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architecture of computer
Tools:A computer with motherboard, processor, heat sink, ports, storage devices and I/O devices.
Computer helps us doing certain jobs in split seconds that the human even can’t think of it.
Thecomputers are becoming the fundamental part of every field like they are widely used in
industries,banks, insurance companies, universities, colleges, nuclear science, weather forecasting,
weapondesigning, car modeling, air crash investigation, Bio-medical sciences etc. because they
performspecific tasks very quickly, accurately and very fast. The computers that we see all around us
inschools, colleges, universities and offices are digital computer.
As there are many different types of computers therefore computers can’t be classified in one or
twocategories. Computer can be classified in many aspects as according to type of data they
canrepresent (i.e. Analog or Digital), according to the size, according to the data handling
capabilities,according to the hardware they contain, according to the software they can support and
many more.
Inside a computer
Have you ever looked inside a computer case, or seen pictures of the inside of one? The small parts may look
complicated, but the inside of a computer case isn't really all that mysterious. This lesson will help you master
some of the basic terminology and understand a bit more about what goes on inside a computer.
1.2 Parts of a computer system
Up to now we have seen that there are very largecomputers that consume a whole big room or even a
Complete house. These computers are used for specificpurposes for solving specific complex problems
like;super computer is used in weather forecasting thatpredicates the weather report or a
largemainframewhich is used in Air-lines to store the records ofschedules of the flights, information
about passengers’passports and visas. And we have also seen that thereare very small computers, which
can be easily fitted in toyour hand like PDAs and smart phone. So we come toknow that the computer
size can vary dramatically but no matter how large or small a computer is,every computer is a part of
system and a complete computer system consists of following four parts:
» Hardware
» Software
» Operators (Users)
Hardware
Hardware is any that has a physical structure, such as case, storage drives, keyboards,
monitors, cables, speakers and printers. It also includes all of the computer's internal parts.
Software
Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do and how to do it.
Includes the operating system and programs.
The operating system instructs the computer how to operate.
These operations may include identifying, accessing and processing information.
Hardware Components
Computer Case
There are only two types of computer cases: the desktop case
and the tower case. These classifications have their specific uses,
which will help you to identify which of these case types is best
suited for you.
Motherboards, computer cases, and power supplies all come in different sizes
called form factors. All three must be compatible to work properly together.
Many computer cases, especially ones made of metal, contain very sharp edges. Be
very careful when working with an open case to avoid serious cuts.
There are several reasons why we use computer cases. One is for protection, which is
easy to assume because it's the most obvious. Dust, animals, toys, liquids, etc. can all
damage the internal parts of a computer if the hard shell of a computer case doesn't
enclose them and keep them away from the outside environment.
Do you always want to be looking at the disc drive, hard drive, motherboard, cables, power
supply, and everything else that makes up the computer? Probably not. Hand-in-hand with
protection, a computer case also doubles as a way to hide all those parts of the computer that
nobody really wants to see each time they look in that direction.
Keeping noisy computer parts, like the fans, in a closed space within the computer case is one
way to reduce the noise that they make.
A computer case, also known as a computer chassis, tower, system unit, CPU (when referring
to the case as a whole rather than the processor), or cabinet, is the enclosure that contains
most of the components of a computer (usually excluding the display, keyboard, and mouse).
Motherboard
o The motherboard is the computer's main circuit board. It's a thin plate that holds the CPU,
memory, connectors for the hard drive and optical drives, expansion cards to control the
video and audio, and connections to your computer's ports (such as USB ports). The
motherboard connects directly or indirectly to every part of the computer. It contains the
buses, or electrical pathways. These buses allow
data to travel between the various components that
comprise a computer. Also known as system board,
backplane, or main board.
1.3 Essential computer hardware
The computer can contain several different types of
components that your fingers are not enough to count them.
Every component is responsible for performing a particular
task like; the input devices are used for inputting the data and
output devices shows the result. But every computer should
contain following four essential components:
» Processor
» Memory
» Storage Devices
1.3.1 Processor
The processor is like the brain of a computer system. It is responsible
for all the processing capabilities of a computer. It is usually referred as
CPU (Central Processing Unit), and its job is to carry out commands.
Whenever you press a key, click the mouse, or start an application,
you're sending instructions to the CPU.
It comes in different form factors, each style requiring a particular slot or socket on the motherboard.
The speed of the processor is measured in mega hertz (MHZ) or giga hertz (GHZ). These microprocessors
are very fast and process the data in a split of a second. The very first processor was 4-bit Intel 4004,
released on November 15, 1971, developed by Federico Faggin and Marcian Hoff.
CPU socket or slot
It is the connector that is the interface between the motherboard and the processor.
PGA (pin grid array)- most CPU sockets and processors built today
ZIF (zero insertion force)- the amount of force needed to install the CPU.
Cooling Systems
Case Fan
It is installed in the computer case to make the cooling process more efficient.
A fan on top of the heat sink moves away the heat from the CPU.
1.3.2 Memory
The term memory refers to the ability to remember. In term of computer the memory means the ability
of a device to store the data temporarily or permanently. There are several types of memory in a
personal computer but the two most important are RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read
Only Memory). Both the memories are used for distinct purposes and have their own importance.
Every personal computer contains at least one chip of RAM. The RAM directly affects the performance
of the whole system. It is common experience that more the RAM a computer contains faster it will
operate. You can add more RAM by replacing or plugging more RAM chips on your motherboard. The
amount of memory in a RAM is usually measured in megabytes (MB). The standard personal computer
can contain 128 MB of RAM some other models can contain 256 MB of RAM. The newest personal
computers can contain 512 or even 1 GB or 2 GB of RAM.
There are many types of input devices but the mostcommonly input devices used in a personal
computer arekeyboard and a mouse. The keyboard is used to enter the text and numbers, where as the
mouse is used to enter thedata which is used by the computer to set the cursor on thescreen. There are
also many other input devices which mayinclude the variants of mouse like, track ball and track pad; it
may include optical input devices like adigital pen also called a stylus; the devices that input still and
moving pictures which includes thedigital camera and web cam; the devices to control the movement of
the character in a computergame like, joystick or joy pad; the sound inputting devices like a microphone
and many many more.
The output devices are used to display the result of processed data. The computer produces theresult by
accepting the data from user via input devices and by performing some processingoperations on to it.
Now this result is very much meaningful to the users and their must be a deviceat which this result could
be displayed and this task is performed by the output devices.There are many types of output devices
but the most commonly used output devices in a personal.
1. Input Devices: It is the computer hardware that produces data. The data had been produced will be
sent to the computer’s primary memory. Input devices usually used by end users. The simplest example
of input devices is your keyboard andmouse.
2. Memory: Memory in computer can be divided into 2 main types. There are primary
memory and secondary memory.
Primary Memory: It keeps data temporarily, so that it usually called the volatile memory. When I say
the primary memory is volatile memory, it means data which had been kept in this type of
memory disappeared when the computer is powered off. The example of primary memory is Random
Access Memory (RAM)
Secondary Memory: It keeps data permanently, so that it usually called non-volatile memory. When I
say the secondary memory is non-volatile memory, it means datawhich had been kept in this type of
memory not disappeared when thecomputer is powered off. The example of secondary memory in
computer ishard disk.
3. Processor: It is the “brain of computer” which plays the most important roles. The processor will
change the data produced by input devices into usable information.
In order to change data into usable information, the processor will perform continuous Fetch-Decode-
Execute (FDE) cycle. By performing this cycle, the processor will fetch the data from primary memory.
Then, the data will bedecoded and execute as usable information.
4. Output Devices: It is the computer hardware that displays the information to the end users. The types
of information that can be displayed by output devices are video, text, picture, animation, audio and
many more. The information displayed can be softcopy or hardcopy.
The example of output device is your monitor which can display information in softcopy. Another output
device is your printer which can display information in hardcopy.
Exercise
1. Name the following devices:
Device Name
https://www.lifewire.com/tour-inside-a-desktop-pc-2624588
2. Name the following ports: