Introduction to

Computer Hardware
& Basic Electronics
Benjamin Odoi-Lartey
[email protected]
+233244361636

Benjamin Odoi-Lartey Benjamin Odoi-Lartey @odlabenonline

 Lecture / Lesson Objectives
• To define Computer around Information Processing Cycle
• Electronic, Data, Information
• To describe the history and generation of computers
• 1st – 5th Generation and their makeup
• To explain the various classification of computers
• By data representation, Size, purpose and examples
• To describe the basic organization of computer systems
• Computer System, Computer Parts, Form Factors, Parts of System Unit
• Input and Input devices, types , categories, examples
• Output and Output devices, types, categories, examples
• Processing Devices
• Storage and Storage devices, types, categories examples
• To explain the Components and parts of a personal computer
• Assembling and Disassembling of computers
• Tools and Equipment for Hardware Repair, Assembly and Disassembly
 Introduction and Definition of Computers
• A program that acts as an intermediary
• What is a computer? between a user of a computer and the
computer hardware
• Differentiate between Data and Information • Operating system goals:
o Execute user programs and make
• Explain the Information Processing Cycle solving user problems easier
o Make the computer system
• The Hardware and Software of Computers convenient to use
o Use the computer hardware in an
• What are the Types of Computers? efficient manner
Classification of Computers
• By Purpose
• General Purpose
• Special Purpose

• By Data Representation
• Analog
• Digital
• Hybrid

• By Size
• Mini Computers
• Micro Computers
• Mainframe Computers
• Super Computers
 Computer System Structure
• Computer system can be divided into four
components:
• Hardware – provides basic computing resources
• CPU, memory, I/O devices
• Operating system
• Controls and coordinates use of hardware among
various applications and users
• Application programs – define the ways in
which the system resources are used to solve
the computing problems of the users
• Word processors, compilers, web browsers, database
systems, video games
• Users
• People, machines, other computers
 Internal and External Parts of the
Hardware
• What are some of the Internal Parts of Computer
Systems Unit?

• What are some of the external Parts of the Computer System

Unit?
 Basic Peripherals
• Monitors

• Printers

• Keyboard

• Mice

• Scanners

• Cameras
 Basic Operating System
• What is an Operating System?

• Mention types of Operating System you

have used before
 Hardware Components
• Computer systems are made up of a number of different hardware components such as a
central processor (CPU), memory (RAM), storage space (HDD) and so on. This is called
internal hardware and usually plugs into a main board called a motherboard

• Devices that sit outside the case are called peripherals and can include printers, scanners,
keyboards, mice, cameras and so on.

• There is also removable storage such as memory cards, USB sticks and external hard
drives that are designed to be portable. Lets start by taking a look at internal hardware.
Memory (RAM)
• Computer memory is made up of silicon chips and is the
computer’s working area. This is where software instructions
and data are stored.

• For example if you are typing a document in Microsoft Word,

both Microsoft Word and your document are loaded into and
stored in the computer’s memory while you are working on it.
This is not to be confused with the Hard Disk. Usually
measured in Gigabytes
Memory (RAM)
• DDR and DDR2 are old now and being phased out in favour of
DDR3 and DDR4. Most of the latest PCs will use DDR3 & DDR4
RAM.

• Notice the positions of the cut out notches along the bottom of the
DIMM indicated in red on the photograph above. This is to make
sure only the correct RAM fits in the slot on the motherboard.

• RAM speed is also measured in MegaHertz (MHz) and you’ll

likely see this when looking at buying RAM.

• Laptops have their own type of memory. It’s more or less the
same except for
Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
• The hard disk (also called hard drive is like a filing cabinet and
permanently stores all your documents, photographs, music,
your operating system (such as Microsoft windows) and your
installed software (such as Microsoft word)

• When you start up an application such as Microsoft word, the

Microsoft word software is loaded up off the hard disk into the
computer’s memory (or ram), where you can work on your
documents. Usually measured in Gigabytes and

• Terabytes, eg 500GB, 1TB, 4TB.

• The disk spins at 7200rpm on most modern hard disk drives

and connects to your computer motherboard using SATA or
PATA
CD/DVD/Blu-ray Drive
• Performs much like a Hard Disk but is extremely fast and
also extremely expensive.

• These drives are being used in smaller laptops/notebook

computers and on some tablet computers where you don’t
require large amounts of storage space.

• These drives can also be useful where you need fast data
transfer rates, such as for video editing, playing games and
recording audio/video.

• These can be over 2TB, however large capacities are

expensive. The average size in use is about 250GB
Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Another dying breed, this drive allows you to
play CDs, watch DVDs or Blu-Ray movies that
come on a disk.

• You can also create your own. Most of these

drives have a “writer” function that allows you to
copy your own data onto a blank disk; this could
be your photographs, documents or your home
movies.
Memory Cards
• Memory cards are commonly used in digital cameras, tablets and
some smart phones. The most common type are called SD Cards
and come in a variety of sizes; SD, Mini SD and Micro SD,
shown below.

• SD cards tend to be used in digital cameras, while mini and

micro SD cards are used in smart phones and tablets.

• These cards are usually read with a card reader. Most tablets and
smart phones have these built in, however you can buy USB card
readers that plug into your computer like the one below.
USB Flash Drives
• Also called memory sticks, these little things plug into the
USB port on your computer or laptop and allow you to
copy files onto them much like a hard disk.

• They are more for backup and transport of data such as

photos, documents etc.

• These drives come in a variety of shapes and capacities

ranging from 2GB up 512GB
External Hard Disk
• External hard disks are hard disk drives that sit outside the
computer and plug into your USB port.

• These are designed for portability and are usually small

enough to fit in your pocket. These are great for backup
and transport of data such as photos, documents, videos
etc.

• These can range up to about 4TB.

NAS Drives
• NAS drives, sometimes called Network Attached
Storage, allow you to store and backup files to a
central point on your home network.

• All the machines on the network can access files on

the NAS drive, shared data can either be set to private
for one particular machine or shared publicly for all
machines to see.

• These devices make great backup strategies and come

with software you can install on your computer to
automate backups at certain times.

• You will need a few terabytes of storage on your

NAS.
Personal Cloud
• Personal Cloud storage takes your NAS drive one
step further. An example of this is Western
Digital’s ‘My Cloud’ device.
• This device works like a NAS drive, as described
above, except it will sync all your files to its cloud
service on the internet, meaning you can access
your files from anywhere, not just at home. To get
started go to...
• www.mycloud.com/setup
• Click ‘Get Started’; make sure your MyCloud
device is powered on and connected to your router.
Click next.
• Select your device from the list, then click next.
• Enter your name and email address for your
MyCloud.com account
CPU/Processor
• The CPU or processor is the brain of the computer and responds to all the
commands you give the computer. It is one of the primary factors in
determining the power of the system.
• Measured in Gigahertz, the higher the number, the more powerful the
processor.
• Modern processors have multiple cores. You might see a dual core or
quad core processor. A core is an independent processing unit, meaning
the processor can execute more than one instruction at a time, so the more
cores your processor has, theoretically the faster it is.
• The operation of most CPUs, is to execute a sequence of stored
instructions called a program. The instructions are kept in the computer’s
memory (or RAM).
• There are four steps that nearly all CPUs use in their operation:
Fetch Decode Execute Writeback
 Sound Card
• A sound card also known as an audio card is an
internal expansion card, that facilitates the input and
output of audio signals to and from a computer,
providing the audio for multimedia applications such
as music, editing video or audio, presentations, games
and video projection; through a speaker or sound
system.

• Sound cards are usually integrated into most modern

motherboards, using basically the same components as
a plug-in card.

• The best plug-in cards, which use better and more expensive components, can achieve higher quality than integrated sound
and are usually used in higher end applications such as audio production, music composition and video editing.

• Some sound cards have more specialist connections such as digital output for connecting to sound systems and amplifiers.
 Video Card
• The video card or graphics card is
responsible for processing video,
graphic and visual effects you see on
your monitor.

• Most video cards offer various

functions such as accelerated rendering
of 3D scenes and 2D graphics, MPEG-
2/MPEG-4 decoding, TV output, or the
ability to connect multiple monitors.

• Most modern motherboards have video cards integrated into them, eliminating the need for a plug-in card. However, integrated video
cards are not usually as high quality as plug in cards. This makes plug in cards more suited to high end video production, graphics
processing and video games.

• Some plug in video cards have more specialist connections such as HDMI, DVI, S-Video or Composite for connecting to high end
televisions, projectors and monitors.
 Expansion Slots
• Video cards and sound cards
plug into expansion slots on
your motherboard.
• The ‘PCIe x 16’ slots are
extremely fast and are for
high end graphics cards like
the one shown opposite.
• The PCI slots are for sound
cards and other types of
cards.
• The ‘PCIe x 1’ slots are for
smaller devices such as
ethernet and wifi network
controllers or modems etc.
 Inside the Case
• All these components connect to a large circuit
board called a motherboard and is the main circuit
board found in desktop and laptop computer
systems.

• It holds many of the crucial components, such as

the processor (or CPU) and memory (or RAM),
and provides connectors for other peripherals.

• A typical desktop computer has its processor

(CPU), main memory (RAM), and other essential
components connected to the motherboard. Other
components such as storage (hard disc, dvd drive)
can be connected to the drive connectors on the
motherboard using cables, as can be seen in the
photograph opposite.
Inside the Case
Computer Peripherals
• Computer peripherals are essentially anything that
connects to the computer.

• This can be input devices such as keyboards, mice and

scanners; output devices such as monitors and printers; or
storage devices such as hard disks, DVD and flash drives.

• All these components connect to the computer using a

variety of different connectors and cables; whether it’s
USB to connect a printer or HDMI to connect a computer
screen or projector.

• Lets start by taking a look at the most common of all

peripherals, the printer.
Inkjet Printer
• These printers are good for the average user who just
wants to print some letters or other documents and the odd
few photographs. They are generally slower printers and
are not suitable for printing documents with a large
number of pages.

• These printers can also print on labels, envelopes and

specialist presentation paper (good for greetings cards if
you want to print your own).

• The only issue I find with inkjet printers is the ink tends to
dry up if you don’t print out regularly. So make sure you
print out something at least once a week to keep the ink
from drying up.
Laser Printer
• Laser printers can produce very high quality prints
very quickly and are suited to high volumes of
printouts and can be a bit more expensive than inkjets.

• These printers are good if you do a lot of printing, for

example, if you run a business or have a family that
all want to print out from their own computers/laptops
at the same time.

• These printers come in black and white and colour

and work by burning ink (called toner) onto the page;
these toner cartridges can be expensive but last a lot
longer than ink jet cartridges.
Laser Printer Technology
• Laser printers use a laser beam to create the
image to be printed on an electrically charged
rotating drum.

• Toner particles are then electro-statically picked

up by the areas on the drum which have not been
exposed to the laser, creating a very sharp image.

• The drum then transfers this image onto the

paper by direct contact is the paper passes over
it.

• Finally this image is fused to the paper by the

fuser unit which heats the paper temporarily
melting the toner and presses it onto the page.
USB
• USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and is a universal connection
used to connect all different types of peripherals to your computer
as easy as possible using the same connection type.

• USB 3.0, shown below left, was released on 12 November 2008,

with a data rate of around 4 Gbps and is much faster than USB 2.0.

• USB 2.0, shown below right, was released in April 2000, with a
maximum data rate of 480 Mbps.

• USB 3.0 ports are colour coded in blue, while USB 2.0 ports are
colour coded in black.

• The smaller USB pictured below left is called micro USB and the
one next to it is called mini USB.
Ethernet
• Also known as RJ45, Ethernet is used to connect a
computer or laptop to a network and to the internet.
Firewire
• Also known as IEEE 1394 or iLink, this port
was widely used in digital camcorders and
most of them that recorded onto tape included
a firewire interface .

• There were two versions; Firewire 400 (on the

left) and Firewire 800 (on the right).

• FireWire 400 transfers data at about 400Mbps,

Firewire 800 transfers data at about 800Mbps
ThunderBolt
• Thunderbolt ports are used for peripherals that
require extremely fast data transfers and have
been known to support speeds of up to
10Gbps.

• This port is also used on Apple Mac computers

as a mini display port for connecting to
monitors and projectors.
eSATA
• eSATA cables connect to some types of
high speed external portable hard
drives. The eSATA cable cannot
transmit power, unless you use
eSATAp (powered eSATA).
DVI
• Digital Video Interface is a video
display interface used to connect
a video source (eg your
computer) to a display device,
such as an HD ready TV,
computer monitor or projector.

• DVI can get a bit confusing, as

there are a number of different
connectors. Here is a summary.
HDMI
• High Definition Media Interface, is a
combined audio/video interface for
carrying video and audio data from a
High Definition device such as a
games console or computer to a high
end computer monitor, video
projector, or High Definition digital
television.

• Pictured in here is Standard HDMI

& Micro HDMI.
VGA
• Video Graphics Array is a 15-pin

connector found on many computers

and laptops and is used to connect

to projectors, computer monitors

and LCD television sets.

Component Video
• Carries a video signal (no audio)

that has been split into three

component channels. It is often used

to connect high end dvd players to

televisions.
Composite Video
• Carries an analogue standard

definition video signal (with no

audio) used in old games consoles

or analogue video cameras.

1/8” (3.5mm) Phono Jack
• The phono jack also known as an

audio jack, headphone jack or jack

plug, is commonly used to connect

speakers or headphones to a

computer, laptop, tablet or MP3

player and carries analogue audio

signals.
1/4” (6.35mm) Phono Jack
• These are generally used on a wide

range of professional audio

equipment. 6.35 mm (1⁄4 in) plugs

are common on audio recorders,

musical instruments such as guitars

and amps.
3 Pin XLR
• The XLR connector is usually found

on professional audio, video, and

stage lighting equipment.

• Many audio mixing desks have

XLR connectors to connect stage

mics.
RCA Audio
• Some home audio system,

televisions and DVD players use

RCA cables to connect to audio

receivers, amplifiers and speakers.

S/PDIF Optical Audio
• Also known as TosLink, these are

for high end amplifiers and home

cinema systems and make use of

fibre optic cables to carry the audio

data from a DVD player or

computer system.
Basic PC Operation
Power On Self Test (POST)
• Content
Summarizing the Boot Process
• What is booting?
Explaining BIOS and UEFI
BIOS Components and Configuration
Built In Diagnostic and Monitoring
• Content
Input Devices Classification
• Content
Output Devices Classification
• Content
Storage Devices
• Content
Processing Devices
• Content