BASIC COMPUTER

COMPONENTS
 Objectives Overview (1 of 2)
Describe the various computer and mobile device
• cases and the contents they protect
Describe multi-core processors, the components of a
• processor, and the four steps in a machine cycle
Identify characteristics of various personal computer
processors on the market today, and describe the ways
• processors are cooled
• Describe what is meant by the Internet of Things
Explain the advantages and services of cloud
computing
 Objectives Overview (2 of 2)
•
Define a bit, and describe how a series of bits represents
• data
Explain how program and application instructions
• transfer in and out of memory
• Differentiate among the various types of memory
Describe the purpose of adapter cards and USB
• adapters
Explain the function of a bus
•
Explain the purpose of a power supply and batteries
•
Describe how to care for computers and mobile devices
 Inside the Case (1 of 4)
• The case contains and protects the electronics of the
computer or mobile device from damage

Figure 6-1 Cases for computers and mobile devices are available in a
variety of shapes and sizes
 Inside the Case (2 of 4)

Figure 6-2 This figure shows typical components in a higher-end desktop

and laptop. Many basic desktops have integrated video and sound
capability, similar to the laptop image shown here.
 Inside the Case (3 of 4)

• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the

computer
– A computer chip is a small piece of semiconducting
material, usually silicon, on which integrated circuits are
etched
 Inside the Case (4 of 4)

Figure 6-3 A desktop motherboard and a laptop motherboard.

 Processors (1 of 9)
•
The processor, also called the central
processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out
the basic instructions that operate a computer
•
A multi-core processor is a single chip with two
or more separate processor cores
• Processors contain a control unit and an arithmetic
logic unit (ALU)
 Processors (2 of 9)

Figure 6-4 Most devices connected to the computer

communicate with the processor to carry out a task.
 Processors (3 of 9)
•
The control unit is the component of the
processor that directs and coordinates most of the
• operations in the computer
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), another
component of the processor, performs arithmetic,
comparison, and other operations
 Processors (4 of 9)
• For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of four
basic operations, which comprise a machine cycle

Figure 6-5 This figure shows the steps in a machine cycle.

 Processors (5 of 9)

• The processor contains registers, that temporarily

hold data and instructions
• The system clock controls the timing of all
computer operations
– The pace of the system clock is called the clock speed,
and is usually measured in gigahertz GHz
( )
 Processors (6 of 9)
• The leading manufacturers of personal computer
processor chips are Intel and AMD

Intel Core i9 CPU Has 18 Cores, 36 Threads Ryzen 9 has 16 Cores, 32 Thread
 Processors (7 of 9)

• A processor chip generates heat that could cause the

chip to malfunction or fail
• Require additional cooling
– Heat sinks
– Liquid cooling technology
– Cooling pads
 Processors (8 of 9)

Figure 6-6 This photo shows a heat sink being attached to the top of a
processor to prevent the chip from overheating.
 Processors (9 of 9)

Figure 6-7 A laptop cooling pad helps reduce heat generated by a

laptop.
 Cloud Computing

• Home and business users choose cloud computing for

a variety of reasons
– Accessibility
– Cost savings
– Space savings
– Scalability
 Data Representation (1 of 4)

• Analog signals are continuous and vary in strength

and quality
• Digital signals are in one of two states: on or off
– Most computers are digital The binary system uses
– two unique digits (0 and 1)
Bits and bytes
 Data Representation (2 of 4)

Figure 6-8 The circuitry in a computer or mobile device

represents the on or the off states electronically by the
presence or absence of an electronic charge.
 Data Representation (3 of 4)

Figure 6-9 Eight bits grouped together as a unit are called a byte. A byte
represents a single character in the computer or mobile device.
 Data Representation (4 of 4)

Figure 6-10 This figure shows how a letter is converted to binary form
and back.
 Memory (1 of 12)

• 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
• Stores three basic categories of items:
– The operating system and other programs
– Applications
– Data being processed and the resulting information
 Memory (2 of 12)
• Each byte resides temporarily in a location in
memory that has an address
• Memory size commonly is measured in gigabytes
(GB)
 Memory (3 of 12)

• Computers and mobile devices contain two types of

memory:
– Volatile memory
§ § Loses its contents when power is turned off
Example includes RAM
– Nonvolatile memory
Does not lose contents when power is removed
§
§ Examples include ROM, flash memory, and CMOS
 Memory (4 of 12)

Figure 6-12 This figure shows how program and application

instructions transfer in and out of RAM.
 Memory (5 of 12)

• Two common types of RAM exist:

– Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
– Static RAM (SRAM)
 Memory (6 of 12)
Table 6-1 common DRAM Variations

Name Comments
SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) • Synchronized to the system clock
• Much faster than DRAM
DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate SDRAM) • Transfers data twice, instead of once, for each
clock cycle
• Faster than SDRAM
DDR2 • Second generation of DDR
• Faster than DDR
DDR3 • Third generation of DDR
• Designed for computers with multi-core
• processors
• Faster than DDR2
DDR4 • Fourth generation of DDR
• Faster than DDR3
RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) Much faster than SDRAM
 Memory (7 of 12)
• RAM chips usually reside on a memory module and are
inserted into memory slots

Figure 6-13 Memory modules contain memory chips.

 Memory (8 of 12)
Memory cache speeds the processes of the computer
• because it stores frequently used instructions and data

Figure 6-14 Memory cache helps speed processing times when the
processor requests data, instructions, or information.
 Memory (9 of 12)

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

storing permanent data and instructions
– Firmware
 Memory (10 of 12)

• Flash memory can be erased electronically and

rewritten
– CMOStechnology uses battery power to retain
information when the power to the computer is off
 Memory (11 of 12)

• Access time is the amount of time it takes the

processor to read from memory
– Measured in nanoseconds

Figure 6-15 It takes about one-tenth of a second to blink your eye, in

which time a computer can perform some operations 10 million times.
 Memory (12 of 12)

Table 6-2 access Time Terminology

Term Abbreviation Speed

Millisecond ms One-thousandth of a second

Microsecond µs One-millionth of a second

Nanosecond ns One-billionth of a second

Picosecond ps One-trillionth of a second
 Adapters (1 of 4)

• An adapter card enhances functions of a

component of a desktop or server system unit
and/or provides connections to peripheral devices
– Sound card and video card
• An expansion slot is a socket on a desktop or
server motherboard that can hold an adapter card
 Adapters (2 of 4)
Table 6-3 adapter cards
Type
Bluetooth Purpose
Enables Bluetooth connectivity
MIDI
Connects to musical instruments
Modem
Connects to transmission media, such as cable television lines or phone
lines
Network
Provides network connections, such as to an Ethernet port
Sound
Connects to speakers or a microphone
TV tuner
Allows viewing of digital television broadcasts on a monitor
USB
Connects to high-speed USB ports
Video
Provides enhanced graphics capabilities, such as accelerated processing
or the ability to connect a second monitor
Video capture
Connects to a digital video camera
 Adapters (3 of 4)
• With Plug and Play technology, the computer
automatically can recognize peripheral devices as
you install them

Figure 6-16 Cards inserted in expansion slots on a desktop

motherboard.
 Adapters (4 of 4)
• A USB adapter enhances functions of a mobile
computer and/or provides connections to peripheral
devices

Figure 6-17 A USB adapter inserts into a USB port on a computer or

mobile device.
 Buses (1 of 3)

• A bus allows the various devices both inside and

attached to the system unit to communicate with one
another
– Data bus
– Address bus
• Word size is the number of bits the processor can
interpret and execute at a given time
 Buses (2 of 3)

Figure 6-18 Just as vehicles travel on a highway, bits travel on a bus.

Buses are used to transfer bits from input devices to memory, from
memory to the processor, from the processor to memory, and from
memory to output or storage devices.
 Buses (3 of 3)
A computer might have these three types of buses:
•
– System bus
– Backside bus
– Expansion bus
 Power Supply and Batteries (1 of 2)
• The power supply or laptop AC adapter converts the
wall outlet AC power into DC power

Figure 6-19 Examples of desktop power supply and laptop AC

adapter.
 Power Supply and Batteries (2 of 2)
• Mobile computers and devices can run using either a
power supply or batteries
• Batteries typically are rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Figure 6-20 Rechargeable batteries for mobile computers and

devices.
 Summary
• Various components inside computers and mobile
devices
• Types of processors, steps in a machine cycle, and
processor cooling methods
• Advantages and services of cloud computing
• How memory stores data and various types of memory
• Adapters, buses, power supplies and batteries
• Ways to care for computers and mobile devices