Learn About Upgrading PC Parts to Get An Excellent Performance
Learn About Upgrading PC Parts to Get An Excellent Performance
If you are planning for improving your desktop PC by speeding up its processing and thus getting a better overall computing performance, you need to upgrade PC components and for that you will have to consider plenty of things. Properly replaced computer parts can turn an ordinary model into an excellent machine. By upgrading memory (RAM), CPU, video card, sound card or motherboard of your desktop PC, you can get a much better experience of working. By learning about some common upgrades, you can take a more educated decision while buying these parts. For excellent quality PC components, visit ImpactComputers.com who has around 600K parts to repair Dell, HP, Toshiba, etc for Desktops as well as laptops.
Memory
Upgrading Random Access Memory or RAM to your computer can bring about almost a dramatic improvement in the performance of your PC. Two major advantages of upgraded RAM are fewer system errors and faster response for programs. RAM is comparatively inexpensive, can be installed easily and needs no configuration. You will first need to decide what type of RAM you need.
Read your computer manual and find out about the type of RAM your current motherboard (mobo) is supporting. The most widely used RAM is Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) which makes the foundation for DDR as well as DDR2 memory. SDRAM works synchronously with the CPU clock (the operating frequency or speed of a CPU), because of which the downtime during data transfer can be reduced. Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM) is a faster version of SDRAM. Actually, DDR SDRAM is two times as quick as SDRAM’s data access speed in accessing data twice for every cycle of the clock. DDR memory runs at efficient speeds from 200MHz to 550MHz wherein the clock runs at half this speed, but the data transfers at the rated speed. After knowing the current RAM in your PC and the different sorts of RAM available, your next step should be choosing RAM speed.
Programs – this includes operating system too – require a specific amount of RAM to operate, equipping a machine with more than the least recommended RAM will give better performance. E.g. Windows XP needs at least 128MB RAM to operating as per Microsoft. Most users find about 256MB and get even better performance with 512MB or more. So, it is good to purchase the fastest memory allowed by the motherboard. The two commonest desktop PC types are for home and for gaming. Following are some suggestions outlining the minimum memory needed for typical use.
- RAM Speed for Home: Home users typically require minimum 1GB of memory.
- RAM Speed for Gaming: Gamers require minimum 2GB to 4GB of memory.
A minimum 2GB of RAM is a norm where multimedia is a common user function. Types of DDR memory are classified by the manufacturers of motherboards depending upon many factors, like clock speed or bandwidth.
Video Card and Sound Card
Video and sound cards fit snugly into a desktop PC’s open expansion slots. Most of the new motherboards come with video and sound devices “on-board”. This means that the connections for these parts are provided in the basic structure of the board and don’t need an expansion slot to be used. These on-board parts can be upgraded to function better and faster with expansion cards that consist of improved performance features.
Video Cards – If you want higher clarity or resolution, it is better to upgrade the video card. It can be upgraded to 3D graphics or HD picture quality by installing a premium graphic card. A dedicated video card consists of its own RAM chips for faster processing of images which is independent of system RAM, and so, improves overall PC performance. There are specialty video cards too which offer lightning fast speed of video game action, desktop TV viewing or theater quality of movies. Video cards are also called graphics accelerator, graphic cards, graphic adapters, video boards, graphics processing units (GPU), video adapters and video accelerators. They can handle all the 2D and 3D calculations.
A precaution to take while buying a video card is to ensure that the card matches with the slot type on the motherboard. Expansion slots have various configurations known by unique names. Most high-end video cards need a PCI Express slot. Some card manufacturers offer AGP slot versions of their video cards. For gaming, users will need the video card with fastest speed and maximum possible RAM. So, look for a NVIDIA GeForce or an ATI Radeon card. The higher the manufacturer number of the card, the faster it will perform.
Sound Cards – The quality of sound from the speakers of the PC is remarkably improved when you upgrade the sound card. The latest motherboards are available with integrated sound and with 6-channel digital sound chips which support digital 5.1 sound reproduction. They are more than sufficient for casual gaming and MP3 playback. For more complicated tasks like producing music, you will require a sound card upgrade with lots of connectivity and a high wave table. Premium sound cards can act as a synthesizer producing sounds and can connect electronic instruments with a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) they contain. They also act as an analog-to-digital converter to record sound from a microphone.
Thus you can choose among a vast range of products for upgrading your PC to get a fantastic performance for gaming as well as other tasks.
