Computer Systems: Types, Components, and Building a PC - Assignment 1

This assignment delves into the realm of computer systems, encompassing an exploration of diverse computer types such as supercomputers, mainframes, minicomputers, workstations, and personal computers, providing a comprehensive overview of their characteristics and applications. The assignment then transitions into an in-depth analysis of computer components, detailing the function of various slots and connectors like PCI, PCIe, CPU socket, DIMM socket, ATX power connection, floppy disk drive connector, IDE connector, and SATA port, explaining their roles in the operation of a computer system. Finally, the assignment culminates in a practical exercise where the student recommends specific components for building a $900 computer system, outlining the rationale behind each selection and ensuring compatibility for gaming and general use, fulfilling the client's requirements for a well-rounded and functional PC.

Running Head: ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
Assignment 1 – Part B
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
Question 1
Topic: Types of Computers
Supercomputers
Supercomputer is the term given to the group of the fastest computers currently available. They
can do large mathematical calculations in a small amount of time. The best known
supercomputer manufacturing company is Cray Research [1]. The IBM iDataPlex servers use a
300TB RAM and can achieve a speed of 2.9 petaflops. The temperature of the water of the
cooling system reaches a temperature of 104 degrees in Fahrenheit.
Mainframe
Mainframe is referred to the cabinet which contains the central processing unit of a computer.
The most recent type of mainframes can support thousands of multiple workers at the same time.
The main difference between the mainframe and the supercomputer is the processing speed of
the computers [2]. The supercomputer would put all its resources into making one process faster
and completing it early where as the mainframe will equally distribute the working of the
processor among the different users connected to it. The operating system used in a mainframe
consists of internal working consisting of memories, processors, and devices with the availability
of file management system [2].
Minicomputers
The minicomputers are the group of computers which can support the working of almost 200
workers simultaneously. The computers are small in size and below the range of a

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
supercomputer and a mainframe [3]. A minicomputer consists of a single or multiple processors
and provide the support of multitasking. They are generally made in such a way so that they can
take enough load and not break down completely.
Workstations
These computers are used by engineering students to produce work assignments in the field of
software development, desktop publishing and other types of software usage which require the
use of moderate resources enough to run the software’s without any hindrance [4]. They come
equipped with a separate ram and storage place like a hard drive. They are connected to the
internet with the help of local area network. The computers are equipped with a high speed RAM
and better graphics so that working on different software’s does not make the system slow. There
can be different components which can be added to a workstation [4]. They range from
keyboards, mouse, speakers and even the connection to all the other computers connected on the
same server. The network created is common for all the systems.
Personal computers
These computers are a group of systems which is used by an individual to separately work for
their personal use. The device is considered as a property of the individual who owns the device.
The devices are used at home by the individual for their personal works [5]. These computers
can range from a small PDA to a desktop. The external devices to be connected to this systems
vary from type to type. They stay connected to the individuals personal network.
Question 2

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
Points on the
diagram
Name of the component Use of the component What happens when the
computer is turned on
1 PCI Slot It is used for the
expansion of the
computers capabilities
[6].
The components connected
to this port gets powered up
once the power is switched
on. The settings of the
modules are invoked and
the work it is supposed to
do starts.
2 PCIe Slots It is used for the
expansion of the
computers
capabilities.
The expansion cards
attached to this slot gets
powered up and the
computer starts to work

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
with the device as a whole
system [6].
3 CPU Socket The connector is used
to connect the CPU
processor to the
motherboard [7]
The kernel settings and the
bios setting are first
invoked and the bios
settings are loaded into the
system memory.
4 Memory (DIMM)
socket
Dual in line memory
module or in common
terms RAM is
attached to this port.
the sectors are cleaned and
the OS settings are loaded
into the RAM for further
working of the system [7].
5 ATX Power Connection As ATX is a type of
category of the mother
board, this slot
determines the type of
power connection to
attach to the
motherboard[8].
This is the first place where
the power reaches first
when the device is turned
on. This then transmits the
power to other places in the
mother board.
6 Floppy Disk Drive
Connector
This port is used to
connect the floppy
drive to the
motherboard using the
twisted ribbon cable
Though the port has
become obsolete but the
ports would activate the
floppy disk connected to the
motherboard [8].
7 IDE Connector This port is used to The optical drives gets

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
connect the different
optical drivers to the
motherboard [8].
powered on and does a test
run to check if the motor
inside the drive is running
or not.
8 IDE Connector This port is used to
connect the different
optical drivers to the
motherboard [7].
The optical drives gets
powered on and does a test
run to check if the motor
inside the drive is running
or not.
9 SATA Port This port is used to
connect the hard disk
to the motherboard.
The SATA port activated
the hard drive attached to it
and start booting up the OS
from the boot sector of the
drive [6]
10 CMOS Battery The battery powers
the motherboard to
stay active when the
computer has been
switched to keep track
of time and save the
bios settings in the
memory.
As the battery is
rechargeable in nature the
battery starts charging it
self when the computer is
switched on [7]
Question 3

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
I would like to recommend the following components for the building of the $900 computer
system.
1. Monitor: Acer GN246HL Bbid 24-Inch 3D Gaming Display (144Hz Refresh Rate)
2. Keyboard: Corsair Gaming K55 RGB Keyboard, Backlit RGB LED
3. Mouse: Razer Mamba Tournament Edition - Professional Grade Chroma Ergonomic
Gaming Mouse - 16,000 DPI - eSport Performance
4. Motherboard: MSI ProSeries AMD Ryzen B350 DDR4 VR Ready HDMI USB 3 micro-
ATX Motherboard (B350M PRO-VDH)
5. Power supply: EVGA 500 B1, 80+ BRONZE 500W Power Supply, 3 Year Warranty,
Includes FREE Power On Self Tester 100-B1-0500-KR
6. RAM: Corsair Vengeance Blue 4GB (1x4GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop
Memory 1.5V
7. Graphics Card: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 1060 Mini 3GB GDDR5 VR Ready Super
Compact Gaming Graphics Card (ZT-P10610A-10L)
8. CPU Cabinet: Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02 Mid Tower Gaming Case
9. Hard disk: Seagate 1TB BarraCuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard
Drive (ST1000DM010)
10. Optical Drive: SAMSUNG TSST Ultra-Slim Optical 8X DVD Rewriter Drives SE-
218GN/RSBD, M-Disc support, MAC OS X compatible
11. Speakers: Logitech Speaker System Z523 with Subwoofer
The above selection has been made following the criteria of $900 of the client. To make a
gaming system there needs to be enough RAM (4GB) with the addition of a graphics card

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
(3GB). The hard disk (1TB) will be enough to store games, movies and songs on the system. An
optical drive has also been provided for installation of games. The motherboard has been chosen
of the micro ATX standard which is the latest in the market. To power up the system I have
selected a 500W supply. Peripherals like monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers has been
provided based on gaming standards.
The best quality of the products has been chosen in order to make the system compatible with the
desired operating system of Windows 10. All types of software’s, video games, and music can be
played with the system. The speakers are enough to provide the best experience in terms of
music listening, movie watching and game playing. The requirements of the client has been met
by me.
The products has been chosen with care and to follow the criteria put forward by the client.

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
References
[1] Shaw, David E., et al. "Anton 2: raising the bar for performance and programmability in a
special-purpose molecular dynamics supercomputer." Proceedings of the International
Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis. IEEE
Press, 2014.
[2] Ebbers, Mike, et al. Introduction to the New Mainframe: IBM Z/VSE Basics. IBM
Redbooks, 2016.
[3] Brown, Helen K., ed. Minicomputer Research and Applications: Proceedings of the First
Conference of the HP/1000 International Users Group. Elsevier, 2014.
[4] Linehan, Carol, and John McCarthy. "57 Using conversation to model interaction in the
MATHS workstation." Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics: Volume
Five-Aerospace and Transportation Systems (2017): 51.
[5] Tanenbaum, Andrew S. Structured computer organization. Pearson Education India,
2016.
[6] Manual, Hardware. "Versio™." (2015).
[7] Miller, Gregory David, Gennady Imeshev, and James Thomas Triplett. "Laser-machined
optical components and related methods for pick and bond assembly." U.S. Patent
Application No. 15/329,436.
[8] Coglitore, Giovanni, Amir Meir Michael, and Matt Corddry. "Disaggregation of server
components in a data center." U.S. Patent Application No. 15/409,475.

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ASSIGNMENT 1 – PART B
Appendix