computer case
TRANSCRIPT
CPU CPU
A CPU (Central Processing Unit), or processor as it is sometimes called, is
the main chip in the computer and is located on the Motherboard.
The CPU processes the computer’s data and exchanges it with the other
components and peripherals.
CPU’s come in different speeds, the most of common of which are between
500MHz - 800MHz. The speeds are measured in Mega Hertz (MHz) and
even Giga Hertz (GHz). Most modern computers have two processors (Intel
Dual Core Processor).
The CPU is often referred to as the brain of the computer.
Motherboard
The Motherboard, or logic board as it is known in Macintosh computers, is
the main circuit board in the computer. The Motherboard contains many
components like the RAM, CPU, expansion slots and the heat sink. The
motherboard connects all these peripherals together.
1. BACK PANEL AND CONNECTORS
Back panel is the portion of motherboard that allows you to connect
external devices such as your monitor , speakers , keyboard and mouse.
Back panel is on the edge of motherboard.
Connectors and ports for connecting the computer to external devices such
as display ports, audio ports, USB ports, Ethernet ports, PS/2 ports etc.
2.PCI
PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect
PCI is a computer bus used for attaching peripheral devices to a computer motherboard.
PCI provides a shared data path between CPU and peripheral controllers in every computer models from laptops to mainframes.
Slot for older expansion cards such as sound cards, network cards, connector cards . It supports both 32-bit and 64-bit data paths.
Have been largely replaced by PCI-Express x1 slots
3. PCI Express x1 Slots
Slot for modern expansion cards such as sound cards, network cards (Wi-Fi,
Ethernet, Bluetooth), connector cards (USB, FireWire, eSATA) and certain
low-end graphics cards.
4. PCI Express x16 Slot
Slot for discrete graphic cards and high bandwidth devices such as top-end
solid state drives.
5.NORTHBRIDGE
Also known as Memory Controller Hub (MCH).
Chipset that allows the CPU to communicate with the RAM and graphics card.
It is a microchip on some PC motherboards and is connected directly to the CPU and thus responsible for tasks that require the highest performance.
It is usually paired with southbridge,also known as I/O controller hub.
In systems where they are included,these two chips manage communications between CPU and other parts of motherboard and constitute core logic chipset of PC motherboard.
6.CPU Socket
Processor
A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic
instructions that drive a computer.
The term processor has generally replaced the term CPU.The processor in a
personal computer or embedded in small devices is often called a
microprocessor.
Two typical components of CPU are:
1. Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU)
2. Control Unit(CU).
7. ATX 12V Power Connector
Connects to the 4-pin power cable of a power supply unit which supplies
power to the CPU
8. Front Panel USB 2.0 Connectors
Connects to USB 2.0 ports at the front or top of a computer case.
9.Front Panel Connector
Connects to the power switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive LED
and front audio ports of a computer case.
10. IDE Connector
Connects to older hard drive disks and optical drives for data transfer.
Have been replaced over by SATA connectors.
11. CMOS Battery
Supplies power to store BIOS settings and keep the real-time clock running.
The CMOS battery found on most motherboards is the CR2032 lithium coin
cell.
12.South Bridge
Also known as the Input/Output Controller Hub (ICH).
Chipset that allows the CPU to communicate with PCI slots, PCI-Express x
1 slots (expansion cards), SATA connectors (hard drives, optical drives),
USB ports (USB devices), Ethernet ports and on-board audio.
13. SATA Connectors
Connects to modern hard disk drives, solid state drives and optical drives
for data transfer.
14. Fan Headers
Supplies power to the CPU heat sink fan and computer case fans.
15. RAM Slots
Random access memory (RAM) is fast-access main memory that attaches
directly to the motherboard, and is used to store programs that are currently
running.
RAM is a type of volatile memory which means it requires electricity to
store data, so when the computer is powered down all the memory is wiped.
RAM is a set of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed
in any order (why it is called random).
There are many types of RAM including SRAM (Static Random Accessing
Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Accessing Memory) and SO-DIMM
RAM. All these do similar jobs to the RAM.
16. ATX Power Connector
Connects to the 24-pin ATX power cable of a power supply unit which
supplies power to the motherboard.
17. mSATA Connector
Connects to a mSATA solid state drive. In most cases, this SSD is used as
cache to speed up hard disk drives, but it's possible to re-purpose it as a
regular hard drive.
18. Front Panel USB 3.0 Connector
Connects to USB 3.0 ports at the front or top of the computer case.
19. Power & Reset Button
Onboard button to turn on, turn off and reboot the computer.
This motherboard component is more common among high end boards
.
ROM
Read Only Memory is a class of storage medium which is used in
computers and many other electronic devices.
It is a non-volatile memory i.e. its contents are not lost when the power is
switched off.
Data stored in ROM can only be modified slowly, with difficulty, or not at
all, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware.
Available in 2 types:
a. Erasable Programmable ROM(EPROM)
b. Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM(EEPROM)
POWER SUPPLY
The Power Supply Unit supplies all the computer components the required
power (electricity). The Power Supply Unit changes AC (Alternating Current)
from the mains supply into DC ( Direct Current) which is used by the
components.