09-04-2014, 02:40 PM
PC Speed and Performance
Do you know what components are compatible with what?
Shopping for a new processor and motherboard can be confusing. Some of the most important terms and concepts regarding system performance are also the hardest to understand. Terms like: System Clock, Quad Pumping, Double Pumping, DDR, FSB, SDRAM, Dual Channel, and QDR make many new builders cringe.
MOTHERBOARD
Organization: In one way or another, everything is eventually connected to the motherboard. The way that the
motherboard is designed and laid out dictates how the entire computer is going to be organized.
Peripheral Support: The motherboard determines, in large part, what types of peripherals you can use in
your PC. For example, the type of video card your system will use ( PCI or AGP) is dependent on what
system buses your motherboard uses.
Performance: The motherboard is a major determining factor in your system's performance, for two main
reasons. First and foremost, the motherboard determines what types of processors, memory, system buses, and
hard disk interface your system can have, and these components dictate directly your system's
performance. Second, the quality of the motherboard circuitry and chipset themselves have an impact on
performance.
SYSTEM CLOCK
A typical modern PC now has either four or five different clocks, running at different (but related) speeds. When the "system clock" is referred to generically, it normally refers to the speed of the memory bus running on the motherboard (and not that of the processor).
The various clocks in the modern PC are created using a single clock generator circuit (on the motherboard) to generate the "main" system clock, and then various clock multiplier or divider circuits to create the other signals.
Do you know what components are compatible with what?
Shopping for a new processor and motherboard can be confusing. Some of the most important terms and concepts regarding system performance are also the hardest to understand. Terms like: System Clock, Quad Pumping, Double Pumping, DDR, FSB, SDRAM, Dual Channel, and QDR make many new builders cringe.
MOTHERBOARD
Organization: In one way or another, everything is eventually connected to the motherboard. The way that the
motherboard is designed and laid out dictates how the entire computer is going to be organized.
Peripheral Support: The motherboard determines, in large part, what types of peripherals you can use in
your PC. For example, the type of video card your system will use ( PCI or AGP) is dependent on what
system buses your motherboard uses.
Performance: The motherboard is a major determining factor in your system's performance, for two main
reasons. First and foremost, the motherboard determines what types of processors, memory, system buses, and
hard disk interface your system can have, and these components dictate directly your system's
performance. Second, the quality of the motherboard circuitry and chipset themselves have an impact on
performance.
SYSTEM CLOCK
A typical modern PC now has either four or five different clocks, running at different (but related) speeds. When the "system clock" is referred to generically, it normally refers to the speed of the memory bus running on the motherboard (and not that of the processor).
The various clocks in the modern PC are created using a single clock generator circuit (on the motherboard) to generate the "main" system clock, and then various clock multiplier or divider circuits to create the other signals.