Computer for an Accounting Firm and for pharmacist

Section -1

Components needed to build a PC for an Accounting firm:

a)Hardware-

• Casing
•   Power supply/PSU
•  Motherboard/Mainboard
• Processor/CPU
• RAM
• Hard Drive/Hard Disk
•  Optical Drive
• Video Card/Graphics Card/GPU
• Keyboard
•  Mouse
•  Monitor
•  Printer
• Scanner
•  External storing device

b) software-

• 1)      Operating system
• 2)      Accounting software
• 3)      Additional software

Specifications of the components :

a)Hardware-

1.      Power supply/PSU- Sea sonic S12II Bronze
2. 2)      Motherboard- MSI P55A-G55 (USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s)
3. 3)      Processor/CPU- Intel core i5-3350P (6M Cache, up to 3.30 GHz)
4. 4)      RAM- Kingston ValueRAM 4GB DDR3 1333MHz Desktop Memory (KVR1333D3N9/4G)
5. 5)      Hard Drive/Hard Disk- Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATAIII 6Gb/s 16MB Cache 3.5 inch Internal Hard Drive OEM
6. 6)      Optical Drive- Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)
7. 7)      Video Card/Graphics Card/GPU- Asus GeForce 210 Nvidia Graphics Card (1GB DDR3, PCI Express 2.0, Low Profile, HDMI, DVI-I, DVI-D, DisplayPort, DirectX 11.0, OpenGL 4.2, Dust-Proof Fan)
8. 8)      Keyboard-Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard with Cherry MX Blue Switch
9. 9)      Mouse – Logitech M90
10. 10)   Monitor- HP 2211x 22" Full HD LED-Backlit.
11. 11)   Printer and scanner- Epson WorkForce WF-2520NF - Multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) - colour - ink-jet - Legal (216 x 356 mm)/A4 (210 x 297 mm) (original) Legal (216 x 356 mm), A4 (210 x 297 mm) (media) - up to 34 ppm (printing) - 100 sheets - 33.6 Kbps - USB 2.0, LAN

b)software-

• 1)      Operating system- Microsoft Windows 7 (ultimate)
• 2)      Accounting software- Sage 50 Complete Accounting 2013
• 3)      Office software- Microsoft office 2010

Justification of selection  of components based on performance, cost and your requirements:

• 1)      Power supply- For power supply we select Sea sonic S12II Bronze. This is Industry standard for silence, power & efficiency. It’s price also comparatively cheaper than other.
• 2)      Motherboard-  We select  MSI P55A-G55 as motherboard. It is based on Intel® P55. It is also offer more than 93% power saving. It also provides an easy-to-use internet environment. It also supports USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s. Its price also reliable comparing to its performance.
• 3)      Processor/CPU-  As processor we select Intel core i5-3350P. It is third generation processor. Its speed and performance are reliable and price is comparatively cheaper than other processor.
• 4)      RAM- Our selected RAM is Kingston ValueRAM 4GB DDR3, which gives desktop PC a boost in performance. It delivers superior speed, power and quality but its price is cheaper.
• 5)      Hard Drive/Hard Disk- Our selection for hard disk is Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB.It performs well and gives silent and speedy service and it is backward compatible and works like SATAII as well. Its price is comparatively lower than other hard disk.
• 6)      Optical Drive- Our selected ASUS DRW-24B1ST is capable of reading and writing data on DVD±R/±RW, DVDRAM formats. It saves power and allows you to permanently delete the data on rewritable discs. It works silently and perfectly and its price also cheap.
• 7)      Video Card/Graphics Card/GPU- Asus GeForce 210 Nvidia Graphics Card is a Great board for the Price. It is easy to install and has a great performance.
• 8)      Keyboard-Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard with Cherry MX Blue Switch is a simple-yet-durable design and it has cherry blue switches, molded keycaps. Its price also inexpensive.
• 9)      Mouse – Logitech M90 is simple to set up comfortable. It is cheap but performance is good.
• 10)   Monitor- HP 2211x 22" Full HD LED-Backlit Monitor provides high quality visual performance with eco options.Resolution of the monitor is 1920 x 1080 pixels and performance is good and price is affordable.
• 11)   Printer and scanner- Epson WorkForce WF-2520NF is a multifunctional device which facilitates with fax, copier, printer and scanner. It is robust and durable. It is ideal for office environment. This has flexible connectivity options, as users can connect the printer to their office network via Ethernet. This allows users to print, scan or send faxes from any computer in the office.  Its price also reliable comparing to its performance.
• 12)   Operating system- Microsoft Windows 7 (ultimate) is one of the best performing operating system of Microsoft. It is easy to use and fits the requirements of the users. Its price is less than windows 8.
• 13)   Accounting software- Sage 50 Complete Accounting 2013 is a complete accounting solution that can help manage books, master taxes and present company professionally to clients. This can help to manage all aspects of business, from invoicing to reporting to paying the vendors. Price of the software is comparatively lower than other accounting software.
• 14)   Office software- Microsoft office 2010 is a good software for office works and price is affordable.

Difference in selection of components if they are used for a company producing music and video products:

Music Products-

Plenty of disk space is important for music products.  Memory of ram also high for  music production.  Recording and mixing is mainly distinguished by specialized external components – studio reference monitors instead of normal speakers, mixing consoles, microphones, etc. If we want to record external sources, like vocals or instruments, we'll need an audio interface which allows us to plug mics or instruments into our computer. Special sound card and special software are needed for music production.

Video Products-

Large and fast hard drives are keys for video editing. Solid State drives or 10000 RPM Raptors in Raid 0 as working space with multiple 1 Terabyte or larger drives for storage is a superior target. SATA/600 is highly recommended and SCSI subsystems should also be considered. A large amount of memory (8 gig or more, using a 32-bit OS is not recommended) would be helpful, as would a fast CPU, with many cores/threads, particularly if we intend to render effects or wish to quickly transcode video. Most editing and transcoding programs utilize some form of GPU acceleration (primarily OpenCL and/or CUDA), where the graphics processor is used, along with the CPU, to perform many calculations at the same time, significantly reducing processing time, compared to CPU-only processing. High performing graphics card is essential for good quality editing and special editing software also needed like- Adobe Premiere, Sony Movie Studio, Adobe After Effect etc.

Section-2

Before assemble a computer we need some important tools, like- Phillips-head (cross-shaped) screwdriver, Needle-nose pliers, anti-static Wrist Strap, A sufficient working space etc. and manuals.

We can assemble a computer component by following steps-

1)      Preparing workplace:  First gather all parts and other things which are needed for computer assemble. Adequate time and space is determined for proper work. Placing a anti-static mat for avoiding static damages.

2)      Install the motherboard: First take the board out of its anti static bag. After  reading the manual carefully take everything apart and making sure nothing has to be mounted to the motherboard before installation.

                                                                         Fig- A motherboard

3)      Install the Processor(CPU):

Use the unlocking mechanism to open the socket. Then carefully line up the pins and place the chips in its socket. Align triangular CPU and socket key marks as shown in Figure. Then to lock the CPU into place lower the lever.

• 4)      Install the CPU Heat sink :

After following the manufacturer’s instruction to install heat sink and the fan that will cool the processor attach the holding clip with fair amount of force. Plug the CPU fan’s power connector into the appropriate connector of motherboard.

• 5)      Install the RAM (memory) modules:

Find the RAM slots on motherboard; they may look like the picture on top. To install the RAM modules, first push on the levers (white plastic in the picture) on either side of the DIMM socket, so that they move to the sides.

• 6)      PLACE THE MOTHERBOARD INTO THE CASE:

First remove the screws holding tray in place and pull it out of the case. Then placing screw brass standoffs into the motherboard tray or into the PC case in the correct. Check the layout of the sockets on the motherboard, and confirm that the ports on motherboard's back panel match the holes on the case's Input/Output (I/O) shield that is installed in case.. Carefully position the motherboard on top of the brass standoffs, line up all the holes, and use the screws that accompanied the case to fasten down the motherboard. Then slide the tray and motherboard back into the case and then secure the tray.

• 7)      Connect the power supply:   

First, plug the large ATX power connector (Figure 12a) from your power supply into the corresponding port on your motherboard. Look Figure X for details.

Place the smaller, square processor power connector (Figure 13) and connect it to the motherboard. Join each of the tiny leads from the power and reset switches (Figure 14), the hard-disk activity lights, the PC speaker, and any front-panel USB and FireWire ports to the corresponding pin on motherboard. The needle-nose pliers are used for manipulating small pieces.

• 8)      Install the Graphics/video card:

First removing the backplane cover from the AGP or PCI Express X16 slot. Then insert the graphics card in matching slot, and then locked the card with a screw (Figure 16).

                                                           

• 9)      Connect the keyboard, mouse, and monitor:

  

Connect keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power cable to computer and turn on it. (Figure17). The internal fans start to whir, the system beeps, and the machine starting to boot, power down by holding the power button for 5 seconds and continue building.   Then shut down PC, unplug it, and open the case.

• 10)   Install the drives:

       

   Use the incorporated screws to attach drives to the rails or cage, and slide them into the case. For externally accessible drives such as a DVD recorder, install one drive rail and sliding the drive in for a test fitting to make sure that its front is flush with the case (Figure 19).   When the drives are installed, fix power and data cables to each one (Figure 20).

• 11)   Install the add-in card:

                                                                                

       

First choose a free PCI slot. Remove its backplane cover to permit access from the back of the case.  Carefully place the card above the slot, and push down firmly to hold the card (Figure 21).Then with screw, secure the card.

12)   Turn the computer on/checking Pc set-up: First we need to make sure that monitor, mouse, keyboard all are plugged into proper ports on the back of the PC. Plug the power cable back in, and turn on the machine. Then set up BIOS by pressing the indicated key when machine boots. Check the heat sink by observing the temperature. Next, determines the order in which your machine checks drives and devices for one it can boot from. Set CD-ROM to the highest priority so that machine will boot from the Windows installation CD.

13)   Install the operating system (OS): First, put the Operating System installation CD in optical drive, then reboot the PC, and allow the system to boot off the disc. The Operating System setup should commence. Then follow the instructions and complete windows set up.

14)   Update Drivers: Insert the CD with the latest drivers provided by the manufacturers and install them beginning with the drivers of the motherboard and graphics card and then moving on to the less critical ones. Several reboots later, we should have a fully updated PC!     

15)    Install  a anti-virus software and setup a network/internet connection:  Before connecting to the internet we need to install a anti-virus software. Then back up system. Plug one end of the ethernet cable into the wall jack and the other end of the cable into the ethernet port of the computer.

16)   Install other software:  We need to install additional software, like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, etc. We also need to install accounting software.

After all task have been done, we check the system, whether it work properly or not. Our system is working properly, so our PC is ready to use.

Section-3

A pharmacist is unable to decide whether he should upgrade his 5 years old PC or purchase a new one. The PC is too slow and doesn't have enough hard disk to store his data which has grown in manifold over the past years. The computer has a CRT monitor which he would like to replace with a LCD one. Advise him with regard to what are needed to be upgraded in this case with implications. Also make recommendations whether he should upgrade his PC or purchase a new one on the basis of comparative performance and cost analysis.

I may advise him to upgrade the following components for replacing the CRT monitor with a LCD monitor-

1)      Display Interface: He must have a graphics card that has the same standard as his monitor. Most video cards support both video graphics array (VGA) and digital visual interface (DVI). Some newer models also support high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI). LCD models on the market support either VGA or DVI, but some work with both interfaces in addition to HDMI. Many users usually fall into problems when they try to mix an older VGA-only card with a DVI-only LCD. Luckily VGA-to-DVI and DVI-to-VGA adapters are available to solve such issues. Many video cards and LCD monitors come with an adapter.

 

2)      Resolution:  He may make sure his video card, operating system and software support the same resolution as his monitor. The resolution determines how much the screen can display. The higher the resolution is preferable. Most LCD screens have resolutions of 1024 x 768 or higher, which nearly all computers can manage. Video cards, which are not being so powerful to handle the high resolution large LCD screens demand are not to be used. At the same time, specialized software may be required.

 

3)      Special Features: Some manufacturers have added additional features to their LCD monitors that demand improved system requirements. As for example, many LCD monitor contain universal serial bus (USB) hubs that need to have a USB 2.0 port on the computer. Some models also consist of speakers, which require a sound card for this function.

Recommendations whether upgrade old PC or purchase a new one:

I recommended to by a new PC. Because his present PC is too old, as a result he can’t have better performance by upgrading the old PC and the cost of a new computer has dramatically decreased. PCs that are three, four, or more years old are simply incapable to take advantage of the latest components such as hard drives or graphics cards.   He is a pharmacist, so for his work he need better performing PC which he doesn’t get properly by upgrading the old one. He may save some money by upgrading old one but he may be not totally satisfied by doing this.

If he want to upgrade processors which is unavailable for older PCs; in others they'll work, but at slower speeds. For example, while he can install one of the newest mega-space hard drives in his old PC, it won't work at utmost speed. Some older PCs also require particular upgrade components--such as memory chips--that are hard to find or so expensive that upgrades just aren't economical. Two to three years ago, processor upgrades from companies such as Kingston and Evergreen Technologies were readily available and popular. But they're generally not an option anymore because today's motherboards are designed for specific processors running at specific speeds. And even if he could upgrade to a faster CPU, He'd find that it wouldn't make a enormous difference in overall system speed. The processor is just one of the many components in a PC that must work together for maximum performance.    

Hard disk upgrading may be a economical way but new PCs come with hard drives that are at least 500GB and new PC’s performance is better than the upgraded one.

Memory upgrade is an effective and cheap way. But most of old RAMs are DDR1 or DDR2 but new RAMs are DDR3. So for upgrading the ram he may need to change his motherboard, then upgrading may be not cheap.

Considering all the aspects upgrading of his old PC may be economical but he can’t get better performance like a new one.

  

Section-4

Potential Computer Threats:

There is many type of threats for a computer. About some of them describing below-

The Threats (Malicious Software or Malware):

1)              Virus- Viruses are programs that alter the computer's activities without the awareness of the user. It typically modifies the values of computer's registry. It is also capable of copying itself, hiding and even changes itself from time to time. The chief reason of defining it as virus is due to the ability to duplicate itself, and it has to attach itself to another file.

Types of viruses include:

a)              Polymorphic – It keeps changing its binary data from time to time so that it would not be detected by anti-viruses. Very difficult, and they usually rewrite themselves every time you attempt to delete them.

b)             Parasitic- This type is associates or attaches itself with another program so that when the program is executed, the virus also executed with it.

Reference-

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Assemble_A_Desktop_PC/Choosing_the_parts

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Assemble_A_Desktop_PC/Choosing_the_parts

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Assemble_A_Desktop_PC/Assembly

http://m.kitchentablecomputers.com/assemble1.php

http://www.personal.psu.edu/students/r/q/rql5024/published/STEP-BY-STEP-PROCEDURE_1.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_7439617_system-requirements-lcd-monitors.html#ixzz2PbyZJBqJ

http://www.pcworld.com/article/108927/article.html

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000988.htm

http://lemoney92.blogspot.com/2010/07/what-are-potential-computer-threats.html