increasing the
clock speed on the
motherboard.
3. A core is another term for a
processor. A quad-core processor
therefore has four separate
processors and can process four
instructions simultaneously 4. The Cache allows the processor to
temporarily store data while it’s
working. A larger cache makes the
A Cell Processor
processor more efficient so it can
from the Sony PS3
process instructions faster.
with 8 cores.

7. Processors plug into a socket on

the motherboard. You must An LGA1155
ensure that the processor you buy socket.
fits the socket on your
motherboard.

A list of available
sockets types
taken from the An FM2
dabs website. socket.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Memory (RAM)
Computers use memory to store programs and data. The memory is built onto modules which
plug into DIMM slots on the motherboard.

Memory Module

When building a computer, you must check how many slots there are on the motherboard and
what is the maximum amount of memory that can be installed.
The example above can take a maximum of 16Mb of
RAM. As there are 4 DIMM slots, this means that
4 x 4Mb RAM modules can be installed.
Motherboards may also have memory requirements such as:
Ÿ Speed (Mhz)
Ÿ ECC/non-ECC
Ÿ Buffered/registered

Task 7: Matching Components

Collect the 16 coloured cards you will need for this task from your teacher.
Your task is to create 4 computers systems each consisting of a case,
motherboard, processor and memory. Every component should be compatible.

x4

Your teacher will check each completed computer.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Input and Output (Graphics and Sound Cards)
Many motherboards have graphics and sound capability built into them. These may be quite
basic however, so installing separate graphics and sound cards can improve your system.

Graphics Card
Sound Card

Monitor Ports
Speaker and
Microphone Ports

Task 8:
Components Interfaces
When you purchase a
graphics or sound card you
must ensure that your
motherboard has a
matching component
interface slot.
Your task this time is to
research the names of the
two different types of
component interface shown
on the motherboard below.

Interface A
Interface B

E-mail your answers to your

teacher.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 The specifications of graphics and sound cards focus on their functions.

Graphics Card Sound Card

A graphics card processes and send A sound card processes and sends
images to a monitor. Look for sound to speakers. Look for
information relating to the quality of information relating to the quality of
the pictures it produces and how fast the sound it produces and the number
it can process them. of speakers it can send sound to.
Device Type: Graphics card - low profile Device Type: Sound card
Bus Type: PCI Express 2.0 x16 Enclosure Type: Internal
Graphics Engine: NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 Interface Type: PCI Express x1
Core Clock: 810 MHz Sound Output Mode: 5.1 channel surround
RAM: 1Gb (1200 Mhz) DAC Resolution: 24-bit
Memory Interface: 64bit Sample Rate: 8 kHz (min) - 96 kHz (max)
Max Resolution: 2560 x 1600 Interfaces: 1 x audio line-in, microphone mini-
phone 3.5mm, 1 x audio line-out, headphones -
Interfaces: VGA, DVI-I (dual link), HDMI
mini-phone 3.5mm, 3 x speakers mini-phone
API Supported: DirectX 11 3.5mm , 1 x SPDIF input, 1 x SPDIF output
Features: ASUS 0-dB thermal solution, Nvidia System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 7
CUDA technology, Nvidia PhysX-Ready, Super (32/64 bits)
Alloy Power technology, Dust-proof fan , HDCP

Task 9: Graphics Card & Sound Card Specification Questions

Answer one of the following challenging questions and e-mail your answer to your
teacher. You will probably have to research your answer.

Q1 On the above graphics card specification, what do the letters VGA, DVI-I
and HDMI refer to?

Q2 Describe the speaker arrangement in a 5.1 surround sound system.

Q3 What part of the graphics card does the Core Clock speed of 800Mhz
refer to?

Q4 Sample Rate is a term associated with recording sound. What does the
term describe?

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Storage (Hard Disk and Optical)
The final internal components are required to store and retrieve data.
The hard disk drive (HDD) stores the computers operating system, applications and saved
files. The most important information on any hard disk specification is the amount of data it
can store and whether or not it can be fitted to your computer (capacity andinterface).
1. Device Type: Hard drive (internal)
2. Capacity: 2 TB
3. Form Factor: 3.5" x 1/3H
4. Interface: Serial ATA-600
5. Buffer Size: 64 MB
6. Drive Transfer Rate: 600 Mbps (external)
7. Spindle Speed: 7200 rpm

Since 2010 a new type of hard disk drive has become increasingly popular.
Solid State drives are smaller and have no moving parts. They store data
on memory in a similar way to a USB Flash Drive.

Task 10: Hard Disk Drive Prices

Using a website of your choice, find one standard HDD and one solid state HDD
that have the same capacity. Take a note of the price of the two drives.
E-mail the two prices to your teacher.

Almost all computer systems will also contain an optical drive (CD, DVD or BLU-RAY).
A typical specification is shown below.
1. Product Description: DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM / BD-ROM drive
2. Interface: Serial ATA
3. Dimensions: (WxDxH)14.6 cm x 17 cm x 4.1 cm
4. Drive Bay: 5.25" x 1/2H
5. Read Speed: 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD) / 12x (BD)
6. Write Speed: 48x (CD) / 16x (DVD±R) / 8x (DVD±R DL)
7. CD / DVD Rewrite Speed: 24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 12x (DVD-RAM)

Optical drives are either:

ROM drives (these only read disks)
Writers (these can burn data to blank disks)
Combo drive (they can read from some disks and write to others)
The above example is a Combo Blu-Ray ROM/DVD Writer

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Peripheral Devices
Until now, all the components we have looked at are installed inside the case.

To build a fully functioning computer we also require the following peripheral devices. A
“peripheral” device is any device that plugs into the case.

Almost all keyboards and mice now plug into USB ports. This ensures they are compatible
with nearly every system.

When purchasing monitors, spending more will usually result in a larger screen with a higher
resolution. Compatibility of monitors is usually determined by the type of connector they
have.

DVI VGA HMDI

connector connector connector

Check the connector matches the connection on the motherboard or graphics card.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 Operating System
Without software, a computer is a useless box of electronics. The operating system on a
computer is responsible for controlling all the components, running your applications,
communicating with peripheral devices and saving/loading your files.
In 2012, when this unit was written, there were two main operating systems available for
your self built computer.

Microsoft Windows 8 - costs approximately £45

Linux - free to download

Before you buy or download an operating system, you should ensure that all your devices are
compatible with the software. Most hardware specifications will list the operating systems
the device can be used with. An example of a sound card is shown below.
Product Description Creative Sound Blaster Recon3D sound card
Device Type Sound card
Interface Type PCI Express x1
Sound Output Mode 5.1 channel surround
DAC Resolution 24-bit
System Requirements Microsoft Windows Vista (32/64 bits) SP2, Apple MacOS X 10.5 or later,
Microsoft Windows 7 (32/64 bits)

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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 The Project Tasks
This unit is called “Building a Computer”. Now is your chance to put everything you have
learned together and simulate buying a complete computer system.
There are three projects to attempt:
Ÿ Basic (40 marks)
Ÿ Intermediate (50 marks)
Ÿ Advanced (60 marks)

At the end of the project you will be given a mark out of 60. You may choose whichever
project you wish but if you choose to attempt the Basic project the highest mark you can
achieve is 40 out of 60.
Your chosen project should be typed up in a word processor. Marks for each project will be
awarded as follows.

Basic: 12 marks for finding and listing all the components names,
pictures and prices required to build a complete computer system.
(-1 mark for every component you miss.)
12 marks for giving a brief description of why each component is
required (-1 for each missing description.)
2 marks for including an overall cost of your computer system and
ensuring it is inside the budget you are given.
12 marks for quality of your report. Layout, accuracy of
terminology, spelling and grammar.
arks
40 m 2 marks for meeting the deadline set by your teacher.

Intermediate: All of the above plus.

10 marks for the including the compatibility of each device. E.g.
arks
50 m showing that the processor fits the socket on the motherboard.

Advanced: All of the above (basic & intermediate) plus.

10 marks for explaining in your report why you selected each
0 marks particular component.
6

Throughout the projects you can refer back to this unit as often as you wish.
Now collect your chosen project from your teacher.

Created by Mr G. Reid, Principal Teacher of Computing & Business Education, Buckhaven High School (2nd November 2012)
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