During recent years manufacturers have made astounding accomplishments with minimizing the size of even our most powerful computer components. An example is the now common i7 laptops that have the equivalent processing power of a business server that used to be multiple times the price. Yet despite these big advances in packing mass power into small products, the actual size of the traditional desktop computer box has not drastically changed since its original appearance.
The reason why the standard computer tower remains reliant after so long, is the same reason as why most of the latest technologies are not house hold; cost. The individual components of a standard computer box can be much more easily accessed, interchanged and upgraded without needing trained technicians or complete system replacements. The computer parts are also going to be cheaper, have more variety and be more advanced than their mini counterparts.
The impact of heat on computer components is often not realised by the average owner. Despite the various water-cooling solutions being sold, the preferred cooling method is the use of heat sinks and fans. It allows for simpler implementation and management, while also avoiding the risk of costly water accidents.
Although a processor can handle temperatures of around 90 degrees Celsius, you should aim at keeping your box at less than 70 degrees. Keeping a steady air flow through your computer box is the best way to do this. Cool air should be entering your desktop box from the front and passing over your components before getting expelled at the opposite end. Should the air get stuck in a cycle, or remain too static, the stale air will cause a rise in temperature.
It is a simple, cheap and effective move to add additional fans to your PC box. The components primarily impacted by high temperatures will be your CPU, graphics card and hard drives. To maintain air flow, it's standard to have an air intake from the front or side of your PC, where your hard drives are normally located. Nearly every motherboard will have a fan blowing air over the heat sync of the CPU. Your processor is the fastest heating computer component. From the centre of the box, air will be pulled out by your power supply unit's fan and most often an exhaust fan, at the open back of the box.
You Computer Processing Unit (CPU) can be called the brain of your computer. It is the driving force behind how fast your computer can create, analyse and channel the signals travelling through your entire computer system. A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performs a similar function as the CPU, but its scope is focused on handling processes that are for visual rendering applications.
Since the CPU is designed for the goal of making things happen that your system services ask, the type of software that is going to be making numerous action-requests will put more strain on the unit. For example a simple text program with no extensive features or options will be light on your CPU usage, since what needs to happen is rather straight forward and predictable. On the other hand, should you have a more modern advanced text program that is constantly running features like a spell check, auto saving, providing numerous right click functions and interface options, your CPU will need to make many different services happen at once.
Some of the most strenuous usage on your Computer Processing Usage will be operations like: software making use of search functions (such as Anti-virus programs do), media players (that need to keep a database running of large files in different locations) and applications that have large numbers of services and functions constantly running (document creation programs, Mail programs ect. )
A GPU can be described as processor on a Graphics Card. The GPU is the primary component for helping a computer make use of visually intense operations. It uses software drivers specifically developed to instruct it how to handle certain types of programming where images need to be composed and react a certain way. A GPU does not operate absent of the CPU. All processes, no matter how graphic intense, will have service parts that need CPU usage in addition to the GPU.
Computer games are the most well known and usage-intense software operations that a GPU is used for. The picture rendering and image processing can be considered the main thing pushing the development of the card. But GPU usage is not limited to games. Web Designing & Computer Aided Drafting will make strong use of a graphics card in a work environment. All modern operating systems have strong visual effects that incorporate the GPU usage. Likewise with any software that needs complex visual action.
Folding at home (FAH) is a project launched with the purpose of mass participation to contribute to a single scientific cause by making research resources available that would otherwise be near impossible to obtain. The implementation involves computer users around the world dedicating some of their unused CPU (& in some cases GPU) processing power to an installed client program that then provides the computer resources available to perform computationally intensive simulations of protein folding and other molecular dynamics (MD), and to improve on the methods available to do so.
Scientists use the power to simulate protein folding and misfolding and gather a better understanding of the developments of many diseases. Over the years, the FAH programs' results have lead to numerous science research papers being published. The project is the largest undertaking of its kind in the world, with links to Google, Genome and in fact being hosted by Stanford University.
For more information regarding FAH and to participate, read further on Wikipedia
The purpose of a server is to provide a focused resource or functionality to a network that contains either programs or computer that make use of it. The term can be used very broadly since any computer (whether a set of clustered computers or a stand alone) can be considered a server if it provides a service to multiple devices. Placing a single powerful server as opposed to multiple computers can often save costs (for example with modern Virtual Server Hosing software) as opposed to implementing various nodes with the service.
Most often, a server will be assigned a specific role or set of roles to perform. These roles can vary to nearly any PC operable operation, whether software or hardware orientated. They can be used to: distribute a collection of information at a central point (for example file servers), perform hardware operations too advanced for regular network computers (such as servers running virtual computers), or even something as simple as being a central access point (like a print server).
Servers will have a base Operating System installed that serve as the blank environment to run the services, roles and features needed. Often theses systems and software are developed in house to meet the specialised needs of a organization. However there are thousands of applications from mainstream OS and software companies and 3rd party applications. The server's uses are only limited to the financial and technical resources you have available.