Explore the Parts of a

Computer

Introduction Motherboard

Hardware
BIOS
Software
Storage Devices
Operating System

CPU Peripherals

RAM Power Supply

ROM
Ports
Computer Memory
What is a computer?
 A computer is an electronic device
that executes the instructions in a
program.
 The computer has four components:

 Input

 Storage

 Processing

 Output
Hardware
The physical parts of the computer that
you can actually touch.

Camera
Monitor
Scanner

Computer

Microphone Mouse
Keyboard
 Software

Software is a
computer
program that is
Adobe Reader made up of Excel
certain
instructions or
codes that tell
your hardware,
or computer,
PowerPoint what to do.
Word
Software can be
used to play
games, write
school papers, or
even sort e-mail.
Photoshop Mavis Beacon
Operating System (OS)
 The OS is a large program made up of
many smaller programs that control how
the CPU communicates with other
hardware components. It also makes
computers easier to operate by people
because it puts a face to the computer.
In other words, operating systems make
computers user friendly.
 Different computer manufacturers use
different operating systems.
 Applecomputers use Macintosh OS
 Most PC’s commonly use the OS called
Windows (XP, Vista, 7)
MAC OS User Interface

Icon: A
graphical
symbol for an
application,
Menu Bar: a horizontal
folder or file.
menu that appears on
top of a window which
has a list of options.

Desktop: the shaded or

colored backdrop of your
screen.
Doc Station: Provides
shortcuts to commonly used
programs
 CPU (Microprocessor)
 Stands for Central Processing Unit, which is the
brain of your computer. It does all the thinking
for the computer and process all the
information to be turned into files on your
computer.
 The clock speed of the microprocessor in now
measured in gigahertz (GHz).
 The higher the number; the quicker the
information processed.
 The chip shown below can process up to 2.80
GHz.
 RAM
(Random-Access Memory)
 RAM temporarily stores data that
the computer is currently working
on.
 It requires for power to be
turned on.
 It is the determining factor in
how fast your applications or
software run.
 The information in RAM goes
away once the computer is turned
off, so it is important to save any
work you want to keep.
 It is measured in megabytes
(MBs).
 The larger the size , the faster it
functions
Read Only Memory
(ROM)

 This is read only memory

which is the permanent
type of memory the
computer stores for
information that does not
change
 It stores the information
even when the computer is
shut down.
 ROM is generally installed
by the manufactured of
the computer as part of its
system.
How is computer memory
measured?
 Computer memory is measured in Bytes,
which is a unit of storage capable of
holding a single character.

Kilobyte = about 1000 bytes.

Megabyte = about one million bytes.
Gigabyte = about one billion bytes.
 Motherboard
 This is the main circuit
board that connects all
other internal components,
such as the CPU and
memory.
 It’s like the blood vessels
inside the human body,
which connect to all the
vital organs.
 Instead of blood
vessels, the
motherboard uses tiny
electrical paths to
connect each part of
the computer.

 One important part on the motherboard is the

BIOS, which is where the computer's settings are
stored and changed.
BIOS
 Basic Input/Output System.
 When the computer is first turned on
(booted), the BIOS is responsible for
establishing basic communication with all
the computer parts.
 It is the program which wakes the
computer up when you turn it on and
reminds itself what parts it has and what
each part is supposed to do.
After booting and
performing a few
system checks,
It turns the computer
over to your operating
system.
Storage Devices
•Compact Disc Re-Writable
(CD-RW) is a type of disk
which enables you to write
onto it several times. The
storage capacity can vary, but
it typically holds 700 MB of
data.

•Compact Disc Read-Only

Memory (CD-ROM) is a disk
that enables you to write onto
it once. These are typically
used to save save music or
data that does not change.

•Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) is

a type of disk that holds
digital representations that
combine sound and graphic.
Storage Devices
 A Hard drive is a large capacity,
permanent storage used to hold
programs and documents. This is
stored inside your computer and
holds the largest amount of data
 A Floppy Disk is a portable
magnetic disk that can hold up
to 1.44 MB of data. This holds
the least amount of data.
 A USB or flash disk is a small,
portable flash memory card that
plugs into a computer’s USB
drive and functions as a portable
hard drive.

Online Activity: Different kinds of storage devices

Peripherals
These are devices that
connect to your
computer, but are
separate from it.
These devices can be
categorized as either
input or output.
 Input Devices:
 These are devices that input data into your
computer such as:
 Mouse
 Keyboard
 Microphone
 Output Devices:
 These are devices that output data into
forms which people can use such as:
 Monitor
 Scanner Activity: Which Does What?
 Printer
 Speakers
Power Supply
 It supplies the fuel (power), for the
computer.
 supply power to the motherboard and the drives
 It contains a fan that helps assist in the
task of cooling the computer.
 It comes in a variety of wattages.
 200 watt and 250 watt, are the most commonly
used
 Ports
Ports are located on the outside of a computer and
ports are where you plug in other hardware. On the
inside of the case they are connected to the
expansion cards. Today, most new computers use
USB ports.

Printer

Keyboard
& Mouse

Monitor or LCD
Scanner (USB)