Computer System Components

SESSION 02

UTILIZE BASIC CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM IN OPERATING A COMPUTER

The System Unit

This is a container that houses most of the electronic components that make a computer system.

System unit act as a Computer case

Alternatively called a box, main unit, and system box, a system unit is the case containing all the main parts of a computer.

Inside the System Unit?

• Motherboard

Power Supply

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Random-access Memory (RAM)

Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive

• Adapter Cards(Sound card, Video card(Graphic card),Network card

Optical Drives

• Fan
• Ports

Bus (Address bus, I/O bus, Memory bus and CPU bus)

Motherboard

A motherboard is the main circuit board inside a computer that connects the different parts of a computer together.

Power supply

A power supply is a component that supplies power inside the computer.

Central processing unit(CPU)

Is the brain of the computer. Or is the part of the computer that handles all operation on the computer system.

Random access memory (RAM)

Is a computer's primary(temporary) memory, where the data that the processor is currently using is stored.

Store data when computer is ON and loose data when computer is OFF.

Hard disk drive

Is a computer's long-term memory(permanent memory), where the data are stored.

Adapter cards

• Is a type of computer hardware used to add more functions and capabilities to a computer.
• Video card
• Sound card

Network card

Optical drives

Is a computer disk drive that uses laser beam technology to read and write data on optical disks like CDs, DVDs, and BDs (Blu-ray discs)

Fan

A fan is a hardware device that keeps the overall computer or a computer device cool by circulating air to or from the computer or component

Ports

A port is a connection or a jack provided on a computer to connect external or peripheral devices to the computer Bus

A bus is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers.

Physical components of Computer System(Hardware) can be categorized into four types:

• Input devices
• Output devices
• Processing devices and
• Storage devices

Types of Computer Hardware

Computer System Components

Remember: All types of computers follow the same basic logical structure and perform the basic operations for converting raw input data into information useful to their users.

Input Devices

• Processing
• Devices

Output Devices

• Storage

Devices

Input devices

• Definition- Are devices that are used to enter data in a computer.

Functionality.

-To translate data from human understanding form to computer understanding form (Computer Readable form)

Some of the popular input devices are:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Scanner
• Joystick

Light Pen

• Digitizer
• Microphone
• Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
• Optical Character Reader (OCR)

Digital Camera

• Paddle

Steering Wheel

• Gesture recognition devices

Light Gun

Touch Pad

• Remote
• Touch screen
• VR
• Webcam

Biometric Devices

The commonly used Input devices are:

• Keyboard

Mouse

Mouse has three parts namely

• Left click
• Right click
• Scroll
• Types of the mouse
• Wired mouse
• Wireless mouse

Optical mouse

Operations/skills/techniques of using mouse

Point: When you’re told to “point the mouse,” you move the mouse on the desktop, which moves the mouse pointer on the screen to point at something interesting (or not).

Click: A click is a press of the mouse button — one press and release of the main button, the one on the left.

Clicking is often done to select something or to identify a specific location on the screen.

Right-click: This action is the same as a click, although the right mouse button is used to get more commands.

Double-click: This one works just like the single click, although you click twice in the same spot — usually, rather rapidly.

Drag: The drag operation is done to graphically pick up something on the screen and move it.

A standard computer Keyboard has 101,105,107 or 108 keys

The layout/Features of the Keyboard

Most keyboards have keys arranged in five groups:

• Function keys
• Numbering keys
• Alphabetic keys
• Symbols/Commanding keys

Special keys

Output devices

• Definition – Are devices that are used to give results of the processed information.
• Functionality

Translates data from computer understanding form to human understanding form

Some of the popular output devices are:

• Monitor
• Printer
• Headphones

Computer Speakers

• Projector
• GPS

Sound Card

Video Card

Braille Reader

Speech-Generating Device

Common output devices are:

• Printer
• Monitor
• Speaker

Projector

Which are Input Devices and which are Output Devices?

Processing devices

Definition – Are devices that are used to process data and handle all computer operations.

• Functionality
• It handles all operations on the computer system
• Some of the popular processing devices are:
• CPU (central processing unit)

GPU (graphics processing unit)

CPU

• Function of CPU
• 1. Fetch: gets an instruction from memory
• 2. Decode: decides/interpret what the instruction means

3. Execute: performs the instruction

Storage devices

• Definition – Are devices that are used to store data and all programs.
• This devices act as Computer Memory
• Types of Computer Memory:
• Primary Memory (Main memory)
• Is the memory that holds data, programs and instructions that are currently in use.

Secondary Memory

Computer memory that stores data and programs permanent.

Examples of Storage Devices:

• One that act as Primary memory:
• Read only memory (ROM)
• Random access memory (RAM)
• One that act as Secondary memory:

Magnetic Tape

• Hard Disk drive
• Optical Storage i.e CD and DVD
• Solid State Storage i.e USB Flash Disk Drive, SD Card

Remote Backup Service

Floppy Disk drive

Factors that Impact a Computer’s Performance

• The higher the processor speed, the faster the computer.
• The more memory you have (RAM), the faster the PC will appear to operate.
• The more programs which are running at the same time, the slower each one will run.
• The lower the hard disk size, the slower the computer.
• The more start-up programs the slower the computer.
• These are programs that load automatically during start-up.

Most of them are probably unnecessary during start-up; it is better to run them Hardware problems such as overheating, short-circuiting, dust, and damage caused by impact can cripple your system and also cause it to run slow.