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Computer Components (CPU ((The central processing unit (CPU) or processor…
Computer Components
CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) or processor performs instructions that are given by computer programmes. The CPU is made up of billions of transistors which are the components that handle these. Furthermore, CPU's contain cores. These cores are able to carry out mathematical and logical workloads. The more cores a CPU has the more of these workloads it can carry out. However, the speed of the cores is also an important factor. The speed of a CPU is measured in GHz. if a CPU had 8 cores but ran at 2.4GHz and another CPU had 6 Cores but ran at 4GHZ. Then the second PC would be able to carry out each task much faster.
Power Supply
A power supply is what gives power to the computer. Power supplies have different cables which are plugged into specific areas on the motherboard as well as being plugged into some of the components themselves. For instance, the hard disk is receiving power form the PSU via a Molex cable and from there is connected to the motherboard via a SATA or IDE cable. Most PSU come preinstalled with all possible connecters including extras however, this can mean that the PC case becomes messy and cluttered and can become a pain to work around. This is why many future PSU's are becoming fully modular which means users can have just the cables they need which improves cable management.
Motherboard
The motherboard is a PCB and all the components and peripherals of a computer is connected to it. The motherboard contains connectors for every computer component such as RAM, PCIE, SATA as well as fan headers. As well as that the motherboard can contain onboard audio and integrated graphics. This is useful for users without a dedicated soundcard or GPU. Furthermore, the motherboard will contain the BIOS of a computer.
RAM
Random access memory (RAM) is a component within a computer that connects directly into the motherboard. RAM stores information for the purpose of being retrieved much faster than if it was on the hard drive. RAM has two main features that affect performance. Frequency is measured in megahertz and can range from 1333mhz to 3000MHz. Frequency affects the maximum bandwidth in which data can be transferred to and from the RAM. Another feature of RAM that affects performance is latency. Latency is how quickly the RAM can respond to a request.
Video Card
The video card is a component that is used to output graphics onto the users monitor. Many modern motherboards will contain their own integrated display system which is suitable for basic users. However, users who run software applications such as games, and video/[photo editing would want graphics card in order to maximise performance. Video cards contain their own processor, memory and cooling system. The processor in a video card operates in a similar fashion to the CPU by handling instructions. The memory onboard a video card works just like the RAM and stores graphical data that can be accessed much faster than having it on a hard disk. Furthermore, the video card connects into the PCIE slot on the motherboard and in some cases, will requires power directly form the power supply.
Optical Drive
The optical drive allows computers to play CDs and DVDs and in more recent cases Blu-ray disks. Optical drives are connected to the motherboard using SATA cables just like hard disks. Optical drives however are becoming more and more irrelevant with the recent innovations in digital media. For instance, previously people would have had to purchase video games in the form of a disk and install them using their optical drive. Now however, users can simply download the game and install it via the internet.
Hard Disk
A hard disk is a form of backing storage which is used to store the operating system, programmes and other files. Hard disks are connected to the motherboard using SATA cables but can also be connected using IDE. Hard disks can spin at very high rpms usually around 7200 revolutions per minute. Hard disks can also contain very large amounts of data at relatively cheap prices compared to SSDS however, they are much slower. Furthermore for files to be access on the computer, the files must be transferred to the RAM.
Sound card
A soundcard is a device that plugs into the motherboards PCI E slot. A soundcard contains a number of audio ports which can be used to plug in headphones, speakers, amplifiers and other audio devices. As well as that higher end soundcards will also improve the audio quality by offering 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound audio. This would be useful; for users, whose motherboard does not have the high-quality audio. Although modern motherboards already have basic sound ports and high quality audio, many musicians, audio engineers and audiophiles would require dedicated sound cards to get the most out of their audio files.
IDE Cable
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is a cable that connects devices that require data to be moved at fast speeds such as such as hard drives and optical drives. The maximum speed of IDE is 133MB/S. However, in recent years IDE cables have been replaced with SATA cables which the latest iteration SATA III allows for data to be transferred at 6.0Gbits per second.
BIOS
The BIOS is a piece of the operating system that contains many different utilities. The BIOS comes pre-installed onto the ROM chip located on the motherboard. The BIOS is normally used to monitor the computers components and performance. From the image, you can see the BIOS of a motherboard from the AS Rock manufacturer. As well as that the BIOS handles the botting process of the computer and will also check the computers components with the drivers to ensure that they are working correctly. Furthermore, the BIOS will control the input and output devices. This means that if a key was entered on the keyboard then the BIOS will register the key press.
Network Card
The network card in a computer is used to connect the PC to a network. There are two different main types of network cards, these are ethernet and wireless cards. Wireless cards allow the user to connect to the network via a wireless connection. Ethernet cards contain an ethernet port which the user must plug an Ethernet cable into to connect to the network. However, in more modern motherboard there will already be ethernet or wireless support. Although some users my use an ethernet card if they want to connect multiple network devices to the one computer.
Heat sink
The heatsink is connect to the motherboard in order to cool the CPU. Heatsinks are usually made from copper because it is a relatively light weight metal and they conduct heat extremely well. Furthermore, heat sinks normally contains a fan which is used to provide extra cooling form the heatsink itself. It is important that a heatsink is used in a computer build because otherwise the CPU would become damaged due to the extreme heat it produces.
IO Ports
These are the ports that are found on the motherboard. All external devices will be connected here such as USB and audio jacks. In some cases, the computer case will also contain ports which are connected up to the motherboard. In the image, you can see an example of the IO ports on a computer system.
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Peripheral devices
These are external devices that connect to a computer system. This incldue keybaords, mice, printers etc.
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ROM
Read only memory (ROM) is a form of computer storage that can be difficult to alter and in some cases, cannot be edited at all. This is useful for software such as system firmware that generally does not need to be updated frequently.
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SSD
Sold state drives are internal computer backing storage components. These devices are extremely fast and take advantage of SATA III. These drives are capable of transmitting data at a rate of 654 MB/s. SSD’s also have no moving parts which make them a durable option for laptop users.
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CD
Compact discs are used in order to store data. They are highly portable given their size and requrie an optical dirve in order to read them. The standerd CD holds 700 MB and has a speed of 150kb/s.
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Cloud
Cloud storage is a way of sotring data. Cloud data is sotred on an external server. For users to accsess this form of sotrage they usually ahve to create a cloud sotrage account. Some of these are free however, requrie a paid subcription for more storage space.
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