CS211 - ICT Fundamentals

Tsegamlak Molla, Ashenafi Shifferaw & Lily Abebe

Autumn 2023
Lab Introduction to ICT
Chapter 1

2 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Agenda

• Overview of Computer Hardware

3 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Learning Objectives

• Understand the basic computer architecture

• Understand the basic hardware components of a Computer.

• Distinguishing the difference between RAM & Hard Drive

• Distinguishing the difference between a GPU, Graphics Card &

Video Card.

• Exploring Peripheral devices.

4 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Overview of
Basic Computer
architecture
1.1

5 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Von Neuman Style Archetecture
• Input: Transmits data and instructions from the outside
world to the memory.

• Control: Decodes the instructions and causes them to be

executed.

• ALU: Performs the arithmetic or logic operations as

directed by the control unit.

• Memory: Stores the instructions and data.

• Output: Transmits data and instructions from the

memory to the outside world.

6 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Von Neuman Style Archetecture

7 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware
Components
1.2

8 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Required Hardware Components

9 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
• The case is a box that surrounds everything inside acting
as a store housing to enclose everything inside with
required openings for purposes such as air supply vents.
• This the protective cover that protects all of the internal
components from the elements.
• This is the physical level of defense keeping the sensitive
components inside from being damaged, accounting for
one of the durability characteristics of a computer.

10 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components

• This power supply takes power from the electrical

outlet and supplies electricity depending on its
watt capacity to the various components inside.

11 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
• The mother board is a circuit board where everything
is connected on top of it.
• Components such as the BIOS chip (containing
information such as what is connected to board, the
current time, etc.. Required to get the computer
running), extension slots, ports for peripherals and
every other major to simple hardware components
are connected here.
12 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)
Hardware Components
• The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is usually called “the brain” of the
computer.

• This is where all the major processing and instruction handling takes
place.

• The CPU handles a lot of tasks, which results in creating high levels of
heat and requiring a fan (“heat sink”) to keep it cool.

• There are two major companies that produce CPU’s namely AMD &
Intel.

• It can process a lot of tasks, but can’t remember anything.

13 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Key Hardware Components

• Everything that
happens in the
computer goes
through the CPU at
some point.

14 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Key Hardware Components

• Random Access Memory (RAM) is the short

term memory that makes data available for the
CPU at a very high speed.

• It may be very fast, but doesn’t store large data

nor keeps data after the power is turned off.

15 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
• This hard drive in the picture is an Hard Disk Drive (HDD) type of hard
drive is responsible to keeping large data permanently; even if the
power is turned off.

• All our programs, data, photos, videos, and documents are safely
backed up in the hard disk.

• There is also another type of hard drive called Solid State Drive (SSD).

• SSD can access, read and write files faster than HDD, but HDD is more
cheaper and larger in capacity. Need to determine between speed,
capacity and cost.

16 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
Solid State Drive (SSD)

17 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components

• The graphics card is used to figure out how to

make display output to the monitor for the user
to see, whether its image, video or 3D
animation.

• This is done at high quality display for more

high definition.

18 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components

• The graphics card is used to figure out how to

make display output to the monitor for the user
to see, whether its image, video or 3D
animation.

• This is done at high quality display for more

high definition.

19 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components

• Because a GPU Chip won’t be able to do much

without supporting Hardware such as Memory
or things like Power Management and Cooling,
it is placed on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that
has room for exactly those elements.

20 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
Graphics Card

21 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
Video Card

22 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Hardware Components
Video Card
• Video Cards are a specialist piece of Hardware that focuses on
handling Video processing extremely well. They are actually meant
for Video-related processing first and foremost
• Workloads like Video Editing, Conversion, Movie Projecting,
Streaming, etc. all have to handle streams of Video Data and the
higher the resolution becomes or the higher the bit-depth, the more
performance you’ll need.
23 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)
Peripheral
Devices
1.3

24 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Peripheral Devices
• A Peripheral Device: is a device that is connected to a computer,
but is not part of the core computer architecture.
• Also meaning a device that’s normally external to the computer case
providing additional functionality.
• Peripheral devices fall into 3 categories:
• Input devices
• Output devices
• Storage devices

25 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Peripheral Devices
• Peripheral Devices:
• Mouse • Webcam
• Keyboard • Microphone
• Monitor • Speaker
• Projector • USB Flash Drive
• Printer • External Hard Drive
• Scanner

26 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Peripheral Devices
1. Mouse

• A mouse is an input device that allows you to use

point-and-click technology to interact with a computer.

• Modern mice usually have two buttons with a scroll

wheel between them.

• This device was named a "mouse" because the

inventors thought that the wire that connects the
device to the computer resembled a mouse tail.
Nowadays, mice often connect to the computer using
wireless technology.

27 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Peripheral Devices
2. Keyboard

• Keyboards are the most common input

device. The user enters letters, numbers,
and other symbols to give the
computer information and instruction.
Using a keyboard to enter a lot of
information is called typing.

28 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)

Peripheral Devices
2.1 Keyboard Shortcuts (Win10)
• Open Task View: Windows logo
• Copy: Ctrl + C
key + Tab
• Cut: Ctrl + X
• Display and hide the desktop: Windows
• Paste: Ctrl + V logo key + D

• Switch between open apps: Alt + Tab

• Maximize
• Open the Quick Link menu: Windows
Window: F11 or Windows logo
logo key + X
key + Up arrow
• Lock your PC: Windows logo key + L

29 CS211 - ICT Fundamentals (Autumn 2023)