Unit 14 - Assignment 2 
 

 
 
All of this assignment should be ​in your own words​. This assignment 
also involves lot of internet research, for each section informed by 
your research you need to provide a link for it 
 
e.g. 
Hard Drive troubleshooting reference: 
http://www.pcworld.com/article/116583/article.html  
 
Unlike most assignments, I’m ok with you using bullet points for task 
3 when you feel it’s appropriate to. 
 
Task 1 (​outcome​ P2) 
Read the brief provided by the client ​(See Assignment 2 - Client 
Brief V1 on Classroom)​. Write an e-mail to your manager (Mrs 
Aelwen Jones) to summarise the brief. Describe the purpose (​e.g. 
compatibility, increased capacity, increased speed, increased 
reliability, software requirements, or network requirements​) of 
each of the requests made and state what the client requirements 
are for this system. 
 
This should be written like a formal business email. 
 
Teachers Notes 
For 2B.P2: in order to produce a plan for the installation and 
maintenance of hardware in a technology system, learners must 
first be able to understand and interpret the requirements from the 
brief. Learners should be able to provide a description of the 
purpose and ‘client’ requirements for installing and maintaining 
hardware in a technology system. If it is to be upgraded, learners 
will need to investigate the technology system to get an idea of its 
current state of repair and of its capabilities. It is expected that 
learners will ‘lift the lid’ of the technology system to maintain and 
upgrade what is inside. For level 1, as a minimum, learners will 
identify the ‘client’ req 
 
 
 
Paste your work between these lines for P2 
To: Elwyn Jones 
Cc: Wrexham Employment Ceo office 
Subject: Wrexham Employment Office Repairs 
From: Logan Sharpe 
 
Dear Mrs Elwyn Jones,  
 
A company called Wrexham Employment is having trouble with 
their computers, especially in Mr Alda’s office who is the CEO. The 
computer in his office is randomly shutting down which is causing 
him to lose work that was not saved, I believe this might be 
because the computer has not been properly maintained. If the 
computer is not properly maintained then it can fill up with dust 
that will eventually cause the computer to overheat which triggers 
the fail safe to close the machine down. The optical drive is also 
not working properly, i'd suggest this is because of not being 
maintained as well, although it could be a loose wire. These 
problems can easily be fixed by cleaning the tower, including the 
veins and fan, a cleaning disc in the optical optical drive might 
work, if not then check for loose cables. 
 
Mr Alda is also unhappy with the performance of his computer, he 
is having problems with speed of boot up and opening 
applications. These can be addressed with a few options: 
 
● Increasing RAM 
● Checking storage capacity and doing a defrag 
● Possible CPU upgrade  
● Possible solid state hard drive 
 
There are also a few other things Mr Alda wants us to look at, he 
needs a new scanner that will recognise handwritten notes, so a 
scanner with optical character recognition is needed. Mr Alda 
does not want a portable scanner, so a flatbed scanner is what is 
needed.  
 
They are upgrading the way they communicate over the internet 
and want a website, however that is not what we do. They have 
commissioned a 3rd party to install their network connections 
which will be wired with the possibility of being wireless, the 3rd 
party is not supplying a router or switch. The router needs to have 
20 ports or a router and a switch with the same amount of ports, 
this will be used for the whole office. The router needs to be an up 
to date router that supports high speed wired and wireless 
connections. 
 
When the work is being done it needs to be done on site because 
Mr Alda is wary his clients confidential data may be lost, this will be 
remedied by doing a complete backup of everything before we 
start and maintenance or upgrade. Mr Alda has an overall 
budget of £400 - £500 which he does not want to go over so we 
need to source the appropriate hardware that sticks to that 
budget. 
 
Yours faithfully 
 
Logan Sharpe 
IT Department 
20056151@cambria.ac.uk 
 
For 2B.P3:​ learners will plan the installation and maintenance of hardware in a 
technology system. They should include:  
● a list of installation and maintenance activities  
● a description of internal hardware components and external hardware devices  
● software resources they would need to carry out an upgrade, including the role of 
the software and its relationship to the technology system and user  
● a description of fault-finding tools and techniques to determine the hardware 
faults (observation, diagnostic tools). They should also provide a test plan to cover 
the installation and maintenance of hardware in a technology system, giving an 
outline of the range of tests that they will perform once the technology system is 
modified. The test plan should also clearly show how they would find system faults, 
e.g. use of diagnostic tools and software.  
 
For level 1, as a minimum, learners should produce a plan for the installation and 
maintenance of hardware in a technology system. An outline plan would contain a 
list of installation and maintenance activities to be carried out, and a list of hardware 
components and devices and software resources needed for the upgrade. 
 
Task 2 (Outcome P3) 
1. Produce an action plan for installation and maintenance 
work you will undertake on this technology system including: 
​A list of installation and maintenance activities ​(​Hint: As well 

as a list of things you have decided to do, include ​health and 

safety and tools you plan to use Page 13 and 14 of the Unit 7 
- installing Computer hardware PDF​) 
I recommend you do the maintenance activities first, 
depending on how the maintenance goes might affect 
what you plan to install. 
 
 Action plan - ​Maintenance​ Activities 
See “UNIT 14 - Assignment Introduction and How to upgrade.pptx” Slides 17-19, 
which was part of assignment 1 for some help with this. 
Also pages 1 and 2 here will help you. 
http://www.pcworld.com/article/116583/article.html 
 
e.g. 

Action  What I am doing  Expected 

   completion date 
  
  Backup all data to  07/02./2017 
external drive, i.e thumb  9.00 am 
drive 
  Turn PC off and  9.30 am 
disconnect any 
connections including 
mains 
  Put on Anti Static Wrist  9.35 am 
Strap, and keep on 
throught   
Maintain  Open case  9.40 am 
and clean 
case 
  Check all electrical  9.50 am 
connections 
  Look and clean any dirt  9.55 am 
and debris 
  Fix any repairs that you  10.05 am 
can see need doing, is 
there any unusual 
sounds? 
  Have the power sockets  10.35 am 
overloaded? 
  Smell the computer to  10.55 am 
see if anything smells 
burnt 
  Replace anything that is  11.00 am 
obviously damaged  
  Move PC to a well  11.30 am 
ventilated room  
  Clear all dust and debris  11.40 am 
using a vacuum cleaner  
  Use compressed air to  11.45 am 
clean the veins on the 
heat syncs and ports on 
all other components and 
vents  
Motherboar Look for anything that has  12.00 am 
d  overheated (discoloured 
motherboard) 
  Look for all swelling and  12.15 am  
leakage of components 
  Remove any removable  12.50 am 
parts like the video card 
and sound card cleaning 
as I go. 
  Check cables on  1.10 pm 
motherboard are not 
obstructing. If they are 
then zip tie them  
Power  Use compressed air on  1.30 pm 
Supply  the power supply unit, if 
something wrong with 
power supply then 
replace 
 
CPU  Reseat CPU with thermal  1.50 pm 
 paste 
  Remove our anti static   2.00 pm 
connected PC to power 
supply 
check fans are running 
do they sound as they 
should? if not then 
replace fan 
  Put everything back  3.00 pm 
together 
Optical Drive  Does the tray go in and  3.30 pm 
out? 
  Remove dust and debris  3.35 pm  
using compressed air 
  Clean with alcohol and  3.55 pm  
cotton swabs (CD 
cleaner) 

Tools Required
 
● Anti Static kit including wrist strap, mat and packaging - This is 
to stop any anti static frying the computer data 
● Phillips crosshead screwdriver (a few sizes and a flat head) - 
This is used to open up and close the case 
● Compressed air - For cleaning the veins and ports 
● Cotton buds - for cleaning  
● Tweezers - for getting hard to reach places 
● Clearing cloth - cleaning 
● Isopropyl alcohol cleaner - optical drive cleaner 
● Safety glasses - to protect eyes 
● Paintbrush - to brush away dust 
● Vacuum cleaner - to clean 
● Cable ties various sizes - to keep cables away from things on 
motherboard 
 ● Tube of thermal paste - to reseat CPU 
 

Health and Safety

 
There are important health and safety rules you need to follow 
carefully when dealing with computer hardware. 
● Never use the ESD equipment when the computer is plugged 
into the mains! Always disconnect 
● Eye protection because we are using compressed air 
● Jagged edges inside kit 
● Fire exits and appropriate extinguishers need to be clearly 
known where they are and have access to them 
● An accident book is needed and all accidents must be 
reported 
● Always use the correct tools for the job 
 

Backing up data
 
It is very important to backup all data because everything in the 
computer can be replaced but data cannot. If you lose or corrupt 
data the company you are doing work for will lose essential data 
and will cost the company time and money trying to fix it, you will 
also harm your reputation and you will be required to pay for any 
damages. The backup needs to be on an external hard drive so 
that it is safe, if you just back the data up to another place on the 
computer that could still be corrupted. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Action plan - ​Installation​ Activities 
(Hint: see Page 18 - 23 of the Unit 7 - installing Computer 
hardware PDF) 
e.g. 
 

Action  What I am doing  Expected 

   completion date 
  
  Use anti static throughout   13/01/2018 
  Keep components in anti   
static bag until required 
New cpu  Open the case and   
remove the CPU cooler  9-10am 
fan and heatsink 
  Lift up the lever of the ZIF   
socket and remove the 
CPU 
  Put the old CPU onto the   
anti static mat, you may 
want to reuse it. 
  Remove new CPU from   
anti static bag and place 
onto the motherboard ZIF 
socket 
  Ensure that pin 1 on the   
CPU is in the same 
position as pin 1 on the 
ZIF socket 
  Lock it into place with   
the lever 
  Use thermal paste to   
smear the top of the CPU  
  replace heatsink and fan   
and secure 
  Reconnect any cables    
  source:   
http://www.wikihow.com
/Install-a-CPU-Chip 
New RAM  Locate the old RAM chips  10-11am 
and remove them by 
pressing the two clips out 
at the same time 
  Put them on the anti   
static mat in case of 
reuse  
  Get new RAM from anti   
static package  
  Insert into Motherboard   
(ensuring it is the right 
way around)  
  Secure with clips   
  Source:   
https://www.google.co.u
k/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc
=s&source=web&cd=2&c
ad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ah
UKEwivlO7tosjYAhWBJsA
KHUQPAOgQFggvMAE&u
rl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
youtube.com%2Fwatch%
3Fv%3Dv3J9VtWMEE8&us
g=AOvVaw2ks-MeYeXE
Q17OpMNxEi3V 
New SSD  Place SSD into a  11-12pm 
mounting bracket or 
removable bay, line it up 
and secure it with the 
 screws 
  Connect the SSD to the L   
shape of the SATA cable 
and the other end to the 
Motherboard. 
  Source:   
https://www.techadvisor.
co.uk/how-to/desktop-p
c/how-install-ssd-in-your
-pc-3374767/ 
New Scanner  Connect the scanner to  1-1.30pm 
(Plug & Play)  the computer 
  Place the CD that comes   
with it into the optical 
drive and follow the 
instructions to install 
  Source:   
https://www.google.co.u
k/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc
=s&source=web&cd=13&
cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0a
hUKEwjbnpe3pMjYAhUK
CsAKHVmPCrEQFghhMA
w&url=http%3A%2F%2Fw
ww.dummies.com%2Fco
mputers%2Ffor-seniors-h
ow-to-install-a-scanner%
2F&usg=AOvVaw07LcDTL
YOInG99JMoDXZAY 
Printer (Plug  Connect the scanner to  1.30-2pm 
& Play)  the computer 
  Place the CD that comes   
with it into the optical 
drive and follow the 
instructions to install 
  Source:   
 https://www.google.co.u
k/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc
=s&source=web&cd=13&
cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0a
hUKEwjbnpe3pMjYAhUK
CsAKHVmPCrEQFghhMA
w&url=http%3A%2F%2Fw
ww.dummies.com%2Fco
mputers%2Ffor-seniors-h
ow-to-install-a-scanner%
2F&usg=AOvVaw07LcDTL
YOInG99JMoDXZAY 
Router  Turn off and unplug  2-3pm 
devices that are 
connected to the router 
  Install any network card   
if needed 
  Connect network cable   
from PC to router  
  Connect the routers WAN   
port to an external 
network 
  Switch router on   
  Follow instructions for   
network setup 
  Source:   
https://www.google.co.u
k/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc
=s&source=web&cd=13&
cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0a
hUKEwitgsbxpcjYAhUILsA
KHY0cC7IQFghhMAw&url
=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.pcm
ag.com%2Fnetworking-r
eviews-ratings-comparis
ons%2F8954%2Ffeature%
 2Fhow-to-set-up-and-opt
imize-your-wireless-route
r&usg=AOvVaw0D3Qc6p
8FubvQ6VJzX595X 

 
 
2.​ ​A description of fault-finding tools and techniques 
(Hint: see Page 24 - 26 of the Unit 7 - installing Computer 
hardware PDF, and see Testing Hardware Components - Ass 
2.docx) 
 
Utility Software 
 
Windows comes with quite a few different utility softwares that 
can be used to manage and check how the system is running.  
 
Chkdsk 
Chkdsk is prodimtely used to check for errors on the computers 
disc, it can be used to identify and fix many common errors on 
the hard disks, it does this by comparing the volume bitmap 
with the disk sectors assigned to the file.  
 
USB Analyser 
USB analysers like the Beagle USB Protocol Analyzer are used 
to measure how well a USB port is working on the computer 
system, this can be useful for companies who need in-depth 
information about the USB ports, although most people and 
companies would not need this.  
 
Runtime Analyser 
A runtime analyser can be used to check how much of the 
computer's resources a particular app is using. This can be 
helpful if you are running multiple applications that are all using 
high amounts of resources and slowing the computer down. 
 You can look at what applications you don’t need to be 
running and close them by selecting them and clicking end 
task. You can access the analyser by clicking control alt and 
delete on your keyboard and selecting task manager. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
See Trouble Shooting Example-Ass2.docx and ​see Page 26 - 29 
of the Unit 7 - installing Computer hardware PDF)​. 
 This action plan is for your use and could be in the form of 
a table or check-list. 
 
Talk about general troubleshooting tips here, based on 
the PDF 
 
In the table troubleshoot all you are installing - AND the 
things you are trying to fix through maintenance 
 
 
Compon Troubleshooting description 
ent Name 
CPU  ● Computer running slow  
● Power on self test (POST) 
● Check temperature 
● Keep system clean 
● Check loose cables 
● Check heatsink 
● Reseat with thermal paste 
https://www.pcmech.com/article/processor-cpu-troublesh
ooting/ 
RAM  ● Computer running slow 
● Applications quitting  
● Things not being saved correctly 
● Check for beeps when switching computer on 
● Computer turning itself off 
● Blue screen of death 
● Increase RAM  
● Check computer displays correct amount of RAM 
https://turbofuture.com/computers/5-Symptoms-of-a-RAM-
Problem-and-How-to-Fix-It 
SSD  ● Use CHKDSK feature  
● Is the drive receiving power? 
● Loose cables 
● BIOS check 
● Is the hard drive correctly formatted 
● Replace / upgrade hard drive 
https://helpdeskgeek.com/how-to/troubleshoot-a-failed-h
ard-drive/ 
Router  ● Reboot router 
● Check overheating 
● Loose cables 
● Reposition router 
● Change channel 
● Reset to factory settings 
 https://www.howtogeek.com/180235/how-to-troubleshoot-
wireless-router-problems/ 
Monitor  ● Not turning on 
● Flashing lights 
● Overheating 
● Check warranty 
● Loose cables 
● BIOS 
https://www.dell.com/support/article/uk/en/ukbsdt1/sln155
134/how-to-troubleshoot-a-dell-desktop-monitor?lang=en 
Scanner  ● Loose cables 
● Check power 
● Update driver 
● Does it scan properly 
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-troubleshoot-t
he-scanner-on-an-all-in-one-printer 
 
3.  
A description of hardware components, devices and software 
resources required for the upgrades ​(Hint: search google) 
At this point you don’t have to justify any of the decisions you 
have made, just list them. See “​Class notes - Things to Install or maintain​”) 
 

Things I am going add/upgrade 

 
e.g. 

Name of  What are the parts for  What software will I 
Item  need with this 
   hardware (E.g. for 
   testing or just to 
make it work (e.g. a 
driver)) 
Cpu  Speed up boot times and  Driver, 
apps loading times. The  Diagnostic 
computer should run more 
smoothly. The new CPU will 
stop the overheating 
problem. 
 SSD  A larger SSD will allow more  Driver, Disk 
space on the computer and  assessment tools, 
a SSD will run quicker and  Cache Acceleration 
more efficient than an older 
HDD 
RAM  Giving the CEO more RAM in  CPU Z memory 
his computer should stop the  optimiser 
computer from randomly 
switching off, it will also help 
run applications more 
smoothly. 
Monitor  Giving the CEO a larger  Driver, Activity 
monitor will allow him to  Monitor  
multitask more easily with 
more room to have multiple 
apps open at once side by 
side. 
Scanner  The new scanner will allow  Driver, Document 
the CEO to quickly scan and  scanning, Windows 
send digital documents. The  fax and scan 
CEO wants to convert  OCR software 
scanned documents into a 
text file 
Router  The router will allow the office  Driver, 
computers not only to talk to  Manufacturers 
each other but to connect to  program, HyperWRT 
the outside world via the 
internet. This allows them to 
make a website  
 
3.​A test plan ​(when you have completed the job, how will 
​

you check that the work has been completed satisfactorily 

and is now working. I’d suggest one simple test to make sure 
it works, and one test to see if it works well (e.g. diagnostic 
software) 
Test Plan 
 
Test Number  Thing being  How it is being  Expected  Actual 
tested   tested  Outcome  outcome and 
comments 

1   CPU  Turn the  The computer  Leave this 

computer on  turns on  blank 

2  CPU  Install program  The CPU will  Leave this 

to check  not be  blank 
temperature  overheating 

3  CPU  Check the  The CPU will  Leave this 

performance  be working as  blank 
of the CPU  it should. 
using a task  Including 
manager  performance 
and speed 

4  SSD  Try and install  The program  Leave this 

a program  will install and  blank 
onto the SSD  run fine 

5  SSD  Save files to  Files should  Leave this 

the new SSD   save properly  blank 

6  SSD  Check the  The capacity  Leave this 

properties  should match  blank 
match things  the amount 
like the  available  
capacity 

7  RAM  Use device  Should show  Leave this 

manager to  up as being  blank 
check to see if  accepted 
the RAM has 
been 
accepted by 
computer 

8  RAM  Use task  The new RAM  Leave this 

manager to  should be  blank 
check that the  working fine 
memory is 
working as it 
should 
including 
speed and 
performance 

9  Scanner  Does it turn on  Turns on  Leave this 

blank 
 10  Scanner  Scan a  Document  Leave this 
document  scans okay  blank 

11  Scanner  Try the OCR  A document  Leave this 

program  should scan  blank 
that we can 
then edit as a 
file 

12  Monitor  Does it turn on  Should turn on  Leave this 
blank 

13  Monitor  Does it display  The image   

the image  displays with 
with the  correct depth 
correct depth 
of image 

14  Optical Drive  Does it read  It reads   

the data on a  everything on 
disc that has  the disc 
been entered  correctly 

15  Router  Does it turn on  It turns on    

16  Router  Are the wires  All wires are   

all in the  connected 
correct place  properly and 
and working   are fully 
working 

17  Router  Does it  It connects to   

.  connect to  the internet 
the internet  fine 
via wifi and 
wired 

 
 
 
Task 3 (Outcome M2) 
Draft another e-mail to the client (Mr Alain Alda) to explain what 
work you will undertake and what possible alternatives there are. 
Explain why you are taking the actions you have decided on and 
why alternative ideas for installing and maintain hardware have 
been discarded. 
(Hint: This is where you can talk about alternatives in terms of 
technology, for example if you wanted to make the computer 
faster there are several ways to do it (Processor, RAM, SSD, 
Change of operating system) why have you picked the option you 
did?. 
This is where you should talk in some detail about the nature of 
components, bear in mind that the ‘client’ might not know a great 
deal about technology. 
​Use This file on Classroom for help “​Class notes - Things to Install or maintain​”, 
and also look again at “Assignment 2 - Client Brief V1” 
Teachers notes:  
For 2B.M2: learners should consider alternative ideas for an upgrade within 
their plan. For example, in a scenario to increase the performance of a 
technology system, the alternatives to achieve this could include increasing 
the memory, swapping the processor or replacing magnetic hard disk drives 
for new solid state disk drives 
 
 
To: Alain Alda 
Subject: Wrexham Employment Office Repairs 
From: Logan Sharpe 
 
Dear Mr Alain Alda 
 
After reviewing your office equipment and looking at the 
problems you have been experiencing I have some 
recommendations for the upgrades I believe you should make to 
make your technology setup fit for purpose.  
 
The first thing I will do is take the computer apart and give it a 
good clean, dust and debris can be one of the reasons your 
computer is overheating and randomly shutting itself down. This 
happens because the dust can collect around important areas 
like air vents that need to be kept clear to keep the computer 
cool.  
 
You are having problems with the speed of your computer, there 
are a few options that can fix this including upgrading the 
processor, RAM, hard drive or even changing your operating 
system. I don’t think a change of operating system is needed 
because you are already running the latest version of Windows, 
and all the applications you have are set up to work with this 
operating system. I will be upgrading both your processor, RAM 
and hard drive. 
 
The first thing I will upgrade is the processor, this is arguably the 
most important part of the computer, it is essentially the brains that 
sends out the signals to everything to get them to work. Having a 
faster CPU will make your computer faster overall, but having a 
new CPU, RAM and SSD installed together will drastically increase 
your computer's performance compared to upgrading the CPU 
alone. The type of CPU I will install will depend on the 
motherboard in your computer, not all CPUs will work, but I will 
check this before any installation.  
 
The second thing I would upgrade is the RAM, this is the memory 
of the computer which means it holds things in its memory ready 
to be used again in an instant. This becomes relevant when you 
have multiple applications open at once and like to multitask, with 
a lower amount of RAM the more applications you have running 
at the same time, the slower your computer will feel especially 
when opening up more applications. You are also having a 
problem with the amount of time it takes to boot up your 
computer, adding more RAM will also help with this as well.  
 
The final internal change will be the hard drive, this is the main 
storage in your computer, it holds everything from the applications 
to all your files and folders. The one you have at the moment is a 
200GB sata hard drive, 200GB is not a bad amount of storage to 
have so I wouldn’t mind keeping the same amount of storage 
although I would upgrade to a higher amount if the budget allows 
because files are getting bigger so you may need more space to 
keep them. The main reason I want to change is that these types 
of hard drives had internal moving parts and are mechanical and 
will wear out at some point. The new version I want to install is a 
solid state drive which has no internal moving parts, this makes 
them faster than the one you have which will further increase the 
speed of your boot up time and will also copy files and folders 
over faster. These are more expensive than the older hard drives 
and because they are new we also don’t know exactly how long 
they will last but I believe they are a good investment.  
 
The external upgrades are to the scanner and monitor, at the 
moment you have a handheld scanner which is not suitable for a 
busy office because they are not reliable when it comes to speed 
and they are more awkward to scan than a flatbed scanner. The 
new scanner will be an OCR scanner which means that it will be 
able to identify the words on the paper that you are scanning and 
they turn them into a Word document that you are able to edit. I 
would also change your monitor for a more modern larger one, a 
larger monitor will allow you to more easily multitask by taking 
advantage of the larger real estate of the screen.  
 
Hopefully, you are okay with these upgrades, if you have any 
questions please feel free to contact me. 
 
Logan Sharpe 
IT Department 
20056151@cambria.ac.uk 
 
 
 
 
Task 4 (Outcome D2) 
Draft a further e-mail to your manager to justify your final 
decisions. Explain how the technology system will fulfil the stated 
purpose and ‘client’ requirements; describe the impacts of any 
constraints on your plan. 
(Hint: This is where you can talk about alternatives in terms of 
pricing and any other constraints you can think of, why did you 
choose to maintain rather than install? why did you pick one 
component over another? The Wiki you created should help with 
this as should ​”​Class notes - Things to Install or maintain​ ​on Classroom 
should give you some ideas for this. I would expect some research 
included with this answer. 
 
For this answer I would expect a table with components you have chosen and the 
prices of each. At the bottom of this I would expect a total which is within the price 
constraint (If not I will expect a ​very​ good argument for why not​)​. Then I would 
expect to see a discussion about each component and why you chose ​that 
particular one.  
 
For example let's say I was asked to buy a webcam as part of a larger budget. The 
client wants the webcam to have video meetings with staff at other sites. 
Between the 3 webcams I am going to pick the second one: 
 
Gucee HD80 1080P 2.0MP ​£5.59 
 
http://www.miniinthebox.com/gucee-hd80-1080p-2-0mp-digital-high-definition-web
cam-with-dual-digital-microphone_p733563.html?currency=GBP&litb_from=paid_ad
words_shopping 
 
MICROSOFT LifeCam HD-3000 £20.13 
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/computer-accessories/webc
ams/microsoft-lifecam-hd-3000-09964903-pdt.html?gclid=CJHvpc75n8oCFUNmGwo
dVdcK9g&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~~~Exact&mctag=gg_goog_7904&s_kwcid=AL
!3391!3!75234135859!!!g!110895715220!&ef_id=VpKs5AAAAK8EJPph:20160110191225:s 
 
LOGITECH Pro C920 Full HD Webcam £59.99 
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ams/logitech-pro-c920-full-hd-webcam-12236018-pdt.html?gclid=CKqAnbX5n8oCF
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kwcid=AL!3391!3!75234135619!!!g!95760916884!&ef_id=VpKs5AAAAK8EJPph:20160110
191132:s 
 
The question will be why? This will be a combination of features I feel are most 
important to the client vs the price constraint. In your answers I would expect to see 
you justify your choices by talking about features and comparing cheaper and more 
expensive alternatives. 
 
For 2B.D2: learners should justify decisions in their plan, explaining why they 
have chosen different hardware components, fault-finding tools and 
techniques while rejecting others, making reference to the given purpose 
and the ‘client’ requirements. Learners must also think about constraints, e.g. 
the availability of tools and hardware and whether or not this will have an 
impact on maintaining the hardware in a technology system. If it does, are 
there any alternatives for modifying the technology system to meet the same 
requirements? For example, if the ‘client’ requires an 80 GB hard disk drive 
but the only size available is 160 GB, consideration of this would be sufficient 
to cover the requirements.  
 
 
Paste your work between these lines for D2 
 
To: Elwyn Jones 
Cc: Wrexham Employment Ceo office 
Subject: Wrexham Employment Office Repairs 
From: Logan Sharpe 
 
Dear Mrs Elwyn Jones,  
 
As you are aware I have been set the task of solving our client Mr Alda’s 
computer problems. Here I will set out exactly what I will be upgrading and 
maintaining giving my reasons for doing so, I will also explain how I feel I have 
met the brief that I was given. 
 
Below is a table of the components I am upgrading with prices to show that I 
have stayed within the price constraint. I have also included alternative 
hardware that I chose not to install, later I will explain my reasons for choosing 
each component. 
 
 
Hardware  Name  Price  Did I choose  Total 
it? 
Processor  Intel Core-i3  £96.57  No   
4170 

  Intel Core-i5  £140.00  Yes  140.00 

4690 

  Intel Core-i7  £224.00  No   

4790k 

Ram  Integral 4GB  £24.99  No   

DDR3 

  Timetec  £52.99  Yes  £52.99 

Hynix IC 8GB 
DDR3  

  Timetec  £98.99  No   

Hynix IC 
16GB DDR3   
 

Hard Drive  Toshiba  £32.99  No   

DT01ACA050 
500GB SATA 
III Internal 
Hard Drive 

  Toshiba P300  £35.00  Yes  £35.00 

1TB 3.5'' SATA 
Hard Drive 

  Crucial  £115.19  No   

MX500 500GB 
SATA 2.5-inch 
Internal SSD 

Scanner  Epson  £76.78  Yes  £76.78 

Perfection 
V39 - flatbed 
scanner 

  Epson  £204.99  No   

Workforce 
DS-360W 
Portable 
Scanner 
   Aibecy  £44.77  No   
Portable High 
Speed 
Document 
Camera 
Scanner  

Monitor  HannsG  £64.20  No   

HE195ANB 
19" Wide 
VGA LED 
Monitor 

  Acer  £73.98  Yes  £73.98 

V226HQL - 
LED monitor - 
Full HD 
(1080p) - 
21.5" 

  Acer  £130.43  No   

V276HLCbid 
27" Full HD 
LED Monitor 

Switch  TP-LINK  £67.85  Yes  £67.85 

TL-SG1024D 
24-port 
Ethernet 
Switch 
 

  Netgear  £272.80  No   

GS724TPv2 24 
Port Smart 
Switch 
 

Router  Archer C59  £49.99  Yes  £49.99 

Wireless Dual 
Band USB 
Router from 
TP-Link 
 

  NETGEAR  £79.97  No   

D6400 - 
AC1600 WiFi 
VDSL/ADSL 
 Modem 
Router Dual 
Band Gigabit 
 

  LINKSYS  £29.56  No   

WLAN 
ROUTER E900 
 

Total        £496.59 
 
Processor 
The reason I chose the i5 processor over the i3 came down to price vs power, 
the i5 was only £45.75 more expensive than the i3, the i3 has a higher 
processor base frequency at 3.70 GHz than the i5’s 3.50 GHz, but the i3 is only 
dual core compared to the i5’s quad-core. Having a quad-core means it 
can do more things at the same time than a dual-core, so multitasking is 
better. The i7 was £84.00 more expensive than the i5 I chose, this was the 
main reason I didn't choose it because it would have been almost half my 
budget on just the processor. If I had more money I would have chosen this 
option because even though it has the same amount of cores it has double 
the amount of threads than the i5 which would have allowed it to a lot more, 
however, this would be overkill in this PC considering what they will be using it 
for.  
 
RAM 
The reason I chose 8GB of RAM instead of 4GB was because I don’t feel like 
4GB is enough in a computer that will be running multiple programs at once 
in a busy office, I would say 8GB is a standard amount for a new computer 
even though it is double the price of the 4GB I feel it is necessary. 16GB, on 
the other hand, I don’t think is needed for the type of work they are going to 
be doing, it is also nearly double the price of the 8GB and I think it would not 
be used to its full potential. The 8GB I install will be 4 times the amount of RAM 
they started with which means they should still see a substantial difference.  
 
Hard Drive 
In an ideal world without budget constraints I would have chosen an SSD 
instead of the HDD I chose, with the benefits the SSD has over the HDD like 
boot up speed and having no moving parts it would have been an ideal 
choice, however with the budget constraint I had I did not feel like the price 
which was 3 times more expensive than the one I chose but with half the 
amount of storage was worth it. The office uses databases which are ever 
expanding so a large hard drive is necessary, this is one of the reasons I did 
not choose the 500GB SATA hard drive, another was price, the 1TB HDD I 
chose was only £2.01 more expensive for double the amount of storage. 
Finally, the HDD I chose had double the amount of cache at 64MB 
compared to the 32MB of the 500GB one. 
 
Scanner 
The scanner I chose I felt was more suitable for a busy office compared to the 
portable one from Amazon. The price between the two is not a huge amount 
but the one I chose seems easier to use and more like a normal flatbed 
scanner, the Amazon one is more like a document reader. The more 
expensive one was not chosen because of price, the £212.99 price tag 
meant that it was not a viable option given that the maximum budget is 
£500.00. 
 
Monitor 
I chose the 21.5” HD monitor over the cheaper one because I felt like if we 
are buying a new monitor it should be an upgrade from the one they have 
got, so this meant it should at least be HD, the cheaper one is too close to the 
one they already have and is also only £9.78 cheaper so it would not make 
sense to chose it over the HD version just to save that amount of money. I did 
not choose the 27” HD monitor because I don't think an office computer 
needs such a big screen, they are already going from a 19” to a 21.5” which 
will help when multitasking, so I did not see the need to upgrade to the 27” 
even though it is not that much more expensive.  
 
Switch 
The client wanted either a router with 20 ports or a 20 port switch and a 
router, I decided to buy them separately. The 24 port switch I chose was 
£204.95 cheaper than an alternative 24 port switch, which considering the 
budget is a huge amount. The cheaper one I chose has all the necessary 
ports the client asked for and is also capable of gigabit ethernet which I feel 
is everything the office needs. 
 
Router 
The router I chose cames with the brand new Wi-Fi standard — 802.11ac 
which the cheaper one does not, the more expensive one does but why 
spend extra money for the same thing when the budget is so tight. The one I 
have chosen also supports older wireless protocols which mean not only am I 
future proofing the office by choosing a router with the latest standard I am 
also making sure that any older devices will still work.  
 
Maintenance  
I chose to maintain the actual computer case instead of getting a new one 
because all it needed was a good clean from all the debris and dust that 
had gathered. I will be doing the same for the power supply unit and the 
heat sinks, I will use compressed air to clean them and make sure they are 
okay. Another thing I have chosen to maintain instead of buying new is the 
DVD drive, all it needed was a cleaning disk to be inserted and for it to have 
a good clean.  
 
I hope you are satisfied I have covered everything the client needs and have 
kept within budget.  
 
Yours faithfully  
 
Logan Sharpe 
IT Department 
20056151@cambria.ac.uk