Computer Repair London

Do you use a computer? Do you know what a motherboard is? Would you know how to tell if there was a problem with the motherboard in your computer? Most computer users have a general idea of how their computers work, but many people do not know anything about what is inside the machines they use every day. Motherboards are the main complicated component in the computer that makes it run, made from interconnected electrical components wired and soldered onto the board. There are many things that can cause problems with computers. Older computers may not run if their motherboards are damaged or burnt out, which can happen in different ways.

The kind of motherboard in the computer determines the computer’s capabilities. Motherboards contain the central processing unit, microprocessor and memory chips, and other components like external storage, controllers, and peripheral devices attached as plug-in cards or cables. Motherboards also hold the motherboard chipset, sockets with microprocessors and memory, memory chips, the system’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), clocks to synchronize the various components, slots for expansion cards, power connectors to distribute electricity to components, and heat sinks and fans to cool the system during operation. All these parts are wired onto the motherboard and run the computer and all its peripherals like printers, scanners, keyboards, etc.

All the component’s critical connections are processed by this printed circuit board that houses the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the BIOS chip. The CPU and the BIOS chip run a computer. The computer is turned on and the BIOS starts up, and it powers up the CPU which controls all the other main systems of the computer. The CPU consists of many transistors (sometimes millions) and devices that process a multitude of programmed tasks.

Motherboards normally last eight to ten years with normal use and care. The computer will not run with a damaged or defective motherboard and manufacturers will replace them if they fail while under warranty. If motherboards fail or are damaged outside of warranty, they will require replacement to be able to run the computer again.

Most motherboards will last eight to ten years, although some are defective right out of the box and some fail soon after initial use. Manufacturers will replace them if they fail while under warranty. If out of warranty, or for the purposes of upgrades, motherboards can be costly and difficult to replace.

Many things damage motherboards in computers making replacement necessary. Lightning, hard impact or dropping the computer, spilling liquids on the computer, strong magnetic or electrical charges, and fan or heat sink failure can all break and damage the delicate wiring and electrical components in the motherboard. A common sign of motherboard failure is if the computer will not boot up, but diagnostic testing is needed to determine if the motherboard is damaged. Replacing a damaged motherboard involves the cost of a new board plus installation.

A motherboard is a crowded piece of real estate inside a computer. It holds the CPU, memory slot(s), PCI and AGP slots, power supply plug-in, batteries, controllers, fans, ports, USB(s), and other types of plug-ins. It is the communications center in the computer, and the type of motherboard in the computer depends on the type of CPU running in the computer. Upgrading or replacing a motherboard begins with knowing what CPU is in the computer. However, most computer users won’t ever have to do anything with the motherboard, except know that it runs their computer.

Matthew Kerridge is an expert in consumer electronics. If you want more information about motherboards or are searching for a trusted motherboard company please visit http://www.ebuyer.com

Upgrading your computer system often starts with a graphics card upgrade but as prices vary immensely you need to ensure you buy the right one.

Do You Want To Play The Latest Games

Initially it is a good idea to take a step back before making a purchase and ascertaining the level of upgrade that would be most suitable i.e. are you an ardent games player. Find out whether the majority are in 2-D or in 3-D

If most are older games then it could be a waste of money buying a mid to expensive card for a variety of reasons. Remember that the CPU speed is the variable that you’ll need to consider the most. Take care here before you buy anything. Buying a powerful new card may be in vain if your processor is simply not up to the task.

Not All Cards Are The Same

You may not be aware but people are often caught out by the different card slot types available, simply put if you get the wrong one it will not fit in your system.

Depending on your mainboard there will be a choice of suitable card types; PCI, AGP and Pci-e

Is There Enough Memory In Your Computer?

Often doing a graphic card upgrade will also require a computer memory upgrade too!

Graphics cards will be available with different gpu’s and varying amounts of memory, and if your computer only has a small amount of onboard memory then you will run into a big snag as you will have insufficient on board ram to support your system devices and installation will either fail or your computer will end up slower than before.

Does Your Computer Have Enough Power?

Bigger cards draw more power from your computer so you need to be aware of this as well, the older the power supply the smaller it may be, and it may only be around 200w or there abouts, so depending on if you have already added additional hardware to your system, this may over strain the supply which can make your computer very unstable indeed. Also don’t forget thatmany of the new breed of graphics cards may need an additional direct power connection so check your cabling before purchase and buy a splitter if your need one.

Is My Case Suitable?

Even some PC tech’s forget about this one as case design does vary from manufacturer to manufacturer or depending on the main board manufacturer, graphic card space may have not been a major consideration when the board was designed so a newer card will simply not fit!

The new generation of cards often have multiple GPU’s or large amount of memory so the tend to be a lot longer than previous cards. With newer cards working a lot harder they tend to generate a lot more heat so onboard cooling has been increase. This tends to lead to a thicker card as well so you may need to move other Pci cards to accommodate a larger graphics card.

A graphics card upgrade is worth the effort but you do need to take account of the above considerations, but if you mainboard is based on the older AGP graphics standard you will more than likely be better off buying new if graphics performance is what you require.

Slow computers can be caused by many different factors but in many cases it may be down to a lack of simple maintenance. Over time programs are loaded and unloaded, hard disks get fragmented and in the age of spyware many systems are totally bogged down with adware, malware and spyware and in the cases root infestations which enable somebody else to control a PC in the background.

A slow computer can can cost business hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds a year depending on the role of the user due to the fact that everything they do on their PC can take 2,3 or even 10 times longer. Whilst this may not seem a problem on the face of it, if only 10 seconds are wasted every time somebody needs to open a file over the course of a year this soon mounts up.

Equally lack of maintenance can cause systems to overheat which then leads to system failure or perhaps even the need for data recovery which is the last thing you need.

For computer maintenance and IT support in London give us a call.

With the summer on the way (and hopefully this year will be nice and warm) its time to look at your computer and perhaps give it a good internal clean.

Even in the cleanest environment computers do draw in a lot of dust and over time this dust starts to clog up your PC. Over time your processor heatsink will gradually get totally clogged as will the graphics card fan.

Summer tends to see the most problems with hardware failures as the combination of dust and the increase in ambient temperatures cause the internal temperature of your computer to rise well above normal levels, which in turn puts a strain on system components that lead to failure.

One of the worse components that is affected by the heat is of course your computers hard drive and an increase in temperature can cause hard drive degradation and subsequently data loss requiring data recovery.

If your computer has not been cleaned for quite a while or is starting to get hot already we’ll be able to carry out some computer maintenance on your PC to ensure you stand less chance of your system overheating in the warmer summer months.