PC Hardware LAB1 - Motherboards

Student name: Student ID:

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Instructions: Use pen and write your Full name and student Id on all pages.
All labs have to be done during lab time, in the lab room.
Each lab has to be checked by the instructor progressively during lab time.
You must call your instructor to check your work and sign it whenever
you reach the point asking for the instructor’s initials or signature.
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Lab Setup
 Each student has access to three systems
 On your desk: the HP Compaq system is running on Windows 7, and the Antec is
running on Windows 10.
 Under your desk you have another HP system also running on Windows10, which
is connected to the college network and has access to the Internet.
 All your lab work will be done on the two systems that sit on top of your desk;
you will use the system under your desk ONLY to access Internet.
KVM
The KVM (keyboard -Video -Mouse) is used to share the keyboard, Video, and Mouse
with the 3 systems each work station has.
Using our KVM we could connect up to four systems and all 4 systems would share the
keyboard, video, and mouse, as shown in the figure below. Our lab set-up uses only 3.

Turn on all 3 systems.

1. The top of the KVM there are 4 indicators in the form of dots (.), one dot, two
dots, three dots or four dots. In addition, each indicator has an LED. At any given

time only one LED will be lit.

If, for example, the LED on the indicator with the 3 dots is lit, this tells us that the
third system is the one we currently can access.
2. To find out which system is #1, #2, and #3 (we only use 3 systems), we have to
look at the back of our system case, and specifically at the video connector (blue

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connector).

Each one of these connectors has been numbered as 1, 2, 3 or 4.

If your KVM’s LED #3 is lit then check to see which system’s connector is
labeled as #3. In this way you know which physical system you have access to.

3. To switch from one system to the other we have to press he keys

<ScrLk> <ScrLk> and then <Enter>.
Each time you press keys <ScrLk> <ScrLk> and then <Enter> the LED moves
one location higher (from 1 to 2, from 2 to 3, from 3 to 4 and from 4 to 1) telling
us which system we have access to.

If you press the above key combination and the LED of the KVM does not
change, check the top right of your keyboard. If you see a flashing LED, the
switch is locked. To unlock the switch, press <Esc>. Most likely it will now work.

If still does not work, turn all systems off and then on again.

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LAB 1.1 Identify Computer Parts

Objectives: Identify computer parts outside and inside the case.

Activity Background: As a computer technician you must be able to identify the

hardware components, both inside and outside the case. Components are not always
labeled adequately, especially those inside the case. This lab helps you learn to recognize
these components.

Observe the physical characteristics of your system.

1. Figure 1 depicts the overall view of Asus Z97-K Motherboard used in the system
running on Windows 10.
PCIEX1

PCIEX16
PCI

CPU
SOCKET
USB 2

Memory
Slot

Chipset
SATA ATX Main
connectors Power
Clear RTC Connector
RAMFigure 1
USB 3
System Panel
For the following activity, if some component is not clear on the figure, open your system
Connector
and find the actual location of the component on the motherboard. You may also use the
Internet.
In figure 1, draw a line to the side of the motherboard and label it with the corresponding
number, indicated in the table, to identify the following:

1. CPU Socket
2. Chipset
3. Memory slots
4. ATX Main Power connector
5. SATA connectors
6. USB3 connectors – on the motherboard; not the back panel

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7. USB2 connectors - on the motherboard; not the back panel
8. PCIEe x16
9. PCIe x1
10. PCI
11. Clear RTC RAM
12. System panel connector.
VGA RJ-45 LAN Audio Line
PORT IDENTIFICATION
Connector
Figure 2 depicts the Back Panel I/O of the Asus In
Z97-K Motherboard

PS/2 mouse Audio Line

Out

Audio
Microphone
Figure 2
PS/2
USB 2.0
Keyboard In DVI-D
figure 2, draw a line to the side of the
HDMI USBcomponent
3.0 and label it by its corresponding
number to identify the following ports:

1. PS/2 Keyboard
2. PS/2 mouse
3. Audio Line In
4. Audio Line Out
5. Audio Microphone
6. USB 2.0
7. USB 3.0
8. RJ-45 LAN Connector
9. HDMI
10. DVI-D
11. VGA

Instructor’s Initials

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PC COMPUTER PARTS IDENTIFICATION

Most PCs include the following parts.

Motherboard

CPU

Hard Drive

Optical Drive

CPU Fan with heat sink

Case fan

Power Supply

RAM

Video Card (optional)

Expansion card (optional)

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Figure 3 shows an overall view of a tower computer system.

In figure 3, draw a line to the side of the component and label it by its corresponding
number to identify the following:

1. Motherboard
2. Hard drive(s)
3. Optical drive(s)
4. Power supply
5. CPU cooling fan
6. Case fan
7. ATX main power connector
8. SATA cable(s)

Power
supply
Optical drive

Motherboard

Case fan
ATX main
power
connector

CPU
cooling
fan

Figure 3
Hard drive SATA
cable
Instructor’s signature:

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LAB 1.2 Gather and Record System Information

Objectives: Gather system information by observing a system.

Use available software tools to access specific system information.

Activity Background: When working with a computer system, it’s a good idea to know
what components are installed on the system. This lab helps you identify some of the
components as you gather information by observing the system and using system tools.

Physical External Inspection of System

For the following activity use the system running on Windows 10.

1. Does the system have any identification on it indicating manufacturer, model, or

component information? If so, list this information in the space below.
Yes,
MODEL= ASUS All Series ASUS MB
MB= ASUS Z97-K
PROCESSOR= INTEL CORE I7-4770S @ 3.10GHZ
RAM= 2GB DDR3
STORAGE= SEAGATE 250GB

2. How many optical drives does your system have?

1 Optical Drive

3. Observe the front and back-panel of your system. How many USB connections does
your system support? How many are USB 2.0 and how many USB 3.0?
4 USB 2 and 4 USB3

4. Describe the type of the mouse the system uses. Is it PS/2 or optical? Wired or
wireless?
PS/2 Wired

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Physical Internal Inspection of System Running on Windows 10.

5. Open the system. How many internal hard drives does your system have and what
type of connectors do they use?
1 Internal HDD, SATA

6. Check the motherboard and report how many SATA connectors exist.
Are they SATA2 or SATA3? What is the difference between SATA2 and SATA3
speed-wise? Google it if you do not know.
6 SATA 3

Access System Information Using Software

7. Boot on Windows 10 and make sure Windows starts with no errors. Report any errors
to your Instructor.

8. On your Windows 10 right-click on Start (windows icon on bottom left corner) and
then click System.

a) Which Windows edition is installed?

Windows 10 Education

b) According to the System properties:

i) What type of CPU is your system using?

Intel Core i7-4770S @ 3.10GHz

ii) How much RAM is installed in your system?

2GB

iii) What is the system type?

64-bit operating system

iv) What is the computer name?

DESKTOP-35EHJVQ

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9. Close the System window, click in the search box that displays “I’m Cortana. Ask me
anything”, type “computer” and click on “This PC”.

a) How many devices and drives in total are listed?

2
b) What names and drive letters are associated with the drives?
Local Disk (C:)
System Reserved (E:)

10. On step 5 you did a physical inspection.

What differences, if any, are there between a list of components derived from the
physical internal and external inspection versus a list of components derived on the
above step? For example, is the number of drives the same or different?
Physical inspection is 1 hard disk only
External Inspection displays 2 drives

Instructor’s initials.

LAB 1.3 USE SHAREWARE TO EXAMINE A COMPUTER

1. If your system is off, turn your Window 10 on.

2. Locate SisoftSandra Lite 2016. Most likely you have an icon on your desktop. If not,
one way, among other ways, to find an application is to type the name of the
application on the search box of Windows 10, as we did previously.
So, to find SisoftSandra, on the Start window type “Sisoftsandra”

Launch SANDRA. You should see a screen similar to the one shown below.

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3. In the Home menu, open Hardware and then open Computer Overview. Let the
software run and collect the system information.

a. Who is the manufacturer and model number of the main board (motherboard)?
ASUS
ASUS Z97-K

b. Who is the manufacturer of the BIOS, what is the version and date of it?
AMI (OEM)

c. Which processor is installed in the system?

Intel Core i7-4770S

d. What is the total memory installed in the system? Also, state the
manufacturer, amount and type of each installed module. Close the window.
Kingston HP497157-B88-ELDWG 2GB DIMM DDR3 PC3-10700U

4. In the Home menu, open Hardware and then open Mainboard.

a. Which onboard devices does the motherboard include?

Onboard IGD Video Adapter
Onboard LAN Ethernet Adapter
Onboard 1394

b. Which type of bus is the chipset using and what is the Front Side Bus speed?
PCIe 2.00 x2 2.5Gbps

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c. What is the maximum memory you can install on this motherboard?
32GB ddr3, 8GB ddr3 per slot

5. Close the Mainboard window and in Hardware menu, open Processors

a. What is the Processor speed?

3.9GHz

b. What is the size of cache level1 (L1 for Data and Code)?
4x 32kB 8-Way, 64bytes Line size, 2 Threads

c. What is the size of cache level2 (L2)?

4x 256kB, ECC, 8-Way, 64bytes Line size, 2 Threads

d. What is the size of cache level3 (L3)?

8MB, ECC, 16-Way, Fully inclusive, 64bytes Line Size, 16 Threads

6. Close the Processors window. While still in the Hardware menu, scroll down find
Storage Devices run the Physical Disks application.

a. Enter below the Manufacturer, the model number, the capacity, the type, the
RPMs, and the cache amount of the hard disk. (The information displays on
the top row next to Physical Disk.

Seagate ST3250318AS 250GB, SATA300, 3.5”, 7200RPM, 8MB CACHE

Instructor’s initials

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LAB 1.4 COMPARE COSTS

Objectives: Compare a preassembled system with the components that could be

assembled to build a compatible system.

Background: In this lab you compare the cost of a pre-assembled system with the cost of
a system having similar specifications but assembled from separate components.
Both systems should be complete, with all the necessary components to be functional.
Pre-assembled and brand-name systems typically build their systems from “proprietary”
parts. Therefore it is unlikely that you will be able to find exact matches for brand-name
components. Try to find close match components so that you can compare the two
systems.

1. Use the Internet and find an advertisement for a recent complete, pre-assembled
system. You may select one of the following manufacturers: http://www.dell.com,
www.tigerdirect.ca, http://www.canadacomputers.com

2. List the following specifications of the pre-assembled ideal system. If the component
is integrated on the motherboard, under the Description column specify as
“integrated”

Component Description
Motherboard P05-600s
Processor type and speed Intel Core i7- 12700 2.1ghz-4.9ghz
RAM size and type 32GB DDR5 4800mhz
HDD type/capacity / speed 1TB SSD & 1TB HDD
Monitor n/a
Video card Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060Ti
Sound card / Speakers integrated
Optical drive n/a
Keyboard n/a
Mouse n/a
NIC integrated
Case and Power Supply Predator case with 800w power supply
Operating System Windows 11 Home
TOTAL SYSTEM COST $2,199.99

3. Build your own system.

Find comparable components to the ones listed in the above complete, pre-assembled
system. Check several sources, and in the next table enter the cheapest source. The
price between the two systems should only vary between $100 to $200.

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Component Description Source Cost
Motherboard Asus Prime Z690 Newegg Ca $284.99
Processor type and speed Intel Core i7-12700 2.1ghz Newegg Ca $459.99
– 4.9ghz
RAM size and type Corsair 32GB DDR5 Newegg Ca $171.99
4800mhz
HDD capacity / speed 1TB Samsung Evo 970 Newegg Ca $134.99
Plus
Monitor n/a
Video card Zotac GeForce RTX Newegg $669.99
3060Ti
Sound card / Speakers integrated
Optical drive n/a
Keyboard n/a
Mouse n/a
NIC integrated
Case and Power Supply Cooler Master Q500 Newegg Ca $104.99
Apevia 800w Newegg Ca $95.88
Operating System Windows 11 Canada $154.97
Computers
TOTAL SYSTEM $2,077.79
COST
4. Which of the two systems was cheaper? The pre-assembled or the one you built on
your own?

The pre-assembled is slightly cheaper.

LAB 1-5: Plan an Ideal System

Objectives: Describe what you want your system to be able to do. Pick components
that best meet your goal. Stay within the budget.

Activity: You will be in a position to build a system to your specifications from separate
components. Within a budget of $1,500.00, what system would you put together?
In the table below list the components you would like to include in your system, the cost
of each component and its source of purchase. To begin, list everything you want without
considering cost.
After you have determined the total price of all the components you want to include in
your ideal system, add up the prices and see whether you are within your budget.
You can then include additional components or better quality components if you are
under budget, or exclude components if you are over budget.

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1. What is the goal of your ideal system?

Gaming

Component Description Source Cost

Motherboard Asus Rog Strix Z690 Newegg Ca $469.99

Processor type and speed Intel Core i9-13900k Newegg Ca $789.99

RAM size and type Gskill Trident Z5 32gb Newegg Ca $289.99

(2x16gb)
HDD capacity / speed Seagate Firecuda 530 Newegg Ca $709.99
4Tb SSD
Monitor Asus Rog Strix Canada $899.99
XG27AQM 27” Computers
Video card Asus Rog Strix Newegg Ca $2759.99
GeForce RTX 4090
24gb
Sound card / Speakers Integrated

Optical drive n/a

Keyboard Asus Rog Claymore PC-Canada $355.99

Mouse Asus Rog Gladius III Canada $149.99
Computers
NIC Integrated
Case and Power Supply Asus Rog Strix Helios Canada $439.99
Asus Rog Thor 1200w Computers $399.99
Operating System Windows 11 Pro Newegg $259.99
TOTAL COST $7,525.89

Instructor’s initial:

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LAB 1

Student Name:

Student ID:
Date Due:

Date Submitted:

Student Signature:

Note: ON THE DUE DATE RETURN ONLY THIS PAGE TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR
FOR MARKING.

It is the student’s responsibility to have the Instructor sign all steps stated in the
Lab. Failing to do so will result in the loss of marks.
In addition, 10% will be deducted for each day late.

Check Points Instructor’s Signature Date and Time

Page # Step

12

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