Entry #2: The Building Blocks of PC Building

    So even though I am going to talk about how to build a PC, I have a confession to make: I do not have a PC myself. I was going to build my own, but when I decided on that, I picked the worst time to do it, which is when GPU prices skyrocketed and they were selling for more than their MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price). I gave up on that endeavor and just got myself a Xbox Series X. Even though that happened, I did read up on what parts a PC needs and how to build it, so for this post I will explain some of the parts that seem more complex.

1. The CPU (Central Process Unit) 

    Think of the CPU as the brain of the PC. When it is given an action to complete, it tries to decode it, and after that it executes it. It's kind of like how when you want to do an action, like move your hand, your brain sends messages to the nervous system, which then execute that movement. Basically, the CPU is the head honcho of all the programs of a PC, including graphics, calculations and memory. 

2. The GPU (Graphic Processing Unit)

    The GPU is one of the powerhouses of the PC (along with the CPU). GPUs help render graphics and can help with video rendering. This part is very important if you are gaming on a PC or if you are a content creator, but it can also be used for more artistic endeavors like 3D modeling. Depending on how powerful it is, the graphics might look better and run better with features like ray-tracing or increased FPS (frames per second). 

3. Motherboard

      I compared the CPU to the brain earlier and how it commands the other parts of the PC to do their job. The thing is that a human brain needs a nervous system to transfer those messages to other parts of the body. What is the PC's equivalent to the nervous system? Introducing the motherboard. The motherboard is a circuit board that connects every single piece of hardware that you are using in a PC. It also helps to determine what parts can be connected to your PC. 

4. Memory (RAM)

    
      You might think that when I mention memory, you think of the kind where it stores applications or files like pictures, but that's not the case. This type of memory, most often called RAM (Random Access Memory) stores the short term data that PCs need to operate. Programs are loaded into the RAM temporarily when it is being used.  What's interesting is that every time you turn off your PC, the RAM is reset. The purpose of RAM is to give computers quick access to temporary data so that it can run programs and process tasks. 

 There are other parts that you need, which include the PSU (Power Supply Unit), storage, system cooling, and an OS (Operating System like Windows or Mac), but these are a little bit more straightforward than the parts I talked about above. Even though this applies for PC, these parts also apply for other technology like phones, game consoles, and even smart TVs. I hope you learned a little bit about how to build PCs, so that maybe you can build your own PC someday. Anyways, I'll see you guys on the next blogpost!
    

 

Entry #1: So...Blogs. Why am I Writing a Blog In 2022?

     When I heard that I was going to do a blog as a project for English 102, I thought to myself, "Wow, this is something I would do in 2007". I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just that not a lot of people blog anymore, unless I just don't know anyone who blogs. Blogs, to me, are the old way of talking about yourself, but I feel like they have more to them than social media. With social media like Instagram and Facebook, you can summarize what you did in just 2-3 sentences. I thinks it's cool to have bite-sized posts about what you are doing on the daily, but blogs feel more in depth and personal. They can go into detail for a certain topic. For example, if I was, let's say a car blog, I can talk about things like how to build a car, the newest cars on the market, problems in the automobile landscape, and so many more things related to that topic. 

Digging through the internet, there are many blogs to choose from that talk about many topics. For my blog, however, I'll be focusing on video game blogs. One of these blogs is called Niche Gamer, a blog dedicated to not just popular games, but games that not a lot of people know of. I like this blog because it focuses on games that are not as well known as games developed by Ubisoft, EA, Activision, etc. The blog is organized based on the most recent blog published, which each blog naming the game talked about in the blog and the specific thing they are going to talk about (like game updates or tips and tricks). Another blog that is more mainstream is GameInformer. I use this blog often because it covers many releases of the biggest titles and covers gaming news that will be relevant to me, like Call Of Duty Will Remain On PlayStation For Three Years After Current Agreement, Jim Ryan Says. It also gets to the point on the subject, unlike the next blog site I am going to mention next. The blog is organized with a featured post and some other smaller posts, with things like podcasts and game specific articles (basically game updates and what to expect in the future of the game). The blog site that I mentioned before that I dislike is called Kotaku. I don't like how some of the writers are snarky and they post pointless articles on their website. They also tend to have bad opinions. Their titles on their articles are really good at hooking people to read them, however, for example this article called Hideo Kojima’s New Podcast Is Messy, But Damn If We’re Not Going To Listen Anyway (I used to fall for this, but then I decided to ignore their articles now). 

Overall, there are great blogs or there are terrible blogs, but it is up to you to decide which blog grabs your attention. 

Intro Blog: Hey, Hey, Hey!

     Hey y'all! My name is Aaron Lopez, and I am the proud owner of this blog here. I have lived in Arizona all of my life. I am fresh from high school, and even though I am kind of nervous, I am ready to take on college! You might be wondering "Aaron, why is your blog called 'Dive into Polygonal Nostalgia?'", and I have a good reason for that. The word "Polygonal" just sounds like the type of shape, but to me, it represents the shape that creates 3D models in games. To me, it also represents one of my favorite generations of gaming, which was when the PS1, Nintendo 64, and Sega Saturn were at their prime. The way that games looked at that time might look primitive, but to me it looks charming. Yeah if you can tell already, I am a nerd who loves all things gaming, which is why I want to become a game developer. I was always fascinated by games and the stories that they told, and the  experiences that it gave the player, so I want to create something grand that will be memorable to the gaming world. As for the Nostalgia part, I love looking throughout the past, specifically the 80's, 90's, early 2000's, and early 2010's. It was a simpler time back then, compared to now, where everything seems to be so crazy. When I was looking through the blog examples from past students that Mr. Nielson provided the class, it was a blast for the past to me. A lot of these blogs were made from 2013! From McDonald's pink slime to a (at the time) recent reaction to the reveal of the Xbox One and PS4, reading these entries made me feel nostalgic. If people ever see this blog in the future, I want it to be seen as some type of time capsule. 

    With that long passionate introduction out of the way, here are some more details about me. My hobbies includes gaming (Obviously), drawing, listening to music (especially rock), exercising, hanging out with friends, watching YouTube, and hanging out with my family. I don't really have a lot of pet peeves but one has to be people not planning ahead of time (it's super inconvenient and it makes me stressed at times). My favorite types of food are Italian food and Asian food.

Going more in depth with the music I listen to, I sometimes listen to EDM and rap, but I mostly listen to rock. Some of the bands I listen to include Three Days Grace (the albums with the original singer, Adam Gontier), Breaking Benjamin, Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, and Green Day. I have also started to listen to Linkin Park. My favorites out of all of them are Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace because I really love the way they sound and the way they make me feel at the moment. Here are two of my favorite albums (If you want to give them a listen, I'll leave a link for each one):

                             We Are Not Alone -Breaking Benjamin

                                  One X -Three Days Grace 

  

    I can go on and on about other stuff, but I think this was a good info dump about me. I hope whoever looks at this blog will be able to enjoy it! This is going to be an adventure!