Internal Components of a

Computer
Introduction to Computing
CS 1102, IT1102 and IS1102
System Unit

• A case that contains the electronic components of the computer

used to process data.
• The case of the system unit, or chassis, is made of metal or plastic
and protects the electrical components inside.
• The trend is towards a smaller form factor, or size and shape, of
desktop computers.
 System Unit

• Comes in a variety of
shapes and sizes.
 System Unit

• It is important to
know the electronic
components of the
system unit in the
event it needs to be
open.
The Motherboard

• Also called the system board, is the main circuit board of the
system unit.
• Many electronic components attach to the motherboard and
others are built into it.
The Motherboard

• Computer chips are small pieces of semiconducting material, usually

silicon, on which integrated circuits are etched.
• IC’s contain may microscopic pathways capable of carrying an electric current.
• They contain components such as resistors, capacitors, and transistors.
• Manufacturers package chips to be attached to a circuit board, such at
the motherboard or adapter cards
 The Motherboard
Chipset
• The chipset is a set of
integrated chips on the
motherboard that control
communications. After
installing, you will need to
review a number of elements
and parameters: Northbridge
cooling, CPU speed
comparison and motherboard
CPU combos efficiency (or
not).
• These chips control
communications between the
components of the
motherboard and the CPU.
The main ones are the
Northbridge and Southbridge.
Types of Motherboard
The Motherboard
Basic Parts of the Motherboard

1. Processor Socket
2. Power Connectors
3. Memory Slots
4. Video Card Slot
5. Expansion Slots
6. IDE and SATA Ports
7. BIOS Chip and Battery
8. Northbridge and Southbridge
9. Front Panel Connectors, USB Headers and Audio Header
10. Transistors/Diodes/Resistors/LED/Jumper Pins
11. Rear Connectors
 IDE and SATA Slots and Ports
• IDE and SATA are different types of interfaces to connect storage devices
(like hard drives) to a computer's system bus. SATA stands for Serial Advanced
Technology Attachment (or Serial ATA) andIDE is also called Parallel ATA or
PATA.
• SATA is the newer standard and SATA drives are faster than PATA (IDE) drives.
 BIOS Chip and Battery
• BIOS (/ˈbaɪɒs/ BY-oss; an acronym for Basic Input/Output System and also known as
the System BIOS, ROM BIOS or PC BIOS) is non-volatile firmware used to perform hardware
initialization during the booting process (power-on startup), and to provide runtime services for
operating systems and programs.
• The BIOS firmware comes pre-installed on a personal computer's system board, and it is the first
software to run when powered on.
 Northbridge and Southbridge
• Northbridge is an Intel chipset that
communicates with the computer processor and
controls interaction with memory, the Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, Level 2
cache, and all Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
activities.
• Northbridge communicates with the processor
using the frontside bus (FSB). Northbridge is one
part of a two-part chipset called
Northbridge/Southbridge. Southbridge handles
the input/output (I/O) functions of the chipset.
• The Intel Hub Architecture (IHA) has replaced
the Northbridge/Southbridge chipset. The IHA
chipset also has two parts: the Graphics and AGP
Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) and the I/O
Controller Hub (ICH). The IHA architecture is
used in Intel's 800 series chipsets, which is the
first chipset architecture to move away from the
Northbridge/Southbridge design.
 Front Panel Connectors, USB Headers and
Audio Header
• The front panel header is where the connectors of hard disk drive
activity lights, case speaker, reset button, power on/off button,
computer power on light, and key lock, are connected to make them
function smoothly.
 Transistors/Diodes/Resistors/LED
• A motherboard circuit is built on a printed
circuit board (PCB).
• An electronic circuit is composed of individual
electronic components, such as resistors,
transistors, capacitors, inductors and diodes,
connected by conductive wires or traces
through which electric current can flow.
• To be referred to as electronic, rather than
electrical, generally at least one active
component must be present. The combination
of components and wires allows various simple
and complex operations to be performed:
signals can be amplified, computations can be
performed, and data can be moved from one
place to another.
 Expansion Slot
• An expansion slot refers to any of the slots on a motherboard that can hold
an expansion card to expand the computer's functionality, like a video
card, network card, or sound card.
• The expansion card is plugged directly into the expansion port so that the
motherboard has direct access to the hardware.
Jumper Pins

Jumpers allow the computer to close an electrical circuit, allowing

the electricity to flow certain sections of the circuit board. Jumpers
consist of a set of small pins that can be covered with a small plastic
box (jumper block)
The Processor

• Also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets and

carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. Impacts
overall computing power and manages most of the computer’s
operations.
• Most processor chips manufacturers offer multi-core processors,
single chips with two or more separate processor cores.
• Dual-core: 2 cores
• Quad-core: 4 cores
• Each core runs at a slower clock speed than a single core
processor, but still increase the overall performance.
 Processor Socket

• Motherboards are subcategorized by the type of processor socket they

have. The processor socket (also called a CPU socket) is the connector on
the motherboard that houses a CPU and forms the electrical interface and
contact with the CPU.
 PGA Processor Socket

• Processor sockets use a pin grid array (PGA) where pins on the underside
of the processor connect to holes in the processor socket. Computers based
on the Intel x86 architecture include socket processors.
 LGA Processor Socket

• The land grid array (LGA) is a type of surface-mount packaging for

integrated circuits (ICs) that is notable for having the pins on
the socket (when a socket is used) rather than the integrated circuit.
The Processor
The Processor

• Contain a control unit and an arithmetic

logic unit (ALU)
• Control Unit: Component of the processor
that directs and coordinates most of the
operations in the computer.
• Arithmetic Logic Unit: Component of the
processor that performs arithmetic,
comparison, and other operations.
How CPU Works
 Machine Cycle

• For every instruction, a processor

repeats a set of four basic
operations, which comprise a
machine cycle
• Fetching: Process of obtaining a
program instruction or data item from
memory.
• Decoding: Process of translating the
instruction into signals the computer
can execute.
• Executing: Process of carrying out the
commands.
• Storing: Writing results to memory
 Machine Cycle
• With pipelining, the processor begins fetching a second instruction
before it completes the machine cycle for the first.
 Registers

• A processor register (CPU register) is one of

a small set of data holding places that are
part of the computer processor.
A register may hold an instruction, a storage
address, or any kind of data (such as a bit
sequence or individual characters). Some
instructions specify registers as part of the
instruction.
 CPU System Clock

• The speed at which a microprocessor executes instructions

• A small quartz crystal circuit used to control the timing of all computer
operations.
• Each tick equates to a clock cycle.
• Today, processors are superscalar, which means they can execute more than one
instruction per clock cycle.
• Clock speed is the pace of the system clock and is measured by the numbers of
ticks per second.
• Clock speeds are expressed in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz ( GHz).
• Current personal computers have clock speeds in the gigahertz range.
• One gigahertz (GHz) equals one billion ticks of the system clock per second
Comparison of Personal Computer Processors

• Intel
• Core family for high-performance.
• Pentium or Celeron for basic computers.
• Xeon or Itanium for workstations and low end servers.
• AMD
• Intel compatible processors, structured similar to Intel,
perform same functions, can be as powerful, often are less
expensive.
Processor
Buying a Personal Computer
Cooling a Processor

• Processors generate heat which could cause the chip to burn up.
• The computer fans generate airflow, but the processor requires
additional cooling.
• Heat sinks/pipes and liquid cooling are often used to dissipate processor
heat.
• A heat sink is a small ceramic or metal component with fins to absorb
and disperse heat.
• Liquid Cooling Technology uses a flow of fluid to transfer heated fluid
away from the processor, gets cooled, and returns to the processor,
continuously.
Cooling a Processor
Parallel Processing

• A method that uses multiple processors simultaneously to execute

a single program or task.
• A single problem is divided into portions and multiple processors
work on their assigned portion at the same time.
• Special software is needed to divide the problem and bring the
results back together again.
• Super computers use massive parallel processing for applications
such as artificial intelligence and weather forecasting.
Data Representation

• Most computers are digital, meaning they recognize two discrete states:
on and off.
• This is due to the two states of electrical switches.
• Two digits, 0 and 1, represent off and on respectively, which is the basis
for the binary system.
• The binary system is a number system that has just two unique digits, 0
and 1, called bits.
• A bit is the smallest unit of data the computer can process.
• A byte is 8 bits grouped together as a unit, totally 256 unique
combinations.
 Data Representation

• Binary that represents characters

are defined by patterns called
coding schemes.
• ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) is the
most widely used coding scheme.
Data Representation

• Unicode is a 16-bit coding scheme that has the capacity of

representing more than 65,000 characters.
• It is large enough to fit almost all of the world’s current written
language as well as classic languages, even reserving 30,000 codes
for future expansion.
• ASCII and Unicode standards make it possible for components in
computers to communicate.
Memory

• Consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting

to be executed by the processor, data needed by those
instructions, and the results of processing the data.
• Memory usually consists of one or more chips on the motherboard
or some other circuit board on the computer.
Bytes and Addressable Memory

• A byte is the basic storage unit in memory.

• The instructions and data exist in memory as bytes.
• An address is a location in memory where each byte resides
temporarily.
Memory Sizes

• Manufacturers state the size of memory and storage devices in

terms of the number of bytes of available storage.
Types of Memory

• Two types of memory:

• Volatile memory: Memory that loses its
contents when the power is turned off.
• RAM
• Nonvolatile memory: Memory that does not
lose its contents when the power is turned
off.
• ROM, flash memory, and CMOS
Random Access Memory (RAM)

• Users typically are referring to RAM when discussing computer

memory.
• RAM (random access memory), or main memory, consists of
memory chips that can be read from and written to by the
processor and other devices.
• When the computer is powered up, the RAM is initially populated
with operating system files from a storage devices, such as a hard
disk.
Random Access Memory (RAM)

• The processor interprets and executes instructions while the

program is in RAM.
• Most RAM is volatile, so it will lose its contents when the power is
removed.
• RAM chips usually reside on a memory module, which is a small
circuit board.
• Memory slots on the motherboard hold the memory modules.
RAM Slots and RAM Module
Cache

• Pronounced “cash,” helps improve processing times.

• Memory cache stores frequently used instructions and data.
• L1 cache: built directly into processor chip, usually small (8-128 KB)
• L2 cache: slightly slower than L1 with larger capacity (64KB-16MB)
• L3 cache: on the motherboard, often up to 8MB
• When the processor needs an instruction or data, it searches
memory in this order: L1, L2, L3, then RAM, with a greater delay
in processing for each level of memory it must search.
Read Only Memory (ROM)

• ROM (Read-only memory) refers to memory chips storing

permanent data and instructions.
• The data cannot be modified on most ROM chips and is
nonvolatile.
• ROM chips called firmware contain permanently written data,
instructions, or information.
• PROM is a programmable ROM on which a programmer can write
permanently.
• EEPROM is an electrically erasable PROM.
Flash Memory

• A type of nonvolatile memory that can be erased electronically

and rewritten, similar to EEPROM.
• It allows computers to store startup instructions and is easy to
update contents.
• They store data and programs for many mobile computers and
devices such as smart phones, portable media players, and digital
cameras.
Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductors
(CMOS)

• CMOS used to describe the small amount of memory on a

computer motherboard that stores the BIOS settings. Some of
these BIOS settings include the system time and date as well as
hardware settings.
• Some RAM chips. Flash memory chips, and other memory chips use
complementary metal-oxide semiconductors (CMOS) technology
because it provides high speeds and consumes little power.
• Battery backed CMOS chips keep the date and time even when the
computer is turned off.
Memory Access Time

• Access time is the amount of time it takes the processor to read data,
instructions, and information from memory.
• Directly affects how fast the computer processes data.
• Accessing data in memory can be more than 200,000 times faster than
accessing data on a hard disk because of the mechanical motion of the
hard disk.
• Access times can be given in terms of fractional seconds, such as
nanoseconds (one billionth of a second) or in terms of Hz.
• The higher the hertz (MHz, GHz) the faster the access time; conversely,
the lower the nanoseconds, the faster the access time.
Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards

• An expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard that can hold an

adapter card.
• An adapter card, or expansion card, is a circuit board that
enhances functions of a component of the system unit and/or
provides connections to peripherals.
• Peripherals are devices that connect to the system unit and is
controlled by the processor in the computer.
• Modems, disk drives, printers, scanners, keyboards.
 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
• Sound cards enhance the
sound generating
capabilities of a personal
computer.
• Video cards, or graphics
cards, convert computer
output into a video signal
that is sent to the
monitor to be displayed.
 Types of Adapter Cards

• Plug and Play (PnP)

support allows the
computer to
automatically configure
adapter cards and other
peripherals as you install
them.
Removable Flash Memory

• With hot plugging, flash memory devices can be changed without

shutting down or restarting the computer.
• A memory card is a removable flash memory device that you can
insert and remove from a slot in a personal computer, game
console, mobile device, or card reader/writer.
• A USB flash drive is a flash memory storage device that plugs in a
USB port.
Ports and Connectors

• A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches to or

communicates with a system unit so that the peripheral can send
data to or receive information from the computer.
• A connector joins a cable to a port.
Ports and Connectors
Ports and Connectors

• USB port, or universal serial bus port, can connect up to 127 different
peripherals with a single connector.
• FireWire port, similar to USB, used for connecting devices that require
faster data transmission, such as video cameras.
• Other Ports
• Bluetooth uses radio waves to transmit data between two devices.
• SCSI port is a special high-speed parallel port for peripherals.
• eSATA port, IrDA Port, Serial Ports, MIDI Port.
 Buses
• Bits transfer internally within the
circuitry of a computer along electrical
channels, called buses, which allow for
various devices, both inside and attached
to the system unit, to communicate with
each other.
• The size of the bus, called bus width,
determines the number of bits that the
computer can transmit at one time.
• In conjunction with the bus width, many
computer professionals refer to a
computer’s word size, which is the
number of bits the processor can
interpret and execute at a given time.
Expansion Bus

• Some peripherals outside the system unit connect to a port on an

adapter card inserted in an expansion slot which connects to the
expansion bus.
• The most common types are: PCI bus, PCI Express bus, AGP bus,
USB, FireWire bus, and PC Card bus.
 Bays

• A bay is an opening inside the

system unit in which you can
install additional equipment.
• A drive bay is a rectangular
opening that typically holds
disk drives.
• An external bay allows a user
to access openings in the bay
from outside the system unit,
like optical disc drives.
Power Supply

• The component of the system unit that converts the wall outlet AC
power into DC power, which the computer can use.
• Different motherboards and computers require different wattages.
• The overall power draw on a PSU is limited by the fact that all of the
supply rails come through one transformer and any of its primary side
circuitry, like switching components.
• Total power requirements for a personal computer may range from
250 W to more than 1000 W for a high-performance computer with
multiple graphics cards.
• Personal computers without especially high performing CPUs or graphics
cards usually require 300 to 500 W.
Power Supply plugs and sockets