CHAPTER 1:

COMPUTER HARDWARE

1.3 Choose appropriate components & devices

for a custom PC configuration to meet customer
specifications or needs
 UNDERSTAND THE PERSONAL
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
• Identify external ports and cables

a) Video ports and cables

b) Other ports and cables

External Ports
 1.3.1 IDENTIFY THE PERSONAL
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Internal Components

a) Motherboards
b) CPUs
c) Cooling Systems
d) ROM
e) RAM
f) Memory modules
g) Adapter Cards And Expansion Slots
h) Storage Drives And RAID
i) Internal Cables
 Motherboards
• The motherboard is the main printed circuit board.

• Contains the buses, or electrical pathways found in a

computer. Buses allow data to travel among the various
components.

• Accommodates CPU, RAM, expansion slots, heat

sink/fan assembly, BIOS chip, chip set, sockets, internal
and external connectors, various ports, and the
embedded wires that interconnect the motherboard
components
 Motherboard Form Factors
• The form factor of motherboards pertains to the size and shape of the
board.

• It also describes the physical layout of the different components and

devices on the motherboard.

• Various form factors exist for motherboards.

i. AT – Advanced Technology
ii. ATX – Advanced Technology Extended
iii. ATX-2 - Advanced Technology Extended Version 2
iv. Mini-ATX – Smaller footprint of ATX
v. Micro-ATX – Smaller footprint of ATX
vi. LPX – Low-profile Extended
vii. NLX – New Low-profile Extended
viii. BTX – Balanced Technology Extended
Motherboards
Motherboards
Northbridge
Southbridge
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

• The CPU is known as the brain of the computer.

It is also referred to as the processor.

• The CPU executes a program, which is a

sequence of stored instructions.

• Two major CPU architectures related to

instruction sets:
i. Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)
ii. Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)
• Some CPUs incorporate hyperthreading to enhance the performance of the CPU.

• The amount of data that a CPU can process at the one time depends on the size of the
processor data bus.

• Overclocking is a technique used to make a processor work at a faster speed than its
original specification.

• MMX is a set of multimedia instructions built into Intel processors.

• The latest processor technology has resulted in CPU manufacturers finding ways to
incorporate more than one CPU core onto a single chip.
– Dual core CPU,
– Triple Core CPU
– Quad Core CPU
 Cooling Systems
• Computer cooling is required to remove
the waste heat produced by 
computer components, to keep
components within permissible 
operating temperature limits.
 Cooling Systems
Cooling Solutions

1) A heat sink is a passive cooling system that cools

a component by dissipating heat. Prevent Your PC
From Overheating

2) The thermal compound fills any air gaps between

the heat-producing component and the heat sink
allowing more efficient transfer of heat.
 Cooling Systems
Cooling Solutions

3) Fans force air to move, so the hot air is blown away

from heat-generating components and expelled from
the desktop or laptop PC‘s case

4) Water cooling involves a pump that pumps water

through tubes that travel throughout your PC’s case.
The cool water in the tubes absorb heat as it moves
through your case.
 ROM (Read Only Memory)

• Hold permanent data and data will not lost

when electrical power is turned off.

• Normal operation – data can only be read

from it. No new data can be written on it.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
• Contents of RAM will be read or write
many times as computer executes
program.
• It require fast read and write cycle times
so it will not slow down the operation.
• Disadvantages – volatile (lose data when
power off).
 Types of RAM
i. Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
ii. Static RAM (SRAM)
iii. Fast Page Mode (FPM)
iv. Extended Data Out (EDO)
v. Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)
vi. Double Data Rate (DDR)
vii. Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2)
viii.RAMBus DRAM (RDRAM)
 Memory Modules
Primary Memory Secondary Memory
As internal memory. Called mass storage with massive
amount of data without the need of
electrical power.

Communicate constantly with Operates at slower speed, stores

process program and data that are not
currently being used by CPU.

Typical secondary memory – floppy

disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk,
magnetic tape
 Memory Modules
Below is an image of a 512MB Dual in-line Memory Module (DIMM) computer
memory module

Single In-line Memory Module, SIMM.

Today, the SIMM is rarely used and have been replaced by DIMMs.
 Adapter Cards
• An adapter card is any internal expansion card that
allows the computer to communicate with another 
peripheral such as a monitor.
• For example, the video card is an adapter card.

PCI Sound Adapter Card Multimedia Adapter Card

 Expansion Slots
• An expansion slot is connection or port located inside
a computer on the motherboard or riser board that allows
a computer hardware expansion card to be connected.

• For example, if you wanted to install a new video card in

the computer, you'd purchase a video expansion card
and install that card into the compatible expansion slot.
 Expansion Slots
Computer expansion slots

• AGP - Video card
• AMR - Modem, Sound card
• CNR - Modem, Network card, Sound card
• EISA - SCSI, Network card, Video card
• ISA - Network card, Sound card, Video card
• PCI - Network card, SCSI, Sound card, Video card
• PCI Express - Video card, Modem, Sound Card, Network Card
• VESA - Video card
 Storage Devices and RAID
• Storage Devices;
– Primary Storage
– Secondary Storage
 Primary Storage
• Primary memory is the main memory
(RAM) where the operating system resides
 RAM
• Static RAM (SRAM)
• Is used for cache memory, does not need
to be refreshed to retain information
• Faster than Dynamic RAM
• More expensive
 RAM
• Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
• Used on single and dual in-line memory
modules (SIMMs dan DIMMs)
• Need to be refreshed
• Replaced with Synchronous DRAM
(SDRAM)
 Secondary Storage
• Secondary memory can be external
devices like CD, floppy magnetic discs etc.
• Secondary storage cannot be directly
accessed by the CPU and is also external
memory storage
 RAID
• A Redundant Array of Independent
Disks (RAID) installation can provide
data protection or increased
performance when connecting multiple
hard drive.
– Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks is
an assortment of hard drives connected and
setup in ways to help protect or speed up
the performance of a computer's disk
storage
RAID
RAID
 Internal Cables

Internal power splitter 1.8m-VGA-to-VGA-

Molex to Floppy Monitor-Cable

 IDE Molex Internal Power 3-pin Fan Power Extension

Extension Cable Computer Cable for Computer and
Power Supply PSU 12V/5V CPU Fans, 18"
• 1.3.2 Identify Input and Output Devices

a) Input Devices

b) Output Devices

c) Monitor characteristics
INPUT & OUTPUT DEVICES
 Input/Output (I/O) device
• An input/output (I/O) device is a hardware device that has the ability
to accept inputted, outputted or other processed data. It also can
acquire respective media data as input sent to a computer or send
computer data to storage media as storage output.
• Input devices provide input to a computer, while output devices
provide a way for a computer to output data for communication with
users or other computers. An I/O device is a device with both
functionalities.
• Examples of I/O storage devices are CD/DVD-ROM drives, USB
flash drives and hard disk drives. Examples of communication I/O
devices are network adapters, Bluetooth adapters/dongles and
modems.
 Input Devices
Following are few of the important input devices, which are used in Computer
Systems:
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Joystick
• Light pen
• Track Ball
• Scanner
• Graphic Tablet
• Microphone
• Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
• Optical Character Reader (OCR)
• Bar Code Reader
• Optical Mark Reader
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_input_devices.htm
 Input Devices
• Input devices are used to enter data or
instructions into a computer:
i. Mouse and Keyboard
ii. KVM (Keyboard, Video (monitor), Mouse)
switch
iii. Digital camera and digital video camera
iv. Biometric authentication device
v. Touch screen
vi. Scanner
 Output Devices
• Printers and Fax Machines are output
devices that create hard copies of
computer files.
• Scanners create electronic file version of
paper documents.
• Speakers and headphones are output
devices for reproducing audio signals.
 Output Devices
• Monitors and Projectors:
– Cathode-ray tube (CRT)
– Liquid crystal display (LCD)
– A light-emitting diode (LED)
– An Organic LED (OLED)
– Plasma
– Digital light processing (DLP) is technology used in
projectors.
Monitor characteristics:
• Monitor Resolution refers to the level of image detail that can be reproduced.

• Higher resolution settings produce better image quality.

• There are several factors that affect image quality :

oPixels
oDot Pitch
oContrast ratio
oRefresh Rate
oInterlace/Non-Interlace
oHorizontal Vertical Colors (HVC)
oAspect ratio
oNative resolution
Measurement concept to determine size of monitor screen.

Diagonally, from
the top left
corner to the
bottom right
corner.
THANK YOU~