Lesson 1

Software and Hardware

Interaction
 • Identify hardware components that affect
computer performance.
• Explain how the central processing unit (CPU)
processes software instructions.
• Describe types of computer memory.
• Explain how to use system requirements.
• Explain the purpose of software updates.
• Use Windows Update to keep the operating
system up to date.

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 Words to Know

• arithmetic/logic • control unit

unit (ALU)
• execution cycle
• byte (E-cycle)
• cache • gigahertz (GHz)
• central processing • instruction cycle
unit (CPU) (I-cycle)
• circuit board • machine cycle
• clock speed • megahertz
3 (MHz)
Words to Know (continued)

motherboard system unit

multicore processor thrashing
multiprocessing volatile memory
multithreading
nonvolatile memory
read-only memory
(ROM)
register
 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer

• How efficiently hardware and software complete

tasks is called performance.
• The system unit is the case that contains a
computer’s main system components.
• The computer’s main circuit board is called the
motherboard.
• A circuit board is a thin metal plate with an
extensive electronic circuit.
• All of the essential chips and the circuitry that
connects them are on the motherboard.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

CPU RAM board Motherboard

Heat sink

ROM chip

© kake/Shutteistock
FIGURE 2-1

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Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

Central Processing Unit

The central processing unit
(CPU) is a single computer chip
that contains all the electronic
circuitry a computer needs to
process data.
A chip is a small, thin piece of
silicon containing electronic
circuits, which is why a chip is
called an integrated circuit (IC).
 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Parts of a CPU
• The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs
arithmetic calculations and logical operations.
• The control unit coordinates all the processor’s
activities and manages the flow of information through
the processor.
• Registers are memory cells for temporarily storing
data needed by the ALU to perform its calculations.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Machine Cycle
• The CPU carries out software instructions by
repeating four basic operations in the machine cycle.
• Fetching and decoding make up the instruction
cycle (I-cycle).
- Fetching retrieves an instruction or a data item from
memory.
- Decoding translates the instruction into a form the
computer can execute.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Machine Cycle (continued)

• Executing and storing make up the execution
cycle (E-cycle).
- Executing carries out the commands in the
instruction.
- Storing writes the result to memory (not to a
storage medium).

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Machine Cycle (continued)

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Clock Speed
• Machine cycles are measured in microseconds,
nanoseconds, and even picoseconds.
• The faster the machine cycle, the faster your
computer processes data.
• The speed of the processor directly influences the
speed of the machine cycle.
• The processor’s speed is also called the clock
speed, which is the number of instructions the
CPU can process per second.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Clock Speed (continued)

• The computer has a system clock that generates a
regular electronic beat to set the pace and timing of
system operations.
• Each beat of the system clock is called a cycle.
• Clock speed is stated in megahertz (MHz), which is
a million cycles per second, and gigahertz (GHz),
which is a billion cycles per second. (A hertz is one
cycle per second.)

13
 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Bit Size
• Another measure of CPU performance is bit size,
which is how many bytes of data the CPU can
retrieve from RAM at once.
• A byte of data is roughly equivalent to one
character.
- An 8-bit CPU can process 1 byte at a time.
- A 16-bit CPU can process 2 bytes at a time.
- A 32-bit CPU can process 4 bytes at once.
- A 64-bit CPU can process 8 bytes at once.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Types of Processors
• A multicore processor is a single chip that
contains more than one processor.
• If a computer contains a multicore processor, the
operating system can use multiprocessing to split tasks
among the processors.
• Each processor can work on a different task at the
same time.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Types of Processors (continued)

• A single-core processor can enhance
performance using multitasking and
multithreading.
• Multitasking can run more than one program at
the same time.
• With multithreading, the operating system
handles many parts, or threads, of a single
program.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Types of Processors (continued)

• With a multicore processor, the operating
system can use multiprocessing, multitasking,
and multithreading to improve performance.
• With a single-core processor, the operating
system can use only multitasking and
multithreading.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Types of Processors (continued)

Open Enter
Check
presentation Open Web browser Display Web pages information in
e-mail
Steps to complete the tasks / application presentation

Single-core processor

Open Enter
Check
Processor 1 presentation information in
e-mail
application presentation

Processor 2 ^ Open Web

Display Web pages
browser

Multicore processor
© 2015 Cengage Learning FIGURE 2-4

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Memory
• The CPU, operating systems, and applications
use memory (chips inside the system unit) to store
data and instructions.
• A computer has two types of memory: volatile and
nonvolatile.
• RAM is volatile memory that loses its contents
when you turn off the computer.
• ROM is nonvolatile memory because it is
permanent; it does not lose its contents when you
turn off the computer.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• RAM
Data, information, and
instructions from
applications and the
operating system are
stored temporarily in
RAM.
RAM usually consists of
several chips on a circuit
board called a memory
module, which is plugged
into the motherboard.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• RAM (continued)
• RAM has a significant effect on performance.
• Without enough RAM, the operating
system must move data in and out of RAM
frequently, slowing performance.
• Thrashing means the operating
system spends more time swapping data
than running software.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• ROM
ROM is read-only
memory stored on a
single chip on the
motherboard.
The operating system
retrieves data or
programs in ROM when it
needs them.
The operating system
does not write over the
contents of ROM.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• ROM (continued)
• Electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM) is a type of ROM that is
nonvolatile, but can be modified.
• Flash memory is a type of ROM that can be
updated much more quickly than EEPROM and has
largely replaced ROM.
• Flash memory is now being used on mobile
computers and peripheral devices.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Caches
• In addition to RAM, the CPU accesses memory
caches to speed processing.
• Level 1 cache memory is a small amount of
memory stored on the CPU itself, apart from the
registers, where it is almost instantly available.
• Level 2 cache memory is a larger amount of
memory that can reside on the CPU or on a chip that
has a direct connection to the CPU.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Caches (continued)
• The closer instructions and data are to the CPU,
the faster the CPU can process them.

FIGURE 2-7

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Heat Sinks and Fans

• Processors in laptops, desktops, and servers generate
a lot of heat.
• As the temperature increases, the system slows down
to avoid overheating, which severely impairs
performance.
• To prevent overheating, one or more fans in the
system unit draw cooler air into the case from the outside
and expel warm air from the inside.
• The fan moves air across a heat sink, which collects
heat from an electronic component so the fan can cool it
quickly.
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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Performance Indicators
• You can tell how efficiently a computer is
working by tracking its CPU and RAM usage.
• You can track the CPU and RAM usage in
Windows by using Task Manager.
• Task Manager gives you a behind-the-scenes
glimpse at how Windows is interacting with
hardware resources and other software.

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 Identifying Hardware Components
in a Computer (continued)

• Performance Indicators (continued)

Performance tab

Task Manager

Options view

Processes iKe App history Startup Users Details Services

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Utilization Speed Maximum speed: 1.90 GHz

Processor 2.09 GH/

Processes Threads Handles
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Hyper-V support
Uptime
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FIGURE 2-11
(*) Fewer details © Open Resource Monitor

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 Understanding System
Requirements

• System
requirements are
hardware
characteristics such as
the amount of memory
and the processor
speed.
• An application lists
these hardware
specifications on the
product’s box or Web FIGURE 2-13

site.
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 Understanding System
Requirements (continued)

• Optional Hardware Requirements

• Some applications include features designed for
particular hardware.
• Many popular applications now include features
that accept input from touchscreens so you can use a
fingertip to select commands or handwrite text input.
These are optional hardware requirements.
• You can use the software without the hardware,
but having the hardware extends the features of the
software.

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 Updating Software

TABLE 2-1

Application software
is constantly
changing to keep
up with hardware
developments and
user requests.
Software is also revised to address problems.
• If you purchased the original version of the
software, you can download a patch, an update, or a
service pack from the Internet.
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 Updating Software (continued)

• Software developers use version numbers

to keep track of the software they release.
• The original software is assigned version
1.0.
• When developers make major
improvements, add new features, or change
the software design, the new versions are
called upgrades and are numbered 2.0, 3.0,
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and so on.
 Updating Software (continued)
• Installing means to move a copy of the software
from its distribution location (such as a Web site) to
your computer.
• System and application software often include tools
for managing updates.
• An automatic update feature checks for updates
and then downloads them when they are available.
• When performing a manual update, you
download and install the updates yourself.

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 Updating Software (continued)

• Updating Operating Systems

• Personal and mobile operating systems provide
tools to keep the operating systems up to date by
contacting a server and then downloading the files
containing the updates.
• The tools let you select settings for how and when
to update the operating system.

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 Updating Software (continued)

• Updating Operating Systems (continued)

• In Windows, you use Windows Update to check
for the latest updates to Windows and to review your
update settings.
• Windows Update can download three types of
updates. TABLE 2-2
■!
TYPE DESCRIPTION

-
Important Updates you should install to maintain the
security and reliability of Windows
Recommended Updates that enhance your computing experience
or repair problems that are not considered critical
Optional Updates that are not critical and do not apply to
all Windows users
© 2015 Cengage Learning

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 In this lesson, you learned:
• The characteristics and capabilities of a
computer’s internal hardware components directly
influence computer performance.
• The system unit is the case that contains a
computer’s main system components, including the
motherboard, the processor, and memory. All of
the essential chips and the circuitry that connects
them are on the motherboard.
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 • The internal hardware that processes data is the
processor, also called the microprocessor and the
central processing unit (CPU), which is a single
computer chip that contains all the electronic
circuitry for performing a personal computer’s
processing tasks.
• The processor has a significant effect on a
computer’s performance and computing power.

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 • The CPU has two primary sections: the
arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) and the control unit.
• The ALU performs arithmetic calculations and
logical operations.
• The control unit coordinates all of the
processor’s activities and manages the flow of
information through the processor.

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 • The CPU carries out each instruction it receives
from software by repeating four basic operations,
which constitute the machine cycle: fetching,
decoding, executing, and storing.
• The fetching and decoding operations make up
the instruction cycle.
• The executing and storing operations make up the
execution cycle.

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 • The clock speed indicates the number of instructions
the CPU can process per second. It directly
influences the speed of the machine cycle, and,
therefore, the overall performance of the computer.
• The type of processor in a computer affects how
quickly the computer can accept and carry out
instructions from software.
• A multicore processor is a single chip that contains
more than one processor, such as dual-core
processors and quad-core processors.
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 • If a computer has a multicore processor, the
operating system can use multiprocessing to split
tasks among the processors. With multiprocessing,
each processor can work on a different task at the
same time.
• On a computer with a single-core processor, the
operating system can use multitasking and
multithreading. A multitasking operating system can
run more than one program at the same time. A
multithreading operating system handles many
parts, or threads, of a single program.

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 • To store data and instructions, the CPU, operating
system, and applications use memory, which consists
of chips inside the system unit.
• A computer has two major types of memory: volatile
memory such as RAM, and nonvolatile memory such
as ROM.
• Volatile memory loses its contents when you turn off
the power to the computer, while nonvolatile memory
is permanent and does not lose its contents when
you turn off the power to the computer.
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 • The amount of RAM in your computer has a
significant effect on performance. If you do not have
enough RAM, the operating system must move data
in and out of RAM frequently, which slows
performance.
• If the operating system spends more time swapping
data between RAM and virtual memory than running
software, it is said to be thrashing, which makes the
computer sluggish or completely unresponsive.

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 • ROM is stored on single chips attached to the
motherboard. The operating system retrieves the
data or programs stored in ROM when it needs them,
such as when the computer starts up.
• ROM is read-only memory because the operating
system does not regularly write over its contents.
• EEPROM and flash memory are types of ROM that
are non-volatile, but can be modified.

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 • If you change system components on your
computer, by adding RAM, for example, the BIOS
stored on a ROM chip must be updated to take these
configuration changes into account.
• In addition to RAM, the CPU accesses memory
caches to speed processing. The small amount of
memory stored on the CPU itself, apart from the
registers, is called level 1 cache memory. Level 2
cache memory is a larger amount of memory that
can reside on the CPU or on a chip that has a direct
connection to the CPU.

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 • You can tell how efficiently a computer is working
by tracking its CPU and RAM usage. The lower the
usage, the more efficiently the operating system is
performing tasks. In Windows, you use Task
Manager to track CPU and RAM usage.
• Applications have system requirements, which are
hardware specifications such as the amount of
memory and the speed of the processor. If your
computer does not meet the application’s system
requirements, the application will not be able to run
or will run ineffectively.

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 • Some applications include features designed for
special hardware such as touchscreens, which allow
you to use a fingertip to select commands or
handwrite text input. Microsoft Word includes a
button that lets you switch to Touch Mode, which
adapts the Ribbon for touchscreen users.
• Software developers are constantly updating system
and application software to keep up with hardware
innovations and changes, user requests, and security
threats. They release updated software as a patch,
an update, or a service pack.

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 Summary (continued)
• When developers make major improvements to
software, add new features, or change the design, the
new version is called an upgrade. The first upgrade is
assigned version 2.0, the next is version 3.0, and so on.
• You can download software, including new versions
and updates, and installation instructions from a Web
site. When you install software, you move a copy from
its distribution location to your computer. During
installation, the operating system changes its settings to
make sure the software runs with your hardware.

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 • To update system and application software, you can use
the software’s automatic update feature, which
automatically checks for software updates and then
downloads them when they are available; or you can
perform a manual update, where you download and install
the updates yourself.
• You use Windows Update to check for the latest updates
to Windows and to review your update settings. Windows
Update can download important, recommended, and
optional updates.
• Windows Update is a tool provided in the Control Panel,
which is a window containing specialized tools you use to
change the way Windows looks and behaves.

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