HARDWARE COMPONENTS OF THE

COMPUTER
(Lecture Two A)
 Introduction
• A computer contains many electric, electronic, and mechanical
components known as hardware.

• These components fall into four broad categories that serve different
purposes.

• These components include

 System unit
 Storage devices
 Input devices
 Output devices
 Communications devices.
System unit
• The system unit, sometimes called (chassis), is the case that contains
electronic components of the computer used to process data.
• System unit is made up of metal or plastic and protects the internal
electronic components from damage.

• Components that can be found in the system unit are

 Motherboard,
 Central processing unit
 Memory or Storage devices
 Connectors
 Expansion ports and
 Expansion slots
 Power Supply Unit
 Drive bays etc.
Motherboard
• The motherboard, sometimes called a system board, is the main
circuit board of the system unit where every hardware
component of the computer plugs into.
• Many electronic components attach to the motherboard while
others are built into it.
• The main electronic components and circuitry of the
motherboard are the processor and the memory.

• Other components of the motherboard include: Expansion slots

for adapter cards, expansion ports, e.g. USB and Ethernet ports,
etc.
Motherboard of a Desktop Computer
Components of the Motherboard
Processor
• The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets
and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer.
• The processor significantly impacts overall computing power and
manages most of a computer’s operations.

• Most processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core processors, all

located on the same chip, so they can complete multiple tasks
simultaneously as if they are physically more than one CPU.
• A processor core, or simply core, contains the circuitry necessary to
execute instructions.

• Microprocessor speed is generally measured in gigahertz (GHz). Speeds

for current microprocessors are in the 2 GHz to 4 GHz range.
• The two main components of the processor are the arithmetic logic
unit (ALU) and the control unit (CU).

Control Unit (CU)

• This unit controls or directs all the operations of all parts of the
computer but does not carry out any actual data processing operations.

• Functions of the CU are

 It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and
instructions among other units of a computer.

 It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.

  It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the
operation of the computer.

 It communicates with Input/output devices for the transfer of data or results

from storage.

 It regulates the time controls of the processor.

 The CU also controls internal components such as the arithmetic logic unit,
registers, and buses.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

• This unit consists of two subsections namely: The arithmetic
section and the Logic Section.
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) component does the actual
processing. It receives data and instructions and delivers a result.
• Arithmetic operations include basic calculations, such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division.

• Logic /Comparison operations involve comparing one data item with

another to determine whether the first item is greater than, equal to, or
less than the other item.
Components of the Motherboard
Memory
• Memory consists of electronic components that store instructions
waiting to be executed by the processor, data needed by those
instructions, and the results of processing the data (information).

• Memory usually consists of one or more chips on the motherboard or

some other circuit board in the computer.

• Memory stores three basic categories of items

The operating system and other programs that control or maintain the
computer and its devices.
The application software currently being used.
Any data that is being processed.
Categories of Computer Memory
• Computer memory is categorized into two.
 Primary memory
 Secondary memory

• Primary memory is the memory that is directly accessed by the CPU to

store and retrieve information.

• It allows the computer to store data for immediate manipulation and to

keep track of what is currently being processed.

• There are types of primary memory. These are volatile memory and
non–volatile memory.
• A volatile memory stores data temporarily. When the computer’s power
is turned off, a volatile memory loses its contents. An example of this
memory is the RAM.
• Non–volatile memory stores data permanently. It does not lose its
contents when power is removed from the computer.

• Examples of non–volatile memory include ROM, flash memory, and

CMOS.

• CMOS is an acronym for Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor

Types of RAM
• Two common types of RAM are Dynamic RAM and Static RAM.

• Dynamic RAM(DRAM) chips must be reenergized constantly or

refreshed else, they will lose their contents.

• There are variations of DRAM. These include

 SDRAM(Synchronous DRAM)
 DDR SDRAM(Double Data Rate SDRAM)
 RDRAM (Rambus DRAM)
 VRAM (pronounced "vee ram")

• Static RAM (SRAM) chips are faster and more reliable than any variation
of DRAM chips
• These chips do not have to be reenergized or refreshed as often as
DRAM chips; hence, the term, static.

• SRAM chips, however, are much more expensive than DRAM chips.
Special applications, such as cache, use SRAM chips.

• A newer type of RAM, called Magnetoresistive RAM(MRAM), also

known as Magnetic RAM, is a type of non–volatile RAM that uses
magnetic charges to store data.

• This is different from SRAM and DRAM, which use electric charges to
store data.

• The advantage of MRAM is that it retains data when power is turned off
which could prevent loss of data for users.
Read–only Memory (ROM)
• Read-only memory refers to memory chips storing permanent data and
instructions.

• The data on most ROM chips cannot be modified—hence, the name

read-only.

• For example ROM is used in most computers to hold a small, special

piece of software called the 'boot up' program.
• In addition to computers and mobile devices, many peripheral devices
contain ROM chips.

 For example, ROM chips in printers contain data for fonts.

• Manufacturers of ROM chips often record data, instructions, or

information on the chips when they manufacture the chips.

• These ROM chips, called firmware, contain permanently written data,

instructions, or information, such as a computer or mobile device’s start-
up instructions.
Types of ROM
• Memories in the ROM family are distinguished by the methods used to
write data on them and the number of times they can be rewritten.

• Masked ROM: The very first ROMs, known as masked ROMs, were hard-
wired devices that contained a pre-programmed set of data or
instructions.

• Programmable ROM (PROM): is a memory chip on which data can be

written only once. Once a program has been written onto a PROM, it
remains there forever.

• Erasable Programmable read-only memory (EPROM): This is an early

type of flash memory chip that retains its data when the power supply is
turned off.
• Erasable Programmable read-only memory (EPROM): This is an early
type of flash memory chip that retains its data when the power supply is
turned off.

• Once an EPROM is programmed, it can be erased by exposing it to a

strong (high intensity) ultraviolet light (UV) light source.

• Unlike PROMs, an EPROM can be erased and reprogrammed repeatedly.

• Note that an EPROM eraser is not selective. It will erase the entire
EPROM.
• Electrically Erasable Programmable read-only memory (EEPROM): This
type of ROM can be erased by an electrical charge and then written to by
using slightly higher-than-normal voltage.

• However, the difference between the EPROM chip and the EEPROM chip
is that EEPROM chips can be reprogrammed without removing them from
the computer.

• Also, the entire EEPROM chip does not need to be erased at one time,
which therefore allows specific changes to be made.

• EEPROM can be erased one byte at a time. Hence, the process of re-
programming is flexible but slow.
• Flash Memory is a type of non–volatile memory that can be erased
electronically and rewritten.

• Most computers use flash memory to hold their start-up instructions

because it allows the computer to update its contents easily.
 For example, when the computer changes from standard time to daylight
savings time, the contents of a flash memory chip (and the real-time clock
chip) change to reflect the new time.

• Some portable media players store music on flash memory chips while
others store music on tiny hard drives or memory cards.

• Memory cards contain flash memory on a removable device instead of a

chip.
Secondary Memory
• A secondary memory device is a storage device that is not accessible
directly by the CPU and store data or information permanently even after
power is turned off.
• The CPU accesses these secondary memory devices through an input/
output channel and data is first transferred to the primary memory from
the secondary memory before accessing.
• Storage media are the physical materials used to store data, such as disks
and DVDs.
• Storage media are contained in a storage device, which is the equipment
that records and retrieves data from storage media.
• The term storage technology refers to a storage device and the media it
uses.
Differences between Primary and Secondary Memory
• Primary memory is the memory that is directly accessed by the CPU to
store and retrieve information, whereas secondary memory is not
accessible directly by the CPU.

• Primary memory does not retain data when the power is turned off
while secondary memory retains data when the power is turned off.

• Primary memory is very fast compared to secondary memory and has a

lower access time.

• Primary memory devices are costlier compared to secondary memory

devices.