The Processor And RAM Of Your Computer

When you are deciding which laptop to buy, there are some choices that are easy such as the weight, size, and color, but the tricky parts are the processor, RAM, hard drive, and graphics cards. How do you know what to choose and which features can you save on and where should you splurge?

The Processor or CPU, which is also known as the central processing unit, is the brain of the computer. When you type in some thing in Word, for example, it goes into the random access memory, which is also known as the RAM. The central processing unit or CPU will take a look at it and decide if it needs to send instructions to other parts of the computer. It then assigns various tasks to the appropriate parts, and what you just typed appears on your screen. A processor is rated by its clock speed, which is also known as the GHz or giga hertz, which indicates how many instructions per second it can handle.

One example of a processor is the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 2.4 GHz/800MHz FSB, 3MB Cache. This processor can manage two point four billion instructions per second. This means that the information travels at eight hundred million cycles per second, which is known as MHz or mega hertz, between the processor and the random access memory or RAM along the front side bus or FSB, which is a road inside the computer along which information travels. It can store three mega bytes of information in the cache, which is a high speed memory where the most recently accessed data and information is stored for faster processing.

Generally speaking, the more GHz is better, but if you are using your laptop only for word processing, email and the Internet, you generally do not need the maximum GHz upgrade offered. The same goes for MHz, but remember that they work together, so if you have a really fast bus, which equals more MHz, you also need a fast CPU with more GHz in order for your computer to work faster. If you can choose only one thing to up grade when it comes to the CPU, go with more GHz.

When people talk about a computer's memory, it is usually RAM they are referring to. RAM, or random access memory, functions like a temporary holding place and is only active when your computer is turned on. All the information you put into the computer goes into RAM before being processed by the CPU. The programs you are currently working in are also stored in RAM. For example, you do not need to start up Word again every time you go back to the program, it is there and waiting for you unless you close it.

An example of RAM is the 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz. The three GB means that it has a total of three GB of memory. Shared means it shares memory with the graphics card. This is fine for word processing, Internet browsing, and email, but will slow your computer down if you, for example, play on-line games, record music, or edit videos. However, if you have a separate graphics card, then this will not happen. Dual channel means that memory is transferred to the CPU using two channels, which makes it faster. DDR2 SDRAM is the name and type of memory, and the MHz tells you how fast the memory travels, in this case six hundred sixty seven million cycles per second.

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