Reference Guide

Processors are mainly classified based on:
• Number of processing cores
• Speed or frequency measured in GigaHertz (GHz) or MegaHertz (MHz)
• On-board memory, also referred to as cache
These aspects also determine the performance of the processor. Higher values generally mean better performance. Some processors may
be integrated on the system board. Some of the processor manufacturers are Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and so on.
Computer fan
A computer fan cools the internal components of a computer by expelling hot air from the computer. Computer fans are commonly used
to cool components that have high power consumption and thus generate a high amount of heat. Keeping the components cool helps in
protecting them from overheating, malfunctioning, and damage.
Heat sink
Heat sinks are used to dissipate heat generated by the processor, some high-end graphics cards, and on-board chipsets. Heat sinks
generally have a fan mounted above or beside them to increase airflow. A heat sink is made up of fins or blades instead of a single block of
metal. This helps increase the surface area for increased heat dissipation. A layer of thermal grease is applied between the processor or
graphics card and the heat sink for easy exchange of heat.
Thermal grease
Thermal grease, also called thermal gel or thermal compound, is used to create a heat-inductive layer between a processor and heat sink.
Applying thermal grease between the processor and heat sink increases the heat transfer from the processor to the heat sink, as the
thermal grease has better conductivity than air.
Video card
Video cards process graphics data and send video output to a display device such as a monitor or projector. Video cards can be of two
types:
About your computer
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