Whenever you purchase software or hardware for your computer, you should first make sure

your computer supports the system requirements. These are the necessary specifications your
computer must have in order to use the software or hardware. For example, a computer game may
require your computer to have Windows XP or later, a 2.0 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 64 MB
graphics card, and 500 MB or hard drive space. If your computer does not meet all of these
requirements, the game will not run very well or might not run at all.

SYSTEM’S SPECIFICATION

It is just as important to check system requirements for hardware devices. For example, if you
buy a printer, it may require either Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.3 or later. It may also require a USB
port and 80 MB of available hard drive space. If your computer does not have any USB ports, you will
not be able to physically connect the printer. If your machine does not have Windows XP or Mac OS
X 10.3 or later, the printer drivers may be incompatible with your operating system. This means your
computer will be unable to recognize the printer.
Most hardware and software products have the system requirements printed on the side or
bottom of the product packaging. When you are shopping for computer software or hardware, it is a
good idea to first find out exactly what your system's specifications are and write them down on a
piece of paper. The important information to record includes:
1. Operating System (i.e. Windows XP, SP 2 or Mac OS X 10.3.8)
2. Processor Speed (i.e. Pentium 4, 3.2 GHz or Power PC G5, 2.0 GHz)
3. Memory, a.k.a. RAM (i.e. 512 MB)
4. Graphics Card (i.e. ATI Radeon 9800 w/ 256 MB video memory)
5. Hard Disk Space (i.e. 80 GB available)
6. I/O Ports (i.e. USB, Firewire, Serial, Parallel, SCSI, VGA, DVI ports)
By recording these specifications from your computer, you will be able to make sure your
computer supports the products you are buying. In terms of installation, systems’ specification is a big
consideration in order for a computer to run and work properly for the most efficient way it could be.
In broad terms, the performance of a computer depends on four factors: the speed and
architecture of its processor or "central processing unit" (CPU), how much random-access memory
(RAM) it has, its graphics system, and its internal hard drive speed and capacity. Also of importance
to most users will be the specification of its Internet connection. Most computer users and in particular
those working with a lot of photographs, music files or videos should also think about the most suitable
storage devices they will need in order to keep and back-up all of their valuable data.

PROCESSOR SPEED AND ARCHITECTURE

The speed of a computer's processor chip (technically known as its "clock speed") is
measured in gigahertz (GHz), with the fastest modern processors currently running at up to 4.7GHz.
However, for most computing tasks, including web browsing, sending e-mails, word processing and
spreadsheet work any processor running at 1GHz or more remains perfectly sufficient.
For applications such as video editing, 3D graphics work and (for the majority of "power users")
playing computer games, higher processor speeds are highly required. CPU performance is now
determined by far more than raw speed alone. Intel made this very clear when it introduced its system

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of processor numbers. These provide an indication of a processor's "architecture", "cache" and "front
side bus (FSB) speed" in addition to its clock speed.
The architecture of a processor is the most important factor to determine its performance,
and refers to its basic design and complexity. Some processors are simply more sophisticated than
others, with Intel (for example) producing "basic" processors called Celerons and Pentiums, as well
as more powerful processors under its "Core" processor family. The later include the Core 2, Core i3,
Core i5 and Core i7, with the last of these being the most powerful.
In addition to clock speed and architecture, a processor's cache and front side bus (FSB) speed also
determines a computer's overall power. Cache is a form of very fast memory integrated into the
processor chip, and used to store up instructions (work for the processor) so that it has to slow down
as little as possible between tasks. Cache is measured in megabytes (MB), with (for example) low-
end Celeron processors having as little as 0.25MB of cache (256KB), and high-end Itaniums having
up to 24MB. The simple message is, the more cache the better- though high levels of cache still come
at a very significant price.
Front side bus (FSB) speed is a measure of how fast a microprocessor communicates with
the computer's main circuit board (or "motherboard") into which it is physically connected. Again, the
higher the measure the better for overall performance, with FSB speeds currently ranging from
533MHz (still perfectly sufficient for the vast majority of applications) up to 1600 MHz.

RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY)

To a large extent, the more RAM a computer has the faster and more effectively it will operate.
Computers with little RAM have to keep moving data to and from their hard disks in order to keep
running. This tends to make them not just slow in general, but more annoyingly intermittently sluggish.
RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB), as detailed on the storage page.
Just how much RAM a computer needs depends on the software it is required to run effectively. A
computer running Windows XP will usually function quite happily with 1GB of RAM, whereas twice
this amount (i.e. 2GB) is the realistic minimum for computers running Windows 7.
GRAPHICS SYSTEM
A computer's graphics system determines how well it can work with visual output. Graphics
systems can either be integrated into a computer's motherboard, or plugged into the motherboard as
a separate "video card". Graphics systems integrated into the motherboard (also known as "onboard
graphics") are now quite powerful, and sufficient for handling the requirements of most software
applications aside from games playing, 3D modeling, and some forms of video editing.
Any form of modern computer graphics system can now display high resolution color images
on a standard-sized display screen (ie any monitor up to about 19" in size). The more sophisticated
graphics cards now determine how well a computer can handle the playback of high definition video,
as well as the speed and quality at which 3D scenes can be rendered.
Another key feature of separate graphics card is that most of them now allow more than one
display screen to be connected to a computer. Others also permit the recording of video. As a basic
rule, unless a computer is going to be used to handle 3D graphics or to undertake a significant volume
of video editing or recording, today there is little point in opting for anything other than onboard
graphics (not least because separate graphics cards consume quite a lot of electricity and create quite
a lot of heat and noise). Adding a new graphics card to a computer with onboard graphics is also a
very easy upgrade if required in the future.

HARD DRIVE SPEED AND CAPACITY

Today 40GB is an absolute minimum hard drive size for a new computer running Windows 7,
with a far larger capacity being recommended in any situation where more than office software is
going to be installed. Where a computer will frequently be used to edit video, a second internal hard
disk dedicated only to video storage is highly recommended for stable operation. Indeed, for
professional video editing using a program like Premiere Pro CS5, Adobe now recommend that a PC
has at least three internal hard disks (one for the operating system and programs, one for video project
files, and one for video media).
Two key factors determine the speed of traditional, spinning hard disks. The first is the
rotational velocity of the physical disk itself. This can currently be 4200, 5400, 7200, 10000 or 15000
rpm (revolutions per minute). The faster the disk spins, the quicker data can be read from or written

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to it, hence the faster the disk the better (although faster disks consumer more power, make more
noise, and generate more heat). Most desktop hard disks run at either 5400 or 7200 rpm, whilst most
laptop hard disks run at 4200 or 5400.
The second key factor that determines performance of a traditional, internal hard disk is the
interface used to connect it to the computer's motherboard. Three types of interface exist: Serial
Advance Technology Attachment (SATA), which is the most modern and now pretty much the norm
on new PCs; Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) (also known as UDMA), which is a slower and
older form of interface, and finally Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), which happens to be
the oldest but in it most modern variant is still the fastest disk interface standard.

Part I. A. Directions: Match the specification of the computer parts. Write the letter of your
answer on the blank provided.

Column A Column B

1. Processor a. Seagate 500 GB

2. Memory b. 4 GB DDR4

3. HDD c. Intel i7

4. Optical Drive d. LG 18.5 LED

5. Monitor e. Samsung DVD

writer

B. Direction: Rearrange the scrambled letters to come up with the correct word/s.

6. These are the necessary specifications your computer must have in order
to use the software or hardware. SSYMET PESFICICAIONT

7. The most important factor to determine is performance, and refers to

basic design and complexity. ARICHTURETEC

8. The main “brain” or “heart” of a computer system. SORPROCES

9. A part of a PC wherein programs are dependent to run effectively.

MAR

10. A computer peripheral that supplies power to the system.

WERPO PLYSUP