Module 3

Supporting Processors and

Upgrading Memory

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 Part 1
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101)

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 Module Objectives

• By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• Compare characteristics and features of processors used for personal computers

• Select, install, and upgrade a processor

• Compare the different kinds of physical memory and how they work

• Upgrade memory

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 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU • Registers
o Local fast memories
Registers
o E.g. 16, 32, 64 bits
(local fast Control Unit
memories) • Control Unit
o Fetch-Decode-Execute
Arithmetic Logic Unit • Arithmetic Logic Unit
(ALU) o Addition, subtraction, NOT, XOR and so on
• Clock speed (frequency)
o In GHz (number of cycles per second)
• 32-bit vs. 64-bit
o Most processors nowadays are 64-bit
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 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Registers(AX, BX, CX, . . )
8086 CPU Flags(NV, UP, . . )

Machine Code(01D8) Assembly Code(ADD AX, BX)

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 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
(ADD AX, BX)
01D8h
0000000111011000

Registers
Control
AX = 9
Unit
BX = 6

ALU
AX = AX + BX
AX = 9 + 6 = 15(F)

AX = F

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 Types and Characteristics of Processors (1
of 2)
• The processor is installed on a motherboard and determines system computing
power

• Two major processor manufacturers are Intel and AMD

• Features affecting processor performance and compatibility with motherboards

include:
− Processor speed
− Lithography (defines the size and layout of transistors on a CPU)
− Socket and chipset the processor can use
− Multiprocessing abilities: multiprocessing (using two processing units ALU, can
execute two instructions at the same time), multithreading, multicore processing,
and dual processors (e.g. two CPU sockets)

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 Types and Characteristics of Processors (2
of 2)
• Features affecting processor performance and compatibility with motherboards
(continued)
− Memory cache
− Memory features on the motherboard that the processor can support
− Support for virtualization
− Overclocking

• Today’s processor architectures fall into the following two categories:

− Hybrid processors – known as x86-64 processors
− 64-bit processors – known as x64 processors or IA64

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 Motherboard Form Factors

Figure 3-3 This Intel Server Board

s2600ST has two Xeon processor
sockets and 16 slots for DDR4
memory

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 Intel Processors
• Current families of processors for desktops and laptops include the following:
− Intel Core processors include the following:
▪ Core X-series are made for the most powerful high-end desktops with
graphics
▪ Core i9 and Core i7 are made for high-end desktops and laptops
▪ Core i5 is well suited for mainstream desktops and laptops
▪ Core i3 is an entry-level processor for desktops and laptops
− Pentium processors are designed for entry-level desktops and laptops
− Atom processors are made for low-end desktops, notebooks, and laptops
− Celeron processors are made for low-end netbooks and laptops

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 AMD Processors

• Processors by AMD are popular in the game and hobbyist markets

− They are generally less expensive than comparable Intel processors

• Current AMD processor families include:

− For desktops, the Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper, Athlon with Graphics, Ryzen Pro,
and Athlon Pro
− For laptops, the Ryzen, Athlon, and Chromebook
− For servers, the EPYC can have up to 64 cores

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 ARM Processors

• ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) is a processor architecture designed to simplify the

instruction set used for computing

• ARM processors are low cost, low power, and low heat processors used in mobile
devices

• Companies that use ARM processors include Samsung, Intel, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and
Apple

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 Selecting and Installing a Processor

• A hardware technician is sometimes called on to do the following tasks:

− Assemble a computer from parts
− Exchange a faulty processor
− Add a processor (e.g. in a dual-processor system)
− Upgrade an existing processor

• In each situation, it is necessary to know how to how to match a processor to the

system
− You also need to know how to install a processor on the motherboard

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 Selecting a Processor to Match System
Needs
• First requirement is to select a processor that the motherboard is designed to
support

• Processor features to consider include the following:

− Use the highest-performing processor the board supports (e.g. frequency and cache memory size)

− Understand the processor’s ability to multitask (the number of cores and multithreading ability)
− Balance the performance and power of the CPU with that of the entire system, e.g. If you have a high-
performance graphics adapter, don't pair it with a low-performance processor or hard drive, as one
bottleneck can slow down the whole system.

− Read reviews of the processors you are considering and look for reviews that include comparison
benchmarks of several processors.

• When processors and coolers are boxed together, the cooler heat sink might have
thermal compound already applied to the bottom

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 • L1 Cache:
Selecting a Processor to Match System
• This is the first level of cache and is the fastest among the three.
• It is integrated directly on the processor die, meaning it's physically part of the

Needs
CPU core.
• L1 cache is typically divided into two sections: one for data (L1d) and one for
• First requirement
instructionsis to select
(L1i), a processor
allowing quick access thattothe motherboard
both is designed to
types of information.
support
• L2 Cache:
• The second level of cache is slightly slower than L1 but still provides a significant
• Processor speed
features to consider
advantage include the
over accessing mainfollowing:
memory (RAM).
• L2 cache is located off the die, but it is still very close to the CPU core, allowing
− Use the highest-performing processor the board supports (e.g. frequency and cache memory size)
for relatively quick data access.
• It serves
− Understand as a buffer
the processor’s between
ability the fast
to multitask (theL1number
cache of
and theand
cores slower L3 cache ability)
multithreading or main
memory.
− Balance the performance and power of the CPU with that of the entire system, e.g. If you have a high-
• L3 Cache:
performance graphics adapter, don't pair it with a low-performance processor or hard drive, as one
• Thiscan
bottleneck is slow
the third
downlevel of cache
the whole and is generally the slowest of the three but larger
system.
in size.
− Read• reviews
L3 cacheof the processors
is located you are
farther fromconsidering and look
the core than for reviews
L2 cache. It canthat include among
be shared comparison
benchmarks of several
multiple processors.
CPU cores in multi-core processors, allowing them to access a larger
pool of cached data.
• When processors
• Althoughand coolers
slower than L1 are boxed
and L2, it together, the
significantly coolerthe
reduces heat sink
time might
needed tohave
thermal compound
access dataalready
from main applied to the bottom
memory.

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(1 of 7)
• General procedure for installing an Intel processor includes the following steps:
− 1. Use an ESD strap or antistatic gloves
− 2. When replacing a processor, power down the system, unplug the power cord,
press the power button to drain the system of power, and open case
− 3. Remove the socket protective cover
− 4. Push down on the socket lever and gently push away from socket to lift lever
− 5. As you lift the lever, the socket load plate is raised
− 6. Remove protective cover from the processor
− 7. Align processor so the two notches on the edge of the processor line up with
the posts embedded on the socket
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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(2 of 7)
• General procedure for installing an Intel processor (continued):
− 8. Ensure the processor is aligned correctly in socket
− 9. Push down on the lever and gently return it to its locked position

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(3 of 7)

Figure 3-12 Align the processor in

the socket using the gold triangle and
the right-angle mark

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(4 of 7)
• General steps to install a cooler assembly include the following:
− 1. Understand how cooler posts work (understand how this mechanism works)
− 2. Apply thermal compound if necessary (may be preapplied)
− 3. Some heavy coolers provide a plate that fits underneath the motherboard
− 4. After the plate is installed, install the cooler on top of the processor
− 5. For lighter coolers with locking pins, verify locking pins are turned counter-
clockwise as far as they will go
− 6. Connect the power cord from the cooler fan to the motherboard
• Check BIOS/UEFI setup to verify the system recognized the processor

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(5 of 7)

Figure 3-19 Connect the cooler fan

power cord to the motherboard 4-pin
CPU fan header

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(6 of 7)
• Installing an AMD Ryzen or Athlon processor includes the following steps:
− 1. Open the socket lever and remove protective cover
− 2. Orient the four empty pin positions on the bottom with the four filled hole
positions in the socket and carefully place processor in the socket
− 3. Verify processor pins are sitting slightly into the holes
− 4. Press the lever down and gently into position
− 5. Apply thermal compound and install the cooler
− 6. Clip the clipping mechanism into place on one side of the cooler
− 7. Connect the fan power cord to the 4-pin CPU fan header on the motherboard

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Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
(7 of 7)

Figure 3-21 Orient the four

alignment positions on the bottom of
the processor with those in the
socket

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 Knowledge Check Activity 3-1

• What new parts will you need to replace a failing processor? (Choose all that apply.)

a. Power cable

b. Processor

c. Cooling assembly

d. Thermal compound

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 Knowledge Check Activity 3-1: Answer

• What new parts will you need to replace a failing processor? (Choose all that apply.)

• Answer: b. Processor d. Thermal compound

• The new processor and fresh thermal compound are needed to replace a failing
processor. The power cable and cooling assembling can be reused.

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 Memory Technologies (1 of 2)

• Random access memory (RAM) temporarily holds data and instructions used by the
CPU

• Dynamic RAM (DRAM) loses its data rapidly, and the memory controller must refresh
it several thousand times a second

• Two major categories of memory modules include:

− All current motherboards for desktops use DIMM (dual inline memory module)
− SO-DIMM (small outline DIMM) are used on laptops

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 Memory Technologies (2 of 2)

Figure 3-25 RAM on motherboards

today is stored in DIMMs

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (1 of 11)
• The “D” in DIMM stands for “dual” for the independent pins on both sides of the edge
connector

• DDR (Double Data Rate) DIMM runs twice as fast as earlier DIMMs when it was
invented

• DDR3 uses 240 pins and are not compatible with other DIMM types (use different
notches)

• DDR4 is faster and uses less power than DDR3

− Uses 288 pins and has a single notch in the edge connector

• DDR5 is faster and uses less power than DDR4

− Offers up to 64 Gb DRAM and uses 288 pins
− It is not compatible with DDR4 memory because the notch is closer to the center

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (2 of 11)

• Factors that affect capacity, features, and performance of DIMMS include the
following:
− Number of channels they use
− How much RAM is on one DIMM
− Speed
− Error-checking abilities
− Buffering

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (3 of 11)

• Single, Dual, Triple, and Quad Channels

− Single channel DIMMs means the memory controller is accessed one DIMM at a
time
− Dual channels allow the memory controller to communicate with two DIMMs at
the same time and doubles speed of memory access
− Triple channel motherboards can access three DIMMs at once
− Quad channel motherboards can access four DIMMs at the same time
− DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 DIMMs use dual channels
▪ DDR3 DIMMs can also use triple channels
▪ DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 can use quad channels
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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (4 of 11)

• For dual, triple, or quad channels to work the motherboard and the DIMM must
support the technology
− Motherboard manufacturers typically color-code DIMM slots to show you how to
configure dual, triple, or quad channeling

• Setting up dual channeling, know that the pair of DIMMs in a channel must be equally
matched in size, speed, and features
▪ It is recommended to use same manufacturer

• For a triple-channel installation, three DIMM slots populated with three matching
DDR3 DIMMs

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DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (5 of 11)

Figure 3-27 Using dual channels,

the memory controller can read from
two DIMMs at the same time

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (6 of 11)

• Expect a motherboard that uses quad channeling to have eight memory slots
− The eight DIMM slots support four channels; each channel has two slots
− The processor can address four slots or four channels at the same time

• To know which of the eight slots to populate for optimum performance, see the
motherboard user manual

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DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (7 of 11)

Figure 3-30 The Gigabyte AMD

X399 Gaming motherboard has eight
DIMM DDR4 slots and supports quad
channeling

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (8 of 11)

• DIMM speeds are measured in either MHz or PC rating

• A PC rating is a measure of the total bandwidth of data moving between the module
and the CPU

• To calculate the PC rating for a DDR4 DIMM, multiply the speed by 8 bytes because a
DIMM has an 8-byte or 64-bit data path
− For example, a DDR4 DIMM that runs at 3,000 MHz has a bandwidth or transfer
rate of 3,000 x 8 or 24,000 MB/second, which is expressed as a PC rating of PC4
24000
− A DDR4 PC rating is labeled PC4

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (9 of 11)

• Error checking technology called ECC (error-correcting code) is used for reliability

• A DIMM that supports ECC will have an extra chip, the ECC chip

• ECC compares bits written to the module to what is later read from the module
− It can detect and correct an error in a single bit of the byte
− If there are errors in 2 bits of a byte, ECC can detect the error but cannot correct
it

• With ECC the data path width is 72 bits, with the extra 8 bits used for error checking

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 Error-correcting code (ECC)
Single bit error detection and correction

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 Error-correcting code (ECC)
Single bit error detection and correction

Example 1: Obtain the codeword using the following data.

Data = 1101

a = 1, b = 1, c = 0, d = 1

x = abd = 111 = 1

y = acd = 101 = 0

z = bcd = 101 = 0

Code word = 1010101

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 Error-correcting code (ECC)
Single bit error detection and correction

Example 2: Is the following codeword corrupted or not?

Code word = 1001011

Code word = 1101011

x = 1, y = 1 , z = 1
a = 0, b = 0, c = 1, d = 1

x = 1 = abd = 001 = 1 1 = 1 ✓
y = 1 = acd = 011 = 0 1 = 0  y location 2
z = 1 = bcd = 011 = 0 1 = 0  z location 4

The codeword is corrupted. The location of corrupted bit is :

y location + z location = 2 + 4 = 6

Corrupted codeword = 1101011  corrected codeword = 1101001 and data = 0001

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 Parity
Error detection

• Even parity (even number of ones)

• Odd parity (odd number of ones)

Example 1: Is the following codeword corrupted or not?

Data = 1001

Codeword = 1001P
Even parity = 10010
Odd parity = 10011

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DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (10 of 11)

• Buffers and registers hold data and amplify a signal before data is written to the
module
− They can increase memory performance in servers

• Some DIMMs use buffers, some use registers, and some use neither

• You might see registered memory written as RDIMM

• CAS (column access strobe) Latency is a way of measuring access timing

− It refers to the number of clock cycles it takes to write or read a column or row
of data off a memory module
− Memory module ads might give the CAS latency value within series of timing
numbers
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lower CAS latency is desirable for better performance
as it reduces the delay in memory access.
CAS latency (CL22)
The first number

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 DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (11 of 11)

• Types of Memory Used in Laptops

− Today’s laptops use DDR4, DDR3L, or DDR3 SO-DIMM memory

• You can only use the type of memory the laptop is designed to support

• The number of pins and the position of the notches on a SO-DIMM keep you from
inserting the wrong module in a memory slot

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 Virtual RAM

• Virtual RAM, or virtual memory, is the way Windows uses space on the hard drive to
enhance the amount of RAM in a system

• Windows normally stores virtual memory in pagefile.sys, a hidden file stored in the
root directory of drive C:

• Not having enough free space on drive C: can cause pagefile.sys to be too small,
resulting in a low memory warning

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 How to Upgrade Memory

• To upgrade memory means to add more RAM to a computer

• Adding more RAM might solve the following problems:

− Slow performance
− Applications refusing to load
− An unstable system
− Windows “Insufficient memory” error message

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 How Much Memory Do I Need, and How
Much is Currently Installed?
• When deciding how much memory the system can support, consider the limitations
of the motherboard, processor, and operating system

• Limitations when considering the OS include:

− Windows requires at least 1 GB for a 32-bit installation and 2 GB for a 64-bit
installation
− For 64-bit installations, Windows 10 Pro can support up to 2 TB of memory
− A 32-bit Windows 10/8/7 installation can support no more than 4 GB of memory

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What Type of Memory is Already Installed?
(1 of 2)
• 1. Open the case and look at memory slots
− How many slots do you have?
− How many are filled?
− Review module imprint

• 2. Examine the motherboard for the imprinted manufacturer and model

• 3. Read motherboard documentation to see if the board supports dual, triple, or quad
channels

• 4. If you still have not identified the module type, you can take the motherboard and
old memory modules to a good computer parts store for confirmation

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What Type of Memory is Already Installed?
(2 of 2)

Figure 3-36 Use the label on this

DIMM to identify its features

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 How Many and What Kind of Modules Can
Fit on My Motherboard? (1 of 2)
• Read motherboard documentation to find out how much memory the motherboard
can hold

• DIMM modules can be installed as single modules, but won’t be as productive

• To get the full benefit of DDR4 dual-channel DIMMS, install matching DIMMs in each
channel

• For a motherboard using DDR3 triple-channel DIMMs, use three matching DIMMs in
the three blue slots
− If the fourth slot is populated, the board reverts to single channeling

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How Many and What Kind of Modules Can
Fit on My Motherboard? (2 of 2)

Figure 3-39 Four DDR3 slots on a

motherboard

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 How Do I Select and Purchase the Right
Memory Modules?
• Compromises might be necessary, if the exact match is not available but keep the
following in mind when selecting memory modules:
− Mixing unbuffered memory with buffered or registered memory will not work
− Match the memory module manufacturer, if possible
− If mixing memory speeds, all modules will perform at the slowest speed

• Use a web site to research your purchase

− Look for a search utility that will match memory modules to your motherboard

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 How Do I Install the New Modules? (1 of 3)

• When installing RAM modules, follow these precautions:

− Always use an ESD strap
− Turn off power, unplug power cord, press power button, and remove case cover
− Handle memory modules with care
− Do not touch edge connectors on memory module or memory slot
− Do not stack cards or modules
− Look for notches on one side or in the middle for correct orientation

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 How Do I Install the New Modules? (2 of 3)

• To install DIMM modules, perform the following steps:

− Pull out supporting arms on the sides of the slot
− Use notches on DIMM edge connector as a guide
− Insert DIMM straight down into the slot
− When the DIMM is fully inserted, the supporting clips pop back into place
− When the computer powers up, it counts the memory present
▪ You can enter BIOS/UEFI to verify that the memory is recognized

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How Do I Install the New Modules? (3 of 3)

Figure 3-43 Insert the DIMM into the

slot by pressing down until the
support clips lock into position

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 How to Upgrade Memory on a Laptop

• Before upgrading memory on a laptop, make sure the warranty is not being voided
− Search for best buy on a suitable and authorized part

• Upgrading memory on a laptop is similar to upgrading memory on a desktop

− Decide how much memory to upgrade
− Purchase memory
− Install it

• Be sure to match the type of memory to the type the laptop supports

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 Knowledge Check Activity 3-2

• A motherboard has four DIMM slots; three slots are gray and the fourth is black. What
type of memory is this board designed to use?

a. DDR4

b. DDR3

c. DDR5

d. All the options listed.

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 Knowledge Check Activity 3-2: Answer

• A motherboard has four DIMM slots; three slots are gray and the fourth is black. What
type of memory is this board designed to use?

• Answer: b. DDR3
• DDR3 is the only option of DIMMs that can handle triple channels, which is indicated
by the color of the memory slots.

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 Summary

• Now that the lesson has ended, you should be able to:

• Compare characteristics and features of processors used for personal computers

• Select, install, and upgrade a processor

• Compare the different kinds of physical memory and how they work

• Upgrade memory

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