UNDERSTANDING
COMPUTER HARDWARE AND
PERIPHERALS
WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
• A computer is a machine that operates based on calculation, integration, differentiation,
and logic gates. (https://www.techdim.com/supercomputer-vs-mainframe-computer/)
• A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information or data. It has the
ability to input, process, retrieve, and store data.
• Electronic – composes of Integrated circuits, resistors, transistors and other
components.
• Data - is a collection of raw unprocessed facts, figures, and symbols.
• Information - are data that is organized, meaningful, and useful.
• Information processing cycle
CHARACTERISTICS OF A
COMPUTER
1. It is a machine. It needs human intervention for the computer to work.
2. It is electronic. It is made up of electronic components and is powered by
electricity.
3. It is automatic. It has the ability to execute a set of instructions
consecutively once instructed.
4. It can manipulate data. It has the ability to come up with an output, given
an input data.
5. It has memory. It has the ability to store and retrieve information.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
COMPUTERS
1. Personal Computer - is a multi-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and price
make it feasible for individual use.
2. Mini Computer - A minicomputer, or colloquially mini, is a class of
smaller computers that was developed in the mid-1960s and sold for much less than
mainframe and mid-size
3. Mainframe Computer - Mainframe computers are large-scale computers used in
applications such as core functions for business enterprise or research institutes.
4. Super Computer - A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance as
compared to a general-purpose computer. The performance of a supercomputer is
commonly measured in floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million
instructions per second (MIPS).
5. Workstation - is a computer designed to accomplish professional tasks. Unlike
standard computers, workstations typically have specialized components that were
designed to handle heavy computational or graphical tasks. It designs for engineering
applications and various kinds of applications with moderate power and graphic
technologies.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
COMPUTERS
TYPES PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Personal computer maintains several kinds of computers such as following.
1. Notebook
2. Desktop computer
3. Laptop
4. Subnotebook
5. Handheld
6. Palmtop
7. PDA
FIVE MAJOR HARDWARE
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER
1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2. Motherboard
3. Memory Card
4. Hard Drive
5. Power Supply
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
A central Processing Unit is the electronic circuitry within a computer that
carries out the instruction of a computer program by performing the basic
arithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the
instructions.
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
SILICON CYLINDER
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
CILICON WAFER
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
SILICON CHIP
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
DATA TRAVEL
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
CPU DIAGRAM
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
• CONTROL UNIT – It tells the computers memory, arithmetic/logic unit
and I/O devices how to respond to a programs instructions
• ARITHMETIC LOGIC UNIT – it performs arithmetic and logical
operations on integer binary numbers
• CACHE – a memory that can be access more quickly than a regular RAM.
• REGISTRY – All data must be represented in a register before it can be
procesed.
KINDS OF CPU SOCKETS
INSIDE A CPU
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
Microscopic View of a Silicon chip/die
HOW ARE CPU MADE:
UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS OF
CPU MANUFACTURING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bor0qLifjz4
http://telepathhero.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-cpu-is-made.html
Steps:
1. From sand
2. Melted Silicon
3. Ingot slicing
4. Photo resist/exposure
5. Washing/etching
6. Layer building
7. Testing
8. Slicing
9. Packaging
10. Binning
MOTHERBOARD
• A motherboard (also called mainboard, main circuit board, system board,
baseboard, planar board, logic board, or mobo) is the main printed circuit
board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expandable systems.
• The motherboard is the backbone that ties the computer's components
together at one spot and allows them to talk to each other. Without it,
none of the computer pieces, such as the CPU, GPU, or hard drive, could
interact.
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
A motherboard is mainly composed of two materials:
• Layers of fiberglass for insulation
• Copper to form conductive pathways
MOTHERBOARD DIAGRAM
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
1. BIOS And CMOS Battery
BIOS or Basic Input Output
System is where all the information
and settings for the motherboard
are stored. It can be accessed,
updated, and modified via the BIOS
mode.
The CMOS (Complementary Metal
Oxide Semi-Conductor) battery is
what’s responsible for keeping all
the information intact when the
entire system is shut down.
The CMOS battery can be removed
to reset the BIOS after a failed
update or if you overclock your
RAM beyond its capabilities.
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
2. Input/Output Ports
Also commonly referred to as I/O ports
for short. These ports are located at the
back of the computer and are often color-
coded.
Below are the I/O ports along with the
colors they represent.
Microphone- Pink 3.5mm jack port
Speakers and Headphones
Headsets / Earbuds- Bold green 3.5mm
jack port
Monitor- Older motherboards are equipped
with a solid blue VGA port at the back, but
newer motherboards use the HDMI and
black or white DVI port as standard
Ethernet network cable- Colorless port
Keyboard and Mouse- PS/2 port
(Keyboard- purple; Mouse- green)
USB devices- USB 2.0 colorless port; USB
3.0/3.1 solid blue port (Yes, VGA ports are
a similar color, but this only goes to show
how outdated VGA is)
Some modern motherboards feature USB
C type connections
MOTHERBOARD BACK PANEL
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
3. IDE And SATA Connector (Storage
Device Connectors)
The internal storage device connectors are
where you will connect your storage
devices, such as mechanical hard
drives and solid-state drives. These
storage devices need to be connected to
the motherboard for data to be submitted
and retrieved.
Don’t forget: while HDDs and SSDs do
the same thing (store data), there is a big
difference between how HDDs and
SSDs accomplish this.
IDE, or Integrated Drive Electronics, is
used to hook up disk drives, floppy disks,
and HDDs. This is a 40-pin male
connector that connects the HDD.
As technology advanced, IDE connectors
became obsolete. Now the SATA
connector (Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment) is the standard connector
with a 7-pin interface. Despite having 33
fewer pins, this is faster than the IDE
connectors.
SATA AND IDE CONNECTORS
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
4. Power Connector
The ATX (Advanced
Technology eXtended)
connector (found in more
recent motherboards) has 20
or 24-pin female connectors.
This is the largest connector
on the motherboard, as this
draws out the needed power
directly from the power
supply.
The SMPS (switched-mode
power supply) then utilizes
this power to keep the
motherboard running.
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
5. Front I/O Connectors
This is where you connect the
Power Switch, LED power
indicator, Reset Switch, and
the HDD LED cables. The
front audio port and front
USB are also connected here.
These connections are usually
located at the bottom part of
the motherboard.
FRONT I/O CONNECTORS
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
6. CPU Socket
The CPU socket is where
your CPU (processor) is
installed. This is where the
processing and transfer of
data happens. Your CPU is
one of the most important
parts of your computer, so
you often choose your
motherboard based on
compatibility with the CPU
you intend to use. The CPU
needs to be 100%
compatible with the
motherboard socket for it to
work.
TYPES OF CPU SOCKET
CPU sockets come
in two major types
• Pin-grid array
• Land-grid array.
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
7. Expansion Card Slots
The expansion card slots are
where you add extra
components such as a video
card, network card, audio
card, or PCIe SSD. The slots
are located in the bottom half
of the motherboard below
the CPU socket.
TYPES OF EXPANSION CARD
SLOTS
Video Card Slot - The video card slot lets you install a dedicated GPU and boost the graphical performance
of your computer further than an AMD APU or Intel CPU would. This goes to the high data slots, like the
PCIe slot or AGP slot. Ports include, but are not limited to, (depends on the card):
• HDMI
• DVI
• DisplayPort
• USB-C
Network Card Slot - The network card slot is where you put the Network Interface Card (NIC). This allows
you to connect to other computer networks via LAN or the internet. It has an RJ-45 port at the back.
Modem Card Slot - This is where you connect your network card so you can connect to the internet through
the telephone line. Obviously, this is an older technology than the above NIC. This typically has 2 RJ-11
connectors to connect to the telephone.
Audio Card Slot - This is where audio cards fit. They convert electrical signals to the audio signals or sound
that we can hear. Depending on the type of audio, there will be different types of ports found at the back. But
it usually has several 3.5mm ports used for the following:
• Microphone
• Speaker
• Recorder
• Gaming Joystick
PARTS OF A MOTHERBOARD
8. RAM (Memory) Slots
RAM, or Random Access
Memory, slots are one of the
most important parts on a
motherboard.
The RAM slots are,
unsurprisingly, where you
place the RAM modules.
There is the SIMM slot
(Single in-line memory
module) that only supports a
32-bit bus, and there is the
DIMM slot (Dual inline
memory module) that can
simultaneously run with a 64-
bit bus.
TYPES OF MEMORY
1. Random Access Memory (RAM)
• It is also called as read write memory or the main memory or the primary memory.
• The programs and data that the CPU requires during execution of a program are stored
in this memory.
• It is a volatile memory as the data loses when the power is turned off.
• RAM is further classified into two types- SRAM (Static Random Access
Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).
2. Read Only Memory (ROM)
• Stores crucial information essential to operate the system, like the program essential to
boot the computer.
• It is not volatile.
• Always retains its data.
• Used in embedded systems or where the programming needs no change.
• Used in calculators and peripheral devices.
• ROM is further classified into 4 types- ROM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM.
TYPES OF MEMORY
TYPE OF RAM
Fpm (Fast page mode) – 1990
TYPE OF RAM
EDO (Extended data output) - 1994
TYPE OF RAM
SDRAM (Single Dynamic RAM) - 1996
TYPE OF RAM
RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic RAM) - 1998
TYPE OF RAM
DDR SDRAM – 2000
DDR2 SDRAM – 2003
DDR3 SDRAM – 2007
DDR4 SDRAM - 2012
RAM MODULE INFORMATION
1. Memory manufacturer (Kingston, Samsung, Corsair, Apacer, Centon )
2. Memory Type (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4)
3. Memory density (256MB, 512MB, 1G, 2G, 4G, 8G, 16G)
4. Memory Speed/Frequency (133MHz or PC133, 400MHz or PC3200)
5. Latency - Latency is a measure of how long it takes to receive
information from memory; the higher the number, the greater the latency.
(CL1, CL2, CL3, CL4, CL5, CL6)
TYPE OF RAM
1. 256MB DDR module,
PC3200 (DDR400)
2. CL3 Latency
3. 2GB DDR2 module (from
matched set), DDR2-667
(PC2-5300)
4. CL5 Latency
5. 2GB DDR2 module (from
matched set), DDR2-667
(PC2-5300)
6. CL9 Latency
7. 8GB DDR4 module, DDR4-
2133 (PC4-17000)
HOW TO INSTALL MEMORY
MODULE
1. DDR3 module lined up
for installation
2. Many recent
motherboards use fixed
guides on one side
3. Motherboards have at
least one locking tab
per module
4. Connectors visible
when module is not
fully inserted
5. Push module firmly
into place
6. Locking tab holds in
place when fully
installed
7. Connectors are no
longer visible when
module is fully inserted
TYPES OF ROM
1. Ultraviolet-erasable ROM (UV-ROM) - ROM whose contents can be erased using
ultraviolet light, and then reprogrammed.
2. Erasable programmable ROM (EPROM) - A type of ROM that is programmed using
high voltages and exposure to ultraviolet light for about 20 minutes.
3. Electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) - Often used in older computer
chips and to control BIOS, EEPROM can be erased and reprogrammed several times
while enabling the erase and writing of only one location at a time. Flash memory is an
updated version of EEPROM that allows numerous memory locations to be changed
at the same time.
EXAMPLES OF ROM
• BIOS uses flash memory, a
type of ROM
• CD
• DVD
• LD
• Flash Drives
• Memory cards
• HDD
• SSD
HARD DISC DRIVE
The hard drive contains a spinning platter with a thin magnetic coating. A
"head" moves over the platter, writing 0's and 1's as tiny areas of magnetic
North or South on the platter. To read the data back, the head goes to the
same spot, notices the North and South spots flying by, and so deduces the
stored 0's and 1's.
HDD
PLATTER
DISK FRAGMENTATION
Disk Fragmentation occurs after a period of data
being stored and updated on a disk. For example,
unless an update is stored directly after a base
program, there’s a good chance that something else
has been stored on the disk. Therefore the update for
the program will have to be placed in a different
sector farther away from the core program files. Due
to the physical time it takes the read/write arm to
move around, fragmentation can eventually slow
down your system significantly, as the arm will need to
reference more and more separate parts on your disk.
Most operating systems will come with a built in
program designed to “Defragment” the disk, which
simply rearranges the data so that all the files for one
program are in once place. The process takes longer
based on how fragmented the disk has become.
Now we can discuss different storage protocols and
how they affect fragmentation.
WHAT’S AN SSD? HOW IS IT
DIFFERENT TO A HDD?
In recent years, a new technology has become
available on the consumer market which replaces
HDDs and the problems they come with. Solid State
Drives (SSDs) are another kind of non-volatile
memory that simply store a positive charge or no
charge in a tiny capacitor. As a result, SSDs are much
faster than HDDs as there are no moving parts, and
therefore no time to move the read/write arm
around. Additionally, no moving parts increases
reliability immensely. Solid state drives do have a few
downsides, however. Unlike with hard drives, it is
difficult to tell when a solid state is failing. Hard
drives will slow down over time, or in extreme cases
make audible clicking signifying the arm is hitting the
platter (in which case your data is most likely gone)
while solid states will simply fail without any
noticeable warning. Therefore, we must rely on
software such as “Samsung Magician” which ships
with Samsung’s solid states. The tool works by writing
and reading back a piece of data to the drive and
checking how fast it is able to do this. If the time it
takes to write that data falls below a certain
threshold, the software will warn the user that their
solid state drive is beginning to fail.
DO SOLID STATE FRAGMENT TO?
While the process of having data pile on top of itself, and needing to put files
for one program in different place is still present, it doesn’t matter with solid
states as there is no delay caused by the read/write arm of a hard drive
moving back and forth between the different sectors. Fragmentation does not
decrease performance the way it does with hard drives, but it does affect the
life of the drive. Solid states that have scattered data can have a reduced
lifespan. The way that solid states work cause the extra write cycles caused by
defragmenting to decrease the overall lifespan of the drive, and is therefore
avoided for the most part given its small impact. That being said a file system
can still reach a point on a solid state where defragmentation is necessary. It
would be logical for a hard drive to be defragmented automatically every day
or week, while a solid state might require only a few defragmentations, if any,
throughout its lifetime.
POWER SUPPLY
Typically a "rated" PSU uses better
components and are more
reliable. Generic PSU's often use
cheaper components, can be a little
less than truthful of about their
actually capability (pretend they are
more powerful than they really are)
and sometimes do not included some
safety features like over voltage
protection.
WATTAGE
Your PSU’s wattage rating is usually
going to be the most obvious metric
for choosing a power supply. If you
choose a PSU with too little wattage,
your system will shut off when it
draws more power than the PSU can
feed it. Conversely, buying a ton of
wattage could be a waste of money.
EFFICIENCY
When a PSU (or other device) is 80
percent efficient, 80 percent of the
rated power is actually delivered to the
system and the other 20 percent is
lost in the form of heat. If a PSU is
drawing 500W from the wall and is 80
percent efficient at 100 percent load,
it will only be able to deliver 400W at
maximum output. Such a PSU will be
rated at 400W, since that’s the
maximum power that will actually be
delivered to the system.
END
