Processing & Memory Hardware: Inside the System Cabinet

A computer’s processing and memory devices are inside the com-

puter case on the main circuit board, called the motherboard.

The brains of the computer are the processing and memory devices, which are installed in
the case, also called the system cabinet or system unit.

CASE & POWER SUPPLY Also known as the system unit , the case or system cabinet
is the box that houses the processor chip (CPU), the memory chips, the motherboard
(main circuit board), the power supply, and some secondary-storage devices —hard-
disk drive and CD or DVD drive, as we will explain. The case generally comes in desktop
or tower models. It includes a power supply unit and a fan to keep the circuitry from
overheating.

Case PROCESSOR CHIP It may be small and not look like much,
but it could be the most expensive hardware component of a
build-it-yourself PC—and doubtless the most important. A
processor chip (CPU, for central processing unit) is a
tiny piece of silicon that contains millions of miniature
electronic circuits. The speed at which a chip processes
information is expressed in megahertz (MHz), millions of
processing cycles per second, or gigahertz (GHz), billions of
processing cycles per second. The faster the processor, the
more expensive it is.
Processor chip
MEMORY CHIPS These chips are also small. Memory chips , also
Memory chip
known as RAM (random access memory) chips, represent
(RAM chip) primary storage, or temporary, storage; they hold data before
processing and information after processing, before it is sent
along to an out-put or storage device. You’ll want enough
memory chips to hold at least 2–5 gigabytes, or roughly 2–5 billion
characters, of data, which is adequate for most student purposes.
Students into heavy graphics use and game playing will need more
Memory chips mounted memory. (We will explain the numbers used to measure storage
on module capacities in a moment.)
Connecting strip that
plugs into a socket in MOTHERBOARD Also called the system board, the
the motherboard motherboard is the main circuit board in the computer. This is
mouse, and printer—attaches through connections (called ports ) in the back of the com-
puter. The processor chip and memory chips are also installed on the motherboard.
The motherboard has expansion slots—for expanding the PC’s capabilities—which
give you places to plug in additional or upgraded circuit boards, such as those for
video, sound, and communications (modem). (• See Panel 1.8.)

PUTTING THE COMPONENTS TOGETHER Now the components can be put together.
As the illustration at right shows, ❶ the memory chips are plugged into the motherboard.
Then ❷ the processor chip is plugged into the motherboard. Now ❸ the motherboard is
attached to the system cabinet. Then ❹ the power supply unit is connected to the system
cabinet. Finally, ❺ the wire for the power switch, which turns the computer on and off,
is connected to the motherboard.

Storage Hardware: Hard Drive & CD/DVD Drive

Computers can have several types of storage devices.

With the motherboard in the system cabinet, the next step is installation of the storage
hardware. Whereas memory chips deal only with temporary storage, secondary storage,
or permanent storage, stores your data for as long as you want.
 For today’s student purposes, you’ll need a hard drive and a CD/DVD drive. These stor-
age devices slide into the system cabinet from the front and are secured with screws. Each
drive is attached to the motherboard by a cable. Also, each drive must be hooked up to a
plug extending from the power supply.
A computer system’s data/information storage capacity is represented by bytes, kilo-
bytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, petabytes, exabytes, and zettabytes, as follows:

1 byte = 1 character of data (A character can be alphabetic—A, B, or C—or

numeric—1, 2, or 3—or a special character—!, ?, *, $, %.)
1 kilobyte = 5 1,024 characters (about 1⁄2 page of text)
1 megabyte = 5 1,048,576 characters (about 500 pages of text)
1 gigabyte = 5 more than 1 billion characters (about 500,000 pages of text)
1 terabyte = 5 more than 1 trillion characters (about 1 million thick books)
1 petabye = 5 about 1 quadrillion characters (about 180 Libraries of Congress)
1 exabyte = 5 about 1 quintillion characters (about 180,000 Libraries of
1 zettabyte = Congress)
5 about 1 sextillion characters (180 million Libraries of Congress
Source: www.wisegeek.org/how-much-text-is-in-a-kilobyte-or-
megabyte.htm ).
the motherboard