It is necessary to understand the various computer components that comprise a personal computer system. It guides you on your first steps of the journey through the IT Essentials course.
2. WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
A computer is an electronic machine that
performs calculations based on a set of
instructions.
The first computers were huge, room-sized
machines that took teams of people to build,
manage, and maintain.
3.
4.
5. COMPUTER SYSTEM CONSIST OF
HARDWARE SOFTWARE
is the physical equipment.
It includes the case,
keyboard, monitor,
cables, storage drives,
speakers, and printers.
includes the operating system
and programs.
> Operating system manages
computer operations such as
identifying, accessing, and
processing information.
>Programs or applications
perform different functions.
7. Personal computer systems (PCs) are made up of
hardware and software components that must be
chosen with specific features in mind. All the
components must be compatible to work as a system.
8. Computer cases are the enclosures that
house the internal computer components
including the power supply. They come in
different sizes, also known as form factor.
9. CASES
Cases are typically made of plastic, steel, or aluminum
and provide the framework to support, protect, and
cool the internal components.
A device form factor refers to its physical design and
look. Desktop computers are available in a variety of
form factors. These types include:
10. Horizontal case
- These were popular with early
computer systems. The
computer case was horizontally
oriented on the user’s desk
with the monitor positioned on
top. This form factor is no
longer popular.
11. Full-size tower
— this is a computer case that is
oriented vertically. It is typically
located on the floor under or beside
a desk or table. It provides room for
expansion to accommodate
additional components such as disk
drives, adapter cards, and more. It
requires an external keyboard,
mouse, and monitor.
12. Compact tower
— this is a smaller version of the
full-size tower and is commonly
found in the corporate
environment. It may also be called
a mini-tower or small form factor
(SFF) model. It can be located on
the user’s desk or on the floor. It
provides limited room for
expansion. It requires an external
keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
13. All-in-one
— all of the computer system
components are integrated into
the display. They often include
touchscreen input and built-in
microphone and speakers.
Depending on the model, all-in-
one computers offer little to no
expansion capabilities. It requires
an external keyboard, mouse, and
power source.
14. Power Supplies
Electricity from wall outlets is provided in
alternating current (AC). However, all
components inside a computer require direct
current (DC) power. To obtain DC power,
computers use a power supply,
16. AT Extended (ATX)
—This is the
updated version of
the AT, but it is still
considered to be
obsolete.
17. ATX12V
—This is the most common
power supply on the
market today. It includes a
second motherboard
connector to provide
dedicated power to the
CPU. There are several
versions of ATX12V
available.
19. These connectors are used to power various internal
components such as the motherboard and disk
drives. The connectors are keyed which means that
they are designed to be inserted in only one
orientation.
Common power supply connectors include the
following:
23. 20-pin or 24-pin
slotted connector
—connects to the
motherboard. The 24-pin
connector has two rows
of 12 pins each, and the
20-pin connector has two
rows of 10 pins each.
24. four-pin to eight-
pin auxiliary power
connector
—two rows of two or four pins;
supplies power to all areas of
the motherboard. The auxiliary
power connector is the same
shape as the main power
connector but smaller. It can
also power other devices within
the computer.
26. Voltage is a measure of work required to move a charge
from one location to another. Voltage is measured in volts
(V).
Current is a measure of the amount of electrons moving
through a circuit. Current is measured in amperes, or amps
(A).
27. Resistance refers to the opposition to the flow of current in a circuit.
Lower resistance allows more current, and therefore more power, to
flow through a circuit. Resistance is measured in ohms.
Power is a measure of the pressure required to push electrons through
a circuit (voltage), multiplied by the number of electrons going through
that circuit (current). The measurement is called watts (W)
28.
29. Motherboard
also known as the system board or the main
board, is the backbone of the computer. A
motherboard is a printed circuit board (PCB)
that contains buses, or electrical pathways, that
interconnect electronic components.
31. Central
Processing Unit
(CPU)
-This is considered the
brain of the computer.
Random Access Memory
(RAM)—Thisis a
temporary location to
store data and
applications.
33. Basic
input/outputsystem
(BIOS) chip and Unified
Extensible Firmware
Interface (UEFI)
.—used to help boot the computer and
to manage the flow of data between the
hard drive, video card, keyboard,
mouse, and more. Recently, the BIOS
has been enhanced by UEFI. UEFI
specifies a different software interface
for boot and runtime services but still
relies on the traditional BIOS for system
configuration, power-on self-test
(POST), and setup.
34. Chipset
—consists of the integrated circuits
on the motherboard that control
how system hardware interacts
with the CPU and motherboard. It
also establishes how much
memory can be added to a
motherboard and the type of
connectors on the motherboard.
