School of Applied Technology

ICT Department

Information Technology – CS115

Back View of the System Unit (Ports Labelled)

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Internal Hardware Components 1 IDE hard disk drive bay

2 IDE hard disk drive bay

3 Slim-type CD-ROM drive

4 Slim-type floppy disk drive

5 CPUs and fan/heatsinks

6 System board

7 PCI expansion card slot and

link bar

8 Rear blowers

9 Power supply

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10 Housing fans

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 Critical Hardware
1. Mother board

The motherboard can be thought of as the "back bone" of the computer. It serves to connect all of
the parts of a computer together. The CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card,
sound card and other ports and expansion cards all connect to the motherboard directly or via
cables. The Motherboard is also known as: mainboard, mobo (abbreviation), MB
(abbreviation), system board, logic board.

Note: Motherboards, cases and power supplies all come in different sizes called form factors.
All three must be compatible to work properly together.

2. Memory

Random Access Memory

Random access memory (RAM) is fast-access memory that is cleared when the computer is power-
down. RAM attaches directly to the motherboard, and is used to store programs that are currently
running. RAM is a set of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed in any order
(why it is called random). RAM is also known as: main memory, internal memory, primary
storage.

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 3. Read Only Memory (ROM)

ROM is computer memory on which data has been prerecorded. Once data has been written onto
a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read. Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM
retains its contents even when the computer is turned off. ROM is referred to as being
nonvolatile, whereas RAM is volatile. Most personal computers contain a small amount of
ROM that stores critical programs such as the program that boots the computer

4. Hard Drive

The hard disk drive is the main, and usually largest, data storage device in a computer. The
operating system, software titles and most other files are stored in the hard disk drive. The Hard
Disk Drive is also known as: HDD (abbreviation), hard drive, hard disk, fixed drive, fixed disk,
fixed disk drive. The back end of the hard drive contains a port for a cable that connects to the
motherboard. The type of cable used will depend on the type of drive but is almost always
included with a hard drive purchase. Also here is a connection for power from the power supply.

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 5. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is responsible for interpreting and executing most of the
commands from the computer's hardware and software. The CPU is also known as: processor,
computer processor, microprocessor, central processor, "the brains of the computer".

6. Optical Disk

Optical drives retrieve and/or store data on optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and BDs (Blu-ray discs)
which hold much more information than classic portable media options like the floppy disk.
The optical disk drive is also known as: optical drive, ODD (abbreviation), e.g. CD drive, DVD drive,
BD drive, disc drive. Popular optical drive formats include CD-ROM,
CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL,
DVD+R DL, BD-R, and BD-RE.

7. Sound Card

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The sound card is an expansion card that allows the computer to send audio information to an
audio device like speakers or a pair of headphones. The Sound Card is Also Known As: audio
card, audio adapter, sound adapter

8. Video Card

The video card is an expansion card that allows the computer to send graphical information to a
video display device such as a monitor or projector. The Video Card is also known as: graphics
card, graphics adapter, video adapter

Computer Specifications
What is the Specification?

The specification or ‘spec’ is a list of the key components that make up the computer. It is
provided by retailers to help buyers decide which PC, and which combination of features, they
need. When buying a PC, it is important to start by deciding what it is you want the PC to do.
This then informs what specification you actually need.

When reviewing a computer specification, the most important components to take account of are
the processor, the amount of RAM and the size of the hard drive as these are central to the
overall capability of the system. If it is planned to use specialised programs for students with
special needs (e.g., scan/read software), it is advisable to purchase a suitable specification
computer to meet the system requirements for these programs.

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 http://test.ncte.ie/documents/advicesheets/02PCspecificationsNov08.pdf
Computer Specification cont’d

Processors
➢ Processors are generally defined by their speed - in megahertz (MHz) or in gigahertz
(GHz) - and this relates to the number of operations they can perform per second.
➢ The higher the value, the faster the PC will perform and the more expensive it generally
is.
➢ The latest dual core processors have two processors on a single chip and operate more
efficiently at lower speeds

Memory (RAM)
➢ The main working memory in a computer is called random access memory or RAM. The
processor uses this memory to run programs.
➢ RAM is measured in megabytes (MB).
➢ A minimum of 1024MB (1GB) of RAM is recommended for general purpose PCs.
➢ 2048MB (2GB) of RAM is recommended for PCs running multimedia applications, i.e.,
those on which digital music, digital video or high-end graphics are being created/edited.

Storage – The Hard Drive

➢ The hard drive is the computer’s primary storage area.
➢ It stores the applications and programs that run on the PC, as well as any work created by
users.
➢ The capacity of the hard drive, measured in gigabytes (GB), is a key criterion and should
be given due consideration when reviewing PC specifications.
➢ A hard drive capacity of at least 80GB is recommended for general purpose PCs.
➢ A hard drive capacity of 200GB or more is recommended if working with multimedia
applications where large graphics and digital audio/video files are being created and
stored.

Other Specifications
Monitors
➢ Average entry-level PCs usually come with a 15” flat-screen and this is adequate for
most general purpose applications.
➢ Larger 17” flat-screens are available and may be appropriate if video editing and
advanced graphics work is being carried out.
.

CD / DVD Drives
➢ CD R/W drives are standard on PCs and allow the information on a compact disc (either
data or audio) to be read and written to by the PC.
➢ It is defined by its speed (i.e., 48x or 48 speed).
➢ DVD drives can read both CDs and DVDs. These allow you to copy to blank CDs.

Graphics and Sound Cards

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 ➢ These cards are installed inside a PC and are responsible for determining the quality of
the audio and visuals (graphics and video) output by the computer.
➢ They hold their own memory (in MB), which is why they add to a computer’s capability.
➢ An integrated graphics card with 256MB of memory is recommended for general purpose
PCs.
➢ Computers running high-end applications generally require a separate PCI 128MB
graphics card.

School of Applied Technology

ICT Department

Information Technology – CS115

Windows Desktop and Accessories

Booting your Computer

Booting is a start-up sequence that checks for the devices that are connected to the computer and
then loads the operating system in Random Access Memory (RAM).

A boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the computer performs when it is switched on.
Every computer has a boot sequence.

Boot Devices
The boot device is the device from which the operating system is loaded. A modern PC BIOS
(Basic Input/Output System) supports booting from various devices. These include the local hard
disk drive, optical drive, floppy drive, a network interface card, and a USB device. Typically, the
BIOS will allow the user to configure a boot order. Typically, the boot order is set to:
• Priority 1 - CD Drive
• Priority 2 - Hard Disk Drive
• Priority 3 - Network

Boot Sequence
There is a standard boot sequence that all personal computers use. First, the CPU runs an
instruction in memory for the BIOS. That instruction contains a jump instruction that transfers to
the BIOS start-up program. This program runs a power-on self-test (POST) to check that devices
the computer will rely on are functioning properly. Then, the BIOS goes through the configured
boot sequence until it finds a device that is bootable. Once BIOS has found a bootable device,
BIOS loads the boot-sector and transfers execution to the boot sector. If the boot device is a hard

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drive, it will be a master boot record (MBR). The MBR code checks the partition table for an
active partition. If one is found, the MBR code loads that partition’s boot sector and executes it.