THE COMPONENTS OF

COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Objectives
1. Define the following terms:
a. Hardware
b. Input devices
c. Storage devices
d. Output devices
2. Describe the purpose of input,
storage and output devices.
 Lesson 1: Hardware Components and their
Corresponding Storage Devices and Media
Computer Hardware is the physical components
that makes up a computer system.
Basic computer hardware components
Basic computer hardware components
• Input device some method of getting data and
software into the computer
• CPU processes data in response to software
instruction
• Memory a temporary storage location for software
and data
• Output devices are equipment’s to get data out of
the computer
• Secondary storage devices permanent storage for
both data and software
 Different Storage Devices and Media
 
• Input Devices

• Keyboard the most common input device, which translates

typed data into a form than can be used by the computer.

• Pointing device
a. Mouse which translates hand movements into
commands a computer can follow.
• Pen-based system convert the motion made by an electronic
stylus pressing on a touch-sensitive tablet screen into digital
form. 
Digitizing tablets allow you to write, draw and trace
designs on a pressure sensitive tablet with a puck or
electronic stylus.
• Voice input device becoming increasingly popular
a. Voice recognition system which decipher spoken
words by converting them into digital form and then
matching them with patterns stored in the computer.
• Scanners, readers and data collection devices capturing data
at its source in machine-readable form without much human
intervention. 
a. Optical scanners digitize printed and handwritten characters, codes,
marks, and even images into digital form.
b. Sensors collect specific kinds of data directly from the
environment and convey them to a computer system
CPU and Memory
• The CPU and Memory are located in the part of the computer known as the
system unit.
• The CPU processes data and control the other parts of the computer
systems.
• The CPU processes data by breaking down program instructions into binary-
based machine language instruction, which are processed via the machine
cycle
• CPU and memory are created from silicon semiconductor chips
• Memory temporarily stores data and program instructions before, during and
after processing.
• A microprocessor chip/motherboard is a silicon semiconductor chip that
contains an entire CPU.
Special type of processor chip:
 Math coprocessor chip helps the application program to execute complex
math application

 Graphic coprocessor chips enhances the performance of graphics in

application program
 System clock determines how fast the computer processes all the
operations
 RAM (random access memory) temporarily holds all the data and
instructions
 ROM (read only memory) are used for the permanent storage of certain
instructions

 Video memory used to store display images and shows how fast the
images appears on the screen.
Output Devices
• Display screens is the most common output device.
a. Cathode ray tube (CRT) display screen
b. Flat-panel displays (FPD)
• Printers enable material displayed on a computer screen to be
transferred to and displayed on paper. 
a. Non-impact printers a type of printer that does not operate by striking a
head against a ribbon. Examples of nonimpact printers include laser and
ink-jet printers. 
b. Impact printers refers to a class of printers that work by banging a head or
needle against an ink ribbon to make a mark on the paper. This includes
dot-matrix printers, daisy-wheel printers, and line printers. 
c. Plotter is a specialized output device that can produce high quality
drawings, maps, charts, and other forms of graphics
Secondary Storage Devices
Secondary storage device enables a computer system to
permanently store programs and data.
Types of secondary storage devices

• Magnetic disk is the most common secondary storage

media. Magnetic disks are direct access. Examples:
Floppy disk and hard disks are the types of magnetic
disk.

• Optical disks can provide tremendous storage

capacities at a relatively inexpensive price.
• Magnetic tape is a sequential access storage
medium.

• Solid-state storage medium both inexpensive and

durable. Examples: flash drive and flash memory
card)
Assignment:
Answer the following:
1. What are the two most popular personal computer
platforms? How do they differ?
2. Describe the various types of memory.
3. Describe various types of secondary-storage media in
terms of access method, capacity, and portability.
4. What are the benefits of using a hybrid drive rather than
a traditional hard disk drive?
5. What factors determine the appropriate system output
and input devices?
6. Discuss the speed and functionality of common input and
output devices?