CPU Archives

CPU (Central Processing Unit) and Motherboard… The Brain and Central Nervous System.

CPU-Intel-Core_i7 — CPU – The Computer’s Brain

The CPU, chipset and motherboard are the main “brain” of a computer. Many moons ago, choosing one was relatively simple. Intel would roll out a 80286 (286), and the next one would be a 386 and so on. There were a couple of variants (SX and DX, and different clock frequencies 25MHz, 33MHz etc), but choices were limited, and that made it simple. Then came the Pentium range (branding for the 5 in 80586). If memory serves, my first one ran at 60MHz. Then came the Pentium II (233MHz) and on it went. My last Pentium was the Pentium 4, running at an amazing 3.6GHz (1 Giga Hertz is roughly 1000 Mega Hertz).

It was pretty much the end of the line for “single core” CPUs, but Intel added a feature called Hyper Threading, which allowed the one brain to attempt to multitask to some extent (note to self… I wish I had this feature in my brain).

From this point forward, it got ever more complicated.

Intel and AMD couldn’t keep pushing up the clock speed (frequency) of the machines, because this used more power and generated more heat. As the CPU got hotter, they got less efficient and slower. To combat this problem, they started introducing multi-core CPUs… two or more “brains” on one chip. Initially, these came with slower clock speeds and did very little to speed up a machine, because the software applications simply weren’t written to use multiple CPUs. You tended to find that one core would be overloaded while the other cores sat idle. Going even further, CPUs (that had originally started off as 8 bit, then 16 bit in Windows 3.1 days and 32 bit in Windows 95 days, started to come out in 64 bit varients). It became harder to identify which was the best CPU for you.

Code names, Code names, Code names!

Over the next decade or so, the situation got more and more complex. Each manufacturer made mobile and desktop variants of each generation of processor. Whether it be mobile or desktop variant, there were multiple speeds and number of cores. Each generation started to come with different names to signify their headline performance class (Core i3, i5, i7, and still Pentium and Celeron brands). Beyond that, each generation was complicated by new micro architectures (Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Skylake and at the time of writing, Kaby Lake is the latest). Within each performance class, for example i7, and each micro-architecture generation, there are different models which can have a huge influence on the speed (eg. 7740X, 7700K, 7700, 7700T). Some come with built in graphics chips, some don’t.

It’s easy to see how even reasonably technical people can be quite easily swindled into buying last year’s CPU, in what looks like a shiny new machine, at your local computer store. It’s also quite easy to buy the wrong variant of this year’s CPU!

So what does this all mean for your own computer’s performance?

Well for one thing, it’s not a bad start to find out exactly what you’ve got in the machine. Fundamentally, if your CPU is running flat out most of the time, your computer is going to be slow. Finding out what is using it can be relatively simple using tools built into the operating system (Windows or Mac OS). Sometimes it is just legitimate processes keeping it busy, but hidden malware could also be using your computer without your knowledge.

Stopping unnecessary processes can do a lot to free up “brain time” and speed up the machine. If it has genuinely got to the stage where the operating system itself or applications you rely upon are frequently taking the CPU to 100% usage, then you may need to invest in a new CPU. This would most likely involve getting a new motherboard, memory (RAM) and possibly a new power supply. In a large desktop machine, this is not always expensive and the replacement process is not too complicated. In a laptop, this usually means investing in a new machine altogether.

DeGeekIT can help you identify the root of your computer performance problems and help you identify the best solution. If you do need to buy a new computer or component, arm yourself with the knowledge of what is best to buy for you by talking to us. Empowering yourself by spending a bit of time and money with DeGeekIT, will help prevent you from wasting money on poor computer purchases! Contact us today!

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Computers get slower from the moment we first switch them on and computer stores are more than happy to sell you a new one. But why is your computer slow and is there anything you can do about it?

Why is my computer slow?

Computers slow down over time, right? It’s just one of those facts that we get used to. Here’s the thing… It’s not quite true.

Technically, if you go out and buy a new computer today, don’t unpack it and don’t turn it on, it will be as fast in 10 years’ time as it would have been if you’d unpacked it on the day you bought it. If you do turn it on, but never connect it to the internet, never do anything with it (other than turn it on) and keep it in an airtight box, it is also likely that it will never slow down.

These scenarios, however, are unlikely and impractical in all but the most extreme fringe cases. (A factory that buys an identical backup computer in case a production machine fails, would be one such real example).

In the real world, as a home computer user, we want to use the devices that we have bought. In almost all cases this means using them on the Internet. When connected online, it is essential that we keep them patched and up to date. This introduces the first point of extra drag on the machine.

The reality is that the computer, the physical hardware itself, doesn’t really get any slower, with one notable exception that we’ll come to later (See HEAT and DUST). What makes your computer slow, or act slower, is that you’re unknowingly asking it to do more. It’s like taking a sports car and adding a caravan, a few kids, and a bunch of luggage… It is going to go slower!

So is there anything that we can do about it?

Well yes, to a point. Computer stores all have a vested interest in one solution… getting you to fork out on a new machine, or new parts. That’s how they make money. However, they also have a lot of pressure to shift existing stock and will often unload out of date (read “already slower”) machines and components on the unwitting.

In this article, I’m hoping to expose what makes your computer slow.

To be fully transparent, my vested interest is in selling myself. My business, DeGeekIT, is focused on helping you to help yourself. I sell my time and my advice. I can help you learn how to pinpoint the cause of slow computers (Windows, Mac etc) and other devices (e.g. Smart Phones and Tablets). I hope that I can save you money by showing you how to speed up the technology you already own and pinpoint the bottlenecks if there are any. If it turns out that by replacing one component, rather than replacing the whole machine, you resolve your performance issue, then I’ll point you in the right direction and help you fit it. I will not, however, be selling it to you or be making any profit from selling the hardware.

I’m independent and not affiliated with any brands, so I’ll be as impartial as humanly possible. I will always aim to help you find something that is price appropriate for the hardware you’ve already got. If it turns out that you do actually need a whole new computer, then talk to me first about your needs, and I’ll help you identify the right thing to buy and what to watch out for when the computer salesman is on commission to offload rubbish on you!