UNIT 2 COMPUTER

SYSTEMSBy George Smith-Moore

Cisco room

INTRODUCTION (P4)

For the tasks in the next slides I had to:

I also had to provide the ‘Cisco Room’ with 40

workstations, working computers with peripherals and

software.

I have justified the choices that I had made on my costing

list, to explain why these choices are the best.

PROCESSOR

I have chosen to use Intel Celeron G1610.

It is 2.6GHz with a 2MB cache, LGA 1155.

The Cost is £30.48

From www.waeplus.co.uk

This processor is a cheap means for a functional computer. It will not be able to render videos quickly, but it would be sufficient for watching media and for word processing. The CPU is 64-bit, this will allow faster processing power and the amount of RAM would complement this well. As larger chunks of data are processed in the 64-bit system for faster speed.2-core processors would allow for 2 instructions simultaneously, having 4 cores would benefit the system, but only by about 25%.The 2.6GHz clock speed for this kind of system is sufficient. The clock speed represents the amount of cycles per second.

The Intel Celeron is a cheap, but effective means for 40 working computers.

MOTHERBOARD

I have chosen to use MSI H77MA-G43

It runs LGA 1155

Features:

Built-in sound, 4xUSB2.0/ 2xUSB 3.0, 1x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 slots, 2x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots.

Cost is £52.24

From www.waeplus.co.uk

The built in sound card, and Ethernet port will negate the need for expansion cards. The CPU has built-in graphics so there is no need for a GPU extension card. USB ports are universal, and with the latest USB 3.0 on board, the motherboard will be future-proof.In case extra RAM is ever needed there is an ample supply of spare RAM slots. The latest PCIe slots allow the fastest data travel speeds between possible extension cards.The slot LGA 1155 has been used because although it is not the newest, but the benefits that the newer versions bring are not worth the extra cost.

This motherboard has all of the PCI/PCIe slots that would be needed for the 40 workstations.

RAM

I have chosen to use Kingston single rack module.

I will use 2x 2GB

It is 1066MHz

The cost is £11.46 each

With a total cost of £22.92

It will be ordered from www.dabs.com

I have chosen to use this RAM because of the cost and because the motherboard still has two other RAM slots, in case in time the systems need upgrading.4GB RAM is needed for the 64 bit CPU. Any less than this and the CPU would start to perform worse than the 32 bit counterpart.I have chosen to use 2 sticks of RAM in case of hardware failure in one of the sticks, the system would still be useable to an extent.

GRAPHICAL PROCESSING UNIT

I have chosen to use Intel HD graphics.

Intel HD graphics is built into the CPU.

It is free with the CPU.

I have chosen to use this because of the cost and because the graphics power meets what the computers will be likely to use.

I cannot foresee the need for the school workstations to need a GPU more powerful than the on-board graphics, having one would only be a waste of their budget.

Although, if a GPU is needed in the future, the motherboard and power supply could handle a mid-range card. A high-end graphical card starts to become very expensive for the amount of performance you get. Because of this I have not allocated a large enough PSU to meet the high end graphical specifications.

HARD DISK DRIVE

I have chosen to use Hitachi Deskstar OEM.

It features a 500GB size.

It has a 16MB cache.

It has a 7200RPM.

It will cost £40.00

It will be bought from www.ebuyer.com

I have chosen this HDD because the cisco room would need a HDD that has plenty of space, I have future proofed the workstations by choosing this HDD.

A 500GB HDD is not perfect, but for the basic needs of the computers, it would suffice. If more space is needed later on in time extra HDDs can be added to the case.

Extra GB’s of space would not be needed because, as technology develops there is a greater amount of emphasis on cloud computing, and even without this. Student data would be stored on a server or on memory sticks. 500Gb is fine for just the software which will be installed.

DISK DRIVE

I will be using LG GH24NS95

It is SATA

It is 24x internal DVD/RW

It will cost £16.80

It will be bought from www.digitalpromo.co.uk

I have chosen this Disk drive because it allows the cisco room to use disks to view and install media, it also allows the technicians to create hard copies of students work.

In case of a failure from the network with internet connection. Using a CD drive to install media is a good backup option.

This CD/DVD drive uses the faster new SATA cables and can read data and write data. Although it only has a x24 write speed, This would be acceptable considering the cost and the frequency in which this will be used.

The addition of cloud computing and the advances of the internet in terms of speed has made the CD/DVD drive become more obsolete than ever before.

POWER SUPPLY UNIT

I have chosen to use a bundle deal.

This includes the case and power supply.

It is the CiT Shadow Black ATX case with a 500w PSU.

It will cost £23.33 together.

I will order it from www.scan.co.uk

I have chosen this as the deal saves a lot of money and the case has enough room and the PSU has enough spare wattage.

The bronze 500watt power supply is more than enough for a basic system, and allows a potential upgrade to some extent in the future.

This case is perfect for the Cisco room as it allows good airflow has been recommended many times. This case would only become

COMPUTER TOWER

I have chosen to use a bundle deal.

This includes the case and power supply.

It is the CiT Shadow Black ATX case with a 500w PSU.

It will cost £23,33 together.

I will order it from www.scan.co.uk

I have chosen this as the deal saves a lot of money and the case has enough room and the PSU has enough spare wattage.

This case can fit under the desks that are already in the cisco room.

The case will provide sufficient airflow with the included intake and out-take fans. As seen from the picture, the mesh front will provide enough air-flow for the fans.

The computer tower is rugged, and so it is not liable to breakage over the course of it’s existence.

PROCESSOR COOLING

I am going to use a 70mm CPU fan.

It will be TX3 dual ball-bearing.

It will cost £3.28

From www.waeplus.co.uk

I have chosen to use this as it will cool the CPU down perfectly.

The CPU would not overheat, due to a lack of high-performance parts in the system. The lower-performance parts are less likely to overheat as the case is always cooler.

This fan will slightly better cooling than the ‘stock’ fan. The stock fan would cool the CPU effectively, this upgrade will ensure a cool CPU for years to come. As no overclocking would happen, this fan would be able to cool the CPU.

I have chosen this fan for it’s excellent reviews, it’s low cost price, and that it’s designed usage, fits into the criteria that the CPU’s will be used under.

SOUND CARD

I will be using Realtek ALC892

It is built into the motherboard

It is a flexible 8-channel audio with jack sensing

It is compliant with Azalia 1.0 spec

It is free because it is built into the motherboard, the workstations would not need a better sound card as the room would not be using heavy media/music files.

A stand-alone sound card would be a waste of money, unless you are an audiophile (this would require expensive speakers), which the students of the cisco room are not!

The Realtek on-board sound card allows for 8-channel audio. It is compliant with the Azalia 1.0 specification. This ensures that it will meet all requirements of the card in the future.

NETWORK INTERFACE CARD

The NIC built into the motherboard is

provided by Realtek, this LAN port supports

10/100/1000.

So due to the fact that this system will be used in a

workplace style environment. The port supports WAN

of speeds up to 1000mbps.

With the internet speeds constantly evolving, the

support for 1000mbps data transfer makes the systems

future proof.

UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS

The USB ports will be built into the motherboard.

The USB’s on the motherboard have both USB 2.0 and 3.0.

They will be displayed/ used through the front and back of the case

It will be free as it is paid for with the motherboard

I am using these are they are standard with the motherboard and it has 6 USB ports, the workstations would not use that many under normal circumstances, and if needed a cheap USB hub can be added.

The bonus of the USB 3.0 port allows for super-fast data transfer as USB 3.0 slowly supersedes USB 2.0

OPERATING SYSTEM

I have chosen to use Microsoft Windows 7 Home

Premium.

It will cost £69.99 It will come from www.shop.bt.com

I have chosen to use this OS as it is still considered the

business ‘standard’. By being compatible with XP

programs, this only adds to the benefits of using this OS.

Support has been extended for the OS, providing a

longer life span. Also when an upgrade is needed, then

the OS standard will have moved to a newer OS.

OFFICE SOFTWARE

I will be using Open Office

It features all the programs of Microsoft office: such as

Word=WRITER

PowerPoint=IMPRESS

Excel=CALC

Access=BASE

Paint=DRAW

It also features “MATH”

It will cost £0.00

From www.openoffice.org

I have chosen this as it is a suitable substitute for Microsoft office, and it is free. It can open most documents, and save as a variety of file types.

ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

I have chosen to use AVG free.

AVG free features most functions of a paid anti-virus, but the help desksupport is not as great, this I believe is not an issue.

Anti-virus

Support

Scheduled times

Automatic updates

It is free

It will come from www.free.avg.com

I have chosen this as it works as well as a paid for version. And with the ICT technicians working with the workstations, there is no need for the help support that the pad versions bring.

MONITOR

I have chosen to use an LG 19EN33S 19” LED monitor.

It features a 19” screen

It is LED

It will cost £65.90

It will come from www.picmania.com

I have chosen this screen, as it is not too small. Using this screen would be good for the room, as it allows space between each monitor.

Having a TN panel allows for wide viewing angles, compared to an IPS display. The extra cost for the IPS solution makes the benefits of ‘deeper blacks, and sharper colours’ not worth it.

KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

I will be buying the ‘Gigabyte GK-KM6150.

It has a keyboard and mouse combo.

Both are wired.

It costs £9.13

I will be buying from www.shop.bt.com

I have chosen this as it is a good make, the wired

feature is ok for the uses of the cisco room, and the

combo at this price is very cost effective.

SPEAKERS

Earl will be using ‘Genius SP-S110’ speakers.

This features:

2.0 stereo speakers

They are value speakers

They will cost £5.98

It will come from www.scan.co.uk

I have chosen these speakers as they offer excellent value. The quality of the speakers will not be fantastic, but as the cisco room is not primarily dedicated to media, they will be sufficient.

They have no dedicated bass output, but this would not be needed and so is a cost effective solution.

TOTAL COSTINGS

TOTAL COSTINGS

TOTAL COSTINGS

TOTAL COSTINGS

TOTAL COSTINGS

Costing's for the

computerSystem= £311.49

Total for 40 workstations= £12,459.60

Labour= £20 per computer

Total= £13,259.60

INTRODUCTION (M2)

After I had completed P4, I had to do M2, M2 will be shown on the slides after this.

For M2 I had to offer potential upgrades for the school computers could be upgraded.

I believe that I have completed the tasks to the best of my ability, and to a high standard.

A potential setup is the one described in P4, but the other setups are listed below.

The list of components described in P4 will be used, the only differentiation between the invoices, is the different ‘upgrades’ shown below.

CPU (UPGRADE)

Using the basic setup that I explained in P4, I have

listed 2 other potential setups. These other setups will

be placed into individual invoices at the end.

A faster CPU would benefit the new system as some of the

applications that they use are CPU intensive, such as

Adobe Photoshop

I have placed the CPU that is already shown in P4 on the

left side of the table.

Intel Celeron

G1610

Intel Pentium

G3220

Intel i3-4150

Runs Socket LGA

1155, 2.6GHz,

2MB cache

Runs socket LGA

1150, 3.0GHz,

3MB cache

Runs socket LGA

1150, 3.5GHz,

3MB cache

Costs £30.48 Costs £46.50 Costs £84.87

RAM (UPGRADE)

Although 2GB of RAM could be sufficient, if the

computers are to be used with some RAM intensive

applications, then 2GB would not be sufficient, in case

of this, 8GB of RAM (as listed below) would be enough.

I have placed the RAM that is shown in P4 on the left

side of the table.

Kingston Single

Rack Module

Corsair

Vengeance

Kingston Hyper X

RAM

I will use 2x

2GB

It is 1066MHz

2x4GB

1600MHz

HyperX blu

8GB (2x4GB)

1600MHz

£11.46 each,

Total £22.92

£82.00 £63.87

MOTHERBOARD (UPGRADE) The Motherboard that the systems are using could be upgraded, with

‘option 1’ they use a ‘MSI H77MA-G43’, this could be upgraded to

either a newer motherboard, or one with more features, this could be

used as a starting point to upgrade the rest of the system, if the

motherboard is changed, the processor might have to be changed. A

better Motherboard may be used because of the faster CPU socket, for

a better CPU, of for a cheaper option to cut back on costs.

I have placed the Motherboard that is already used on the left side of

the table.

MSI H77MA-G43 MSI z87-G45

GAMING

Gigabyte Z68AP-D3

It features: Built-in

sound, 4xUSB2.0/

2xUSB 3.0, 1x PCIe

3.0/2.0 x16 slots, 2x

PCIe 2.0 x1 slots.

LGA 1155

It features: Intel

Z87, 4x DDR3, DVI,

HDMI, 6x USB3.0,

GBE LAN, LGA1150

Socket

It features: LGA1155

Intel Z68 DDR3 ATX

USB 3.0

It costs £52.24 It costs £109.90 It costs £38.98

HDD (UPGRADE)

The HDD that the computers are using could be either a

HDD, an SSD, or a hybrid SSHD. A standard HDD could be

upgraded to either have more space, or to be faster.

This will make sure that there is always room on the

system.

Although, only applications will be stored on the HDD as

the student data will be stored on the cloud.

I have placed the HDD that is already used on the left

side of the table.

Hitachi Deskstar OEM Seagate SSHD SanDisk SSD

It features a 500GB

size.

It has a 16MB cache.

It has a 7200RPM

It features 1TB

3.5” form factor

128GB

7200 RPM

read speeds of 490MB/s

It costs £40.00 It costs £64.99 £61.88

SOFTWARE (UPGRADE) The software, could either use a paid option, or the

free alternative. Using Open Office could be upgraded

to Microsoft Office for the extra features that ‘Office’

holds. The anti-virus could be upgraded to Norton, this

will make sure he gets the best features and customer

support.

I have placed the Software that is already used on the

left side of the table.

Open Office Microsoft Office 2013

AVG free Norton

Invoices Option one (the one on the left) comes to a total of: £311.49

Option two (the middle option) comes to a total of: £469.24

Option three (the one on the right) comes to a total of: £415.45

Option one seems to be on the budget side. Whereas option two seems to be on the higher-end side. But Option three, is a suitable system for the school computers.

But to add on to the top of the invoice, remember that ‘MS office’ and ‘Norton’ need to be added.