Unit 8 Analysis – System Performance
NT. 1110 |

System Performance The performance of a computer system is based on numerous factors. The CPU, GPU (video card processor), RAM, VRAM, and hard drives all have some impact on how well a computer system performs. With the continuous use of hard drives, fragmentation occurs. This occurs when files cannot be contiguously stored. Basically, files are broken down and scattered around the hard drive. The computer than has to provide extra work to reassemble the files when needed. This effectively slows computer performance, making applications launch slower, accessing files more time-consuming, video performance drop, and more. Also, the computer booting and shutting down takes more time with disk fragmentation. One of the ways to improve system performance is to upgrade RAM. When a computer does not have enough RAM to use, it has set up a virtual memory file. The virtual memory file is space on the hard drive the computer makes to treat as RAM. Also, with RAM being an electronic system as opposed to the mechanical hard disk, it takes more time for data transfer to happen between the RAM and hard drive, unlike the RAM and CPU. With adding more RAM, “running” out of usable RAM memory has a small chance of occurring. This means that the CPU can continue to interact with the RAM for temporary files, rather than having to interact with the RAM then the hard drive.

References
Computer Memory Upgrade. (2003). Memory (RAM) and its influence on performance. Retrieved from Computer Memory Upgrade: http://www.computermemoryupgrade.net/memory-influence-on-performance.html
PerfectDisk. (n.d.). What is Fragmentation? Retrieved from PerfectDisk: http://docs.raxco.com/perfectdisk/12/EN/What_is_Fragmentation.htm tegeksinfo. (2011, April 23). Factors that impact a computer's performance. Retrieved from