Unit 1 task 1

Task 1: Computer Components

Internal system unit components

Processors

Processors (CPU) are the central hub of the computer. The processors control the activity and processes of the computer.

Motherboard

The motherboard holds most of the main components of the computer. As the name suggests, the motherboard is the “mother” of all the components as it helps to keep everything working properly and keeps all the major components in one place. The motherboard holds several components such as: the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the sound cards of the computer, video cards, network cards and a few more.

BIOS

The BIOS (basic input/output system) is a system that you can run when the computer first powers on. The BIOS is a programme that allows the user of the computer to test the capabilities of the computer's hardware and initialize the hardware.

Power Supply

The power supply is the cable that plugs into the main wall socket to provide power to the computer. A laptop can use multiple types of power supply: battery, mains power via cable or using the laptop while the battery is being charged by the mains power cable.

Fan cooling/Heat sync

The fan is a component that helps the computer to cool down because if the computer overheats it can cause problems. These problems can be both technical and physical. The technical problems could be:

• The computer could freeze
• You could experience a slow computer
• The computer could ‘hang’

The physical damage can consist of:

• Melted circuitry
• Melted motherboard
• Damaged joinings

Hard drive and config Controllers

A SATA (serial advanced technology attachment), is a component that allows MSD’s (mass storage device) to communicate with the motherboard of the computer. It does this by using a using a high-speed serial cable over two pairs of conductors.

USB ports

USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports are small ports in computers that are used to connect devices to the computer via USB cable. These devices can range from printers and mouses to cameras and mobile phones. There also other types of USB ports known as Serial and Parallel.

	USB 3.0	USB 2.0	USB 1.1	Serial	Parallel
Industry Standard	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Bandwidth	5 Gbps	480 Mbps	12 Mbps	115 Kbps	115 KBps EPP/ECP - 3 MBps
Number of Devices	127 devices on a single USB bus	127 devices on a single USB bus	127 devices on a single USB bus	Limited to the number of ports available on the computer.	Limited to the number of ports available on the computer.
Bus Power	Yes, can provide up to 900 mA at 5V	Yes, can provide up to 500 mA at 5V	Yes, can provide up to 500 mA at 5V	No	No
Cable Length Limit	Cable can be of any length as long as electrical spec is met. Practical max length is 3m.	5 m / 16 ft	5 m / 16 ft	3 m / 10 ft	1.8 m / 6 ft
Plug'n'Play	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Hot Swapable	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

 

RAM/ROM

RAM (random access memory) is internal memory which is used to store:

• Operating system
• Applications
• Graphical User Interface (GUI)

ROM is (read only memory) is memory that cannot be changed by a program or user. ROM retains its memory even after the computer is turned off. For example, ROM stores the instructions for the computer to start up when it is turned on again.

Network Cards

A network card is a interface card which is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network, as it provides physical access to a networking medium and provides a low-key system.

Graphics Card

A video card is a hardware component whose function is to generate and output images to display. The better the video card, the more graphically demanding games you can play on your computer.

Peripherals

Printer

A printer is a device that allows somebody to take a document or email and put it onto paper.

Scanner

A scanner is a device that takes an item and turns it into a digital document file.

Twisted Pair Cabling

Twisted pair cables are used to block out external electromagnetic waves or interference (EMI).

Backing storage

Pen Drive

A pen drive is more commonly known as a USB stick. A USB stick holds documents and flash files like videos and photos. It allows somebody to carry their documents around and access them in most computers.