Processor, CPU, Information
By Fajja at 9 November, 2006, 4:30 pm
Also known as the “Central Processing Unit”, CPU for short. This component is the heart of your pc where all the calculations are performed. the performance of your processor can dictate the overall performance of your whole pc.
I won’t go into the technical detail of the make up of the processor chips because quite frankly its baffling! Installing a processor couldn’t be simpler, all you have to do line up the triangle on the chip with the mark on the socket of the motherboard and it will fall into place. After that, you close the Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) lever and your chip will be securely fastened in place. It is very important not to use force when installing the chip as they are very sensitive to both physical knocks and static electricity.
Once the CPU is fitted, you need to attach the heat sink. This is a cooling device that dissipates the heat generated by the CPU. To improve the cooling performance a thermal compound (preferably silver-oxide based) needs to be spread thinly on the contact area between the heat sink and the CPU. This fills in the microscopic lumps and bumps in the heat sink material to help the energy transfer from the CPU to the Heat sink.
When it comes to buying a processor you need to know what motherboard you will be putting it in because AMD and INTEL use different number of connecting pins. The Intel Pentium 4’s have socket 478 connectors. AMD have both 32-Bit Socket 462 (more commonly known as “Socket A”) and 64-Bit socket 939 CPU’s.
Processors now run at speeds of up to 4Ghz! This is more than enough for any average user. Of course the faster it is the hotter it gets and therefore better cooling is required in your case. Some motherboards have limits on the speed of processor that can be used with them, this is to prevent damage to the motherboard. the manufacturer should state what components can be installed in the motherboard. For instance, maximum amount of ram supported, number of expansion slots and the speed and manufacturer of processor that is supported should be found under the specification or technical details of the motherboard.
More information soon!
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