A+ Guide to Managing

and Maintaining Your PC

Fifth Edition

Chapter 1
Introducing Hardware
You Will Learn…
 That a computer requires both hardware and
software to work

 About the many different hardware

components inside and connected to a
computer

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Hardware Needs Software to
Work
 Hardware
 Physical components of a computer
 Visible part of a system
 Software
 Set of instructions that directs hardware to
accomplish a task
 The intelligence

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Functions of a Computer

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Binary Communication Between
Hardware and Software

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PC Hardware Components
 Outside computer case: input/output devices
 Inside the case: processing and storage
 CPU – most important component
 Requirements of a hardware device
 Method for CPU to communicate with it
 Software to instruct and control it
 Electricity to power it
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Hardware Used for Input and
Output
 Connects to computer case by ports (eg, serial,
parallel, USB, game, keyboard, mouse)
 Popular input devices:
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Popular output devices:
 Monitor
 Printer

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Ports

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Input Devices

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Output Devices

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Hardware Inside the Case

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Motherboard Components
 Processing  Communication with
 CPU (most important) other devices
 Chip set  Traces
 Temporary storage  Expansion slots
 RAM
 System clock
 Cache memory  Programming/setup data
 Electrical system  Flash ROM
 Power supply
 CMOS setup chip
connections

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The Motherboard

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The Motherboard (continued)

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The CPU

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The Chip Set
 Controls most activities on the motherboard

 Includes several device controllers

 USB controller

 Memory controller

 IDE controller

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The Chip Set (continued)

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Storage Devices
 Temporary (primary storage, or memory)
 Temporarily holds data and instructions while
processing them
 Faster to access than permanent storage

 Permanent (secondary storage)

 Data and instructions must be copied into primary
storage (RAM) for processing

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Primary Storage Devices
 Memory, or RAM, located on motherboard and
other circuit boards
 Volatile versus nonvolatile (or ROM) memory
 Types of boards that hold memory chips
 SIMMs
 DIMMs
 RIMMs

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RAM Chips

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Types of RAM Modules

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Secondary Storage Devices
 Hard drives

 CD-ROM drives

 DVD drives

 Zip drives

 Floppy drives
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Hard Drive

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EIDE Technology
 Used by most hard drives, CD-ROM drives,
and DVD drives

 Can accommodate up to four EIDE devices on

one system

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IDE Connectors on a
Motherboard

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IDE Connectors on a
Motherboard (continued)

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IDE Connectors on a Motherboard

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Hard Drive’s Power Supply

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Floppy Drive Connection

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Floppy Drive Connection
(continued)

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CD-ROM Drive Connection

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Motherboard Components Used for
Communication Among Devices
 The data bus
 System of pathways used for communication and
the protocol and methods used for transmission

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The Bus and Bus Lines

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Data Bus

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System Clock

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Clock Speed
 Of motherboard
 Measured in megahertz (MHz)

 Of CPU
 Measured in gigahertz (GHz)

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Expansion Slots

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Types of Expansion Slots

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Interface (Expansion) Cards

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Interface (Expansion) Cards
(continued)

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The Electrical System
 Power supply
 Most important component of computer’s
electrical system

 Converts/reduces electricity to voltage the

computer can handle

 Runs a fan directly from electrical output voltage

to cool inside of computer case

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The Electrical System (continued)

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The Electrical System (continued)

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Instructions Stored on the
Motherboard
 ROM BIOS (most are flash ROM)
 System BIOS

 Startup BIOS

 CMOS setup

 Motherboard BIOS supports ACPI, APM, and

Plug and Play technologies
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ROM BIOS Chip

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Motherboard Configuration
Settings
 CMOS chip
 Stores setup (configuration) information

 Powered by a battery on motherboard when power

is off

 Setup information can also be set by jumpers

and DIP switches

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CMOS Configuration Chip

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Setting Jumpers

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Summary
 Introduction to hardware components of a
computer system

 Initial insight into how hardware works

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