PC builder's jargon glossary: Common terms and what they mean

Edifice your dream gaming PC or updating an older machine y'all currently use tin be a daunting chore, especially if you lot don't know what on Earth a CPU or PSU is. In this comprehensive guide, y'all'll find all the almost common terms explained and definitions expanded and then you know exactly what's what.

• Air cooling
• BIOS
• Case
• Chipset
• CMOS
• CPU
• CPU socket
• DRAM
• GB
• GHz
• GPU
• HDD
• Liquid cooling
• MB
• MHz
• Bone
• PCB
• Postal service
• PSU
• RAM
• SSD
• TB
• Thermal compound
• UEFI
• VRM
• Water cooling

Air cooling

Cooling your PC using air is usually how y'all brand sure the CPU temperatures are kept in cheque. Example cooling is always handled by making use of airflow with fans, just the CPU can exist cooled by air or liquid. Air cooling the CPU is the traditional method of doing and so, and information technology involves attaching a heatsink and fan above the CPU, allowing the transfer of heat from the CPU to the cooler.

Different fans, heatsink types, and designs are bachelor, and some solutions like the Cooler Master EVO 212 even permit for some overclocking before being overwhelmed.

• Best CPU air coolers

BIOS

See UEFI.

Example

The computer case houses all the internals and protects them from potential harm. A chassis tin come up in the course of a bones shell, while more expensive options volition include some boosted features similar RGB lighting, cable management, unique designs, dust filters, and more.

Chipset

The chipset is made up of numerous electronic components on the motherboard that handles information between the processor, retentivity and other components. Depending on which motherboard you cull (Intel or AMD), you'll have a selection of chipset-touting motherboards to select from.

Different chipsets come with varying lists of features and support. For instance, AMD'southward X470 chipset supports SLI and CrossFire, 3000 MHz RAM, and overclocking, while the cheaper A320 chipset doesn't support more than one GPU nor overclocking, and tin can simply handle 2667 MHz RAM.

CMOS — Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor

The CMOS in PC terms is usually referring to the small amount of memory dedicated to storing the BIOS. The BIOS is loaded using a CMOS chip and a bombardment setup that ensures the CMOS doesn't lose power and articulate its contents. This is why you'd articulate the CMOS to reset the BIOS.

Should you lose BIOS settings, you lot'll desire to check the CMOS battery and replace information technology if it'south out of charge. Modern motherboards with UEFI will non use CMOS and RAM modules to store settings, instead relying on more reliable wink storage that doesn't crave a continuous supply of current.

CPU — Central Processing Unit

This is the brain of whatever device. What the CPU does is handle all tasks provided by hardware and software. Millions of tasks are handled every second, making them incredibly powerful. You lot have a CPU inside your smartphone, laptop, and even some wearables. Upgrading the CPU is normally the best way to increase operation.

• Best CPU for your PC

CPU socket

The CPU socket is what houses the CPU, securing it to the motherboard and allowing information technology to interact with the main printed circuit board (PCB). Intel and AMD processors employ different socket types. Both vendors also have varied socket models that back up unlike CPUs, so y'all'll demand to brand sure the motherboard is uniform with your CPU.

DRAM — Dynamic Random Access Memory

See RAM.

GB — Gigabyte

See terabyte.

GHz — Gigahertz

A GHz is equal to 1,000 MHz and is used in computing to represent the frequency (or speed) of something similar the processor. The higher the GHz, the faster the CPU is and the more than tasks it can carry out each cycle. RAM speeds are as well represented by GHz and the same rules use.

GPU — Graphics Processing Unit of measurement

The GPU is responsible for handling images that are sent to a connected display. Having a dedicated GPU allows the CPU to handle numerous tasks, while a separate PCB and processor takes a full load of graphical processing. A GPU tin be on a separate carte, located on a motherboard or even a CPU, though the former is e'er the better option for gamers.

• Best GPU for your PC

HDD

The HDD is how information is stored traditionally, using a spinning disk with a motor and needle. How this works is past using magnets and the read/write head to alter information stored on the plate. The upside of this technology is y'all tin purchase drives with multiple TB worth of chapters at a adept cost. SSDs are the replacement for HDDs simply are still relatively expensive in comparison.

Where a HDD falls short is in terms of reliability. Modern HDDs are more reliable than ever but you're still relying on moving parts. SSDs exercise not have whatsoever moving parts and as such should last longer and are better suited for portable devices where movement doesn't touch on read and write performance.

Liquid cooling

Meet h2o cooling.

MB — Megabyte

Meet terabyte.

MHz — Megahertz

See GHz.

Os — Operating System

An operating system is what a user relies on to communicate betwixt hardware, software and the online world. Windows 10 is what we utilize effectually here, developed by Microsoft, but there are alternatives out there, including Linux distributions and macOS if you're an Apple fan.

PCB — Printed Circuit Board

A PCB is essentially the sail of materials used to construct a board, which houses transistors, resistors and other electrical components that allow dissimilar components and hardware to communicate with 1 another. The motherboard is one giant PCB. The GPU is a PCB on its own, and even your smartphone houses a pocket-sized PCB.

Postal service — Power-On-Self-Examination

Equally soon every bit ability is provided to the motherboard and the organisation has been switched on, a Power-On-Self-Test is run by the BIOS to check that everything is running correctly. Should you have any hardware incompatibilities or problems, the BIOS is commonly the get-go diagnostic tool to bring these bug to your attending.

If everything is well, the system will attempt to boot an OS from a connected hard bulldoze, depending on your kick preferences and load order. If an issue is detected, you lot'll see an mistake displayed and possibly accompanied by a system beep. A motherboard manual may take system beep or visual codes listed for deciphering what they mean.

PSU — Power Supply Unit of measurement

The PSU is the most important role of any PC build, simply considering it supplies all continued components with ability. Should anything happen to the PSU that causes an unexpected amount of ability to be delivered to the motherboard and other components, you could exist in a position where you lot'll need to replace most of your PC. The PSU should be the but component you don't try to save money on.

• Best PSU for your PC

RAM — Random Access Retention

RAM (also known as DRAM) is quite simply temporary memory for the PC or host device to write and read data to. What makes RAM amend at handling data in this mode than storage drives is speed. A RAM module tin can exist read or written as well much faster than a hard disk drive (HDD) or even solid country drive (SSD). These modules require ability to maintain stored values and as such is completely cleared when power is lost.

Memory modules come in a variety of types, admission latency, chapters, and speeds. DDR4 is the almost pop type right now with speeds surpassing iii,000 MHz. You'll want to aim for a solid eye basis betwixt price, speed, latency, and capacity. Capacity is measured in gigabytes with 16GB being the recommended amount for a new PC build.

Always friction match RAM modules. Installing different brands or types could lead to system instability.

• Best DDR4 RAM for your PC

SSD — Solid Country Drive

An evolution of the traditional HDD, SSDs use flash storage that involves providing ability to memory modules located on a PCB. There are no moving parts or a motor, allowing vendors to make SSDs meaty and able to handle even more portable devices like smartphones, tablets, and notebooks.

SSDs are also considerably faster than HDD, making them ideal for not just installing an OS, but also running frequently accessed programs and games. They come in differing sizes, ranging from 2.five-inch drives to smaller G.2 modules.

• Best SSD for your PC

TB — Terabyte

1 terabyte is equal to 1,024 gigabytes (GB), which in plough is fabricated up of 1,024 megabytes (MB). A byte is used to mensurate the corporeality of memory, be it on a RAM module, infinite available on a bulldoze or required past a file. Modernistic drives today are measured in TB while RAM modules are purchased based on the amount of GB available.

Thermal compound

Thermal compound (or thermal paste) is a thermally-conductive material applied on tiptop of the CPU before a heatsink or h2o block is installed. This material aids in the transfer of heat between the ii surfaces past ensuring they remain in contact fifty-fifty when imperfections are present. Remember: less is more than when applying thermal chemical compound.

UEFI — Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

BIOS is pre-installed not-volatile firmware on motherboards used to initialize hardware during system boot, checking everything is running correctly and provides services for Os and programs to use. The BIOS is usually located on flash storage on modernistic motherboards, allowing for updates to be applied conveniently.

While BIOS has largely been replaced by UEFI, many notwithstanding refer to this firmware interface as the BIOS. UEFI builds on the BIOS past addressing shortcomings and adding improvements, allowing for avant-garde system management and diagnostics.

VRM — Voltage Regulator Module

The VRM does exactly what the name suggests. It's in charge of regulating the amount of voltage sent to processors (converting +5V or +12V down). You lot'll find these components installed on motherboards for the CPU and even on the GPU for the graphics processor. These are incredibly important, specially when yous're choosing a motherboard for stable overclocking.

Water cooling

Air cooling involves the utilise of fans to blow air beyond the surface of a heatsink connected to a CPU, while water cooling makes utilize of a pump, radiator, reservoir, tubing, and a water cake. This h2o cake is installed atop of the CPU, which allows liquid to come into contact with the heat transfer plate to accept said estrus from the cake to the radiator for fans to dissipate the heat outside the case.

The main advantage of using water cooling instead of air is the ability to take out more heat from the CPU, GPU and other components to a radiator for immediate removal from the case. Using air cooling only blows the hot air effectually the example, making the ambient temperature rise considerably.

• PC water cooling beginner's guide

Edifice your own PC

• How to build your ain PC
• Why y'all should build a PC

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/breaking-down-pc-jargon

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