Lesson 2: Introduction to Computer Hardware

Objectives:
 Explain how computer components work together
 Explain the features and functions of computers

Lesson Content:
Computer hardware is a generic term used to describe all the physical components of
an analog or digital computer.

 Computer hardware (usually simply called hardware in the context of a computer)

is a collection of physical elements that make up a computer system.
 Computer hardware is a physical component or component of your computer,
such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage device, hard disk
drive (HDD), graphic card, sound card, memory, or motherboard.

Von Neumann architecture scheme.

It consists of a processing unit consisting of a computing unit and processor registers, a

control unit with instruction registers and program counters, memory for storing data
and commands, and an electronic digital computer consisting of an external large-
capacity storage device.

Internal computer hardware components

Motherboard
This is a circuit board that acts as a central hub through which
all other hardware components, including the central
processing unit (CPU) and other critical internal hardware.
Types of Motherboard Form Factors
This form factor is the most widely used today, especially on desktop computers, and
several other factors have been based on it since the technology was released. Similar
to MiniITX, MiniATX, MicroATX, Nano ITX, Pico ITX.

Micro ATX
o This is a further development of ATX. Its dimensions are 9.6 x 9.6 inches.
MicroATX supports up to four expansion slots that can be freely combined
with ISA, PCI, PCI / ISA Shared, and AGP. The mounting holes have been
changed from the standard ATX due to their different dimensions, but they
are also compatible with most ATX cases.
o This type of motherboard form factor supports both Intel and AMD
processors. It is widely used in small form factor desktop computers.
 Micro Mini-ITX
o The Mini ITX is a low power consumption 6.7 x 6.7inch main board. Its
dimensions are the most characteristic factor of this type of form factor.
This type of motherboard was designed to help low-consumption teams,
but it is currently unlimited and has made great strides in terms of benefits.
o Mini ITX is a standard format for all types of equipment, such as vehicle
embedded computers, industrial applications, and IoT.
 Micro Nano-ITX
o NanoITX is another type of 4.7 x 4.7 inch motherboard form factor.
o NanoITX is a fully integrated board designed for very low power
consumption. Although this type of motherboard can be used in many
applications, it is specifically designed for smart entertainment such as
PVRs, media centers, smart TVs and in-vehicle devices.
 Micro Pico-ITX
o The Pico-ITX is the smallest form of motherboard shape issue on this list.
Its measurements are 3.9 × 2.8 in and it's miles 75% smaller than the
Mini-ITX.
o The Pico-ITX with an x86-based-platform and low-power consumption
board is a great choice for embedded systems applications, such as
industrial automation, in-vehicle computers, digital signage, and more.

Parts of Motherboard
1. RAM chips and RAM Slots
 RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. It is also known as
the main memory. RAM is a temporary data
storage device found in computers and other
electronic devices. Data stored in RAM is
erased as soon as the power is turned off.
 DRAM, SDRAM, DDR, SRAM, CMOS RAM,
VRAM, and other types of RAM are available
on the market. RAM in the PC market typically
ranges from 2 GB to 16 GB.
2. CPU Chips and Sockets
 CPU is an abbreviation for central processing unit. The CPU is considered
to be the brain of computers and other
electronic devices because it takes over
all the decision-making tasks of a
computer.
 This is a large printed circuit board with
all components and peripherals
connected directly or indirectly. The
main function of the CPU is to perform
basic arithmetic operations, logical
operations, and I / O operations.
 CPU
 ALU: Arithmetical Logical Unit (ALU) is a CPU digital circuit (gates)
that performs all arithmetic and logical operations. ALU performs
common arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. ALU performs logical operations such
as the number and letter comparisons. A single CPU may also
contain multiple ALUs.
 CU: The Control Unit (CU) is a digital circuit within the CPU that
governs all processes. It enables and instructs various logical units,
I/O devices, and the computer's memory on how to respond to
program instructions from various components, as well as the user.
3. North Bridge
 The north bridge is also known as a memory controller hub or host bridge.
It is the primary controller on the motherboard that forwards traffic to and
from the CPU. As a result, the northbridge chip impacts computer
performance. It usually comes with a heatsink because it does a lot of
work.
 Characteristic of North Bridge
 It connects southbridge to the CPU.
 It handles and communicates faster components on the
motherboard like Main Memory, AGP, PCIe, ROM, and CPU.
 It acts as a controller in bus speed on the motherboard.
 Generally, it does lots of work with the CPU, so it is located near to
the CPU generally with the heatsink.
  It is a core component and is directly connected to the CPU.
4. South Bridge
 The south bridge is an IC chip that manages and controls the IO function
of the motherboard. In contrast to Northbridge, there is no direct
communication with the CPU. Due to the slow communication speed, it
usually handles slow devices. The CPU sends an instruction to the
northbridge and sends it to the southbridge.
 It connects to serial devices such as PCI bus, ISA bus, IDE bus, audio,
mouse, keyboard, USB port, and SATA hard drive connectors.
5. CMOS Backup battery
 CMOS stands for "Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor" and can
be found in the form of small round coins on both laptops and desktop
PCs. CMOS is a variety of systems including current system clock, date,
time, pulse, frequently used hardware settings, BIOS configuration
settings, BOOT sequence, BIOS master / administrator password, GPU
and virtualization settings, power management, etc. Save the data.
6. SATA and PATA Port and Connector
 PATA is an acronym for Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment. This
is a 40-pin ribbon cable used to connect mass storage devices such as
hard drives (HDD or SSD) and
optical drives to your computer.
Western Digital and Compaq
introduced it in 1986.
 Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment is an abbreviation for
Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment. It is a 7-pin cable that
is shorter and more powerful than
the PATA connector, and it serves
the same purpose. SATA's first
version was released in 2000.
 Several Advantage of SATA over PATA
 Reduce Cable Size: The size of the SATA cable is shorter than the
PATA cable. The maximum cable length of SATA cable is 18 inch
and PATA's maximum cable length is ~ 39 inches.
 Higher Bandwidth: The bandwidth ranges of various PATA cable is
between 16 MB/s - 133 MB/s. But bandwidth ranges of various
SATA cable is between 150 MB/s - 600 MB/s.
 SATA has hot-swappable features: SATA cable from the devices
can be plugged in and out even system is ON(But don't try with
running hard disk or CDROM). Hot-swappable does not work with
PATA.
 SATA cable is cheaper than PATA cable.
 SATA offers an external interface but PATA doesn't.
7. Heatsink
  Heatsinks use a thermal conductor to reduce heat generated and prevent
overheating from hardware components like CPU, GPU, northbridge,
southbridge, RAM modules, etc. In general, that component that
generates heat required a heatsink.

Central Processing Unit

The main function of the CPU is to take input from peripherals (keyboards, mice,
printers, etc.) or computer programs and interpret what it needs. The CPU then outputs
information to the monitor or performs the requested task of the peripheral.

Components of the
CPU
In the CPU, there are
two primary
components.

ALU (arithmetic logic

unit) - performs
mathematical, logical,
and decision
operations.

CU (control unit) - directs all the processors operations.

Types of CPU
There are different architectures (32-bit and 64-bit), speeds, and capabilities.

AMD processors
K6-2 Sempron Turion 64 Phenom X3 Athlon II
K6-III Athlon 64 Athlon 64 X2 Athlon 6-series E2 series
Athlon Mobile Athlon 64 Turion 64 X2 Athlon 4-series A4 series
Duron Athlon XP-M Phenom FX Athlon X2 A6 series
Athlon XP Athlon 64 FX Phenom X4 Phenom II A8 series
A10 series

Intel processors

4004 Pentium Pentium 4 Pentium Extreme Edition Core i3

8080 Pentium w/ MMX Mobile Pentium 4- Core Duo Core i5
8086 Pentium Pro M Core 2 Duo Core i7
8087 Pentium II Pentium D Core i9
8088 Celeron
80286 (286) Pentium III
80386 (386) Pentium M
80486 (486) Celeron M
The AMD Opteron series and Intel Itanium and Xeon series are CPUs used in servers
and high-end workstation computers.

Some mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, use ARM CPUs. These CPUs are
smaller in size, require less power, and generate less heat.

Speed of CPU to transfer data

As with any device that uses electrical signals, the data will be very close to the speed
of light of 299,792,458 m / s. How close a signal can be to the speed of light depends
on the medium through which the signal passes (the metal in the wire). Most electrical
signals travel at about 75-90% of the speed of light.

Memory
Computer memory is a physical device that can store information temporarily, such as
random access memory (RAM), or permanently, such as read-only memory (ROM).
Storage devices employ integrated circuits and are used by operating systems,
software, and hardware.
 It is common for new computer users to be confused by what parts in the
computer are memory. Although both the hard
drive and RAM are memory, it's more
appropriate to refer to RAM as "memory" or
"primary memory" and a hard drive as "storage"
or "secondary storage."
 When a program, such as your Internet browser,
is open, it is loaded from your hard drive and
placed into RAM. This process allows that
program to communicate with the processor at
higher speeds. Anything you save to your
computer, such as pictures or videos, is sent to your hard drive for storage.
 Some memory devices are capable of storing and accessing information faster
than others. When buying RAM, for example, you can easily compare different
options by looking at the DDR (double data rate) version. DDR4 RAM is about
two times faster than DDR3 RAM. For a more specific indicator, RAM has a
megahertz (MHz) number next to it, indicating its exact speed; the higher the
MHz, the faster the RAM speed.
References:

https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/memory.htm
https://www.lanner-america.com/blog/types-motherboard-form-factors/
https://ourtechroom.com/tech/parts-of-motherboard/#mcetoc_1f8guqdj06a