1.1 1 Computer Hardware 1 1
1.1 1 Computer Hardware 1 1
EDUCATION
(ICT)
Computer System Servicing
(CSS)
Quarter 1- Module 2
Computer
Hardware
1
INFORMATION SHEET 1.1-1
Computer Hardware
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, STUDENT(S) MUST be able
to:
• Identify different type and parts of computer.
• Explain hardware component of a computer.
INTRODUCTION
Are you new to computers? Do you wonder what they do and why
you would want to use one? Welcome—you're in the right place. This
information gives an overview of computers: What they are, the
different types of computer.
If you use a desktop computer, you might already know that there
isn't any single part called the "computer." A computer is really a
system of many parts working together. The physical parts, which
you can see and touch, are collectively called hardware. (Software,
on the other hand, refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell
the hardware what to do.)
The following illustration shows the most common hardware in a
desktop computer system. Your system might look a little different,
but it probably has most of these parts. A laptop computer has
similar parts but combines them into a single, notebook-sized
package.
THE COMPUTER
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information,
or "data." It can store, retrieve, and process data. You can use a
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computer to type documents, send email, and browse the
internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting,
database management, presentations, games, and more.
Computers Simplified
For beginning computer users, the computer aisles at an
electronics store can be quite a mystery, not to mention
overwhelming. However, computers really aren't that mysterious.
All types of computers consist of two basic parts:
1. Hardware is any part of your computer that has a physical
structure, such as the computer monitor or keyboard.
Image 1.1 From left to right, monitor, and printer are examples of
hardware
2. Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware
what to do. It is what guides the hardware and tells it how
to accomplish each task. Some examples of software are web
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personal computer such as a desktop or laptop computer.
However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they
perform many different functions in our daily lives. When you
withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the store, or use a
calculator, you're using a type of computer.
• Desktop Computers
Desktop computers are designed for use at a desk or table.
They are typically larger and more powerful than other types
of personal computers. Desktop computers are made up of
separate components. The main component, called the system
unit, is usually a rectangular case that sits on or underneath a
desk. Other components, such as the monitor, mouse, and
keyboard, connect to the system unit.
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Since a laptop is smaller than a desktop, it's more difficult to
access the internal components. That means you may not be able
to upgrade them as much as a desktop. However, it's usually
possible to add more RAM or a bigger hard drive.
• Server
Is a computer that "serves up" information to other computers on a
network
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Image 1.6 From left to right, Windows Phone, iPhone, Android, and
Blackberry.
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Although PC can refer to an IBM PC Compatible, the term can also
be used to refer to any personal computer, including
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• CRT (cathode ray tube)
By comparison, old school CRT monitors seem boring and bulky.
Fading fast from the marketplace, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube),
shown in Figure 3-2, monitors resemble small (but expensive)
TV sets. Although some CRT monitors call themselves “flat
screen,” that merely means their glass screens are relatively
flat. They’re not flat panel monitors, an honor belonging only
to LCD monitors.
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• LED (light emitting diode)
An LED display is a flat panel display, which uses an array of
light- emitting diodes as a video display. An LED panel is a
small display, or a component of a larger display.
The differences between OLED and LED are much more substantial
than an extra vowel in their names. OLED is not just next-generation
LED; it's an all- new technology that results in different pros and
cons when it comes to performance, design, and energy
consumption.
LED display are very similar to existing LCD display. The difference
lies in how the screens are lit. While traditional LCD Display use
florescent backlights, LED display use smaller, more energy-efficient
LEDs. Though LED display are slimmer than traditional LCDs, the
need for backlighting still makes LED display larger than they could
be. While LED screens produce great color, the brightness of the lights
can also wash out blacks on the screen.
OLED display have elements that generate their own light and don't
require an extra lighting source. Their screens can produce vibrant
colors by drawing on electrical current, and don't need active
current at all to produce a true black color. This means thinner sets,
better blacks, and lower energy consumption.
Keyboard
Keyboard is input device the main way to enter information into your
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computer.But did you know you can also use your keyboard to control
your computer? Learning just a few simple keyboard commands
(instructions to your computer) can help you work more efficiently.
Image 1.16
Keyboard
Imag
e
file
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Most come in two parts: the keyboard and a receiving unit, which
plugs into your PC’s USB part. Unfortunately, they’re battery
hogs.
Speaker
Speakers are used to play sound. They can be built into the system
unit or connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music
and hear sound effects from your computer.
The Modem
To connect your computer to the Internet, you need
a modem. A modem is a device that sends and
receives computer information over a telephone
line or high-speed cable. Modems are sometimes
built into the system unit, but higher-speed
modems are usually separate components.
Image 1.18 Modem
Image source: Windows 7 help file
Printer
Like most computer peripheral, printers come with their own secret
vocabulary.
Image 1.19 from left to right, Inkjet Printer, Laser Printer, All in One
Printer Image source: Windows 7 help file
Kinds of Printer
• Inkjet
Popular for their low price and high quality, inkjet printers
(shown in figure below) squirt ink onto a page, creating
surprisingly realistic images in color or black and white.
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• Laser
Laser printers might sound dangerous, but these printers) use
technology similar to their ho-hum equivalent, copy machines;
they sear images into the paper with toner. Black-and-white
laser printers cost a little more than inkjet printers; double that
price for color laser printers. Although laser printers can’t
print digital photos, they’re cheaper in the long run for general
office paperwork.
Warning:
Laser printers are supposed to heat up. That’s why you shouldn’t keep
dust covers on laser printers when they’re running. If you don’t allow
for plenty of air ventilation, your laser printer might overheat. After
you’re through using your laser printer, let it cool off; then put on the
dust cover to keep out lint and small insects.
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• To distribute power to PC components.
• To electronically co-ordinate and interface the operation of the
components.
Form factor is the specification of a motherboard – the dimensions,
power supply type, location of mounting holes, number of ports on
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Image 1.23 30 pin SIMM(Above), 72 pin SIMM(Below)
NOTES: SIMMs are yesterday’s technology from early ’90s
computers. Don’t buy SIMMs for modern PCs
Image 1.24
168 pin
SDRA
M DIMM
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Rambus, Inc., created a super-fast, super-expensive memory
in the late 1990s and covered the chips with a cool-looking
heat shield. The speedy 5 1⁄4-inch-long memory modules,
shown in the figure below, enchanted Intel so much that the
CPU maker designed its Pentium 4 CPUs and motherboards
around them. The rest of the computer industry ignored
RDRAM because of its high price and licensing fees. Intel’s
main competitor, AMD, stuck with standard motherboards
and SDRAM, the existing industry standard. RDRAM and
Image 1.26
DDR SDRAM
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5.4 HARD DISK
Hard drives constantly move to new technologies to pack more
information into successively smaller spaces. These words describe the
storage technology built into the drives found today and yesterday.
Common HDD Terms to Remember
• IDE/ATA/PATA (Integrated Drive Electronics or
Intelligent Drive Electronics):
Today, most hard drives still use some form of IDE technology,
often referred to as ATA (ATAttachment). Because these drives
use technology called parallel, they’ve picked up the acronym
PATA to describe all drives from this old school.
• UDMA, UIDE, AT-6, Fast ATA, Ultra ATA, UDMA, and
more:
These subsequent flavors of IDE/ATA technology each add new
technologies and longer acronyms. The result? More speed and
more storage capacity.
• SATA (Serial ATA)
The newest incarnation of the IDE/ATA drives, these offer still
greater performance. Older drives moved information to your
computer through awkward, stubby ribbon cables. SATA
drives transfer their information faster through sleek, thin
cables that route through your computer’s innards more
easily.
• External SATA
You guessed it, external SATA drives live outside your PC and
plug into special eSATA ports you can add to your PC.
• SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface), Fast Wide
SCSI, Ultra SCSI, WideUltra2 SCSI)
Pronounced “scuzzy,” this popular drive variety worked its
way into the hearts of power users and network
administrators. Today, SATA supersedes SCSI away from even
those folks.
Speed and Space
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The following terms appear on nearly every hard drive’s box to
help you find the drive with the size and speed you need:
• Capacity: The amount of data the hard drive can store;
the larger, the better. When buying a new drive, look for
something with 50 gigabytes (GB) or more. Always buy
the biggest drive you can possibly afford.
• Access or seek time: The time your drive takes to locate
stored files, measured in milliseconds (ms). The smaller
the number, the better.
• DTR (Data Transfer Rate): How fast your computer can
grab information from files after it finds them. Larger
numbers are better. Data transfer rates are broken down
into burst and sustained each described next.
• Burst/sustained:. The burst rate determines the speed
at which your computer can fetch one small piece of
information from your hard drive. The sustained rate, by
contrast, refers to how fast it constantly streams data
fetches a large file, for example. Naturally, burst rates
are much faster than sustained rates.
• 5000/7200/10000 RPM: The speed at which your hard
drive’s internal disks spin, measured in revolutions per
minute (RPM). Bigger numbers mean faster and more
expensive drives. (For some reason, techies leave out
commas when discussing RPM.)
NOTES:
• When you’re purchasing a drive for everyday work or
sound/video editing, buy a very fast one. If you’re looking to
simply store large amounts of data, such as MP3s, videos, text, or
similar items, save money by buying a slower drive.
• For further information read storage devices section.
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5.5 POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU)
Converts high-voltage alternating current (AC) power into the
lower voltage direct current (DC) power that your motherboard
and drives need.
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5.6 GRAPHICS CARD
Graphics Card (also
called a video adapter,
display card, graphics
card, graphics board,
display adapter or
graphics adapter) is an
expansion card which
generates a feed of
output images to a
display.
Common Types
of Graphics
Card
• Peripheral
Component
Interconnect
(PCI) Short for
Peripheral
Component
Interconnect, PCI
was introduced by
Intel in 1992. The
PCI bus came in
both 32-bit
(133MBps) and
64-bit versions
and was
used to attach hardware to a computer. Although
commonly used in computers from the late 1990s to the
early 2000s, PCI has since been replaced with PCI
Express.
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Image 1.31 PCI Video Card
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Image 1.32 AGP Video Card
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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.
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IO PORTS
Serial Port
Serial or COM-1 port Used for External Modems and old
Mice. Being phased out on newer computers. Replaced by USB.
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Image 1.39 Serial Port
FACTS:
Today, serial ports usually remain empty. Modems, their prime
users, usually live inside the computer. A handful of other
gadgets cling to them, mostly older PocketPCs, Palm Pilots, label
printers, and similar nerdy gadgets. Most high-end PCs still
include a serial port, but the budget models leave them off.
Firewire
Firewire connectors should not be confused with USB
connectors, they look almost the same. Fire Wire is used to
connect external devices like hard drives. Sometimes Fire Wire
is called IEEE1394a or i-link
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Audio and Game Ports
SPDIF is a standard for transmitting high-quality digital audio without
going through an analogue conversion process. The SPDIF interface can
be implemented in two different ways, Coaxial and Optical.
Image 1.43 Audio Ports, (Green) Line Out, (Pink) Mic In, (Blue) Line In
Ethernet Port
Connects an RJ-45 jack to the LAN port to connect your
computer to the Network.
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SELF CHECK 1.1-1
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6. Battery or AC-powered personal computers that are more portable than
desktop computers, allowing you to use them almost anywhere.
A. Laptop C. PC
B. Desktop D. Server
7. This type of computer began with the original IBM PC that was
introduced in 1981.
A. Desktop C. Personal Computer
B. Laptop D. Server
8. It is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as
the computer monitor or keyboard.
A. Software C. Hardware
B. Microsoft Word D. Operating System
9. It is the hardware within a computer that carries out the instructions
of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetical, logical, and
input/output operations of the system.
A. Hardware C. Computer
B. C.P.U. D. Laptop
10. A computer that "serves up" information to other computers on a
network.
A. PC C. MAC
B. Server D. DESKTOP
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