The cost of computing decreases every day. Now even a schoolboy who has refused other pocket money waste and has collected the necessary amount can buy a computer for himself. The natural desire of every person is the desire to choose good products at the lowest cost, so the selection of a computer begins with a study of the cost. Visiting stores in search of the best deal, a potential buyer sooner or later pays attention to the windows with computer components placed on them.
Usually, everyone who is not too in a hurry or constrained in means begins to be interested in what the computer consists of, in order to subsequently independently assemble the system. As a result of the purchase in parts, it is possible to obtain the optimal model for the price / performance characteristic, because none of the sellers will choose the components of the future whole computer for free. A modern computer has a block structure similar to a child’s designer, so the process of connecting components to a single system is extremely simple. No oil, no fuel oil, no soldering iron is needed.
Still, what is inside that metal box called the system unit? That's what we’ll talk about today, while simultaneously answering the question of how to assemble the system unit.
First of all, you need to remember that the metal case of a computer is not a processor. If someone calls the system unit a processor, then the knowledge of such a person in computer technology is minimal and, most likely, he does not know what the computer consists of.
The basis of any computer is the motherboard. Its electronic circuits combine all components into a single device. Each board is designed for use with a particular type of processor.
The computing unit is represented by a central processor. This is a rather large microcircuit with many legs-outputs, although there are varieties without legs, but only with contact pads (they are manufactured by Intel). The main processor manufacturers are AMD and Intel. The first assortment includes various modifications of Athlon and Phenom, and the second produces the famous Pentium and Core. There are also specific offers, such as Intel Atom, but it is better not to use them for a home desktop computer. When choosing, you must be guided by the principle: the more cores and the higher the frequency, the better.
What else does a computer consist of? The next required component is the RAM modules. Outwardly, they are a narrow strip of PCB with soldered microcircuits and a comb of copper sliding contacts on one side. Currently, two standards are common - DDR3 and DDR2, and the days of the latter are already numbered, as new boards no longer support it.
The video card is responsible for displaying the image on the screen. It can be a separate component inserted into the motherboard connector (discrete), or it can be integrated into the processor itself. If you need high performance, for example, in games, then you don’t even have to think about embedded solutions. Two large firms produce - AMD and NVidia. Products from other manufacturers are presented in a smaller assortment and are often inferior in performance (for example, the integrated Intel HD solution).
Also inside the system unit is placed a hard drive connected to the board. Although with the advent of downloadable flash drives, the need for it can be partially questioned.
To complete the assembly, it remains to clarify what the computer consists of, and to complete the package with a drive for reading CDs, a case with a power supply and peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard, monitor). The sound card was deliberately not indicated in the list, since all modern motherboards contain an integrated version of it.