URDANETA CITY

UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER

Learning Objectives
At the end of the module, the I.T. students will be able to:
• Comprehend the basic components of computer
• Understand the concepts of programming languages
• Understand what a computer system is and be able to identify and describe its basic
components.
• Know what internal memory is and how to tell the difference between RAM and
ROM.
• Recognize and explain the differences between input devices, storage devices, and
backup storage.

Difference between Hardware and Software

Hardware:
Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer. Computer Hardware is any part
of the computer that we can touch these parts. These are the primary electronic devices
used to build up the computer. Examples of hardware in a computer are the Processor,
Memory Devices, Monitor, Printer, Keyboard, Mouse, and the Central Processing Unit.

Software:
Software is a collection of instructions, procedures, documentation that performs different
tasks on a computer system. we can say also Computer Software is a programming code
executed on a computer processor. The code can be machine-level code or the code
written for an operating system. Examples of software are MS Word, Excel, Power Point,
Google Chrome, Photoshop, MySQL etc.

Difference between Hardware and Software:

Hardware Software
Hardware is a physical parts computer Software is a set of instruction that tells a
that cause processing of data. computer exactly what to do.
It is manufactured. It is developed and engineered.
Hardware cannot perform any task Software cannot be executed without
without software. hardware.
As Hardware are physical electronic We can see and also use the software but
devices, we can see and touch hardware. can’t actually touch them.
It has four main categories: input device, It is mainly divided into System software,
output devices, storage, and internal Programming software and Application
components. software.
Hardware is not affected by computer Software is affected by computer
viruses. viruses.
It cannot be transferred from one place to But, it can be transferred.
another electrically through network.
If hardware is damaged, it is replaced If software is damaged, its backup copy
with new one. can be reinstalled.
Ex: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, Ex: Ms Word, Excel, Power Point,
CPU, Hard disk, RAM, ROM etc. Photoshop, MySQL etc.

Components of a Computer System and Storage Devices

• We'll look at the various components (parts) of a computer system in this section.
• You'll learn about the functions of each component in the computer system. You'll
also learn about the functions of each component.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

• This section also provides a brief overview of the many types of data storage devices
that we employ.

Computer Components by definition All of the various bits of electrical hardware that come
together to form a computer system.

Examples of common Computer Hardware (components):

Features of Internal Hardware Computer Components

Internal computer components are designed to fit INSIDE the computer system and
they all carry out important roles. We will discuss the following:

• Motherboard (this does something with the data to make it useful information)
• Processor (central processing unit)
• Internal Memory (RAM and ROM)
• Video Card (aka graphics card)
• Sound Card
• Internal Hard Disk Drive

Motherboard
• The motherboard is central to any computer system.
• Click image to zoom in and retrieve more information.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

• All components plug into the motherboard either directly (straight into the circuit
board) or indirectly (via USB ports).
• Once connected to the motherboard, the components can work together to form
the computer system.
• Components communicate and send signals to each other via the BUS Network.

Processor (CPU / Central Processing Unit)

• The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of the computer.
• The CPU 'controls' what the computer does and is responsible for performing
calculations and data processing. It also handles the movement of data to and from
system memory.
• CPU's come in a variety of speeds which are known as 'clock rates'. Clock rates are
measured in 'Hertz'. Generally, the faster the clock rate, the faster the performance of
the computer.
• There are two main brands of CPU currently on the market... AMD and Intel:

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Internal Memory (RAM and ROM)

• There are two types of internal memory - RAM and ROM.
• RAM and ROM are used to store computer data and this can be directly accessed by
the CPU.
• RAM and ROM are sometimes referred to as 'Primary Storage'.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

• RAM is used to temporarily store information that

is currently in use by the computer. This can include
anything from word documents to videos.

• RAM can be read from and written to and so the

information stored in RAM can change all the time (it
depends what tasks you are using the computer for).

• RAM is a fast memory. Data can be written to and read from RAM very quickly. RAM
is generally measured in GB (Gigabytes).

• RAM is Volatile Memory.

This means that
information stored in RAM
is deleted as soon as the
computer is turned off.
• The more RAM you have
installed in your computer
-- the faster it can perform.
You can open and use
more programs at the
same time without slowing
the computer down.

ROM (Read Only Memory)

• ROM is used to permanently store instructions that tell the computer how
to boot (start up). It also loads the operating system (e.g. Windows). These
instructions are known as the BIOS (Basic input/output system) or the boot program.

• Information stored in ROM is known as READ ONLY. This means that the contents of
ROM cannot be altered or added to by the user.

• ROM is fast memory. Data stored in ROM can be accessed and read very quickly.

• ROM is Non-Volatile memory. This means that stored information is not lost when
the computer loses power.

• Other examples of ROM include:

o DVD/CD ROMS bought in stores containing pre-recorded music and movie
files. These are played back at home but cannot be altered.
o ROM in printers which is used to store different font types.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Video Card (aka graphics card)

Graphics cards are hardware devices that plug into the motherboard and enables the
computer to display images on the monitor. Graphics cards usually require the installation of
software alongside the hardware. The software instructs the computer how to use the
graphics card and also allows you to alter settings to change image quality and size. See below
for an example of graphics card software allowing the user to alter various graphical settings:

Sound Card
Sound cards are internal hardware devices that plug into the motherboard. A sound card's
main function is to allow the computer system to produce sound but they also allow users to
connect microphones in order to input sounds into the computer. Sound cards are also useful
in the conversion of analogue data into digital and vice versa.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Storage Devices (secondary backing storage)

Secondary storage devices are used to store data that is not instantly needed by
the computer. Secondary storage devices permanently store data and programs for as long
as we need. These devices are also used to back-up data in case original copies are lost or
damaged.

There are two categories of storage devices:

• Internal Storage - Internal Hard Disk Drives

• External Storage - External Hard Disk Drive, Memory Stick. etc.

Features of External Hardware Computer Components

External computer components connect to a computer system from OUTSIDE. They are not
necessary for the system to function but make our experiences easier or better. We will
discuss the following:

• Input Devices (used to get data into a computer)

• Output Devices (used to get information out of a computer)
• Peripherals

Input Devices
• Input devices are pieces of hardware that get raw data into the computer ready for
processing.
• Processing involves taking raw data and turning it into more useful information.
• Input devices fall into two categories:
o Manual Input Devices - Need to be operated by a human to input information
o Automatic Input Devices - Can input information on their own.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Output Devices
When inputted raw data has been processed it becomes usable information. Output devices
are pieces of hardware that send this usable information out of the computer. Some output
devices send information out temporarily and some send information out permanently:

• Temporary Output Devices - E.g. Monitors which constantly refresh the outputted
image on the screen
• Permanent Output Devices - E.g. Printers which output information onto paper as a
hard copy.

Peripheral Devices
• Almost all input and output devices are known as 'Peripheral devices'.
• These are 'non-essential' hardware components that usually connect to the system
externally.
• Peripherals are called non-essential because the system can operate without them.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta

Learning Activities/Tasks*

• Quiz in identifying the computer components based on the pictures presented.

• Discuss the difference between operating system and application software.
• Multiple choices on the programming languages.
• What are the basic functions of computers?
• What is the difference between operating system and application software?
• Activity in identifying the existing hardware and software used by the student and
determine what type of devices. Moreover, identify the software installed in your
computer and determine its function.

Learning Resources
Difference between Hardware and Software - GeeksforGeeks. GeeksforGeeks. Published
August 22, 2019. Accessed October 5, 2021.
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-hardware-and-software/
IGCSE ICT - Hardware/Software. Ictlounge.com. Published 2021. Accessed October 5,
2021. https://www.ictlounge.com/html/computercomponents.htm

Compiled by:

CHRISTIAN C. MEQUIN
Subject Instructor

ELMER D. VALDEZ
Subject Instructor

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | [email protected]