CHAPTER 2 –

COMPUTER
HARDWARE
BASIC DIAGRAM OF
COMPUTER SYSTEM
 PROCESSING DEVICES

CPU /
PROCESSOR
CU ALU
INPUT OUTPUT
UNIT UNIT
MAIN
MEMORY

STORAGE
UNIT
• Central Processing Unit (CPU): performs
processing of instructions and data inside
the computer.
• Main Memory: holds the instructions and
data currently being processed by the CPU
• Input Unit: accepts instructions and data.
• Output Unit: communicates the results to
the user.
• Storage Unit: stores temporary and final
results
Identify Input, Output, Processing And Storage
Devices
• Processing Devices: CPU, Memory,
• Input Devices: Keyboard, Mouse, etc
• Output Devices: Monitor, Printer, Speaker, etc
• Storage Devices: Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, etc
• Computer memory can be divided into two broad categories:
• Primary storage (also called main memory)
• Secondary storage ( also called secondary memory or auxiliary memory
or peripheral storage.
Primary Storage
• Primary storage is the main memory in a computer.
• Function: It stores data and programs that can be accessed
directly by the processor.
• There are two types of primary storage which are RAM and
ROM.
• RAM: Random Access Memory which is the data and program
in RAM can be read and written.
• ROM: Read-Only Memory which means the data program in
ROM can just be read but cannot written at all.
Differences between RAM and ROM
Secondary Storage
• Secondary storage devices have a larger storage
capacity.
• The function of secondary storage used to store data
and programs when they are not being processed.
• The basic types of secondary storage are:
- magnetic tape
- magnetic disk (``hard'' and ``floppy'')
- optical disk (CD-ROM, WORM, MO).
Characteristics of
Primary Storage Secondary Storage
• Closely connected to the CPU and • Relatively permanent but ``further
is used for temporary storage of away'' from the CPU
data and instructions during • Secondary storage is slow
processing
• Secondary storage is non-volatile
• Primary storage is fast
• Based on magnetic (or optical) and
• Primary storage is volatile (i.e. mechanical technologies
contents are lost when power is
removed)
• Based on electronic technology
POWER SUPPLY
Power Supply
• Provides the necessary electrical power to make the
PC operate
Power Supply
• AT and ATX are the two types of power supplies that
can be installed in any PC
• The ATX form factor motherboard, with its unique
ATX power supply, dominates today’s systems
• All power supplies share a number of common
features such as the power connection, motherboard
power, power switch, peripheral connections, and
the fan.
Power Supply (cont.)
Main Power
• Power to the Motherboard
• Use a 20- or 24-pin P1 power
connector. Some motherboards
may require special 4-, 6-, or 8-pin
connectors to supply extra power
Peripherals Power Cable
• Power to Peripherals: Molex
Connectors
• The most common type of power
connection for devices ( Hard Disk
and CD-ROM)
• Need 5-volts or 12-volts of power is
the Molex connector
Power Supply (cont.)
• Power to Peripherals:
Mini Connectors
• Supplies 5 and 12 volts
to peripherals,
although only floppy
disk drives in modern
systems use this
connector
• Power to Peripherals:
SATA Power Connectors
• Serial ATA (SATA) hard
drives need a special 15-
pin SATA power
connector

• Motherboard power
connector : Auxiliary
 Commonly called an AUX
connector
 To supply increased 3.3- and
5.0-volt current to the
motherboard
UPS
• UPS - uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
• Protects your computer (and, more importantly, your data)
in the event of a power sag or power outage
• A UPS essentially contains a big battery that will provide AC
power to your computer, regardless of the power coming
from the AC outlet
• Benefits
• Condition line for brownouts and spikes
• Provide backup power during a blackout
• Protect against very high potentially damaging spikes
MOTHERBOARD
Motherboard
 Motherboard is the central printed circuit board (PCB)
holds many of the crucial components of the system,
while providing connectors for other peripherals.
 Alternatively known as the main board or system
board.
 Function
- House the CPU
- Allow devices to communicate with it and each other
 Types of Motherboard

Different types of motherboard :

• AT (Advanced Technology)
• ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)
• BTX ( Balanced Technology Extended)
Types of Motherboard

AT

ATX

The primary purpose of BTX motherboard was to

reorganize the placement of components and to
remove impediments so that air cold is drowning BTX
through the case and out a vent more efficiently.
TYPES OF ATX MOTHERBOARDS
ADVANTAGES OF ATX MOTHERBOARD

 ATX motherboard includes many improvements

over AT
 The position of the power supply enables better
air movement.
 The CPU and RAM are placed to enable easier
access.
 Placement of RAM closer to the CPU than on AT
boards offer users enhanced performance as well.
 ATX motherboards use a feature called soft power
(auto shut down). This means that they can use
software to turn the PC on and off.
Factors To Purchase A Motherboard

4 Factors to purchase a motherboard :

i. The motherboard can support the processor speed.

ii. Can the motherboard support a higher processor, if

one requires to upgrade the processor in the future.

iii. Are there enough slot for all the card that one wishes
to add

iv. What type of motherboard sockets does one require

(the processor determines a motherboard type).
Motherboard Components And Circuits
 Processing  Expansion slots
CPU (most important) ISA (Industry Standard
Chip set (North Bridge and South Architecture)
Bridge) PCI (Peripheral Component
CPU socket Interconnect)
 Temporary storage AGP (Accelerated Graphics
RAM Port)
Cache memory  Circuits
Memory slot Traces
 Connector  Others
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)
CMOS Battery
connector
FD (Floppy Disk Connector) CMOS Chip
Power Connector
Example of CMOS
chip integrated on
motherboard
 PCI NORTH
SLOT BRIDGE

POWER
CONNECTOR

AGP
SLOT
PROCESSOR /
CPU SOCKET
FDD
CONNECTOR RAM /
MEMORY
SLOT

CMOS
BATTERY
SOUTH
BRIDGE IDE / DRIVE
CONNECTOR 26
PC CARDS

28
Sound Card
Built in the
Sound card is an motherboard.
expansion card that
enable computers to play
audio.
Sound card can be install
in ISA or PCI slots.

29
Graphic Cards
Graphic card is an  Built in the motherboard.
interface card that used
to show image ,text,
graphic on the monitor.
Types of graphic card slot
PCI Express or AGP
NIC ( Network Interface Card)
 Network card is an  Built in the motherboard.
expansion card that
you insert into an PCI
or ISA slot of computer
to enable it connect to
a network.
Memory Technologies
• SIMM (Single In-Line Memory Module)
• DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module)
• RIMM (Rambus In-Line Memory Module)
1. SIMM (Single In-Line Memory Module)

• Used in older personal computers.

• First variant of SIMMs has 30 pins.
Used in 286, 386 and 486 system.
• Second variant of SIMMs has 72 pins.
Used in 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro and
even some Pentium II systems.
• SIMM can be installed alone in 32-bit
systems (486 models) but must be
installed in pairs in 64-bits Pentium or
AMD Athlon systems.
• SIMM provide a 32-bit data path.
 2. DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module)

• Primarily used in newer computers.

• They contain 168 pins on the bottom of the
circuit board. 
• There are two notches on the bottom of
the board and they must be aligned
properly in order for them to be inserted. 
• 168-pin DIMMs are found in Pentium and DIMM Memory – 168 Pin

Athlon systems. They are installed alone in

DIMM connectors have been enhanced to make
insertion easier

64-bit systems.
• DIMM provides a 64-bit data path
• eg: DDR2, DDR3 etc.
3. RIMM (Rambus In-Line Memory Module)
• Sometimes called Rambus DRAM or RDRAM
• Often come in the form of 184-pin and has two notch.
• Used in the Sony PlayStation 2, early Pentium 4
desktop systems and other applications.

 
Factors That Influence Memory Performance

• Total RAM installed (512MB, 2GB, 4GB, etc.)

• Memory technology used (SIMM, DIMM, RIMM)
• Speed of memory (Earlier memory was listed in nanosecond
(ns) speeds such as 70ns, 60ns, 10ns, etc. Today speeds of
memory are often expressed in MHz such as 266MHz,
333MHz, 400MHz, etc.)
Hard Drive / Hard Disk

Functions of hard disk

- Hard disk is used to store the large size of application
programs or files.
- It provide larger storage capacities and much faster
access times than floppy disks.

Characteristics of Hard disk

- Like a floppy disk, a hard disk is a type of magnetic
media that stores items using magnetic patterns.
- Also as read / write storage media.
Hard disk structure

A hard disk consist of five major components as:

i) magnetic platter
ii) spindle / small motor
iii) read / write head
iv) head actuator
v) circuit board
• Magnetic Platter - contains Sector, Track and File System
(FAT or NTFS)

•Spindle / Small motor – spin the platters the entire time

the computer is running.

•Read and write head – move to the FAT to determine the

current or new location of data.

•Head Actuator – positions the read/write head over the

correct location on the platter to read or write data.

•Circuit board – controls the movement of the actuator and

small motor (spindle)
How Data Is Organized On A Hard Drive
Step 1: The circuit board controls the movement of
the head actuator and a small motor.
Step 2: A small motor/spindle spins the platters the
entire time the computer is running.
Step 3: When software requests a disk access, the
read / write heads move to the FAT to
determine the current or new location of data.
Step 4: The head actuator positions the read / write
head arms over the correct location on the
platters to read or write data.
Hard Disk Interface(s)
• There are a few ways in which a hard disk can connect/interface
with:
• (A)dvanced (T)echnology (A)ttachment (Also known as IDE, ATAPI and
Parallel ATA)
• (S)erial ATA
• SCSI(aka Scuzzy)
• ATA (IDE, ATAPI, PATA)
•  ATA is a common interface used in
many personal computers before the
emergence of SATA. It is the least
expensive of the interfaces.
• Integrated Drive Electronics
controllers support up to four
hard disk and can transfer data,
instructions and information to
the disk at rates of up to 66 MB
per second.
• IDE controllers are also referred
to as ATA short for the AT
Attachment.
• SATA
•  SATA is basically an advancement of
ATA.
• Disadvantages
• Slower transfer rates compared to SCSI
• Not supported in older systems without
the use of additional components
• Advantages
• Low costs
• Large capacity
• Faster transfer rates compared to ATA
(difference is marginal at times though)
• Smaller cables for better heat
dissipation
 SCSI(aka Scuzzy)
• SCSI is commonly used in servers, and more in industrial applications
than home uses.
• Disadvantages
• Costs
• SCSI drives have a higher RPM, creating more noise and heat
• Advantages
• Faster
• Better scalability and flexibility in Arrays (RAID)
• Better for storing and moving large amounts of data
• Tailor made for 24/7 operations
• Reliability
RAID
• RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks.
• A RAID system consists of two or more disks working in
parallel.
• They appear as one drive to the user, and offer enhanced
performance or security (or both).
• Raid Level:
• Level 0
• Level 1
• Level 10
RAID 0
• RAID Level 0 requires a minimum of
2 drives to implement.
• RAID 0 implements a striped disk
array, the data is broken down into
blocks and each block is written to a
separate disk drive
• This level is commonly referred to
as striping
RAID 0 (c0nt.)
Advantages Ideal use
• RAID 0 offers great • Video Production and
performance, both in Editing , Image Editing,
read and write Any application requiring
operations. high bandwidth.
Disadvantages
• RAID 0 is not fault-
tolerant. If one disk fails,
all data in the RAID 0
array are lost.
RAID 1
• Data are stored twice by
writing them to both the
data disk (or set of data
disks) and a mirror disk (or
set of disks) .
• If a disk fails, the controller
uses either the data drive or
the mirror drive for data
recovery and continues
operation.
• This level is commonly
referred to as mirroring
RAID 1 (cont.)
Advantages
• RAID 1 offers excellent read
Ideal use/ Application
speed and a write-speed. In
case a disk fails, data do not • RAID-1 is ideal for mission
have to be rebuild, they just critical storage, for
have to be copied to the instance for accounting
replacement disk.
systems or Financial
Disadvantages
system
• The main disadvantage is that
the effective storage capacity
is only half of the total disk
capacity because all data get
written twice.
RAID 10

• RAID 10 combines the advantages

and disadvantages of RAID 0 and
RAID 1 in a single system.
• It provides security by mirroring all
data on a secondary set of disks
(disk 3 and 4 in the drawing below)
while using striping across each set
of disks to speed up data transfers.
CABLE
Cable
• Ribbon Cable / IDE Cable – PATA Hard Disk, Optical Drive &
Floppy Disk

56
• SATA Cable – SATA Hard Disk & Optical Drive

57
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)
• Is the brain of the computer.
• Referred as the processor/microprocessor.
• Important factors when selecting a CPU
are the processor speed (MHz/GHz).
• Function :
• Interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate the computer.
• Consists of two (2) smaller units – Control
Unit (CU) and Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU
• Control unit : is the circuit that controls the flow of
information through the processor, and coordinates
the activities of the other units within it.
• Four Basic Operation of CU :
• Fetch : the process of obtaining a program instruction
or data from memory.
• Decode : the process of translating the instruction into
command the computer understand.
• Execute : the process of carrying out the commands.
• Store : the process of writing the result to the memory.
• ALU : is a digital circuit that
performs arithmetic and logical operations.
• Basic Operation of ALU :
• Do the calculation and data comparison based on instructions
from control unit.
• Arithmetic : mathematical operation (+,-,*,/).
• Logic: comparison operation (= , < , > , <>, <= and >= ).
Various Types of Processor

• AMD's desktop processors

include Sempron, Athlon, and
Phenom.
Intel's desktop CPUs include
Celeron, Pentium, and Core.

Intel
AMD
Processor Performance
• High End Processors (Intel Core i7,i5, Core 2 Quad,Extreme : AMD
Phenom II X4, Phenom II X3, Phenom I X4 & Phenom I X3)
- Intensive Statistical Analysis, Professional Video and Audio Editing,
and Advanced 3-D Gaming
• Mid Range Processors (Intel Core i3, Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual Core
: AMD Athlon X2, Turion X2)
- Speed & Multitasking, Adobe Creative Suite, and basic 3-D Graphics
• Economy Processors (Intel Centrino, Atom, Celeron : AMD Athlon,
Sempron)
- Email, Internet Browsing, and Simple Games
Identify suitable processor for a particular
motherboard.

*** Depend on the motherboard socket :

Example :-
 Socket 754 and Socket 939 motherboards run
AMD's Athlon 64 and Sempron desktop
processors.
 Intel Pentium 4 processors) use the earlier Socket
423 and Socket 478
 Socket LGA775 motherboards, run the latest Intel
Core 2 Duo processors and Intel Core Quad
processors.
COOLING
METHODS
 HEAT SINK COOLING
• Fan cooled aluminum
• Copper baseplates
• Heat sinks are basically pieces of metal that provide
lots of surface area for the air to touch.
• A component designed to lower the temperature of an
electronic device by dissipating heat into the surrounding air.

• All modern CPUs require a heat sink. Some also require a fan.

• A heat sink without a fan is called a passive heat sink; a heat

sink with a fan is called an active heat sink.

• Heat sinks are generally made of an aluminum alloy and often

have fins.
 CASE COOLING
• The best CPU heat sink is useless, if the air around it is too
hot.

• The hot air obviously needs to be evacuated from the case.

• All computer cases come with a fan preinstalled at the power

supply.
 LIQUID COOLING
• Liquid cooling is a highly effective method of removing excess
heat, with the most common heat transfer fluid in desktop
PCs being (distilled) water.

• The advantages of water cooling over air cooling include

water's higher specific heat capacity and thermal
conductivity.