Tohidul Islam

Professor von Uhl

English 21007

April 11, 2019

Technical Description

            The Dell corporation, originally known as PC’s Unlimited, was started up by Michael Dell during his freshmen year at college in Austin, Texas 1984. Dell believed that selling computers directly to customers and cutting out the “middle-man” was that best way to provide clients with what they required (Britannica, 2019). The direct selling of computers allowed Dell’s clients to avoid the inflated prices that commonly occur with retailed products, allowing Dell’s business to compete against other, more established, computer retailing companies such as “Atari, Commodore, Osborne, Texas Instruments, Radio Shack, Tandy, IBM, NEC, Sinclair, and Panasonic” (Edwards, 2015). After finding success in this business, Dell dropped out of college near the end of 1984 to pursue the growth of PC’s Unlimited. One year after the company was created, PC’s Unlimited produced its first original concept computer called the Turbo PC which marked the beginning of Dell’s expansion as a company. By 1988, the company had rebranded to Dell Incorporated and had become an international company (Britannica, 2019).

Over the last thirty-five years, Dell has continuously improved upon its line of desktop computers in terms of capability and durability. The modern-day Dell computer can handle strenuous multitasking and complex computations in virtually no time at all; the driving forces behind this performance being the components of the desktop which work in tandem to create a unique and flawless experience for the user (“What We Do,” n.d.).

Dell desktops vary in their inner components based on the model and year in which they were manufactured. However, all Dell desktops contain the core components of a motherboard, RAM sticks, CPU, PSU, and HDD (“Inside a Computer,” 2012) which are custom-made and ordered from original equipment manufacturers. These customized components, along with a vast line of products to choose from and competitively low prices, allow Dell desktops to perform on par with, if not better than, other computer brands such as HP (Grisham, 2019).

Each core component plays a vital role in the functioning of a Dell desktop. The first of these major components, the motherboard, is essentially the backbone of the desktop. The motherboard is a printed circuit board that holds and connects all the other components of the desktop, allowing for communication between the various parts (“Motherboard”, n.d.). Lacoma, a reviewer of technology, in his article “What is a motherboard?” (2018), describes the motherboard as the “air traffic controller of the computer” which accurately depicts the motherboard’s role as the coordinator of every component of the desktop. According to Lacoma, the motherboard directly holds two other core components which are the CPU and RAM sticks.

The CPU, which stands for central processing unit, is the brain of the desktop, providing the functionality for the entire computer. It contains the arithmetic logic unit, a circuit which, along with the registers and control unit, performs all the complex arithmetic and logic operations that are assigned to it. Most modern CPU’s include two or more cores which are multiple “units squeezed into a single chip” allowing for multiple simultaneous computations (“What is a CPU and What Does It Do? – Definition of CPU,” n.d.). The rate at which the CPU performs these computations is determined by the clock-speed of the circuit; every CPU has a different default clock-speed set by the manufacturer based on the model of the Dell desktop, resulting in CPU’s not being able to store a significant amount of data in them (Harding, 2018). Due to this reason a temporary memory stack known as RAM is needed.

The RAM, or random access memory, is where the computer stores any data that it is actively using. The most common type of RAM that can be found in a dell computer today is synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) or more commonly known as double data rate (DDR) which processes information faster than any other type of RAM (Martindale, 2019). These RAM sticks come in various amounts of storage space ranging from four gigabytes a stick to upwards of sixty-four each depending on the model of the Dell desktop. While extremely useful for data exchange with the CPU, RAM will lose all information that it currently holds if the system is shut off (McCormack, n.d.). This makes RAM unideal for the storage of long-term information, which is why another component is essential.

For long-term storage an HDD is required. The HDD, or hard disk drive, is the main component used to store and retain information even after power is lost. The storage of data is performed by components inside the HDD known as the actuator, actuator arm, read-write head, platter, and spindle. The actuator swings the actuator arm around which, in turn, moves the magnetized read-write head onto a hard disk made up of magnetic material (Woodford, 2018). This disk, more commonly known as the platter, is constantly spun by the spindle and has portions of it magnetized by the read-write head. These magnetized portions represent the stored data and are organized in such a way that the actuators can easily find and read the data from the platter when needed (Brain, 2000). Although the HDD is important for data storage in a computer, none of the components can run without a source of power.

The last main component required is known as the PSU or the power supply unit. This component is essentially the heart of the Dell desktop, handling the system’s energy requirement by pulling the required amount of electricity and also converting an alternating current into a direct current (Fisher, 2018). The PSU performs this process of energy exchange through inductors, transformers, and capacitors that can be found inside the unit. The inductors temporarily store electrical energy in magnetic fields which, with the help of the transformer, interacts with the secondary inductor to create voltage (Mpitziopoulos, 2015). The capacitors then act as storages for the electrical energy until it is ready to be released. Like all components of a Dell desktop, the size of a PSU can vary depending on the model. As a result, a case with the correct dimensions is needed.

To house the components of a desktop, a structure called a tower is used. Towers vary in size and specifications based on the model. Most Dell towers have one or two built-in case fans to regulate component’s temperatures and maintain proper airflow within the case. However, higher-end models will sometimes come fitted with several fans as well as visual effects such as lighting (Fisher, 2018). There are several different types of towers, but the most common ones are the standard tower, mini tower, mid tower, full tower, and super tower, all of which differ greatly in length, width, and height. The size of the tower is crucial due to the fact that some components require more space than others (Shepley, 2019). Depending on the size of the chassis, varying amounts of materials are required to manufacture it. Dell desktops are constructed with the environment in mind, using recycled water bottles and other plastic wastes along with salvaged carbon fiber to create their computer chassis (Dell, n.d.). This environmental outlook provides Dell another crucial selling point over its competitors.

Dell has rapidly improved upon its line of desktops over the past thirty-five years. With each new release, Dell effectively integrates the latest components that technology has to offer, allowing for performance that rivals many other high-end, more expensive, desktops. This flawless integration of the components provides customers with a product that is just as good, if not better than any other desktop available for the average user.

*Cover page, table of contents, and header removed due to formatting issues*

Bibliography

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