IDENTIFYING A COMPUTER SYSTEM UNIT
DESCRIBING A COMPUTER SYSTEM
A computer system consists of hardware and software components. Hardware is the physical Components
such as the casing, storage drives, keyboards, monitors, cables, speakers, and printers. The term software includes
the operating system and programs. The operating system instructs the computer how to operate. These operations
may include identifying, accessing, and processing information. Programs or applications perform different functions.
Programs vary widely, depending on the type of information that is accessed or generated. For example, instructions
for balancing a checkbook are very different from instructions for simulating a virtual-reality world on the Internet.
IDENTIFY THE NAMES, PURPOSES, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CASES AND POWER SUPPLIES
The computer case provides protection and support for the computer’s internal components.
All computers need a power supply to convert alternating-current (AC) power from the wall socket into
direct-current (DC) power. The size and shape of the computer case is usually determined by the motherboard and
other internal components. You can select a large computer case to accommodate additional components that may
be required in the future. Other users may select a smaller case that requires minimal space. In general, the
computer case should be durable and easy to service and should have enough room for expansion. The power
supply must provide enough power for the components that are currently installed and allow for additional
components that may be added later. If you choose a power supply that powers only the current components, it
may be necessary to replace the power supply when other components are upgraded.
DESCRIBE CASING
A computer case contains the framework to support a computer’s internal components while providing an
enclosure for added protection. Computer cases typically are made of plastic, steel, and aluminum and are available
in a variety of styles. The size and layout of a case is called a form factor. There are many types of cases, but the
basic form factors for computer cases include desktop and tower. Desktop cases may be slimline or full-sized, and
tower cases may be mini or full-sized. Computer cases are referred to in a number of ways:
■ Computer chassis ■ Cabinet ■ Tower ■ Box ■ Housing
In addition to providing protection and support, cases also provide an environment designed to keep the
internal components cool. Case fans are used to move air through the computer case. As the air passes warm
components, it absorbs heat and then exits the case. This process keeps the computer’s components from
overheating. You must consider many factors when choosing a case:
■ The size of the motherboard
■ The number of external or internal drive locations, called bays
■ Available space
When choosing a computer case, consider the following:
■ Model type: There are two main case models. One type is for desktop PCs, and the other is for tower computers.
The type of motherboard you choose determines the type of case that can be used. The size and shape must match
exactly.
■ Size: If a computer has many components, it needs more room for airflow to keep the system cool.
■ Available space: Desktop cases allow space conservation in tight areas, because the monitor can be placed on top
of the unit. The design of the desktop case may limit the number and size of the components that can be added.
■ Power supply: You must match the power rating and connection type of the power supply to the type of
motherboard you have chosen.
■ Appearance: Some people don’t care how the case looks. Others do. You have many case designs to choose from
if you want an attractive case.
■ Status display: What is going on inside the case can be very important. LED indicators that are mounted on the
front of the case can tell you if the system is receiving power, when the hard drive is being used, and when the
computer is on standby or sleeping.
■ Vents: All cases have a vent on the power supply, and some have another vent on the back to help draw air into or
out of the system. Some cases are designed with more vents in the event that the system needs a way to dissipate
an unusual amount of heat. This situation may occur when many devices are installed close together in the case.
In addition to providing protection from the environment, cases help prevent damage from static electricity. Internal
components of the computer are grounded by attachment to the casing.
Describe Power Supplies
The power supply, converts alternating-current (AC) power coming from a wall outlet into direct-current (DC) power,
which is a lower voltage. DC power is required for all the components inside the computer.
Connectors
Most connectors today are keyed connectors. Keyed connectors are designed to be inserted in only one
direction. Each part of the connector has a colored wire with a different voltage running through it.
Different connectors are used to connect specific components and various locations on the motherboard:
■ A Molex connector is a keyed connector used to connect to an optical drive or hard drive.
■ A Berg connector is a keyed connector used to connect to a floppy drive. A Berg conector is smaller than a Molex
connector.
■ A 20-pin or 24-pin slotted connector is used to connect to the motherboard. The 24-pin slotted connector has two
rows of 12 pins each, and the 20-pin slotted connector has two rows of 10 pins each.
■ A four-pin-to-eight-pin auxiliary power connector has two rows of two to four pins and supplies power to all areas
of the motherboard. The four-pin-to-eight-pin auxiliary power connector is the same shape as the main power
connector, but smaller.
■ Older standard power supplies used two connectors called P8 and P9 to connect to the motherboard. P8 and P9
were unkeyed connectors. They could be installed backwards, potentially damaging the motherboard or power
supply. The installation required that the connectors were lined up with the black wires together in the middle
IDENTIFY THE NAMES, PURPOSES, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNAL COMPONENTS
The motherboard is the main printed circuit board. It contains the buses, or electrical pathways, found in a
computer. These buses allow data to travel between the various components that comprise a computer. A
motherboard is also known as the system board, backplane, or main board. Figure 1-4 shows a variety of
motherboards. The motherboard accommodates the central processing unit (CPU), RAM, expansion slots, heat
sink/fan assembly, BIOS chip, chip set, and the embedded wires that interconnect the motherboard components.
Sockets, internal and external connectors, and various ports are also placed on the motherboard.
An important set of components on the motherboard is the chip set. The chip set is composed of various
integrated circuits attached to the motherboard that control how system hardware interacts with the CPU and
motherboard. The CPU is installed into a slot or sock et on the motherboard. The socket on the motherboard
determines the type of CPU that can be installed. The chip set of a motherboard allows the CPU to communicate and
interact with the computer’s other components and to exchange data with system memory (RAM), hard-disk drives,
video cards, and other output devices. The chip set establishes how much memory can be added to a motherboard.
The chip set also determines the type of connectors on the motherboard.
IDENTIFY THE NAMES, PURPOSES, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) is considered the computer’s brain. It is sometimes called the processor. Most
calculations take place in the CPU. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a
computer system. CPUs come in different form factors, each style requiring a particular slot or socket on the
motherboard. Common CPU manufacturers include Intel and AMD. The CPU socket or slot is the connector that is
the interface between the motherboard and the processor. Most CPU sockets and processors in use today are built
around the pin grid array (PGA) architecture, in which the pins on the underside of the processor are inserted into
the socket, usually with zero insertion force (ZIF). ZIF refers to the amount of force needed to install a CPU into the
motherboard socket or slot. Slot-based processors are cartridge-shaped and fit into a slot that looks similar to an
expansion slot.
The CPU executes a program, which is a sequence of stored instructions. Each model of processor has an instruction
set, which it executes. The CPU executes the program by processing each piece of data as directed by the program
and the instruction set. While the CPU is executing one step of the program, the remaining instructions and the data
are stored nearby in a special memory called cache. Two major CPU architectures are related to instruction sets:
■ Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC): Architectures use a relatively small set of instructions, and RISC chips are
designed to execute these instructions very rapidly.
■ Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC): Architectures use a broad set of instructions, resulting in fewer steps per
operation. Some CPUs incorporate hyperthreading to enhance the CPU’s performance. With hyper threading, the
CPU has multiple pieces of code being executed simultaneously on each pipeline. To an operating system, a single
CPU with hyperthreading appears to be two CPUs.
A CPU’s power is measured by its speed and the amount of data it can process. A CPU’s speed is rated in cycles per
second. The speed of current CPUs is measured in millions of cycles per second, called megahertz (MHz), or billions
of cycles per second, called giga hertz (GHz). The amount of data that a CPU can process at the one time depends on
the size of the processor data bus. This is also called the CPU bus or the front-side bus (FSB). The wider the processor
data bus, the more powerful the processor. Current processors have a 32-bit or 64-bit processor data bus.
Overclocking is a technique used to make a processor work at a faster speed than its original specification.
Overclocking is an unreliable way to improve computer performance and can damage the CPU. MMX is a set of
multimedia instructions built into Intel processors. MMX-enabled microprocessors can handle many common
multimedia operations that normally are handled by a separate sound or video card. However, only software
specially written to call MMX instructions can take advantage of the MMX instruction set. The latest processor
technology has caused CPU manufacturers to find ways to incorporate more than one CPU core into a single chip.
Many CPUs can process multiple instructions concurrently.