Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Computer Builds: Strong Foundations



                Building your own computer or server can be quite exciting. Finding the right parts, assembling them in your free time: car buffs, vintage collectors, and various enthusiasts are well enough familiar with the enjoyment gleaned from such activities. You probably already have the perfect build in your mind for your computer, and even if you don’t have the specifics planned out yet, you at least know what you want out of your new machine. For IT experts, you want a server with powerful performance for all the mission critical applications. For gamers, you want something with a great display, a fast processor, and a graphics card that can handle all the latest visually stunning games. No matter what your plan is, there are certain aspects of a computer (personal or business use included) which you must give mind to before you begin the assembly.


                It’s easy to get caught up in all of the bells and whistles of a computer and its build. However, before you can give your server its “racing stripes”, you have to lay a solid foundation. While a huge array of interfaces is excellent, and an impressive graphics card may be the envy of all your friends, there’s no substitute for building your computer from the ground up, and from the ground up we will begin.


                Your first priority shouldn’t be finding the best graphics card or the best display. Instead, focus on the skeleton of your new computer system: the motherboard. In deciding on the right motherboard, always consider the needs for which you are designing your computer. Your motherboard will largely determine the potential build of your computer, and without a good motherboard your computer system’s performance will be very limited. You will want to determine compatibility of components to your motherboard. A great graphics card is useless if it isn’t supported by the motherboard. A good motherboard will support a great processor, memory, multiple hard drives, and plenty of PCI slots.


                After you have found the motherboard of your choice, determine what configuration you will pursue for your processor and RAM. A good server processor will have a clock speed either surpassing 3 GHz, or will be capable of boosting well into that range. Quad core, hexacore, or even octacore processors are not uncommon for servers, and will greatly boost the performance of the system. Providing your computer system with an ample amount of RAM will largely determine the performance capacity of your system as well. The processor and RAM operate in tandem as brain and muscle; the processor does the “thinking” and the RAM provides workspace (muscle) for the processor’s work to be completed. An IBM server with an excellent processor but little RAM may not see an increase in performance. However, the addition of a 4524-8203 16 GB RAM kit would unlock the potential of the processor. Just remember that your server’s future potential is established immediately upon its construction. Keep expansion and upgradability in mind as you pursue your dream build, and your perfect build will age well with the years!

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