CHAPTER 2:

HARDWARE
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will
be able to:
• describe information systems hardware;
• identify the primary components of a computer
and the functions they perform; and
• explain the effect of the commoditization of the
personal computer.
 INTRODUCTION
An information system is made up of five components:
hardware, software, data, people, and process.
 HARDWARE
The physical parts of computing devices, those that
you can actually touch are referred to as hardware.
 HARDWARE
Computer hardware encompasses digital devices that
you can physically touch. This includes devices such as
the following:
•Hardware Input Devices
•Hardware Process Devices
•Hardware Output Devices
•Hardware Storage
 HARDWARE - INPUT
The input hardware allows you to enter data into the
computer. The primary devices used are the
keyboard and mouse. Other devices includes
scanners, microphone, webcam, touchpad, joystick.
 HARDWARE - PROCESS
The Process hardware allows the computer to process
data that we input in our computer. This can be the
CPU, RAM Stick, and Motherboard.
 HARDWARE - OUTPUT
An output device is any device used to send
data from a computer to another device or
user. Most computer data output that is meant
for humans is in the form of audio or video. Thus,
most output devices used by humans are in
these categories. Examples include monitors,
projectors, speakers, headphones and printers.
 HARDWARE - STORAGE
There are two types of hardware storage:
Primary Storage – also called as internal
storage or memory. The computer will not
function without it.
Secondary Storage – It is any type of electronic
device that can store data. Data stored can be
transferred, edited and deleted.
 HARDWARE
Besides these more traditional computer hardware
devices, many items that were once not considered
digital devices are now becoming computerized
themselves. Digital technologies are now being
integrated into many everyday objects, so the days of
a device being labeled categorically as computer
hardware may be ending. Examples of these types of
digital devices include automobiles, refrigerators, and
even soft-drink dispensers.
 DIGITAL DEVICE
A digital device processes electronic signals that
represent either a one (“on”) or a zero (“off”). The on
state is represented by the presence of an electronic
signal; the off state is represented by the absence of
an electronic signal.
 DIGITAL DEVICE
Each one or zero is referred to as a bit (a contraction
of binary digit); a group of eight bits is a byte. The
first personal computers could process 8 bits of data
at once; modern PCs can now process 64 bits of data
at a time, which is where the term 64-bit processor
comes from.
 TOUR OF A PC
All personal computers consist of the same basic
components: a CPU, memory, circuit board, storage,
and input/output devices. It also turns out that almost
every digital device uses the same set of components,
so examining the personal computer will give us
insight into the structure of a variety of digital
devices.
 PROCESSING DATA: THE CPU
The Central Processing Unit or (CPU) is the "brain" of
your computer and responsible in many processes.
It contains the electronic circuits that cause the
computer to follow instructions from ROM (read only
memory) or from a program in RAM (random access
memory).
 PROCESSING DATA: THE CPU
Moore’s Law
Gordon Moore, one of the founders of Intel, recognized this
phenomenon in 1965, noting that microprocessor transistor
counts had been doubling every year. His insight eventually
evolved into Moore’s Law, which states that the number of
transistors on a chip will double every two years. Another
way of looking at this is to think that the price for the same
computing power will be cut in half every two years.
 PROCESSING DATA: THE CPU
INTEL CPU NUMBER OF AMD CPU NUMBER OF
CORES CORES
Core i3 2 Ryzen 3 2
Core i5 2/4 Ryzen 5 4
Core i7 4/6 Ryzen 7 6
Core i9 8 Ryzen 9 8
Xeon 10/12 Ryzen 9 10
 PROCESSING DATA: THE CPU
There will be a point, someday, where we reach the
limits of Moore’s Law, where we cannot continue to
shrink circuits any further. But engineers will continue
to seek ways to increase performance.
 MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard is the main circuit board on the
computer. The CPU, memory, and storage components,
among other things, all connect into the motherboard.
Motherboards come in different shapes and sizes,
depending upon how compact or expandable the computer
is designed to be. Most modern motherboards have many
integrated components, such as video and sound processing,
which used to require separate components.
 MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard provides much of the bus of the
computer (the term bus refers to the electrical connection
between different computer components). The bus is an
important determiner of the computer’s speed: the
combination of how fast the bus can transfer data and the
number of data bits that can be moved at one time
determine the speed.
 RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY
When a computer starts up, it begins to load information
from the hard disk into its working memory. This working
memory, called random-access memory (RAM), can transfer
data much faster than the hard disk. Any program that you
are running on the computer is loaded into RAM for
processing.
 RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY
In order for a computer to work effectively, some minimal
amount of RAM must be installed. In most cases, adding
more RAM will allow the computer to run faster. Another
characteristic of RAM is that it is “volatile.” This means that it
can store data as long as it is receiving power; when the
computer is turned off, any data stored in RAM is lost.
 HARD DISK
While the RAM is used as working memory, the computer
also needs a place to store data for the longer term. Most
of today’s personal computers use a hard disk for long-term
data storage. A hard disk is where data is stored when the
computer is turned off and where it is retrieved from when
the computer is turned on. Why is it called a hard disk? A
hard disk consists of a stack of disks inside a hard metal
case.
 SOLID-STATE DRIVES (SSD)
A relatively new component becoming more common in
some personal computers is the solid-state drive (SSD). The
SSD performs the same function as a hard disk: long-term
storage. Instead of spinning disks, the SSD uses flash
memory, which is much faster.
 SOLID-STATE DRIVES (SSD)
Solid-state drives are currently quite a bit more
expensive than hard disks. However, the use of flash
memory instead of disks makes them much lighter and faster
than hard disks. SSDs are primarily utilized in portable
computers, making them lighter and more efficient. Some
computers combine the two storage technologies, using the
SSD for the most accessed data (such as the operating
system) while using the hard disk for data that is accessed
less frequently.
OTHER COMPUTING DEVICES
OTHER COMPUTING DEVICES
REFERENCES
• Introduction to computer 8th Edition (Author: Gary B. Shelly)
• Introduction to computer 6th Edition (Author: Peter Norton)
• Computer Fundamentals Edition 2009 (Author: Dennis T. Fajardo)
• Introduction to computer (Author: Antonio M. Andes Sr. )
• Introduction to Computer (Author: John S. Salac)
REFERENCES
•Google Home Video: https://youtu.be/OsXedJq1aWE
•Google Waymo: https://youtu.be/Eq89YGbERzs
ACTIVITY
1) Do a review of hardware devices that you
have (e.g. Desktop, Laptop, Smart Phone, etc.),
write the specifications and site the
advantages and disadvantages of that
hardware.
2) Write/type down your answer then submit it
in our Google Classroom.
3) Deadline will be posted in our Google
Classroom as well.
 EXAMPLE
Device Specification
Device Type: Gaming Laptop
Device Brand/Model: Acer Nitro 5 AN-51543
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600
RAM: 2x 8GB DDR4 (16 GB)
Disks: 1x 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD / 1x 1TB Western Digital
HDD
Graphics 1: Built-in AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics (2GB)
Graphics 2: AMD Radeon RX 560x Series (4GB)
Display: Full HD 1080p
 EXAMPLE
Advantages:
•More affordable than other gaming laptops.
•Can play high end games in 1080p screen.
•Very fast performance even when using multiple
programs.
•Sturdy and can last long hours of usage.
•Has dual M.2 support for additional SSD.
•Built to use even when plugged in.
 EXAMPLE
Disadvantages:
•Hot surface during usage so you need an external
keyboard and mouse.
•The current Graphics Card is not coping up with newer
games.
•I cannot open it to clean since it will void the warranty.