In this session, you will learn to:

       Identify the major components of personal computers.

       Identify the major components of the system unit.

       Identify the various types of storage devices used in personal computers.

       Identify personal computer connection methods.

There are four primary categories of components in a typical personal computer:

       System unit

       Display device

       Input devices

       External devices

      A system unit is a personal computer component that houses other devices necessary for the computer to function.

      A display device is a personal computer component that enables users to view the text and graphical data associated with a computer program.

An input device is a personal computer component that enables users to enter data or instructions into a computer.

      There are several categories of external devices:

       Microphone

       Digital camera

       Scanner

       Speakers

       Printer

       Network device

       External drive

The system unit itself has several important sub-components, such as:

       System Board

       Central Processing Unit (CPU)

       Memory

       System Bus

       Storage devices

The system board is the personal computer component that acts as the backbone for the entire computer system

      The central processing unit (CPU), sometimes called microprocessor or just processor, is the real brains of the computer and is where most of the calculations take place.

      Memory is the personal computer component that comprises the electronic storage areas in the computer. It can be considered either volatile or non-volatile.

      The system bus is the main communication path between the CPU and memory.

      A storage device is a system unit component, such as a hard drive, that enables users to save data for reuse at a later time, even after the personal computer is shut down and restarted.

      A power supply is an internal computer component that converts AC power from an electrical outlet to the DC power needed by system components.

      Computer systems contain several components that require cooling:

       The computer case

       The CPU

       The power supply

       Some adapter cards

       Some hard disk drives

      An adapter card is a printed circuit board that you install into a slot on the computer’s system board to expand the functionality of the computer.

      A riser card is a board that plugs in to the system board and provides additional slots for adapter cards..

      The form factor describes the size and shape of the system board.

      Common System Boards are:

       Full size AT

       Baby AT

       ATX

       microATX

       LPX

       NLX

       BTX

      The various types of storage devices used in personal computers are:

       Floppy Disk Drives (FDD)

       Hard Disk Drives (HDD)

       Optical Drives

       Tape Drives

       Solid State Storage devices

      FDD is a personal computer storage device that reads data from, and writes data to, removable disks made of flexible Mylar plastic covered with a magnetic coating and enclosed in a stiff, protective, plastic case.

      HDD is a personal computer storage device that uses fixed media, which means that the disk is built into the drive and the drives are not removed from the computer unless you are performing an upgrade or a repair.

      An optical disk is a personal computer storage device that stores data optically, rather than magnetically.

      Optical disks and drives come in several types, such as:

       CD-ROM

       CD-R

       CD-RW

       DVD-ROM

       DVD-R

       DVD+R

       DVD+R DL

       DVD-RW

       DVD+RW

       DVD-RAM

      A tape drive is a personal computer storage device that stores data magnetically on a removable tape that is enclosed in a tape cartridge.

      Solid state storage is a personal computer storage device that stores data in special types of memory instead of on disks or tape.

      The various PC connection methods are:

       Ports

       Personal Computer Connections

       Serial Connections

       Parallel Connections

       Universal Serial Bus (USB) Connections

       IEEE 1394 and FireWire Connections

       Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) Connections

       Parallel ATA (PATA) Connections

       Serial ATA (SATA) Connections

      A port is a hardware connection interface on a personal computer that enables devices to be connected to the computer.

A personal computer connection is a means by which a personal computer component is attached to other components to provide computing capabilities

      A serial connection is a personal computer connection that transfers data one bit at a time over a single wire.

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      A USB connection is a personal computer connection that enables you to connect multiple peripherals to a single port with high performance and minimal device configuration.

      A FireWire connection is a personal computer connection that provides a high-speed interface for peripheral devices that are designed to use the IEEE 1394 standard.

      A SCSI connection is a personal computer connection that connects internal and external components to the system unit and provides for high-speed data transfer.

      A PATA connection is a personal computer connection that provides a parallel data channel from a disk controller to the disk drives.

      A SATA connection is a personal computer connection that provides a serial data channel between the drive controller and the disk drives.

SUMMARY:

      In this session, you learned that

 The four primary components of a typical personal computer are system unit, display device, input devices, and external devices

The major components of the system unit are system board, CPU, memory, system bus, and storage devices.

The various types of storage devices used in personal computers are FDD, HDD, optical drives, tape drives, and solid state storage devices.

The various PC connection methods are ports, PC connections, serial connections, parallel connections, USB connections, IEEE 1394 and FireWire connections, SCSI connections, PATA connections, and SATA connections.


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