Unit 2: Task 5: M3/D2

Task 5 (M3)

Evaluate the performance of a given computer system. This can be either a laptop or desktop, and either Mac or PC.

You may wish to use benchmarking software to do this (i.e.Novabench).
(D2)

Suggest improvements to the system, in each case explaining what benefits the improvement will bring in terms of performance and/or functionality.

2011 MacBookPro

The computer system that I will be evaluating is a MacBookPro as I wish to determine this computers performance. Computers all have variation in function and price but the rating of the performance is completely reliable to its price, this meaning if the computer system is expensive than it will have a higher performance quality for the user. I would like to display this with a Mac computer system as they are known highly for their price as well as their performance. 

The score this MacBookPro has achieved is an overall 340 which is not overly spectacular as most computer systems can range up into the thousands with their performance as they have i7 processors which run and have exceptional performance and quality. This is a MacBookPro from 2011 which has an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2MHzwhich is an older version of the latest MacBook's which have i7 processors which will have an overall better performance than they do now. 

Specs of the computer system:
CPU- Intel Core 2 Duo 
Ram/Memory- 4GB -DDR @1067 MHz 
Hard drive- 500GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm

What this means?
The CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo processor which means that this is a fast processing unit but is on the same level as an i2 processing unit which is not the best as it runs slower than your average system, which will either have an i5 or i7 processor which improve the speed of all interactions your computer may have to complete throughout the whole system. The RAM is quite low for a Mac system but it can support up to 8GB which means there is enough power for the system to run the essential tasks and a good standard at a relatively quick speed of 1067 MHz. 

Specs achieved on Novabench:

• The Ram had received a score of 108 which is fairly good for the system it is contained within, the Ram is capable and has been recorded at 2687 MB/s which is rather fast for a 4096 MB system. 
• The CPU had received a score of 187 this is low in comparison to i7 computer systems however is very good for the model.  Floating Point Operations in seconds has achieved 48447244 which is at a relatively high speed.
• Graphics test had scored 29 which is fairly low for a MacBook which reach up to 70 3D frames per second. 
• Hardware test had scored 16 it has a partial capacity of 223GB  and a drive write speed of 40MB/s which is fast for the capabilities of this system. 

Improvements:

To improve the performance of a MacBookPro I would alter the processing unit so that it is higher so the computer system will be able to run a lot faster regarding various software that is important to your system. Also by improving your processor it will help run various tasks at once at the same fast speed without any interference. By upgrading the CPU to an i7 it makes it a lot easier to produce better graphics and edit videos but to upgrade your CPU that also means you must change your motherboard as the CPU will not be complementary to the existing motherboards processing unit. To also improve this computer system you can change the graphics card so that it will display better graphics at a faster rate. You can also improve the hard drive to a larger storage system of a higher GB/TB so more data and information can be stored on your system.
By improving these aspects the computer system will be capable of achieving a higher Novabench score and will achieve a higher performance rating. To purchase a new motherboard they are roughly £70 at Ebuyer.com.