Computer Hardware ..

System Unit

The case that contains CPU, memory, power supply, motherboard, hard disk drives, and other hardware such as modem that are all at internal format. also known as the “CPU”.

Inside the System Unit:

1. Motherboard

A motherboard (sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, baseboard, planar board or logic board, or colloquially, a mobo) is the main printed circuit board (PCB) found in general purpose microcomputers and other expandable systems. It holds and allows communication between many of the crucial electronic components of a system, such as the central processing unit(CPU) and memory, and provides connectors for other peripherals. such as

2. CPU (central processing unit)

The CPU is the heart and brain of a computer. It receives data input, executes instructions, and processes information. It communicates with Input/Output (I/O) devices, which send and receive data to and from the CPU. Additionally, the CPU has an internal bus for communication with the internal cache memory, called the backside bus. The main bus for data transfer to and from the CPU, memory, chipset, and AGP socket is called the front side bus.
Some computers have dual or multiple processors. These consist of two or more separate physical CPUs located side-by-side on the same board or on separate boards. Each CPU has an independent interface, separate cache, and individual paths to the system front-side bus. Mutliple processors are ideal for intensive parallel tasks requiring multitasking.

3. RAM (random access memory)

It is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer’s processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than the other kinds of storage in a computer, the hard disk, floppy disk, and CD-ROM. However, the data in RAM stays there only as long as your computer is running. When you turn the computer off, RAM loses its data. When you turn your computer on again, your operating system and other files are once again loaded into RAM, usually from your hard disk.

4. Graphic Card

A video adapter (alternate terms include graphics card, display adapter, video card, video board and almost any combination of the words in these terms) is an integrated circuit card in a computer or, in some cases, a monitor that provides digital-to-analog conversion, video RAM, and a video controller so that data can be sent to a computer’s display. Today, almost all displays and video adapters adhere to a common denominator de facto standard, Video Graphics Array (VGA). VGA describes how data – essentially red, green, blue data streams – is passed between the computer and the display. It also describes the frame refresh rates in hertz. It also specifies the number and width of horizontal lines, which essentially amounts to specifying the resolution of the pixels that are created. VGA supports four different resolution settings and two related image refresh rates.

In addition to VGA, most displays today adhere to one or more standards set by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). VESA defines how software can determine what capabilities a display has. It also identifies resolutions setting beyond those of VGA. These resolutions include 800 by 600, 1024 by 768, 1280 by 1024, and 1600 by 1200 pixels.

5. Power Supply

If there is any one component that is absolutely vital to the operation of a computer, it is the power supply. Without it, a computer is just an inert box full of plastic and metal. The power supply converts the alternating current (AC) line from your home to the direct current (DC) needed by the personal computer. In this article, we’ll learn how PC power supplies work and what the wattage ratings mean.

In a personal computer (PC), the power supply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the case. The power supply is visible from the back of many systems because it contains the power-cord receptacle and the cooling fan.

If there is any one component that is absolutely vital to the operation of a computer, it is the power supply. Without it, a computer is just an inert box full of plastic and metal. The power supply converts the alternating current (AC) line from your home to the direct current (DC) needed by the personal computer.

In a personal computer (PC), the power supply is the metal box usually found in a corner of the case. The power supply is visible from the back of many systems because it contains the power-cord receptacle and the cooling fan.

6. Hard disk drives

The hard disk drive is the main, and usually largest, data storage hardware device in a computer. The operating system, software titles and most other files are stored in the hard disk drive. also known as HDD (abbreviation), hard drive, hard disk, fixed drive, fixed disk, fixed disk drive

Important Hard Disk Drive Facts

The hard drive is sometimes referred to as the “C drive” due to the fact that Microsoft Windows designates the “C” drive letter to the primary partition on the primary hard drive in a computer by default. While this is not a technically correct term to use, it is still common. For example, some computers have multiple drive letters (e.g. C, D, E) representing areas across one or more hard drives.

Common Manufacturers

Seagate Technology, Western Digital, Hitachi, Toshiba, Fujitsu, G-Technology, EMC Corporation, Samsung Electronics, etc.

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