Chapter 2Chapter 2Computer HardwareComputer Hardware

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Chapter Contents Section A: Personal Computer Basics Section B: Microprocessors and Memory Section C: Storage Devices Section D: Input and Output Devices Section E: Hardware Security

2SECTION A

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Personal Computer BasicsPersonal Computer Basics Personal Computer Systems Desktop and Portable Computers Home, Media, Game, and Small Business Systems Buying Computer System Components

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Personal Computer Systems

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Desktop and Portable Computers

The term form factor refers to the size and dimensions of a component, such as a system board or system unit

A desktop computer fits on a desk and runs on power from an electrical wall outlet

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Desktop and Portable Computers

A portable computer is a small, lightweight personal computer

A notebook computer (also referred to as a laptop), is a small, lightweight portable computer that opens like a clamshell to reveal a screen and keyboard

A tablet computer is a portable computing device featuring a touch-sensitive screen that can be used as a writing or drawing pad

An ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a small form factor tablet computer designed to run most of the software available for larger portable computers

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Desktop and Portable Computers

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Home, Media, Game, and Small Business Systems

A home computer system offers a hardware platform with adequate, but not super-charged support for most computer applications

A Media Center PC includes components for integrating computers, televisions, home theaters, and audio systems

Some of the most cutting-edge computers are designed for gaming

Computers marketed for small business applications tend to be middle-of-the-line models pared down to essentials

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Buying Computer System Components

Browse through online computer stores to get a general idea of features and prices

Decide on a budget and stick to it Make a list of the ways you plan to use your computer Select a platform Decide on a form factor Select peripherals, software, and accessories

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Buying Computer System Components

Instead of buying a new computer, you might consider upgrading

2SECTION B

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Microprocessors and MemoryMicroprocessors and Memory Microprocessor Basics Today’s Microprocessors Random Access Memory Read-only Memory EEPROM

2 A microprocessor is an integrated circuit designed to

process instructions– Usually the most

expensive component of a computer

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Microprocessor Basics

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Microprocessor Basics Microprocessor clock

– Megahertz– Gigahertz

Front side bus– HyperTransport

Word size Cache

– Level 1 cache (L1)– Level 2 cache (L2)

CISC vs. RISC technology

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Microprocessor Basics Serial processing

– Pipelining Parallel processing Multi-core processor Hyper-Threading Technology

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Today’s Microprocessors

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Random Access Memory Random Access Memory is a temporary holding area for

data, application program instructions, and the operating system

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Random Access Memory Microscopic capacitors hold the bits that represent data Most RAM is volatile

– Requires electrical power to hold data

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Random Access Memory RAM capacity is expressed in megabytes or gigabytes Personal computers typically feature between 256MB and

4GB of RAM An area of the hard disk, called virtual memory, can be used

if an application runs out of allocated RAM

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Random Access Memory RAM speed is often expressed in nanoseconds or

megahertz SDRAM is fast and relatively inexpensive

– DDR, DDR2, or DDR3 RDRAM is more expensive, and usually found in high-

performance workstations

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Read-Only Memory ROM is a type of memory circuitry that holds the computer’s

startup routine– Permanent and non-volatile

The ROM BIOS tells the computer how to access the hard disk, find the operating system, and load it into RAM

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EEPROM Electrically Erasable

Programmable Read-Only Memory

More permanent than RAM, and less permanent than ROM

Requires no power to hold data

2SECTION C

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Storage DevicesStorage Devices Storage Basics Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Technology Solid State Storage Storage Wrap-up

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Storage Basics A storage medium contains data A storage device records and retrieves data from a storage

medium– Data gets copied from a storage device into RAM, where

it waits to be processed– Processed data is held temporarily in RAM before it is

copied to a storage medium Vertical vs. horizontal storage

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Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology

Magnetic storage stores data by magnetizing microscopic particles on the disk or tape surface

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Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology

Hard disk platters and read-write heads are sealed inside the drive case or cartridge to screen out dust and other contaminants.

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A hard disk controller positions the disk and read-write heads to locate data– SATA– Ultra ATA– EIDE– SCSI

Not as durable as many other storage technologies– Head crash

Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology

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Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology

A floppy disk is a round piece of flexible mylar plastic covered with a thin layer of magnetic oxide and sealed inside a protective casing

A tape drive is a device that reads data from and writes data to a long stream of recordable media similar to the tapes used in audio cassettes

A tape is a sequential storage medium

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CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Technology

Optical storage stores data as microscopic light and dark spots on the disk surface– CD, DVD, and Blu-ray storage technologies

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CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Technology

Today’s DVD drives typically have 20X speeds for a data transfer rate of 210 Mbps

Three categories of optical technologies– Read-only (ROM)– Recordable (R)– Rewritable (RW)

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CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Technology

CD-DA DVD-Video CD-ROM DVD-ROM CD-R DVD+R or DVD-R CD-RW DVD+RW or DVD-RW BD-ROM, BD-R, and BD-

RE

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CD, DVD, and Blu-ray Technology

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Solid State Storage Solid state storage technology stores data in an erasable,

rewritable circuitry Non-volatile Card reader may be required

to read data on solid state storage

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Solid State Storage A USB flash drive is a

portable storage device that plugs directly into a computer’s system unit using a built-in connector

A U3 drive is a special type of USB flash drive that is preconfigured to autoplay when it is inserted into a computer

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Storage Wrap-up

2 Storage Wrap-up

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2SECTION D

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Input and Output DevicesInput and Output Devices Basic Input Devices Display Devices Printers Installing Peripheral Devices

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Basic Input Devices Keyboard Pointing device

– Mice– Trackballs– Pointing Sticks– Trackpads– Joystick

Touch-sensitive screen

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Display Devices A CRT display device uses

a glass tube An LCD manipulates light

within a layer of liquid crystal cells

Plasma screen technology illuminates lights arranged in a panel-like screen

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Display Devices Viewable image size Dot pitch Viewing angle width Refresh rate Color depth Resolution

– VGA, SVGA, XGA, SXGA, UXGA, WUXGA, and WQXGA

2 Display Devices

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Display Devices Graphics circuitry generates the signals for displaying an

image on the screen– Integrated graphics– Graphics card– Graphics processing

unit (GPU)

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Printers An ink-jet printer has a nozzle-like print head that sprays ink

onto paper A laser printer works like a photocopier

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Printers

Laser printers are a popular technology when high-volumeoutput or good-quality printouts are required.

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Printers Dot matrix printers produce characters and graphics by

using a grid of fine wires– The wires strike a ribbon and the paper

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Printers Printer features

– Resolution– Print speed– Duty cycle– Operating costs

– Duplex capability– Memory– Networkability

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Installing Peripheral Devices Many new devices can be connected to an external USB

port The data bus moves data within the computer Expansion cards are small circuit boards that give the

computer additional capabilities– Expansion slot

• ISA• PCI• AGP

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Installing Peripheral DevicesAn expansion card simply slides into an expansion slot and is secured with a small screw. Before you open the case, make sure you unplug the computer and ground yourself—that’s technical jargon for releasing static electricity by using a special grounding wristband or by touching both hands to a metal object.

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Installing Peripheral Devices An expansion port passes

data in and out of a computer or peripheral device

Peripheral device may include the Plug and Play feature, or require a device driver

2 Installing Peripheral Devices

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2SECTION E

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Hardware SecurityHardware Security Anti-theft Devices Surge Protection and Battery Backup Basic Maintenance Troubleshooting and Repair

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Anti-Theft Devices

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Surge Protection and Battery Backup

A power surge is a sudden increase or spike in electrical energy, affecting the current that flows to electrical outlets

A surge strip is a device that contains electrical outlets protected by circuitry that blocks surges and spikes

A UPS is a device that not only provides surge protection, but also furnishes your computer with battery backup power during a power outage

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Surge Protection and Battery Backup

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Basic Maintenance Computer component failures can be caused by

manufacturing defects and other circumstances beyond your control

Keep the keyboard clean Clean your computer screen on a regular basis Keep the area clean around your computer Make sure fans are free of dust

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Basic Maintenance

Carefully use a cotton swab and a can of compressed air or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and debris from your keyboard. Some liquids are difficult to remove. That can of pop? Better to keep it away from your keyboard.

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Troubleshooting and Repair There are several telltale signs that your computer is in

trouble– Failure to power up– Loud beep– Black screen of death

Windows Help and Support Safe Mode

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Chapter 2 CompleteChapter 2 CompleteComputer HardwareComputer Hardware