Type of Computer System

Four Basic Types of Computers: PC, Workstations, Laptops and Servers.

PC, or Personal Computer

- is the most common category of computers. This category would include your home PCs and most
of your business class PCs.

Workstation
- is a breed of computer which is a high performance version of the PC. Workstation manufacturers
took many of the high speed and high availability components normally found in servers and created
a workstation PC which is a high performance version of the original.

Laptops
- are portable computers. Originally, laptops were large, heavy, short battery life beasts. Nowadays,
laptops (also referred to as notebooks) are light, powerful, have good battery life, and serve as a
desktop replacement for many individuals

Server
- is a machine developed to allow for file or print serving, application hosting, or some other task
usually involving many simultaneous connections. Common features of servers include redundancy,
multiple drives, large amounts of memory, and multiple processors.

PC, or Personal
Workstation Laptops Server
Computer

Parts of Computer System

Monitor - A monitor or display (sometimes called a visual display unit) is an electronic visual display for
computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure. The display
device in modern monitors is typically a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD),
while older monitors use a cathode ray tube (CRT).

system unit - The main computer box is the console (shown in this figure), although it may also be called
the system unit or the CPU (incorrect). It’s a box that contains your computer’s soul, its
electronic guts. On the outside, the console sports various buttons, lights, and holes into which
you plug the rest of the computer system.

Keyboard - It’s the thing you type on; it’s the primary way you communicate with the computer.

Mouse - the computer mouse is a helpful device that lets you work with graphical objects that the computer
displays on the monitor.
Speakers - PCs bleep through a set of stereo speakers, which can be external jobbies you set up, speakers
built into the console or the monitor, or perhaps even headphones.

Printer - It’s a device that gives you the computer’s printed output, also called hard copy.

Types of PC cases
Types of Personal Computers Cases: small form factor, mini-tower, mid-tower, full-tower, desktop.

Small Form Factor

- is the smallest of the non-portable PCs. Typically lacking in many expansion options, SFF computers
are useful for situations which require the smallest desktop style PC possible.

Mini-tower PC
- is a common household and business PC. It usually has some expansion slots available (1-3) and one
hard drive slot available. A typical mini-tower PC has all of the ports built in to allow for more expansion cards.

Mid-tower PC
- is also a common business class machine. A mid-tower has more expansion room than a typical
mini-tower machine.

Full Tower PC
- has the most expansion room and usually several hard drive bays open for additional storage drives.

Desktop
- has probably been the most popular type of machine over the years. A typical desktop machine is
designed to lay flat on a desk or stand and contains 1-3 additional drive bays and 2-7 additional
expansion slots available.

Desktop Computer
Small Form Factor Mini-tower
Computer Mid-tower
Computer Computer Full Size Tower

System Unit/Back Panel

– is the most complicated part of a PC. It houses the actual computing power of the system, provides
connections to all the peripherals, and holds the disk drives where you insert removable storage media such as
CDs and floppy disks.

Ports - a generic term for connection points.

Power input
Keyboard port
Mouse port
USB ports
Parallel port
Serial ports

Video ports
Network interface
Game ports
Audio ports

Modem ports
Power Input
- is where you plug in the PC’s electrical power cord.

Keyboard port
– this special dedicated port is just for the keyboard.

Mouse port
- this dedicated port is just for the mouse.

USB ports
– universal serial bus (USB) ports are general-purpose connectors found on newer PCs. The more
unusual the peripheral, the more likely it will use USB port.

Serial ports
– these 9-pin connectors is one of the oldest and most universal port found in the
back of a PC. Before the introduction of USB in the mid 1990s, serial ports where heavily
used.

Parallel port
– virtually as old as the serial port, the 25–pin parallel port has been updated a number of times over
the ye3ars. Despite the growing prominence of USB, parallel ports remain a popular means for connecting
printers.

Video port /VGA PORT

– this unique three-row, 15-pin connector is where the monitor connects to the
system unit.

Audio ports
– these are used to connect speakers, microphones, and other audio devices.

Game port
– Also known as a joystick port, this 15-pin connector can be used both for joysticks and for MIDI musical
devices.

Modem port
– This looks like a telephone jack, and for a good reason – that’s what’s it is. Modem enables your
computer to communicate with other computers via telephone line. Notice that there are two connectors. One is
an IN jack, and the other is an OUT jack, which you can use to plug in a telephone.

Network interface /ETHERNET PORT\ LAN PORT

– the network interface is normally called just that, and not a port. It is sometimes referred to as an
Ethernet connector. It connects your PC to other PC’s in a Local Area Network.
 Internal Components of Computer

Inside the case go the following internal parts:

• Power Supply/PSU – power supply unit, converts outlet power, which is alternating current (AC), to
direct current (DC), which is what the internal components require, as well as providing appropriate
voltages and currents for the various internal components.

• Motherboard/mainboard – As the name indicates, this is the electronic centerpiece of the computer;
everything else connects to the motherboard.

• Processor/CPU – central processing unit, the "brain" of the computer, most actual computation takes
places here.
• Heat Sink /COOLING FAN - is an environment or object that absorbs and dissipates heat from another
object using thermal contact (either direct or radiant).

• RAM/Memory – random access memory, the "short-term memory" of a computer, used by the CPU to
store program instructions and data upon which it is currently operating. Data in RAM is lost when the
computer is powered off, thus necessitating a hard drive.

• Hard Drive/Hard Disk – the "long-term memory" of the computer, used for persistent storage – i.e. the
things stored on it remain even when the computer is powered down. The operating system, and all
your programs and data are stored here.

• Optical Drive (DVD-ROM-CD-ROM) – device for reading/writing optical disks. May read CDs, DVDs, or
other optical media, depending on the type. It is essential for installing many operating systems and
programs. It may be able to write some of these discs, as well. Some people like to have two such
drives for copying disks.

• Video Card/Graphics Card– does processing relating to video output. Some motherboards have an
"onboard" GPU built in so you don’t need (but may add) a separate video card.
 Parts of the Motherboard

CMOS/Battery

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slot: Supports peripherals like sound cards, DVD
decoders, and graphic accelerators with 32 bits at 33Mhz capabilities. There are usually anywhere
from 1 to 6 PCI slots available on the motherboard. (LAN card, Sound Card, MODEM Card, USB
Card)

AGP (Accelerated Graphic Port): This provides fast bus speed connectivity along with fast access to
the main memory. It is designed for video cards that demand higher bandwidth.

Chipset-North Bridge controller: An integrated circuit that has special duties. connects the processor,
memory and video card.

Chipset-South Bridge controller: connects all the peripherals whether it is connected using USB, ISA,
and PCI connector.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) Socket: A socket specifically for connecting your computer processor.

Memory - (Double Inline Memory Module) slots, SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) and RIMM:
Different types of memory (RAM) can be installed into these slots.
Motherboard Battery: A battery compartment, which stores the battery used for storing data such as
system date and time, when you shut down your system.

IDE Connector: Responsible for connecting the IDE cord used for hard disks, CD drives, and DVD
drives.

Internal Components of Computer

Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- Is a main chip in a computer. The CPU processes instructions, performs calculations and manages
the flow of information through a computer.
- Is called a microprocessor. A brain of computer.
- AMD and Intel – are companies who manufactured PC CPU.
- Type of Processor/CPU
- PGA (PIN GRADE ARRAY) AND LGA (LAND GRADE ARRAY)

Random Access Memory (RAM)

- It temporarily stores information inside a computer. This information will disappear when you turn
off the computer.
- RAM comes packaged on small, flat cards commonly referred to as sticks of memory.
- Computer memory measured in megabytes (MB) for most PCs, or gigabytes (GB) for high-end
systems.
The Main Types of Memory
- 30 pin SIMM, 72 pin SIMM
- SDRAM DIMM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory Dual In-line Memory Modules)
- RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory) or RIMM
- DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM)
- DDR2 SDRAM (Double Data Rate 2 SDRAM)
- DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate 3 SDRAM)
- DDR4 SDRAM (Double Data Rate 3 SDRAM)
Motherboard (System board)
- is the main circuit board of a computer. Its main job is to provide an area where internal components
of a PC can connect. All motherboards have connections for the CPU, RAM, and storage drives, as
well as a variety of general-purpose expansion slots.
- In short-term, it is called ‘mobo’.
- Form factor is the specification of a motherboard – the dimensions, power supply type, location of
mounting holes, number of ports on the back panel, etc.

- Figure 1.20 Motherboard form factors

- Clock Speed is a processor’s rating that measure a certain number of information processed per
second.

- FSB Front Side Bus serves as the processors connection to the system memory. FSB transfer
speed allows better processor performance.
- L2 Cache enables the processor to speedily access recently used information. Currently a
processor operates on Level2 (L2) which provides faster data transfer between processor and
main system memory.
- 32-bit (x86) CPU vs. 64-bit (x64)
- There are two different types of CPUs. There is a 32-bit CPU and there is a 64-bit CPU. The main
difference between these two processors is the structure. The older processor which is the 32-bit
processor has a structure that can process instructions less efficiently than a 64-bit processor

Expansion slot
- is a socket on the system board. It enables to expand the capabilities of your system. Any devices
snaps into an expansion slot are called expansion card. For example, sound card and network card.

Expansion card
- it lets you add new features to a computer. Examples, sound card it gives computer the ability to
record and play sound. It plugs to an expansion slot.

Drive Bay
- is a space inside the computer case where a hard drive, floppy drive, CD-ROM drive and DVD-ROM
drive sits.

Hard drive
-is the primary device that a computer use to store information. It is computer’s long-term memory;
data stored there remains available for later use.
- It stores all of the software that used by computer and all documents, pictures and other data you
create and save on the PC.
Common HDD Terms to Remember
• IDE/ATA/PATA (Integrated Drive Electronics or Intelligent Drive Electronics):
• SATA (Serial ATA)
• SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface), Fast Wide SCSI, Ultra SCSI, WideUltra2 SCSI)

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive

- a basic CD-ROM drive only reads information stored on Compact Discs (CDs).
- Another version, DVD-ROM Drive reads information stored on CDs and Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs).
- CD-RW drive that enables you to read and write a CD-disc, just like floppy drive.
Floppy Drive
- It stores and retrieves information on floppy disks.
- Disks are known as floppies.
- These are cheap, small and easy to buy. Compared to modern storage media, floppy disk hold only
a very small amount of information, but can hold a good number of documents.
Video Card
- acts as the interface between the computer and the monitor. Also known as video graphic adapter
(VGA).
Common Types of Graphics Card

- Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)

- Most PCs sold before the late 1990s came with a video card in one of their PCI slots. But today, this
type of slot is not use for graphics card however, it is use for several add on cards such as, audio
card LAN card, and other type of PCI cards.
• AGP Accelerated Graphics Port (often shortened to AGP)
is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard,
primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics. Originally it was designed as a
successor to PCI type connections. Since 2004, AGP has been progressively phased out in favor of PCI
Express (PCIe). By mid-2009, PCIe cards dominated the market; AGP cards and motherboards were
still produced, but OEM driver support was minimal.

Figure 1.32 AGP Video Card

• PCI-E Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
Officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard designed to
replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards.

Figure 1.33 PCI-E Video Card

What’s on the card?

• DisplayPort is a digital display interface developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association
(VESA). The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer
monitor, though it can also be used to transmit audio, USB, and other forms of data.

Figure 1.34 DisplayPort

• (HDMI) High Definition Multimedia Interface simultaneously transmitting visual and audio data via the
same cable.
 Figure 1.35 HDMI Port
• (DVI) Digital Visual Interface Digital-based standard designed for displays such as flat-panel displays
(LCDs, plasma screens, wide high-definition television displays) and video projectors

Figure 1.36 DVI Port

• Analog D-Sub is standard interface for analog monitor. It was designed for CRT displays.

Figure 1.37 15 pin Analog D-Sub

Common Graphics Card Terms
• Fill Rate
GPU’s speed in drawing pixels depending on the number of (ROP) Raster Operation Pipeline units of
the graphics card.
• GART Graphics Address Remapping Table
A capability of reading texture directly from the memory without the need to copy them to video
memory.
• Pixel Pipeline
Pixels pass through GPU unit called Pipeline which crunch complex vertex and pixel shaders programs
for lighting and effects. The more pipelines, the better.
Cheaper cards usually have four pipelines while mid-range to high end have 8-16 pipelines o more.
• Pixel Shader
Also called as pixel processor and unified shaders-usually used for realism gamming. Pixel and
Vertexshaders
• SLI (Scalable Link Interface) and Crossfire [ATI]
New technologies that allow two or more graphics cards installation for certain intensive graphics
application.
• DirectX
Software that programmers use to create advanced visual tricks with video circuitry. Many games use
DirectX to display three-dimensional fire-breathing dragons and other spectacular effects. My
computer use DirectX version 11 running Windows 7 Ultimate operating system.
• Driver
A piece of software that lets Windows talk to your hardware in this case, your video card. Without the
right driver, your card won’t work properly.
• Port
A computer buzzword for connector, this is one of connectors on your PC where you plug in cables. The
plug on the end of your monitor’s cable must match your PC’s video port

Sound Card
- it provides sound input and output for your PC.
- Modern PC sound cards often come with surround-sound capabilities, digital inputs. Many PCs have
the sound built into the motherboard.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

- it snaps into one of the PCs expansion slots. Many newer motherboards have this capability built-
in.
- It is used for networking computers.

-
Internal Modem Card
- a modem and phone line are still the primary tools for accessing the Internet.
- It is snap to into standard expansion slots on the motherboard.
- Earliest modem was all external modem devices that you plugged into a serial port on the back of
the case.

Power Supply
- Is responsible for converting/changing normal household electricity (Alternating Current) to Direct
current needed by a PC. Note the many cables coming out of the power supply to provide power to
the various internal components.

Figure 1.27 Power Supply Unit

- . You can find smaller power supplies that fit microATX, FlexATX, and microBTX motherboards as
well.

-
- Figure 1.28 PSU Connectors

Figure 1.29 Power Connectors and Voltages

Notes:
- Mini is also called berg connector.
- P1 (20- wire, 24 wire) is also called 24 pin ATX power connector or 20 pin ATX power connector.
- P4 connector is also called 12V 4 pin power connector.
 Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Policies and Procedures
Note: Computer Technician, Facilitator or Instructor/Trainer must be consulted to ensure the work is
coordinated effectively.

1. WORKPLACE/LOCATION – make sure you are working in a risk-free environment.

2. Risk-free - Hazard-free, dirt-free, away from fire and children, air-conditioned, well ventilated and closed-
area.

3. ATTIRE – don’t wear uncomfortable or inappropriate articles of clothing or clothes that limit your amount of
movement.

4. Make sure that all the component/equipment (includes your hands) must be DRY.

5. When installing/removing hardware components or doing anything that involves opening the system unit
case, it is advisable to TURN the computer OFF before working.

6. When installing software, make sure that there is NO problem with the electrical current at the moment.

7. External cooling devices/equipments (such as air-conditioning unit) should NOT compromise the health of
the worker.

8. AVOID unnecessary disturbances when working.

9. Some hardware parts are sharp. Keep on eye out on them and AVOID getting wounded.

10. AVOID too much exposure to the monitor screen.

11. Make sure the worker/student technician is in HEALTHY working CONDITION in the first place.

12. DO NOT spill food or liquids on your system components.

13. When you attempt to touch components while power is on, try to put an electrical conductor to AVOID
electric shock.

14. To help PROTECT your system components from sudden transient (passing through) increases and
decreases in electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or Interruptible Power Supply
(UPS).

15. DO NOT connect or use a modem or telephone during a lightning storm. There may be risk of electrical
shock from lightning.

16. NEVER connect or use a modem on telephone in a wet environment. Disconnect the modem cable before
opening a product enclosure, touching or installing internal components.

Electrical Safety

1. To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet before
relocating the system.
2. When adding or removing devices to or from the system, ensure that the power cables for the devices
are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If possible disconnect all power cables from the
existing system before you add a device.
3. Before connecting or removing signal cables from the motherboard, ensure that all power cables are
unplugged.
4. Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord. These devices could interrupt
the grounding circuit.
5. Make sure that your power supply is set to the correct voltage of the electrical outlet you are using,
contact your local power company.
6. If the power supply is broken, do not try to fix it by yourself. Contact a qualified service technician or your
retailer.
 Operation Safety
1. Before installing the motherboard and adding devices on it, carefully read all the manuals that came
with the package.
2. Before using the product, make sure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables are not
damaged. If you detect any damage, contact your dealer immediately.
3. To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots, sockets and
circuitry.
4. Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Do not place the product in any area where it may be
wet.
5. Place the product on a stable surface.
6. If you encounter technical problems with the product, contact a qualified service technician or your
retailer.

Disassembling the PC
Fixing PC problems is much more traceable than say, repairing your TV. If the problems are really bad,
you may have to open the machine to fix – but remember that most PC problems involve broken software or
“broken” users, not hardware. Many repairs just require finding and replacing the faulty component. So first step
is to identify what’s in the box. It is important to understand that PC hardware is undergoing changes as the
technology and its designs become smaller, faster, and more integrated.

REQUIREMENTS:
Before you start disassembling, there are some things you may need on hand. These include:

 Documentation/motherboard manual for your PC or its separate components (including warranty

information).
 Container for holding screws between removal and reinstallation.
 Appropriate screwdriver(s), such as a Phillips-head.
 Paper and pen for taking notes and diagramming, or the ability to record information on another
PC until you’re done with the one you’re fixing.
 Antistatic wrist wrap
 Chip extraction tool or L-shaped, slim piece of metal for removing the CPU if it’s in other than a ZIP
socket.
 Adequate room to work (with sufficient lighting).

Warning: Make sure the PC and externals are not only turned off, but that the power cord is disconnected.

PROCEDURE:

Now you’re ready to get started. The following are the general steps to take to disassemble your PC’s system
unit.

1. Determine whether your PC is still under warranty. If it is, call your vendor first – they have more
experience, and you may invalidate your warranty by opening it up yourself. Next, determine whether
you actually need to take apart your PC.
2. Find adequate, clean space on a tabletop, with good lighting in the work area.
3. Have the proper tools available, including a container in which you can store screws. Be equipped with
antistatic wrist strap.
4. Turned off the PC and anything attached to it.
5. Remove the monitor and put it aside.
6. Unplug the PC and remove the cover, setting screws into the container discussed in step 3.
WARNING: Be careful that you don’t rip cables when removing the top; the metal cases used on most PCs
can have very sharp edge.
7. Diagram the setup and internals before you begin removing anything, then rediagram as necessary to
add information you couldn’t see when you first began, noting in particulars:
▪ Types and placement of cables
▪ Location and status of DIP switches and jumpers.
▪ Motherboard connections, including power supply, power, speaker, and keyboard (detach the
battery only if it’s really necessary)
 8. Start detaching the connections.
9. Remove the boards. Set the boards in a clean, safe location.
WARNING: Don’t force things. If a part won’t come out, stop and look again.
10. Remove drives (e.q. floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, CD-ROM drive & removable cartridge storage
drive), along with their various drives screws and cables. Set the boards in a clean, safe location and
store the screws in a container.
11. Remove the power supply. (see
12. Carefully remove the CPU by unlocking the locking lever on the ZIF socket or, if it’s in a LIF socket, by
using a chip extraction tool to gently pry the CPU from the socket.
13. Carefully remove the motherboard as necessary for the type of case in use, being cautious not to bend
it or exert undue pressure on it. Put this aside in a clean place where it can’t be jostled or knocked to
the floor.
14. Evaluate the removed components, as desired.
15. Begin reassembling the PC while checking to make certain you’re not making one of the common
errors, such as reversing the way cable should connect, forgetting to reconnect a wire, or failing to
seat a board.

PC Repair Tools

Screwdrivers
- the basic tool. It comes in straight-slot, Phillips, and Torx varieties.
- You may also occasionally need a tool called a nut driver – which is a sort of screw driver that has
a hex drive.

Other PC Repair/Maintenance Tools and Equipments

Chip Extractor Alligator Clip Crimping Tool Computer Mini

Vacuum Cleaner

De-soldering Pump Soldering Iron Computer Cleaning Items Air Compressor

(Wipe out, brush.etc.)

Assembling the PC
REQUIREMENTS:
1. The documentation that comes with the components, I can’t emphasize this strongly enough. A
manual that comes with your hardware give you a lot more specific information that you should abide
by.
2. Containers for screws and other small objects you don’t want to lose.
3. Software, including an operating system such as Windows XP Pro.
4. Lots of room to work with.
5. A clean tabletop.
 6. All of the hardware that is going to become your new computer.
7. Patience.
8. More patience.
9. Device drivers required by individual components, such as a modem or video card.
PROCEDURE:
1. Gather all the parts and make sure you’ve got everything you need.
2. Open the computer case and remove the power supply and drive chassis.
3. Set up your motherboard.
• Install the CPU.
• Install the main memory

TIP: It’s a good idea to connect everything you can outside the case first and test each component as you
install it. Only when you’re sure everything works should you disassemble the test setup and install everything
inside the case. (That’s why, even though you’re putting everything together here, the last step is to put it all
together.”). This approach makes troubleshooting much easier.

4. Install the video card (if motherboard doesn’t have integrated video) and test the system.

TIP: Take a look at the monitor. Did the name of the video card come up? Did it count up as much memory as
you installed? If the system got 128 MB (reaches about 131 million), it’s doing well. Turn everything off and
move on to the next step .If it didn’t make it you need to recheck all the steps you’ve taken so far.

5. Install the hard drive(s) and floppy drive.

6. Configure the BIOS.
7. Install your CD-ROM or DVD drive.
8. Install the operating system.
9. Install the sound card (if motherboard doesn’t have integrated audio).
10. Install your other expansion boards, such as internal modem and DVD decoder board.
11. Put it all together:
• Install the motherboard.
• Install the power supply.
• Attached the add-on boards.
• Install the drives.
• Conduct another system check.
• Install the rest of the board.
• Install the parallel and serial port connectors.
• Connect the front panel lights and speaker.

Hardware Specification
- Specification tells you how a technology is supposed to work.
- It gives detailed information about the interface and how stuff works.
Consumer’s focus – on low price.
Enthusiast’s focus – on high performance.
Business focus – on power and reliability.
- Name refers to computer hardware components itself.
- Brand refers to manufacturer.
- Model refers to a series of numbers combined with letters for identification purpose.
- Size is refers to data processing speed of the hardware.
- Package is a form factor of the components: it includes shape and external features.

NAME SPECIFICATIONS

BRAND MODEL SIZE & PACKAGE

CD-ROM Drive LG SCR-3232 32x IDE
Microprocessor/CPU Intel 84GL Socket 478 800 MHz
Video Card GeForce FX5500 128MB 8x AGP
RAM/Memory Samsung GDDR3 256MB SDRAM
Floppy Drive Sony MPF90 1.44MB
Power Supply Shuttle PC40 Dual+12v/250w 110/230v
LAN Card Linksys LNE100TX 10/100Mbps PCIEtherFast
Sound Card Delta44 US41110L 24-bit 192 KHz
Hard disk drive Sony DCR-SR82 IMP 60 GB
Motherboard ASUS TUSI-M Socket 370 MicroATX