Designing Custom Computer Systems - CompTIA A+ 220-801: 1.9

Graphics workstations

• Computer Aided Design (CAD)
• Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

•  Powerful processor
• Advanced calculations
• 3D modeling

• High end video
• Complex graphics
• Maximum RAM
• Significant memory use

 Audio/Video editing workstation

• Specialized audio and video card
• High quality audio
• Powerful video
• Large fast hard drive
• Constant disk writes
• SSD
• Dual monitors
• Edit in one monitor view output in the other

Virtualization workstation

• Maximum RAM
• Every OS needs it's own memory
• It adds up quickly!
• Maximum CPU cores
• Constant processing
• Need an effiecient CPU
• Most visualization apps use multiple cores

Gaming PC 

• Powerful processor
• Huge computing requirements
• High-end video/ specialized GPU
• Graphically complex

• Better sound card
• Multiple layers, atmosphere

• High-end cooling
• High utilization for hours at a time

Home Theater PC 

• Surround sound audio
• Entertainment center audio standards
• HDMI output
• High-definition support to commercial televisions

• HTPC compact form factor
• Small case fits on shelf

• TV tuner
• Capture cable and over-the-air-programming

Standard thick client

• Desktop applications
• Executable programs running in local memory and using local CPU
• Meets recommended requirements for running Windows
• CPU, total RAM, disk space

 Thin client

• Basic application usuage
• Applications actually run on a remote server
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
• Local device is a keyboard, mouse, and screen.

•  Meets minimum requirements for running Windows
• No huge memory or CPU needs

Home Server PC 

• Media streaming
• Central location

• File sharing
• Easy access

• Print sharing
• One printer

• Gigabit NIC
• High speed transfers

•  RAID array
• Redundant storage