System Case Types
- Desktop Case –designed to sit horizontally on the surface. It is wider than it is long.
- System Case Type
- Tower Case – designed to sit vertically on the surface. It is higher than it is wide
- Slim Type
•3 Basic sizes of Tower Case
•Full-Tower Case
•Midi – Tower Case
•Mini – Tower Case
Motherboard
The Motherboard is the main circuit board of a microcomputer. It is also called the main board or the system board.
Central Processing Unit
The CPU is the central electronic chip that determines the processing power of the computer. It is the beating heart of a computer and it is responsible for carrying out all the calculations.
All CPU’s are Microprocessor
A microprocessor is a complete computer on a silicon chip . It does all of the functions of a computer
1. The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Does all of the mathematics in a computer, does all of the logic comparisons of values
some common logic comparison symbols:
2. The Control Unit
Directs the flow of information into the CPU and/or memory or storage, it also controls which instructions the CPU will do next
3. Registers
Used to store data and instructions inside the processor. Size of the registers can affect the speed and performance of the processor
Speed of a CPU
All CPU’s are Microprocessor
A microprocessor is a complete computer on a silicon chip . It does all of the functions of a computer
- stores data and instructions waiting to be used
- follows changeable instructions
- does input, processing, and output
1. The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Does all of the mathematics in a computer, does all of the logic comparisons of values
some common logic comparison symbols:
- = equal to
- < less than
- > greater than
- <= less than or equal to
- >= greater than or equal to
- <> not equal
2. The Control Unit
Directs the flow of information into the CPU and/or memory or storage, it also controls which instructions the CPU will do next
3. Registers
Used to store data and instructions inside the processor. Size of the registers can affect the speed and performance of the processor
Speed of a CPU
- Cache - Used by the central processing unit of a computer to reduce the average time to access memory. The cache is a smaller, faster memory which stores copies of the data from the most frequently used main memory locations.
- The speed of CPUs is measured in hertzs. A hertz is on cycle per second.
Memory
Two types of Memory
Random Access Memory
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
1. Stores instructions that are used by the CPU
4. Access to information is random access.
- Tells the CPU how to be the kind of computer it is.
- Tells the CPU how to work with the different parts of the computer
- ROM can also hold programs that are directly accessed by the CPU. One such program is the self-test when the computer is first turned on.
- The instructions are built into the electronic circuits of the chips
- These instructions in ROM are called firmware
- To change the instructions in ROM you need to usually change the chips or do some other special process that is normally not available to an average user.
4. Access to information is random access.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor.
Functions of RAM
1. Store data and instructions that are used by the CPU to perform some task.
3. The instructions in RAM are volatile.
Functions of RAM
1. Store data and instructions that are used by the CPU to perform some task.
- These instructions are usually loaded into RAM from a secondary storage device.
- RAM is also used to store instructions that tell the CPU how to work with its parts. These instructions are usually called drivers.
3. The instructions in RAM are volatile.
- When the computer is turned off the information in RAM disappears.
- The information in RAM needs to be saved to secondary storage before the computer is turned off.
Storage Devices
How a Computer Stores Information
1. The computer stores information as a string of zeros (0) and ones (1)
–1KB is about 140 words, about a half page of typed double-spaced text (words only)
–One megabyte equals about 1,000,000 bytes
–One megabyte equals about 500 pages of text, or one large book
–One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000 KB
–One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000,000 bytes
–One gigabyte equals over 1,000 books of text
1. The computer stores information as a string of zeros (0) and ones (1)
- The standard string length is eight 0's or 1's in a row
- This standard length is called a byte
- A byte equals one character
- A character is a letter, number, or symbol - it is about any thing that can be typed on a keyboard
- There are 256 standard characters used by almost all computers
- Kilobyte (KB)
–1KB is about 140 words, about a half page of typed double-spaced text (words only)
- Megabyte (MB)
–One megabyte equals about 1,000,000 bytes
–One megabyte equals about 500 pages of text, or one large book
- Gigabyte (GB)
–One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000 KB
–One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000,000 bytes
–One gigabyte equals over 1,000 books of text
Common Storage Devices
Hard Disk Drive
- Stores all the computer's information and retains the information when the computer is turned off.
- The hard drive is the primary device that a computer uses to store information. The hard drive stores programs, data files, saves files, and organizes files. The hard drive is located inside the computer case. The hard drive, magnetically stores data on stacks of rotating disks called platters.
- The floppy drive stores and retrieves information on a floppy disk.
- CD-ROM is a device that reads information stored on a compact disc. CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc Read Only Memory. One CD is equal to the space in over 40 floppy disc.
- A zip disk is a removable disk that holds a large amount of information. A zip disk can be used to achieve, protect and transfer large amounts of data.
- Removable Hard Disk
- A flash drive (or Flashstick) is a storage device that uses flash memory rather than conventional spinning platters to store data.
Add-On Cards
It is a card that is pluggable on the motherboard card slots.
VGA (Video Graphic Array)/Graphic Card/ (Video card)
VGA (Video Graphic Array)/Graphic Card/ (Video card)
- It is an item of personal computer hardware whose function is to generate and output images to a display. It operates on similar principles as a sound card or other peripheral devices.
- A sound card (also known as an audio card) is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to/from a computer under control of computer programs.
- A network card, network adapter, LAN Adapter or NIC (network interface card) is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network.
- A contraction of the words “modulator-demodulator”. It is typically used to send digital data over a phone line. It is used to connect to the internet.
Router
Wireless Router
- A wireless router is a network device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point. It can function in a wired LAN, a wireless only LAN, or a mixed wired/wireless network.
Power Supply
Computer Power Supply
Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU. The term is most commonly applied to electrical energy supplies, less often to mechanical ones, and rarely to others.
Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU. The term is most commonly applied to electrical energy supplies, less often to mechanical ones, and rarely to others.
Cooling Fan
Cooling Fan
A computer fan can be any fan inside a computer case used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heat sink to cool a particular component. The use of fans and/or other hardware to cool a computer is sometimes referred to as active cooling.
A computer fan can be any fan inside a computer case used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heat sink to cool a particular component. The use of fans and/or other hardware to cool a computer is sometimes referred to as active cooling.
Data Cable Connector
Data Cable Connectors- connects data cable into the motherboard
SATA- Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
SATA- Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)
is a small lithium battery powered, RAM (Random Access) chip mounted on your Motherboard and contains your computers clock and calendar as well as a small amount of memory used for basic configuration information, like the number and sizes of drives installed as well as your BIOS password (if one is used). In fact when you first switch on your computer, this is the chip you are accessing.
Basic Input Output Devices (BIOS)
It is used to identify and initiate component hardware. This is to prepare the machine so other software programs stored on various media can load, execute, and assume control of the PC. This process is known as booting, or booting up, which is short for bootstrapping.
Auto Voltage Regulator (AVR)
It is a hardware device used to maintain a specific voltage to electronic devices.
Sources
Wikipedia
Webopedia
Google Images
Webopedia
Google Images