Part -1:
Task 1:
The first task in this assignment tests your knowledge of what is required to build a fully-functioning computer system, and prompts you to research certain aspects of building a system. Imagine you are going to build your own computer: What will you need to know? What are you going to use your computer for?
The objective of Task 1 is to design a complete system for EACH of the 3 categories shown below. There are budget limitations on each category which cannot be exceeded.
1. Basic Home-user System $1600
2. Home Office System $2200
3. Gaming System $3200
Important points/requirements:
- Although you are building to a budget, don't choose more expensive parts just because you have some allocated budget left over. You need to justify your choice. Note that this goes both ways though - some parts you will need to spend more on that usual, depending on what category you are building for. Either way, justify your choice.
- Create a spreadsheet listing all of the components, their prices, the place or website you could purchase, the cost of each component, and an explanation of why you would choose this part.
- Parts must be available in New Zealand, and in $NZ. I.e., not a part that can be shipped here from overseas. Use NZ stores or websites only.
- Parts must be available at the time you search for them, for the quoted price.
- Full details of each component must be provided. - i.e., not just "Intel i5 processor".
- Include peripheral devices in your systems builds - i.e., a home office system will probably need several peripheral devices that a gaming system/basic home system doesn't.
Questions to ask yourself before beginning:
- What sort of system are you building? What tasks are required of this system?
- What hardware components would you need? (Note that many will be similar - i.e., all computers require a power supply - however some parts may be different for specific machines)
- What hardware components are necessary/best-suited to the tasks the system will undertake? (THIS will probably require some careful research)
- Which parts are compatible with other parts?
- What is your price budget?
- How can you justify choosing certain components over others? (i.e., if building a gaming system, why would you choose a ~$100 mouse instead of a basic one ~$15?)
Part 2
Task 1:
Research the phrase "RAID Hard Drive Arrays", and write a short report on what a "RAID Hard Drive" configuration is, giving a brief description of these 4 common RAID configurations:
- RAID 0
- RAID 1
- RAID 5
- RAID 10
Include in your report when and where these RAID configurations could be used, and include the advantages and disadvantages of each configuration.
Task 2:
Research the terms "SLI - Scalable Link Interface", and "AMD CrossfireX" in terms of graphics cards. Write a short report (several paragraphs, 250min - 350max words) on these two graphics card set-ups, comparing each one and discussing advantages and disadvantages.
Where would either of these set-ups be used?
What different configurations of SLI and CrossfireX are there?
Task 3:
Discuss what preventive maintenance is, in terms of computer hardware and software. Write a short report on preventive maintenance tasks. Be sure to detail how often each task should be carried out, and under what circumstances.