[small]Find Everything you need for the best Escapist Experience.[/small]
[HEADING=2]CURRENTLY UPDATING FRONT PAGE, WILL BE FINISHED MID OCTOBER 2014.[/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Introduction.[/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Hardware.[/HEADING]Lately there's been ALOT of Questions regarding problems with technology from computers and laptops to games, programs etc. What this topic is designed for is a quick way for users to know what to ask about specific problems and where to get help for it. (As well as understanding some of our mumbo-jumbo).
We use them everywhere, weather it's Gaming, Graphics, Music, Documents, iPhone's etc; but what happens when they break? This section is designed to show you what the basic Hardware and Software are used in computers, Building your first rig, Forum coding and all sorts!
Hardware is the physical objects inside a computer that make it run.
[HEADING=3]Hard Drive[/HEADING]
Hard Drives are what stores all data on a Computer. Your Operating System, Documents, Music etc are all shoved into this storage block. If it breaks, all your Data is gone. There are two types and sizes of Hard Drives; IDE Which are the older model Hard Drives and SATA which are used commonly by most machines today, both coming in 2.5" and 3.5" Sizes. There are also another form of Hard Drive called the "Solid State Drive" which is a more powerful Hard Drive designed to withstand more physical hits then a normal Hard Drive and run more reliable as well as faster. However, Unlike a Hard Drive the space stored on them isn't as big and costs much more then your typical Hard Drive.
Hard Drives are what stores all data on a Computer. Your Operating System, Documents, Music etc are all shoved into this storage block. If it breaks, all your Data is gone. There are two types and sizes of Hard Drives; IDE Which are the older model Hard Drives and SATA which are used commonly by most machines today, both coming in 2.5" and 3.5" Sizes. There are also another form of Hard Drive called the "Solid State Drive" which is a more powerful Hard Drive designed to withstand more physical hits then a normal Hard Drive and run more reliable as well as faster. However, Unlike a Hard Drive the space stored on them isn't as big and costs much more then your typical Hard Drive.
[HEADING=3]RAM[/HEADING]
RAM (Or known commonly as memory) is how much data a computer can move about at once and at what speeds. They come in little sticks and range from SDRAM, DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 RAM. Most machines now use either DDR2 or DDR3.
RAM (Or known commonly as memory) is how much data a computer can move about at once and at what speeds. They come in little sticks and range from SDRAM, DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 RAM. Most machines now use either DDR2 or DDR3.
[HEADING=3]Motherboard[/HEADING]
Basically they are a giant circuit board which everything connects to so that they can all communicate and run a machine. Each one is designed for a Processor type, Hard Drive type and RAM type.
Basically they are a giant circuit board which everything connects to so that they can all communicate and run a machine. Each one is designed for a Processor type, Hard Drive type and RAM type.
[HEADING=3]Processor[/HEADING]
Also known as a CPU, This is the brain and heart of a computer. This processes all data, tells what part of a computer to do what etc. There are two types of Processor companies who each make different Processor types: Intel and AMD.
Also known as a CPU, This is the brain and heart of a computer. This processes all data, tells what part of a computer to do what etc. There are two types of Processor companies who each make different Processor types: Intel and AMD.
[HEADING=3]Graphics Card[/HEADING]
This is what produces your graphics. Basic computers have them built into their motherboards, others (Especially heavy gamer machines) have a Graphics Card added in. There are two makers of graphics cards: nVidia and ATi (Now known as AMD). Also there are two types of Graphics Cards;
-AGP: These are the OLD Models for (much) older motherboards.
-PCI-e: This is what most machines now use.
This is what produces your graphics. Basic computers have them built into their motherboards, others (Especially heavy gamer machines) have a Graphics Card added in. There are two makers of graphics cards: nVidia and ATi (Now known as AMD). Also there are two types of Graphics Cards;
-AGP: These are the OLD Models for (much) older motherboards.
-PCI-e: This is what most machines now use.
[HEADING=3]Power Supply[/HEADING]
Fairly obvious, It's a big box that powers a machine, but also Denpending on what hardware you're running, you need a correct amount of Power. An example is generally with 2 Graphics Cards, you need at least 700W+ of power at minimum, while with 1 you may only need 600W
Fairly obvious, It's a big box that powers a machine, but also Denpending on what hardware you're running, you need a correct amount of Power. An example is generally with 2 Graphics Cards, you need at least 700W+ of power at minimum, while with 1 you may only need 600W
[HEADING=2]Software.[/HEADING]
These are programs that make you able to interact with your computer.
[HEADING=3]Operating System[/HEADING]
This is the main Program. The big wig. Most commonly known as Windows, Linux or Mac/Snow Leopard. Each machine has the option to have a OS installed, however some machines can ONLY have a certain OS installed and work properly (Yes, the Mac).
This is the main Program. The big wig. Most commonly known as Windows, Linux or Mac/Snow Leopard. Each machine has the option to have a OS installed, however some machines can ONLY have a certain OS installed and work properly (Yes, the Mac).
[HEADING=3]Drivers[/HEADING]
These are programs that help the hardware perform better (or in some cases perform at all). You have drivers for your Graphics Card, Multiple ones for the Motherboard, The Processor, Sound, USB etc.
These are programs that help the hardware perform better (or in some cases perform at all). You have drivers for your Graphics Card, Multiple ones for the Motherboard, The Processor, Sound, USB etc.
[HEADING=3]Anti Virus, Spyware and Malware [/HEADING]
These are programs designed to protect your computer from viruses and other nasty things that try to break your computer.
Most common Anti Viruses:
Kaspersky [http://www.kaspersky.com/] (Paid/Trial)
Trend Micro [http://www.trendmicro.com.au/au/home/] (Paid/Trial)
Norton [http://antivirus.norton.com/norton/ps/3up_au_en_navnis360.html?om_sem_cid=hho_sem_ic:au:ggl:en:e|kw0000004480] (Paid/Trial)
Avast! [http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download] (Free)
Comodo [http://www.comodo.com/] (Free)
AVG [http://www.avg.com.au/home/] (Free)
Microsoft Security Essentials [http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx] (Free but only for legit Windows XP, Vista or 7)
Other helpful Programs:
Malwarebytes [http://www.malwarebytes.org/] (Free)
These are programs designed to protect your computer from viruses and other nasty things that try to break your computer.
Most common Anti Viruses:
Kaspersky [http://www.kaspersky.com/] (Paid/Trial)
Trend Micro [http://www.trendmicro.com.au/au/home/] (Paid/Trial)
Norton [http://antivirus.norton.com/norton/ps/3up_au_en_navnis360.html?om_sem_cid=hho_sem_ic:au:ggl:en:e|kw0000004480] (Paid/Trial)
Avast! [http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download] (Free)
Comodo [http://www.comodo.com/] (Free)
AVG [http://www.avg.com.au/home/] (Free)
Microsoft Security Essentials [http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx] (Free but only for legit Windows XP, Vista or 7)
Other helpful Programs:
Malwarebytes [http://www.malwarebytes.org/] (Free)
[HEADING=3]Games[/HEADING]
...'nuff said
...'nuff said
[HEADING=3]Miscellaneous Programs[/HEADING]
These are various Programs added here that you might be interested in, including customizing the appearance of your Desktops.
Rainmeter - Customizable toolbars and information on your desktop. [http://rainmeter.net/RainCMS/]
Rocketdock - An Icon dock which gives you a 1-click access to programs, Files and Folders. [http://rocketdock.com/]
Objectdock/Stardock - An Icon dock which gives you a 1-click access to programs, Files and Folders. [http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/]
These are various Programs added here that you might be interested in, including customizing the appearance of your Desktops.
Rainmeter - Customizable toolbars and information on your desktop. [http://rainmeter.net/RainCMS/]
Rocketdock - An Icon dock which gives you a 1-click access to programs, Files and Folders. [http://rocketdock.com/]
Objectdock/Stardock - An Icon dock which gives you a 1-click access to programs, Files and Folders. [http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/]
[HEADING=2]The Escapist Forum-Related Section[/HEADING]
Many users (old and new) often wonder about how certain codes work on the forum boards, weather it's for formatting, embedding or posting cat pictures. So that's what this section is aimed at.
[HEADING=3]Image Embedding[/HEADING]
This is by-far the most commonly asked question, "How do I post a picture?. Firstly, find the URL of the image, making sure it ends with an image format, such as this:
See how it ends in .jpg? That's one of the many common image formats. The most common and used of course are:
[li].jpg[/li]
[li].png[/li]
[li].bmp[/li]
[li].gif ("gifs" are commonly animated pictures)[/li]
When you want to post an image, or "Embed" into your post, you use what's called the IMG tags, like so:
Doing that, opens the tag, puts the URL in, then closes the tag so it knows where the image's URL end. Then we end up with something like this:
An important note however, when doing an IMG code, you MUST have it in either all caps like 'IMG' or 'img', one or the other, otherwise it won't work and don't forget the '/' in the close tag, otherwise the forum won't recognise it's a close tag.
Also ensure there are no spaces in your codes, otherwise they won't work either. (With the exception of this guide because code tags aren't working...)
This is by-far the most commonly asked question, "How do I post a picture?. Firstly, find the URL of the image, making sure it ends with an image format, such as this:
Code:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyuEa-m-Jj4/T8mZNeSpUwI/AAAAAAAADGM/bmLPK4LRIXc/s1600/funny-cats_23.jpg
[li].jpg[/li]
[li].png[/li]
[li].bmp[/li]
[li].gif ("gifs" are commonly animated pictures)[/li]
When you want to post an image, or "Embed" into your post, you use what's called the IMG tags, like so:
Code:
[ IMG ] http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tyuEa-m-Jj4/T8mZNeSpUwI/AAAAAAAADGM/bmLPK4LRIXc/s1600/funny-cats_23.jpg [ /IMG ]
An important note however, when doing an IMG code, you MUST have it in either all caps like 'IMG' or 'img', one or the other, otherwise it won't work and don't forget the '/' in the close tag, otherwise the forum won't recognise it's a close tag.
Also ensure there are no spaces in your codes, otherwise they won't work either. (With the exception of this guide because code tags aren't working...)
[HEADING=2]How can YOU help?[/HEADING]
When asking a question about a computer problem be sure to be very clear on what you mean, if possible list your details like so:
To view your computers specs Right Click on "My Computer" (or "Computer" for Vista/Win7) and click properties or you can download a program called Speccy [http://www.piriform.com/speccy] Which will scan your computer and give a full list of everything running. If you want to compare your specs to see if you can run a game, go to Can You Run It? [http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/] and/or check the box of the game to see the minimum specs. (Note: Can You Run It? isn't 100% Accurate, especially with games that have upgraded and have more demand in resources such as Team Fortress 2, World of Warcraft etc)Example (My Specs) said:Im having problems running a certain game, it load but its all slow and choppy and at times stop working.
Processor: Intel i7 950
Graphics Card: nVidia GTX 480
RAM Amount: 6 GB DDR3
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate
[HEADING=2]Measurements and Units.[/HEADING]
Hard Drives
Hard Drives measure data in amounts called Bytes. A Single byte is such a small amount of information, it probably would not be able to contain this entire sentence. Bytes are notated by prefixes akin to the Metric system.
- 1 Byte = 1B
Example: A short value, like "8942"
1 Kilobyte = 1KB (1000B)
A nominal but still rather small value, like a portion of this post.
1 Megabyte = 1MB (1000KB)
One of the most frequently occurring values in modern computation. A typical youtube video is about 5MB for 4 minutes.
1 Gigabyte = 1GB (1000MB)
Common unit for larger bunches of information. A video game can range from 1 to 8GB.
1 Terabyte = 1TB (1000GB)
Uncommonly large unit, the size of most hard drives these days.
1 Petabyte = 1PB (1000TB)
Extremely large unit. All of Facebook could probably fit on a 50 Petabyte Hard drive.
1 Exabyte = 1EB (1000PB)
Unit used by Computer Theoretical Science. Some say If all particle interactions in the universe that ever occurred were recorded, they would probably be able to fit on a 10 EB hard drive.
RAM
Ram varies depending upon what sort of programs and games you play, but a nice round figure is a bit above 1GB. RAM memory in amount is similar to your Hard Disc space, except you don't need all that much comparatively. Hard Drives measure how much data in total your computer can store, whereas RAM is how much information your computer can hold in reserve and think about moment-by-moment. Data in RAM is cleared and erased when you turn off your computer.
Processor
Quick joke, who's the winner of the 7th Gen Console wars? Answer: Intel, they make the chipsets for all three systems.
Processors have all sorts of things that can be read about them since to computers they're the Brain, Heart, Kidneys and Stomach all combined. Their main task is calculations. Sheer volume of math. The unit which measures its speed is either the MIPS or the MOPS, which stand for Millions of Instructions/Operations Per Second. A Playstation 3 can do about 10,000MOPS, Intel i7 Processors can do more than 100,000MOPS. Pretty straight forward, the higher the number, the faster your Processor can think.
Graphics Card
Graphics cards (or Video Cards) are like tiny computers built to be attached to the inside of Computers, with their own internal dedicated RAM, Processor and Cooling system, except their programming architecture is specifically designed for Graphics and visuals calculation, such as Game Engines.
The measurements of a Graphics card are its Clock Rate and Bandwidth.
The Clock rate is how fast the Graphics Processor can flip between a 0 and a 1 at the most basic level of Binary. It's measured in Hertz. Typical modern graphics cards can do Several Gigahertz (GHz), or Billions of 'flips' per second.
Bandwidth is how quickly information can be shared To and From the card and the motherboard. Quite simply it's measured in Bytes per second. Depending on the quality and year of the card, it can vary from 2 to 100 GB/s.
Power Supply
Power supplys convert safe and normal household AC current (whose Voltage varies depending upon what country you're from) into a Standardized DC current for operation inside your computer. The more Wattage (W for Watts) it can supply, the more hardware it can have installed on it.
[small]This section courtesy of Anarchemitis[/small]
[HEADING=2]Extra Links Within The Escapist.[/HEADING]
The Escapist Forum Code of Conduct [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/codeofconduct]
The Banhammer and You: A User's Guide to the Forums [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.112832-The-Banhammer-and-You-A-Users-Guide-to-the-Forums]
Community and Forums Codex & Index [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.202272-The-Escapist-Community-and-Forums-Codex-Index-Guides]
The Escapist Forum Badge Gallery [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.282858-The-Escapist-Forum-Badge-Gallery-Badges-828-Version-II]
The Escapist Forums - Moderation FAQ [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.309173-Moderation-FAQ]
The PC Builders and Hardware Group
[HEADING=2]Final Notes[/HEADING]
If you think anything extra should be added, changed, opinions etc don't hesitate to PM me or post them in the topic. Happy
[HEADING=2]Thank Yous[/HEADING]
Thanks to Anarchemitis, JesterRaiin, Kabutos, Tubez for Helping and reminding me to update this list!
[HEADING=2]Update Section[/HEADING]
Update 27-Jan-2013: I'm VERY sorry for the lack of maintaining this thread. RL issues have occupied me all 2012, as well as battling Mentl Health issues. I will hopefully Get this all up to date at some point.
Update 29-Jan-2013:
Due to Cyclonic weather here, I was unable to do anything. However, I have now started updating the "Forum" section of this guide. Eventually I plan to do a FULL overhull of this guide, to accompany common questions in general of the Advice forum, including Health, Mental awareness, technology, Forum stuff etc.
Update 05-Jun-2013:
Mod Edit: Added "the PC Builders and Hardware Group" to the links within the Escapist section - Eleu