1 Hardware Fundamentals

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Lesson Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

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Lesson Objectives

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In this lesson, you will identify the hardware components of a computer. You will:

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• Identify computer system components.
• Identify storage devices.

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• Identify personal computer device connection methods.

Lesson Introduction
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A very large percentage of the work that most IT technicians do entails working with
hardware, including installing, upgrading, repairing, configuring, maintaining, optimizing,
and troubleshooting computer components. To install and configure computer hardware,
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you need to recognize the basic components that constitute most personal computers, along
with the functionality that each component provides to the computing experience. In this
lesson, you will identify hardware components and how they function.
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Preparing for a career in computer support and maintenance can be a daunting task. A good
place to start is with the basics: the essential hardware components that you find in most
computers. Identifying hardware components and their roles give you a solid base on which
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to build the knowledge and skills you need to install, configure, and troubleshoot computer
hardware.
This lesson covers all or part of the following CompTIA® A+® (2012) Exam 220-801
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certification objectives:
• Topic A:
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• Objective 1.1
• Topic B:
• Objectives 1.5, 1.7, 1.12
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• Topic C:
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• Objectives 1.7, 1.11

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TOPIC A
Computer System Components
In this lesson, you will identify the hardware components of a computer. The first step is to identify
the hardware that you will find in virtually all computer systems. In this topic, you will identify
computer system components.

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If you are not familiar with the various components that a computer is made up of, it can seem like

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a jigsaw puzzle. Like most puzzles, each part of a computer connects to other parts in a specific
place, but generally, you will find that the pieces fit together almost exactly the same way from one
system to another. To help you put the puzzle together, you need to understand what these pieces

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look like and what they do.
This topic covers all or part of the following CompTIA® A+® (2012) Exam 220-801 certification

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objectives:
• Objective 1.1: Configure and apply BIOS settings.

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Common Computer Components

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Common Computer Computing components are the physical devices that are required for a computer to operate
Components properly. There are four main categories of components in a typical computer.
Emphasize that early in
this course, you will
focus on desktop
hardware, and later in
Component

The system unit

Description or
The system unit, also commonly referred to as the CPU, or the tower, is
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the course, you will the main component of a computer, which houses most of the other
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cover laptop hardware devices that are necessary for the computer to function. Traditionally, it is
components. comprised of a chassis and internal components, such as the system
board, the microprocessor, memory modules, disk drives, adapter cards,
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the power supply, fans and other cooling systems, and ports for
connecting external components such as monitors, keyboards, mice, and
other devices.
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System units are also often referred to as boxes, main units, or base units.
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Component Description

In some newer computer models, the system unit is incorporated with the
display screen and referred to as an all-in-one computer. Similar to
laptops, the system unit is integrated into a smaller configuration, which
may make it harder to manage or replace the system unit components.
Display devices A display device is a personal computer component that enables users to
view the text and graphical data output from a computer. Display devices

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commonly connect to the system unit via a cable, and they have controls
to adjust the settings for the device. They vary in size and shape, as well

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as the technologies used.
Common terms for various types of display devices include display,

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monitor, screen, cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), and
flat-panel monitors.

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Input devices An input device is a personal computer component that enables users to
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enter data or instructions into a computer. Common input devices

include keyboards and computer mice. An input device can connect to
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the system unit via a cable or a wireless connection.

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External devices You can enhance the functionality of practically any personal computer
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by connecting different types of external devices to the system unit. Also

called peripheral devices, external devices can provide alternative input or
output methods or additional data storage. You connect external devices
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to the system unit via cable or a wireless connection. Some devices have
their own power source, while others draw power from the system.
Common examples of external devices include microphones, cameras,
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scanners, printers, and external drives.

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Component Description

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Computer Cases

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The computer case is the enclosure that holds all of the components of your computer. Computer
cases come in several sizes and arrangements. Some are designed to hold many internal components

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and have a lot of room to work around those components. These are usually tower or desktop cases
and take up a good deal of room. Other cases are designed to use a minimum amount of space. The

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trade-off is that the interior of the case is often cramped, with little room for adding additional
components. Because the tower proved to be popular, there are now several versions of the tower
model. These include:

components. or
• Full tower, which is usually used for servers or when you will be installing many drives and other

• Mid tower, which is a slightly smaller version of the full-size tower.

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• Micro, or mini tower, which is the size that replaces the original desktop case in most modern
systems.
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• Slim line, which is a tower case that can be turned on its side to save room
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The Motherboard
The Motherboard The motherboard is the personal computer component that acts as the backbone for the entire
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computer system. Sometimes called the system board, it consists of a large, flat circuit board with chips
and other electrical components on it, with various connectors. Some components are soldered
directly to the board, and some components connect to the board by using slots or sockets.
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Figure 1-1: A motherboard.
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The CPU
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The central processing unit (CPU) is a computer chip where most of the computing calculations take The CPU
place. On most computers, the CPU is housed in a single microprocessor module that is installed on
the system board in a slot or a socket.
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Figure 1-2: CPUs.

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Multicore Processors
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Since mid-to-late 2000, the trend has been to build processors with two or more individual CPUs
that work in parallel and that are contained in a single chip. Two or more individual processors can
share a workload more efficiently than a single processor. Dual-core and quad-core processors are
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engineered to include two to four cores on a single chip, while hexa- and octa-core processors
include six and eight cores, respectively.
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Multi-CPU Motherboards
Prior to the development of multicore processors, some hardware manufacturers offered additional
processing power by designing motherboards that could hold more than one CPU. With the advent
of the multicore processors, these are less common in personal computers, but they are still widely
used in server machines.

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Memory
Memory Memory is the computer system component that provides a temporary workspace for the processor.
Memory refers to modules of computer chips that store data in a digital electronic format, which is
faster to read from and write to than tape or hard drives. Memory chips each contain millions of
transistors etched on one sliver of a semiconductor. Transistors are nothing more than switches that
can be opened or closed. When a transistor is closed, it conducts electricity, representing the binary
number 1. When it is opened, it does not, representing the binary number 0.
There are two types of memory used in computer systems: Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read-

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Only Memory (ROM). RAM is a computer storage method that functions as a computer's main

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memory. This type requires a constant power source to access the data stored within the RAM.
However, data stored on ROM is saved and stored without a constant power source. Once data is
written to ROM, it cannot be modified easily.

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Volatile and Non-volatile Memory

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Memory is considered to be either volatile or non-volatile:
• Volatile memory stores data temporarily and requires a constant source of electricity to keep

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track of the data stored in it. When the power is no longer available, the data stored in volatile
memory is lost. The computer's main RAM is an example of volatile memory. The computer can
both read the data stored in RAM and write different data into the same RAM. Any byte of data

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can be accessed without disturbing other data, so the computer has random access to the data in
RAM.

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• Non-volatile memory retains the information stored on it whether or not electrical current is
available. ROM is an example of non-volatile memory.
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Figure 1-3: A sample memory module.

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The System Bus

The System Bus In computer communications, a bus is a group of wires or electronic pathways that connect
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components. The system bus is the wires, or traces, on the motherboard that provide the main
communication path between the CPU and memory. The system bus enables data transfer between
the CPU, memory, and the other buses in the computer, which connect other system components
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such as hard drives and adapter cards. It is sometimes referred to as the frontside bus or local bus.

Storage Devices
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Storage Devices A storage device is a computer system component, such as a hard drive, that enables users to save data
for reuse at a later time, even after the personal computer is shut down and restarted. Storage
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devices can save data magnetically, optically, or electronically, depending on their design.
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Figure 1-4: Examples of storage devices.

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Power Supplies

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A power supply is a computer system component that converts line-voltage alternating current (AC) Power Supplies
power from an electrical outlet to the low-voltage direct current (DC) power needed by other system

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components. The power supply is often referred to as the power supply unit (PSU). The power
supply is typically a metal box in the rear of the system that is attached to the computer chassis and
to the system board. While the power supply is not itself a component of the system board, it is

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required in order for system components to receive power. The power supply contains the power
cord plug and a fan for cooling, because it generates a lot of heat. Some power supplies have a
voltage selector switch that enables you to set them to the voltage configurations that are used in
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different countries. AC adapters are generally built in to the power supply for desktop systems and
are external for laptops and other mobile systems.
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Figure 1-5: A power supply.

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Fixed-Input Power Supply Voltage Selector Switch

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Power supplies with voltage selector switches are called fixed-input power supplies. The voltage
selector switches generally have two settings—for example, 220 and 110—depending on the
manufacturer. If you set the switch to a higher voltage than supplied by the power source, the
system will not receive enough power and will not function properly. However, if you set the switch
to a lower setting than supplied by the power source—for example, if you set the switch to 110 volts
(V) while connected to a 220 V outlet—you run the risk of burning out the power supply, damaging
system components, or more seriously, creating a fire or electrocution hazard.

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Auto-switching power supplies do not have a manual voltage switch, but detect the voltage level
supplied by the outlet and set themselves to the correct voltage automatically. This can be
convenient and safe for people who travel to various countries with portable computers.

Cooling Systems
Cooling Systems A cooling system is a computer system component that prevents damage to other computer parts by
dissipating the heat generated inside a computer chassis. The cooling system can consist of one or

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more fans and other components such as heat sinks or liquid cooling systems that service the entire
computer as well as individual components, such as the power supply and CPU.

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Figure 1-6: A typical cooling system for a CPU.

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Components That Require Cooling

Computer systems contain several components that require cooling:
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• The CPU.
• The power supply.
• Some adapter cards.
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• Some hard disk drives.

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Expansion Cards
Expansion Cards An expansion card is a printed circuit board that you install into an expansion slot on the computer’s
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system board to expand the functionality of the computer. In standard desktop systems, cards have
connectors that fit into an expansion slot on a system board and circuitry to connect a specific
device to the computer. Laptops, on the other hand, typically have slots located on the outside of
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the case for inserting expansion cards. These cards are often referred to as laptop expansion cards.
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Figure 1-7: An expansion card.

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Note: An expansion card is also known as an adapter card, I/O card, add-in, add-on, or simply
as a board.

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Riser Cards
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A riser card is a board that plugs into the system board and provides additional expansion slots for
adapter cards. Because it rises above the system board, it enables you to connect additional adapters
Riser Cards
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to the system in an orientation that is parallel to the system board and thus saves space within the
system case. Riser cards are commonly found within rackmount server implementations to provide
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additional slots for expanding the features of a server and in low rise smaller cases to fit larger
expansion cards.
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Figure 1-8: A riser card.

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Note: A riser card expands motherboard capabilities the way a power strip increases the
capabilities of electrical outlets.
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Daughter Boards
Daughter board is a general computing and electronics term for any circuit board that plugs into
another circuit board. In personal computing, a daughter board can be used as a more general term
for adapter cards. Sometimes, in casual usage, the term “daughter board” is used interchangeably
with the term “riser card,” but technically they are not the same.

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Firmware
Firmware Firmware is specialized software stored in memory chips that stores OS-specific information whether
or not power to the computer is on. It is most often written on an electronically reprogrammable
chip so that it can be updated with a special program to fix any errors that might be discovered after
a computer is purchased, or to support updated hardware components.
Note: Updating firmware electronically is called flashing.

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The System BIOS
The System BIOS A Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is a set of instructions that is stored in ROM and that is used to

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start the most basic services of a computer system. Every computer has a system BIOS, which sets the
computer's configuration and environment when the system is powered on. It is located in ROM

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chips on the system board. Computers may also include other devices that have their own BIOS to
control their functions.

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Figure 1-9: The system BIOS resides on ROM chips, and sets the computer's configuration and
environment at startup.
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The POST
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The POST The Power-On Self Test (POST) is a built-in diagnostic program that runs every time a personal
computer starts up. The POST checks your hardware to ensure that everything is present and
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functioning properly, before the system BIOS begins the operating system boot process. If there is
an error, then an audible beep will alert you that something is wrong.
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The POST process contains several steps to ensure that the system meets the necessary
requirements to operate properly.
Note: The POST process can vary a great deal from manufacturer to manufacturer.

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Hardware Component POST Test Criteria

Power supply Must be turned on, and must supply its "power good" signal.
CPU Must exit Reset status mode, and must be able to execute instructions.
BIOS Must be readable.
BIOS memory Must be readable.
Memory Must be able to be read by the CPU, and the first 64 KB of memory

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must be able to hold the POST code.

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Input/output (I/O) bus Must be accessible, and must be able to communicate with the video
or I/O controller subsystem.

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Lesson 1: Hardware Fundamentals | Topic A