User Requirements Specification - Essay Example

?PURCHASING A PC ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------ User Requirements Specification and Justification of features Purchasing a gaming PC can be sometimes a frightening experience and sometimes very confusing. When making the purchase,Fred, Barry and Jane have a general idea of what they may want in the PC and how you would like to make the configurations work for them. Their task has been slashed into half by the requirements that are dictated by the game they would like to run on their PC ‘Battleship 3’. Computer systems consist of both software and hardware. The hardware components are tangible components of the system: main memory, CPU, peripherals such as monitor, video display etc (Gookin 2006). Software part is the set of instructions that define what the actions of the computer hardware (Alagar and Peryasammy 2011). Typically a computer requires both the system software Minimum user requirements Fred, Barry and Jane need a Single PC for their gaming needs. Frankly, there are no many options for a PC with the minimum requirements they desire that can go for the price in their budget estimate of 350. For a gaming PC no existing integrated graphics acceleration cards can handle the processing requirements of the game. In this case a graphics processor that is dedicated will still be required. OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7 Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 GHz RAM: 2GB Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher. Graphics card memory: 512 MB Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version Fig. 1 Complete desktop computer The retailer has the option of making a choice between several brands, manufacturers of computers; Dell, Hewlett Packard and IBM. In my assessment I would recommend a machine that is high performing with the functionality that can well fit the gaming requirements. Since the budget constraints the selections, the best option is to go for the components that are most important in supporting gaming requirements. The computer features most essential for a gaming machine are; processor, graphics card, internal memory and hard disk capacity. Compromising on other desired features such as sound will not harm the game and the advantage will be the cost cuts. Justification Quad-Core Processor Though lesser processors such as dual-core are cheaper and within the budget, the ability of a quad core to support a larger number of tasks at the same time is a must for serious gaming. This is a good processor will help the computers to run effectively. The processor is the brain of the computer and controls most of the work done by the PC. For gaming requirements, multimedia multitasking, for example video recording while browsing will give a more pleasant experience. Processors are generally defined by their speed - in megahertz (MHz) or in gigahertz (GHz) - and it relates to the number of operations they can perform per second. The higher the value, the faster the PC will perform and the more expensive it generally is. I will recommend the Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ Processor with Direct Connect Architecture are designed to deliver industry leading power efficiency, optimal virtualization, outstanding performance, and low TCO - all within a consistent footprint and thermal envelopes. Fig. 2 Central processing unit AMD Phenom™ X4 Quad-Core Processors is a true quad-core performance for the way gaming multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications that will be needed in the near future. Stable commercial AMD Phenom™ X4 quad-core processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. In addition, the processor comes with unique features for energy efficiency ‘AMD’ (2011). Random Access Memory (RAM) The computers will need about 4 gigabytes of memory so that they can run without hanging. Random Access Memory is also referred to as system memory, and it is measured in megabytes (MB), or as is more usual these days, gigabytes (GB). System memory has a huge impact on the performance of the computer. After the processor, it's probably the single most important component for overall system performance. It is for this reason that 4GB are advisable for running various applications that may require huge memory. Fig. 3 Random Access Memory Hard Drive Storage The hard disk (hard drive) is where the operating system, programs and other files are stored. There are two main ways of evaluating hard disks - by storage capacity (GB) and access speed (RPM). Hard drives store all the information the computer needs, and the bigger they are, the more files one can keep on them. A storage space of 160 GB is advisable. This will ensure that tutorial audio and video files can be stored, and large programs can be installed. Fig. 4 Hard drive storage. Graphics Card They will need a computer with the fastest and discrete graphics within their budget. To cover some ground they may consider the computers that allow a user to install more than one graphics card for faster performance. Additionally, they have to make the choice between integrated and dedicated graphics card. In this case I will recommend a computer with the graphics card that is integrated to give more robust support. Fig. 5 graphics card. Operating System Microsoft sells six different versions of Windows 7, but only three--Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate--are available to most desktop buyers. Windows Explorer which is still commonly used doesn’t have the advanced features found on Windows Vista and Windows 7. Windows 7 Home Premium, the standard offering, includes the visually appealing Aero Glass UI, plus enhancements to Windows Media Center. Windows 7 Professional is for more advanced users and it offers location-aware printing and improved security features that many business users like. Windows 7 Ultimate is a good choice for power users and business users, thanks to its wealth of networking and encryption tools. If running a 32-bit operating system, computers can use only slightly more than 3GB of RAM, regardless of how much the system carries. Thus we will pick a Windows 7 64-bit OS for easy upgrade. Strategy to use when buying the computer Deciding the needs when buying a computer is a good beginning point in making the decision (Bannister 2004). Making a list or inventory of the ordinary tasks that you plan for in using your PC is the first task on the beginning point. Second, consider the sort of applications software that they may need to perform the outlined everyday tasks. In this case, the software requirements are well known and determined by the game. From the inventory of tasks and gaming requirements, they will now determine, easily, what sort of software will be needed. In some instances, a PC purchase will come "preinstalled" with specific software programs; in others, they will have to buy the software as separate units. However, it is better to make quick decisions about the software applications to save on time and concentrate on the hardware. Networking Equipment specification The existing internet connectivity from the mainstream ISP is an advantage that Fred, Barry and Jane need to take. In this case their budget will be greatly slashed and they will only have to buy CPE , Customer Premises Equipment for the interconnection. There infrastructure that is available gives the option of using wireless and wired connection for the LAN. Due to the budget strain, the trio has the option of obtaining a device that has integrated services. Such a device will handle their layer 3 routing from the ISP, Ethernet switching within their small LAN and additional functionality like VPN. Device Price in Pounds Quantity Linksys ISR Router 30 1 RJ45 5 6 UTP cable 5 10 Meters The ISR router combines the switch and router functionality into one for a price slightly higher but better performance. References Alagar, V & Peryasammy, K 2011, Specification of software systems, Springer, London. Bannister, F 2004, Purchasing and Financial Management of Information Technology: A practical guide, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. ‘ConsumerSearch’ 2011, How to buy a gaming Desktop, viewed 29th November 2011, http://www.consumersearch.com/gaming-computers/how-to-buy-a-gaming-desktop ‘AMD’ 2011, AMD Quad-Core Processors, viewed 29th November 2011, http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/multi-core-processing/Pages/quad-core-advantages.aspx Gookin, D 2006 , Buying a computer for dummies, For Dummies, New Jersey. Howden, Norman 2000, Buying and Maintaining Personal Computers: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Neal Schuman Publisher, New York. Monassebian, J & Gordon, J 1996, A Survival Guide to Computer Contracts: How to Select & Negotiate for Business Computer Systems, Application Pub, Boston. Perricon, S 1984, Computer Hunting: A Ten-Step Guide for Selecting Your Small Business Computer System, Harpercollins, New York. Randall, A & Bennett, S 1990, Alex Randall's Used Computer Handbook, Microsoft Pr, Santa Clara. Sambridge, E 1979, Purchasing Computers: A Guide for Buyers of Computers and Computing Equipment, Based on the Institute of Purchasing and Supply Model, Gower Pub Company, Vermont. Sollish, F & Semanik, J 2005, The Purchasing and Supply Manager's Guide To The C.P.M. Exam,Wiley, New York. Sinkel, D 1984, Computers in Purchasing: A Management Briefing, Amacom Books, New York. APPENDICES RJ 45 CRIMPING TOOL UTP CABLE Read More