1.1-3 Computer System Design
1.1-3 Computer System Design
1.1-3 Computer System Design
1-3
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
INTRODUCTIONS
Why would employers want technicians to be able to design computers? If you needed
a car repaired, wouldn’t it be nice to have a person who could design cars to advise
you? They would know the best engines, the most fuel-efficient body design, what
parts might not work well with other parts, and so on. They would know a lot about all
parts of the car. The same is true about those who can design computers: They know
a lot about computer parts and how those parts interact with one another. When you
first learn about computers, you learn the language, or lingo. You learn terms such as
RAM and processor. Later, when you hear such words, you form images in your mind.
You do more than just recognize the words; you actually know what different parts
look like. You can explain to someone else what a part does. You continue to grow in a
particular area. Designing something is right up there with troubleshooting something
well. It involves knowing what you are talking about. Benjamin Bloom chaired a
committee that created a classification of learning objectives that was named Bloom’s
Taxonomy. Look at Image 1 to see how people normally progress through the learning
process from the bottom to the top. Notice that creating is at the top. Of course,
employers want people who can design...those are the folks who know all the things
that it takes to be able to design.
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Image 1: Learning Process
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Image 2 CAD/CAM Design workstation
Gaming PCs
Gaming computers are a set of their own. Gamers frequently build their own systems,
but some computer manufacturers do make gaming PCs. A gaming PC (see Figure 3)
tends to have the following key components:
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Image 3: Gaming PC
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Image 4: Audio/video editing workstation
Virtualization Workstations
A virtualization workstation can mean two things: (1) a workstation that has at least
one operating system, in its own virtual machine that is separate from the host
operating system (see Image 5), or (2) a workstation that uses hardware and software
virtualization techniques to provide an end user with a controlled workstation
environment. Each of these situations requires different hardware and software. A
virtualization workstation is considered to be the first example (a computer that has
more than one operating system in a virtual environment). A virtualization workstation
would have the following components:
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Image 5: Virtualization Concept
Thin Client Workstations
A thin client workstation is a desktop or laptop that has a display, mouse, keyboard,
and network connectivity and runs applications from a server. Thin client computers
are less expensive than a normal workstation (but the network infrastructure such as
servers, software, storage area network [SAN], and so on to support thin clients costs
money). Storage tends to be cloud-based or on remote storage media. Both the
hardware (hard drives, number of processors, and so on) and software environment
could be virtualized (commonly called desktop virtualization) in order to provide a
controlled environment. Corporations use thin clients. Characteristics to look for in a
thin client computer include the following:
Home Servers
A home server computer is used to store data, function as a web server, print server,
or file server, control media streaming, be accessible from outside the home, control
devices, and manage backups of other computers. Notice in Image 6, how the home
server in the top-right corner physically connects to the wireless router. Typical
components found in a home server include the following:
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Image 6: Home server
Industrial Computers
An industrial computer is one used for a specific industry. For example, in a car repair
shop, the standard computers used both inside the showroom and in the service and
repair center might be in an enclosure (see Image 7) or have keyboard coverings. A
kiosk in a mall or school might contain or be controlled by a computer. A kiosk is
commonly used to show maps, provide directions, locate personnel, or provide
information. Here are some things to consider for an industrial computer:
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Image 7: Industrial computer
Mobile Computers
A mobile computer for someone who travels as part of his job also needs special design
considerations. Considerations for an “on-the-road” computer design include the
following:
The most important design consideration for memory is to take advantage of dual-,
triple-, and quad-channeling when possible. Ensure that the DIMMs and SO-DIMMS
are purchased together and installed according to the recommendations set forth in
the motherboard/computer manual. Encourage the end user to buy as much RAM as
he or she can initially afford. This area is one of the most influential considerations on
the user computing experience. Beef up this subsystem component as much as
possible.
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• Nanotechnology used with the processor and/or chipset (14nm, 22nm, 32nm,
45nm, and so on)
• CPU cooling
• RAM
• Number and type of input/output (I/O) ports
• Traditional BIOS or UEFI (replacement for traditional BIOS)
Power Supply and Case Design
When selecting a power supply, it is all about the size (form factor), total wattage for
specific voltage levels, number of connectors, and power efficiency. One issue you
must consider is how many connectors connect to the same cable. When you have
several high-powered devices, you want to be able to connect them with separate
power cables, if possible, instead of using two connectors along the same cable. Also,
be careful with cables that do not have at least four wires. These are peripheral cables
to power 12-volt fans and are normally labeled as fan connectors. Some power
supplies have detachable cables that connect between a power supply connector and a
device connector. You attach the number and type of cables you need. Buy additional
cables of a specific type, as needed. Image .8 shows detachable cables.
Number and type of power cables (SATA, Molex, PCIe, and fan)
Size (ATX, micro-ATX, BTX, ITX, mini-ITX, and so on), type (desktop, tower, or all-in-
one), and physical dimensions
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Storage Design
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AUDIO SUBSYSTEM DESIGN
The audio design consists of the audio ports and speakers. When upgrading or
building, let the customer listen to the speakers, if possible.
Audio design considerations
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Image 9: Home theatre audio placement
Display Subsystem Design Displays are important to the computing experience. With
respect to replacing, upgrading, and installing displays, design specifications are
important.
Design considerations for displays
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Number and type of ports
Number of cards and support for sharing
of resources (scalable link interface [SLI]
and CrossFire for example). RAM
GPU
Power and cooling requirements
Power and connectivity requirements
Mobility Design
Today’s computing environment has a lot of mobile devices. Mobile devices are critical
to a design solution. Mobile devices will most likely be in addition to more stationary
devices such as workstations, printers, and scanners. Laptops and Ultrabooks
frequently have external peripherals, and few internal parts except for the memory and
the SSD can be upgraded. Tablets and smartphones have few or no internal
upgradable components. Keep in mind that these components are constantly being
upgraded, and new processors and memory speeds, for example, may be available in
different models.
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Optical drive SATA 3Gbps or 6Gbps CD/DVD SATA 1.5, 3 or 6Gbps CD/DVD
RW and/or Blu-ray RW and/or Blu-ray
Keyboard Wired or wireless Integrated
Mouse Wired or wireless Integrated touch pad/touch
stick
If you can design computer subsystems or an entire computer, you know a lot about
the pieces that go into a computer and how they interact. Practicing with different
scenarios can help, and there are exercises at the end of the chapter to help you build
this skill. You won’t believe how much you will learn by looking at component
specifications. Investigate component specifications when you shop to increase your
knowledge.
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REFERENCES
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007850617301440
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/download/291555/html
https://pocketnow.com/design-os-for-future
https://archive.org/details/CSPAN3_20150122_020000_Key_Capitol_Hill_Hearings
http://s3.amazonaws.com/jigyaasa_download/aplus-sch/Ch12_Schmidt_FINAL.pptx
https://thewiredshopper.com/best-gaming-laptops/
https://jamespetty901n902prep.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-220-901-exam-
objectives.html
http://s3.amazonaws.com/jigyaasa_download/aplus-sch/Ch12_Schmidt_FINAL.pptx
https://www.asmconsortium.net/Documents/nova_aiche_final.doc
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system
https://fcit.usf.edu/network/chap4/chap4.htm
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/sql-developer/18.4/rptug/sql-
developer-dialogs.html
http://lcdproc.sourceforge.net/docs/lcdproc-0-5-7-user.html
https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_home
https://www.itworld.com/article/2780329/electronic-product-environmental-
assessment-tool.html
http://www.ecolabelindex.com/ecolabels/?st=subject,products
https://www.samsung.com/us/home-appliances/dishwashers/
https://www.techbuy.com.au/newproducts/2016/1/21/
https://topnewreview.com/motherboards-ultimate-guide/
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/motherboard-buying-guide,5682.html
https://quizlet.com/187232157/cgs2260-final-review-flash-cards/
https://epdf.tips/electronic-circuit-design-from-concept-to-implementation.html
https://forums.tomsguide.com/threads/the-notorious-diy-laptop.250735/
https://www.techpowerup.com/news-archive?month=0312
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https://quizlet.com/217658543/comptia-a-master-flash-cards/
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c-series-rack-servers/whitepaper_C11-732252.html
https://www.slideshare.net/ArubaNetworks/optimizing-aruba-wlans-for-roaming-
devices
https://blogs.adobe.com/crawlspace/2011/05/how-to-tune-photoshop-cs5-for-peak-
performance.html
https://www.ebay.com/b/LGA-1155-H2-Socket-Compatibility-CPU-Fans-
Heatsinks/131486/bn_109577779?_pgn=3
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developer-know-the-inner-workings-of-the-computers-hardware/31750
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/matter-
personality/201402/mindfulness-or-mindlessness
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SELF CHECK 1.1-3
Direction: Encircle the best answer. If you chose the wrong answer, don’t fight for it,
instead let go and moved on, or else you’ll get hurt. Don’t play with questionnaire, it
did nothing to you. Answer according to your mind and heart’s content and pray that
this test will love you back. 😊😊
2. A workstation that has at least one operating system, in its own virtual
machine that is separate from the host operating system.
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5. It is used for a specific industry. For example, in a car repair shop, the
standard computers used both inside the showroom and in the service and
repair center might be in an enclosure or have keyboard coverings.
6. This type of system requires a lot of hard drive space and RAM
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ANSWER KEY 1.1-3
1. A
2. D
3. D
4. B
5. C
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. A
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