How A CPU Works

How does a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer really work? Well, this article will exactly how it works. Understanding this fundamental concept will help you in grasping the overall concepts of computing much more easily.

The concept of a CPU is not really that difficult to understand - although I know some folks make it appear more complicated than it has to be.
Instructions in a computer are stored in memory. The CPU fetches these instructions and executes them. It then decodes the instruction and sends the task to the appropriate unit (e.g. hard disk, display). The speed at which a CPU can perform the above tasks indicate the CPU's performance.
Read on and find out more about how a CPU works ...
   


Some CPUs available in the market

1. Instructions are Stored in Memory

The first thing to understand about CPUs is this - when programs run, their instructions are stored in memory. The CPU fetches instructions from the computer's memory to execute.
 

2. CPU Decodes the Instruction

The next step is for the processor to understand or decode the instruction and determine what it has to do. Usually what happens is that the CPU will do some form of computation, then stores it back to memory, the disk, or the display.
 

3. How Many Instructions?

One question is, how many instructions can the CPU execution per second? Well, this is determined by a of factors, including:

• How large is the instruction contained in memory
   
• How long it takes for the instruction to reach the CPU.
   
• How long the processor takes to compute and crunch the instructions.
   
• How long it takes to output the result of the processing.

Essentially, the number of instructions a CPU can execute per second is an indication of its speed and performance.
 

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has helped you understand how a CPU works. The CPU is a central part of any computer system and it is certainly useful to grasp its inner workings well.

  

How To Transfer Data From One Hard Drive To Another

Did you know that trying to transfer data from one hard drive to another is a big computing headache? I always face this problem when I try to upgrade my system or build a new computer. How do I ever get the data in my old hard disk into the new one? Well, this article shows you how you can do this. The simplest way is to use a disk imaging tool. A disk imaging tool is a computer builder's secret weapon for quickly moving data from one computer to the next. Make sure you familiarize yourself with these tools as they will save you a lot of time.

We will look at one of them and see how it works, so read on ...
1. Choose Your Tool

Before you start trying to transfer data from one hard drive to another, you need a proper tool. Acronis Migrate Easy is my tool of choice. If you ever wanted to install a brand new hard disk, migrate an operating system or copy hard drive data - this is the program to use. The utikity even allows one to wipe out data on an old hard drive and re-partition very neatly after the copying process.




The main screen of Acronis Migrate Easy



2. Install The New Hard Disk

Ok, let's assume you've just bought a new hard disk. You want to transfer your data, operating system and installed applications over to the new drive. To do this, you must first install the new hard disk in your computer as a slave hard drive. If you're not sure how to do it, then check out this tutorial on how to install a secondary hard disk drive.


3. Run The Program

Next, you need to run the Acronis Migrate Easy program. The program gives you two transfer modes: automatic and manual.




Selecting either the automatic or manual mode in Migrate Easy



If you specify automatic mode, all it takes is a few simple steps to transfer your data from your old hard drive to the new one. All partitions, applications, folders and files will be copied to the new disk. You're also allowed to make the new disk bootable for even more convenience.

If you select manual mode, there are more options available to you. Some of the things you will be able to do:


Select the partitioning and data transfer method


Define partition information on the new disk


Remove all information from the old disk


Create new partitions on the old disk


Conclusion

With a proper disk transfer tool like Acronis Migrate Easy, you no longer need to shy away when it comes to data transfers between hard disks. The more you transfer data from one hard drive to another, the more expertise you will gain. So go out there and start experimenting!

Reasons Why A Monitor Goes Blank

When I first started to learn to troubleshoot PCs, I found a blank monitor to be one of the most frustrating things I encountered. With the screen blank, there's not a whole lot you can do except to hit the power off button, check the connections and hit the power on button again.
In this article, we'll look at the top 5 reasons why a monitor goes blank. Once you understand the reasons, you'll understand how to troubleshoot the problem more easily.



1. Introduction
Computer monitor problems can be very hard to troubleshoot - I mean, if your monitor goes blank, how do you check anything on your screen. So that's why it's important to have 2 monitors in the house. Usually, if I have my desktop PC's monitor going blank, I'll immediately hook up the video card to another monitor. If the screen remains blank, then it could point to a video card problem. If the new monitor displays an image, then it's probably the first monitor that has run into problems.

A typical computer monitor - don't panic if it goes blank!

Reason 1: Wetness
The number one reason why computer monitors go blank is - wetness. Believe it or not, when your computer monitor is exposed to humid air, sometimes water can condense and accumulate in the monitor. This causes the monitor to malfunction and go blank. I've had this happen to my desktop PC at least three times before. What you need to do is to leave the monitor alone for some time and allow the water to evaporate. That usually solves the problem.

Reason 2: Faulty Graphics Card The next reason why your computer monitor goes black is due to a faulty graphics card. The best way to detect this kind of problem is to connect up a new monitor to your PC, then check if you have a blank screen. If you continue to have a blank screen, then it's likely your video card is faulty.

Reason 3: Faulty RAM This one is less obvious and less common, but it can happen. You might sometimes get bad RAM modules which prevent your PC from booting up even to the basic BIOS startup screen. To detect this kind of problem is more troublesome, you might need to remove those RAM modules and insert them into another computer.

Reason 4: Loose Connections Another reason why your monitor goes blank is due to loose connections. The connection from the monitor to the mains is usually a culprit, as is the connection between the monitor and the video card. Check those connections before you declare your computer monitor as faulty.

Reason 5: A Short Circuit In The Motherboard And the final reason why your computer monitor goes blank? It's possibly because of a short circuit in the motherboard. This is the most undesirable outcome of course, as you might have to replace your entire motherboard. However, it's possible that this can happen - so keep your fingers crossed and hope it doesn't happen to you.

Conclusion And there you have it, the top 5 reasons why your computer monitor goes blank. Make sure you do a mental check of the above points the next time your monitor goes blank - don't be too quick to declare your monitor as faulty. Until next time, happy computer building!