What is the name of the computer device. The main devices of a computer, their purpose and relationship

In this article, we will take a closer look at what elements it consists of. Personal Computer what it looks like, what function it performs. This article is more suitable for beginners, but more experienced users will surely find something for themselves.

First of all, let's define a computer:

Personal computer, PC (from the English personal computer, PC) or PC (personal electronic computer)- a desktop micro-computer having the performance characteristics of a household appliance and universal functionality.

Initially, the computer was created as a computing machine, but the PC is also used for other purposes - as a means of access to information networks and as a platform for multimedia and computer games.

A typical personal computer that you have at home or at work consists of the following parts:

  • System unit;
  • Monitor;
  • Information input devices;
  • Additional or peripheral devices (printer, scanner, webcam, etc.);

System unit

The main component of any computer is the system unit. System blocks are different types both in design and size. Horizontal and vertical.

The system unit contains all the components of a modern computer, in fact, thanks to which the computer works.

Essential elements system block:

  • Frame;
  • Power unit;
  • Motherboard;
  • CPU;
  • RAM;
  • Video card;
  • Sound card;
  • HDD;
  • Drive (optical drive);
  • Cooling system;

All elements are closely related to each other and work as a whole.

Let's look at each element in more detail.

Frame

The case of the system unit is the outer shell of the system unit of a personal computer, which protects the internal elements from physical impact. The case is of great importance for the stable operation of the computer. For example, a well-thought-out cooling system inside the case, a guarantee of stable computer operation and a guarantee against overheating.

power unit

In order for all the elements of the system unit to work, we need a power supply. As the name implies, the power supply supplies power to all components of the system unit. On this moment the most popular power supplies in terms of power: 450, 500 and 600 W. On powerful computers, which include gaming, are installed more than powerful blocks nutrition.

Motherboard

The motherboard is a complex multi-layer printed circuit and the largest board of the system unit. The main task of the motherboard is to connect all the elements into one computing system.

CPU

Processor, on motherboard, is responsible for performing all computational operations and processing information. No matter how trite it may sound, but the better and newer (respectively more expensive) the processor, the faster and in greater volume it will perform operations. However, the most powerful processor does not guarantee fast work computer, while the rest of the system unit components are very outdated.

RAM

Random access memory or RAM is a random access memory. It is intended for temporary and quickly accessible data storage, for transfer to the processor for processing. For example, running programs in the background or stealth mode, clipboard, etc. The more RAM installed on the computer, the faster you can expect.

video card

Video card - just like the motherboard, complex multilayer printed circuit board, is inserted into the socket on the motherboard. A video card can be either built-in (integrated) or external, as a separate board. The main function of a video card is to form and display an image on a computer screen. The power of the integrated video card is often enough only to use office applications and "surf" the Internet.

Sound card

Sound card - processing and outputting sound to the computer speakers. There are times when the built-in sound card fails or the user is not satisfied with the sound quality of the compositions, then an external sound card is installed.

HDD

HDD or hard drive magnetic disks A storage device is designed to store information. It is on the hard disk that all your data is stored and the operating system is installed. Windows system(Linux). Currently gaining popularity SSD drive And.

Drive

Now disks are becoming less and less popular, USB flash drives have come to replace them. But there are times when a disk drive, or as it is also called an "optical drive", is simply necessary. When you need something to read the disk, install Windows or drivers on your computer.

Cooling system

The cooling system is a system of fans that is used to remove warm air from the components of the system unit and supply cold air from the external environment.

In this article, I would like to tell you about the device of a desktop computer in terms of hardware. About what is inside it: how to distinguish a processor from a video card, and a hard drive from RAM.

The best way to learn is to practice! More boldly, disconnect all wires from your system unit, unscrew a couple of screws holding the side cover at the back of the case, and slide it by pulling it to the side.

What do you see? Dusty, multi-colored boards, wires, fans... No need to close the lid in fear and stuff your PC back in! Now I will explain to you - what, why, and why. In a simple and understandable language I will explain to you the device of your home computer!

First, I will list the components that are in any way in your computer, without them it simply will not work. So, let's begin.

The largest computer board that plays a key role in the computer device. Unlike other boards that look at us sideways, the computer motherboard is perpendicular and looks at us with its face. Here's what the motherboards look like:

Other components are connected to the motherboard through special connectors. I will immediately please you, the connectors are different in size, and have special “keys”. Those. you won't be able to insert a video card into the RAM slot with all your desire. So, in principle, you can now assemble a disassembled computer without my help, sticking “where it sticks”. The main thing in working with iron is not to apply excessive force! If the board does not fit, check if you insert it correctly.

Connectors located on the motherboard:

  1. connector processor. For example, the modern LGA-1151. Or an old LGA-775. By the way, the number indicates the number of "legs" of the processor.
    Nearby is a connector for connecting a processor cooling fan (marked as CPU FAN)
  2. connectors for random access memory. Most often you will find DDR2 and DDR3, less often ddr, depending on how old the PC is. At the beginning of 2016, DDR4 is also becoming more widespread.
  3. PCI Express x16 to connect the video card. There may be several (for connecting 2 or more video cards in SLI mode)
  4. PCI, PCIe connectors for connection additional boards extensions.
  5. SATA- connectors for connection of rigid discs (L-shaped). For old discs - long IDE. Also, a DVD cable is connected to the motherboard via SATA.
  6. Socket for connecting the front computer outputs (LEDs, buttons power And reset).
  7. Conclusions for USB connections, AUDIO ports on the front panel.
  8. Connectors for connecting case fans(CHA FAN). Often such fans can also be connected to the power supply outputs.
  9. Connector for "incoming" processor power.
  10. Motherboard power connector.

CPU

The central processing unit, or, in slang, "stone", is the "brain" of the computer, processing all input and output data from it. The processor is quite complex. What we need to know about it so far is how it looks (a square with sides of 4-6 cm and a lot of conclusions on the “belly”). It will most likely have the inscription "INTEL" or "AMD" - these are the two main manufacturers of processors.

The socket (socket) of the processor must match the socket of the motherboard, i.e. The motherboard must be matched to the processor. An unsuitable processor simply won't fit.

Contest ! Whoever guesses first what kind of processor in the photo above and writes in the comments will receive 100 rubles from me for a web wallet! 😉

Almost all modern processors (earlier - in motherboards) have a built-in video core, and often quite good. This may allow you to stop spending money on buying a separate video card.

Trying to find a processor inside your system unit? I will disappoint you, you will not see it, since it is hidden under the radiator and cooler (fan), to which we will move on in the next paragraph of this article about the device of a personal computer.

Processor cooling system

During operation, the processor inevitably heats up. Moreover, it heats up strongly and quickly - if it is left without cooling - it will reach a temperature of 110 degrees and go "in defense" in less than a minute.

In order to remove heat somewhere on top of the processor, they put a heatsink (a large piece of copper or aluminum, a material that conducts heat well). The heatsink has a large area of ​​​​contact with air, therefore, it dissipates heat better. (Remember school physics). For airflow, a fan is attached to the radiator.

Here's what it all looks like:

Since it is impossible to make the contact surfaces of the processor and the heatsink perfectly smooth, to eliminate the air gap between them, they apply thermal paste.

How more powerful processor, and the greater the load on it, the more it will heat up, and the more massive, powerful and expensive cooling system you need to put on it.

RAM

"Fast" PC memory, into which the operating system and other programs are loaded (Word, browser, video player, etc.). RAM is, let's say, a "gateway" between a relatively slow hard drive, and directly by the processor.

The larger this “gateway”, the more information (which needs fast access) you can upload to it. In other words, the more RAM you have- the more programs you can run at the same time. Together with a couple of browsers (with a bunch open tabs) open Word, Photoshop and a bunch of other programs, and at the same time your computer will not “slow down”.

More modern memory strips have a correspondingly higher data exchange rate with motherboard.

By the year you bought a PC, you can already figure out what kind of RAM it has: DDR (2001), DDR-2 (2004), DDR-3 (2010), DDR-4 (2015).

This is what RAM looks like. You can’t confuse it with anything 🙂 Pay attention to the “keys” and the number of contacts that distinguish one memory from another.

Installed and fixed with special latches, they themselves should, when you press the bar from above, snap into place when the memory “enters”. I repeat - it doesn’t fit, check again if there key.

The motherboard in the picture above is the "adapter". Those. you can "insert" both DDR2 and DDR3 into it.

By the way, you can check your RAM for errors right now! How to do it - read the article.

HDD

The hard drive is where all the information on your computer is stored: operating system, all programs, all desktop content :), photos, music, videos, in general All. One of its main characteristics is volume. The larger it is, the more data you can write to the hard drive. For 2016, the most popular are hard drives from 500 Gb to 2000 Gb, although there are more and less.

Hard drives fail quite often. Here's what's been going on for a couple of months. Most likely a coincidence, but 4 out of 5 - Seagate :):

Until recently, the hard drive "with a motor" was the "narrowest" place in terms of speed in a PC. Until 2012, solid-state SSD hard drives that have a smaller volume for the same price, but several times higher speed.

On my PC, I use a 120Gb SSD disk “under the system”, and a slower 2 Tb SATA screw for storing all other data. As I advise you, the computer in this configuration just "flies"!

power unit

The power supply distributes electricity to all components of the computer. For more powerful video cards and processors, you need a more powerful unit.

The many wires coming out of the power supply are power connectors all PC devices:

  1. Molex - for old HDDs and CD-roms, as well as for coolers
  2. SATA - for hard drives and DVD drives
  3. 20/24-pin for motherboard
  4. 4/8-pin for CPU power
  5. 6/8-pin for add. video card power supply.

I will tell you more about the device of the power supply, as well as about the repair of power supplies, in the following articles on the site.

Frame

The computer case is directly what all other components are placed in. Cases differ in size, steel thickness, types of mounting hard drives and other spare parts.

I do not advise you to keep the case constantly open - more dust will fly in, and it will need to be cleaned more often, besides, the necessary air circulation will be disturbed.

Components that your system unit may not have.

I listed above essential computer components, which in any way is in every PC. The items described below may not be available on your PC. Now many motherboards have an integrated video card (more often, the video card is "built into" the motherboard). Also, the computer may well work without a CD-drive and other "excesses".

So let's keep studying device personal computer.

On almost all new computers, the video card is most often built into the motherboard or processor. But in terms of power, the built-in video core, of course, pales in front of modern gaming video cards.

A video card is inserted into a special PCI-E x16 slot, of which there may be two on the motherboard (for using two video cards simultaneously in SLI mode). In computers 10 years ago, you can find an AGP video card. It often has a massive cooling system that also occupies an adjacent slot on the motherboard.

It may have a 6/8-pin connector for additional power, which must be connected from the power supply.

CD/DVD drive

Well, everything is clear here. Even grandma knows the drive is for reading discs. Most PCs have CD/DVD burners. In more modern ones - BLUE-ray. Personally, I use it very rarely, so write down a blank or two.

card reader

A device for reading memory cards of all formats - SD, microSD, Memory Stick PRO Duo, CompactFlash and others. Useful for those who often download and upload materials from their phone and camera.

Expansion boards

This includes boards that expand the hardware capabilities of your computer, adding new inputs / outputs to it to connect various devices.

Here are a few of the most common:

  • TV Tuner. To watch cable TV on your computer. It can also be used to digitize video cassettes, you can read about this in one of the following blog articles on the site. Subscribe!
  • Sound card. Now a sound card is built into almost all motherboards, but if you want to achieve best quality sound or want to connect a modern acoustic system- you need a more powerful and expensive sound system.
  • USB controller. Additional USB inputs can be added, including the now popular USB 3.0.
  • Obsolete COM, LPT, RS-232 controllers. Someone may be useful.
  • SATA controller. If you have run out of SATA outputs on your motherboard, or want to connect external hard drive via high-speed e-SATA interface.

Additional fans, their rotation speed controller.

On the walls of the case, for better ventilation and air exchange, additional fans can be installed - at the back, on the side. top, front. They are connected to the power supply via a molex connector, or to the motherboard via a 3-pin.

Also, in advanced cases, a fan speed controller can be installed.

Modding is a special home PC device.

In general, modding is a separate issue. The simplest thing you can do with your system unit is to put on a backlight. And then - a flight of unlimited imagination. 🙂

The device of the computer is simple!

So, you have learned what they are, what they look like, and why all the main components in the system unit are needed.

Agree, now the computer device does not seem so "inaccessible to understanding by mere mortals"? 🙂

If you come across a "crap" in your PC that does not fit any item from this manual - write in the comments, we'll try to identify the "beast" together.

Hello dear visitors of the blog site. Today we will talk about computer devices, or, as they usually say, "pieces of iron" that can be found in the computer's system unit. Thus, you will understand what a computer consists of. hardware device computer or how it is fashionable to say "iron", remains a mystery even for many experienced users. In this article I will talk about hardware devices, thereby filling the gap, of course, if you have one, and if you are familiar with them, then we will refresh our memory a little.

First of all, we will divide what is commonly called a “computer” into two groups:

  • System unit. This is the same large (or not very large) box to which everything is connected.
  • Peripherals. ABOUT peripherals ah you can read in my article « » These are all other devices that help to work with a computer. Their main feature- they are outside the system unit and connected to it from the outside.

System unit device

The system unit is the main device of the computer. Only by looking inside a computer can we figure out what a computer is made of.

  1. Power unit.
  2. RAM.
  3. Hard disk drive.
  4. Floppy disk reader.
  5. Optical disc reader.
  6. Additional devices.

Items from the 1st to the 5th are mandatory, you will find them in any system unit. The rest may not exist, or they may be in the form of peripheral devices, that is, connected from the outside.

What does computer consist of:

Now let's talk in more detail about each component.

power unit

This computer device is an important component in a computer! The abbreviated name is BP. The main characteristic is the maximum output power. Measured in Watts (W), in English Watt (W). For a home computer, the PSU power is usually 350-450 W, for a powerful gaming computer 600 W or more.

The importance of this component is often underestimated. When buying a computer, you may be offered to save money by installing a lower-quality power supply. This is highly discouraged, since the PSU is the source of energy for all other nodes of the system. A low-quality PSU in the event of a breakdown or any problem in the power supply network can disable other components of the system. In addition, on cheap and low-quality models, power values ​​\u200b\u200bthat are far from reality are often indicated. That is why the computer power supply must be from a trusted manufacturer and have sufficient power.

Name options: motherboard, mother, main board, MotherBoard, MainBoard. It is to the motherboard that all devices that are inside the system unit are connected. It is the main board in the system. Let's take a closer look at its content:

  • Socket (Socket) - connector for connecting the processor. Depending on which socket your motherboard contains, you can only use a certain group of processors.
  • Slots for connecting a RAM module. In personal computers, their number varies from 2 to 4. By type they are: DDR, DDR2 and DDR3. On modern motherboards, two types of slots are possible at once.
  • Connectors for connecting devices, data storage. For ordinary PCs, they come in two types: a wide oblong connector with 39 pins in two rows and a small almost rectangular connector with a “g” shaped middle. The first is a parallel interface called IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) and its second name is PATA (Parallel ATAttachment). The second one is sequential SATA interface(Serial ATAattachment).
  • Expansion slots. These are connectors that are used to connect additional devices. They are an oblong connector located horizontally on the bottom left of the motherboard. This is where the video card, network card and other devices are inserted. These connectors usually connect devices to the motherboard via PCI interface(Peripheral component tinterconnect - the relationship of peripheral components) or its derivatives PCI Express and etc.
  • Chipset. This is a set of chips that provide communication between the components of the system. Usually it can be divided into the so-called north and south bridges. The northbridge is a memory controller, that is, a part that provides data exchange between the central processor and RAM. In modern platforms, the memory controller can be integrated directly into CPU. The south bridge is an I / O controller, a part that provides the processor with interfaces such as SATA, IDE, PCI, USB and others.

The required components of the motherboard are listed above, they are also combined by the fact that they are visible only from inside the system unit.

If you look at the back of the system unit, you can see a lot of connectors that are also physically located on the motherboard. They are located on the left side, approximately in the middle and enclosed in a metal "frame". Please note that your computer may not have many of them, it depends on specific model motherboard.

  • Connector for mouse and keyboard. These are two round connectors, one purple (for the keyboard) and the second green (for the mouse). This interface is called PS/2 (colloquially PS in half).
  • LPT port. This parallel interface was invented as a printer port and was actively used for other purposes. Today, in motherboards, it is less and less common to find it on board.
  • COM port. Another obsolete serial interface. This port actively used as an interface for configuring equipment.
  • USB (Universal Serial Bus - universal parallel bus). This is the most popular way to connect peripherals to a modern PC. It is used to connect a variety of devices: mice, keyboards, scanners, printers, portable hard drives, flash drives, etc.
  • Video connector VGA, DVI. These are interfaces for connecting a monitor. If your motherboard has such a connector, then it has a built-in video adapter. It will be quite enough for work, however, if you intend to play games at the computer, then you will need a discrete (separate) video card, which will be inserted into a special expansion slot.
  • RJ-45 network connector. The interface is used to connect a computer to a local computer network Ethernet standard.
  • Group of audio connectors Jack 3.5. It is used to connect an acoustic system and a microphone. Green connector for speakers and pink for microphone.

Now I propose to clarify one important point. If any connector is located in a vertical "frame" in the middle of the system unit, then the device to which it belongs is built into your motherboard. If you have a discrete video card, modem or anything else, then it is connected to the motherboard through an expansion slot and the connector of the device itself will be located horizontally below.

Central processing unit (CPU), in English CPU (Central processing unit). This is a microcircuit that executes software commands, performs calculations, performs logical comparison operations, roughly speaking, “thinks”. Therefore, the processor is often referred to as the "brain" of the computer.

The main characteristics of the device are: bit depth, clock frequency, power consumption, number of cores, architecture.

Bit depth indicates the amount of information transmitted per unit of time on the data bus. There are 8, 16, 32 and 64 bits. Accordingly, the higher the bit depth, the faster the processor works. The clock frequency shows how many cycles (elementary operations) the CPU performs per unit of time. Power consumption indicates how much heat the processor generates during operation.

Some time ago, the two main processor manufacturers - Intel and AMD - in their competition tried to increase the clock speed of their processors as much as possible. But faced with the fact that after overcoming a certain threshold, energy consumption and heat transfer begin to increase non-linearly. The solution was multi-core processors. This means that in one CPU there are several crystals that distribute the computational load among themselves. The most widespread now are 2-core devices, although this is not the limit, there are processors with 4 or more cores.

The architecture shows how work is organized inside the processor. Although given parameter does not add the desired gigahertz, but can have a very significant impact on performance. Explanatory organization of labor, as you know, is worth a lot.

RAM

Random access memory is random access memory (RAM), in English - RAM (Random Access Memory - random access memory). This area of ​​​​memory is volatile, that is, without "power" data is not stored in it. RAM contains information that the processor must process in real time. During operation, RAM contains data operating system and running user programs.

SDRAM DDR3 standard RAM modules are relevant today, before them there were SDRAM DDR 2 and SDRAM DDR 1 (of course, they can also be found). Each new generation had a number of serious advantages over its predecessors: increased throughput, power consumption was reduced.

HDD

A hard disk drive, in English HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is a read only memory (ROM). This device A computer is also called a hard drive or hard drive.

This type of memory is non-volatile, i.e. the data is retained in the memory after the power is turned off. It is this computer device that contains all the user's data: movies, music, documents and everything else.

A hard drive consists of several round platters that rotate on a spindle. These plates are covered with a ferromagnetic material divided into many cells, each of which stores one bit of binary information. A special head reads and writes information, which moves to the right place above the disk surface.

They differ in the amount of stored information, connection method, form factor, spindle speed.

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of connection method: IDE and SATA. The first one is almost never used, since serial SATA is faster and more convenient. According to the HDD form factor, there are 5.25 (discontinued production); 3.5, 2.5 inches, 1.8 inches, 1.3 inches, 1 inches and 0.85 inches, these are the size of the plates that contain information. Desktop PCs usually use 3.5 HDDs, laptops 2.5. The faster the rotation speed, the higher the speed of writing and reading data. In 3.5 models, the speed is usually 7200 rpm, in 2.5 - 5400 rpm, although there are also faster models of hard drives for laptops.

Floppy disk drive

A floppy disk drive, in English FDD (Floppy Disk Driver), is also called Floppy or simply floppy. This is a diskette reader. Roughly speaking, a floppy disk is a miniature hard drive, only instead of metal plates there is a flexible film base, and the head and drive motor are located in the disk drive. 3.5" floppy disk size (5.25" floppy disks have been used for a long time). The volume of the floppy disk is 1.44 MB. In addition to a small volume, floppy disks have a serious drawback - they are not very reliable, the information on them may become unreadable due to magnetic fields or shock. Because of this, this species carriers are almost never used today.

Optical drive

Optical media are plastic discs coated with a special layer. The disk is illuminated by a laser, and information is read from the reflected light. Optical discs There are several types: CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc - digital multipurpose disc), Blu-ray Disc (from the English Blue Ray - blue beam). CD and DVD discs There are three types: ROM (Read Only Memory - read-only), R (Recordable - writable), RW (Re-Writable - rewritable).

Drives (drives) for reading optical discs are called the same as media. Moreover, the drive is called the abbreviation of the last generation in turn, which it is able to read. That is, a DVD-ROM drive reads DVDs and CDs, while a CD drive only reads CDs. Also, drives are divided into those that can only read (CD / DVD ROM) and drives that can read and write discs (CD / DVD RAM).

The volume of the CD-disk is 700 MB. DVD discs can be single-layer, double-layer and double-sided, the volume of the usual 4.7 GB, double-layer 8.5 GB, double-sided 9.4 GB, double-sided double-layer 17.08 GB (the latter is rare). Blu-ray Disc is capable of storing 25GB, dual layer 50GB.

So, we just looked at the main components that make up a computer. But do not forget about devices that are not always in the computer.

Optional Devices (Peripheral Devices)

Additional devices can be devices that are inserted into the motherboard. Discrete (on a separate board) can be a video adapter, sound adapter, network adapter,wi-fi, modem, USB controller and many other devices.

I hope this article has fully explained to you what a computer consists of. And after reading it, the world of hadware (the so-called computer hardware) will become a little closer and clearer for my readers.

According to its purpose, a computer is a universal device for working with information. According to the principles of its device, a computer is a model of a person working with information.


Personal Computer(PC) is a computer designed to serve one workplace. According to its characteristics, it may differ from large computers, but it is functionally capable of performing similar operations. According to the method of operation, desktop (desktop), portable (laptop and notebook) and pocket (palmtop) PC models are distinguished.

Hardware. Since a computer provides all three classes of information methods for working with data (hardware, software and natural), it is customary to talk about a computer system as consisting of hardware and software tools working together. The parts that make up the hardware of a computer are called hardware. They perform all physical work with data: registration, storage, transportation and transformation both in form and content, and also present them in a form convenient for interaction with natural human information methods.

The totality of a computer's hardware is called its hardware configuration.

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Software. Programs can be in two states: active and passive. In the passive state, the program does not work and looks like data, the content of which is information. In this state, the contents of the program can be "read" with other programs, as books are read, and modified. From it you can find out the purpose of the program and how it works. In the passive state, programs are created, edited, stored and transported. The process of creating and editing programs is called programming.

When the program is in the active state, the content of its data is treated as commands according to which the computer hardware operates. To change the order of their work, it is enough to interrupt the execution of one program and start the execution of another containing a different set of instructions.

The set of programs stored on a computer forms its software. The set of programs prepared for work is called installed software. The set of programs running at one time or another is called a program configuration.



Computer device. Any computer (even the largest one) consists of four parts:

input devices

information processing devices

storage devices

output devices.

Structurally, these parts can be combined in one case the size of a book, or each part can consist of several rather bulky devices.

Basic PC hardware configuration. The basic hardware configuration of a personal computer is called the minimum set of hardware that is sufficient to start working with a computer. Over time, the concept of the basic configuration is gradually changing.

Most often, a personal computer consists of the following devices:

System unit

Monitor

Keyboard

Mouse

Additionally, other input and output devices can be connected, for example sound speakers, printer, scanner...

System unit- main unit computer system. It contains devices that are considered internal. Devices connected to the system unit from the outside are considered external. For external devices, the term peripheral equipment is also used.
Monitor- a device for visual reproduction of symbolic and graphic information. Serves as an output device. For desktop PCs, monitors based on cathode ray tubes are currently the most common. They vaguely resemble household televisions.
Keyboard- a keyboard device designed to control the operation of a computer and enter information into it. The information is entered as alphanumeric character data.
Mouse- "graphic" control device.

Internal devices of a personal computer.
Devices located in the system unit are considered internal. Access to some of them is available on the front panel, which is convenient for quick change of information media, such as floppy disks. The connectors of some devices are displayed on the rear wall - they are used to connect peripheral equipment. Access to some devices of the system unit is not provided - it is not required for normal operation.

CPU. Microprocessor- the main chip of a personal computer. All calculations are performed in it. The main characteristic of the processor is the clock frequency (measured in megahertz, MHz). The higher the clock speed, the higher the performance of the processor. So, for example, when clock frequency 500 MHz processor can change its
condition 500 million times. For most operations, one cycle is not enough, so the number of operations that the processor can perform per second depends not only on the clock frequency, but also on the complexity of the operations.

The only device that the processor "knows from birth" about is RAM - it works together with it. This is where the data and commands come from. The data is copied into processor cells (they are called registers), and then converted in accordance with the content of the instructions. For a more complete picture of how the processor interacts with RAM, you will get in the chapters on the basics of programming.

RAM. RAM can be thought of as a vast array of cells that store numerical data and commands while the computer is turned on. The amount of RAM is measured in millions of bytes - megabytes (MB).

The processor can access any RAM cell (byte) because it has a unique numerical address. The processor cannot access an individual bit of RAM, since the bit does not have an address. At the same time, the processor can change the state of any bit, but this requires several actions.

Motherboard. The motherboard is the largest board in a personal computer. On it are the highways that connect the processor with the RAM - the so-called tires. A distinction is made between the data bus, through which the processor copies data from memory cells, the address bus, through which it connects to specific memory cells, and the command bus, through which the processor receives commands from programs. All other internal devices of the computer are also connected to the buses of the motherboard. Controls the operation of the motherboard microprocessor chipset - the so-called chipset.

Video adapter. A video adapter is an internal device that is installed in one of the motherboard connectors. The first personal computers did not have video adapters. Instead, a small area was allocated in RAM for storing video data. A special microcircuit (video controller) read data from video memory cells and controlled the monitor in accordance with them.

As the graphics capabilities of computers improved, the video memory area was separated from the main RAM and, together with the video controller, was allocated into a separate device, which was called the video adapter. Modern video adapters have their own computing processor (video processor), which has reduced the load on the main processor when building complex images. The video processor plays a particularly important role in the construction of three-dimensional images on a flat screen. During such operations, he has to perform especially a lot of mathematical calculations.

In some models of motherboards, the functions of the video adapter are performed by chipset chips - in this case, they say that the video adapter is integrated with the motherboard. If the video adapter is made as a separate device, it is called a video card. The video card connector is located on the back wall. A monitor is connected to it.

Sound adapter. For IBM PC computers, work with sound was not originally provided. For the first ten years of its existence, computers of this platform were considered office equipment and did without sound devices. Currently, the tools for working with sound are considered standard. To do this, a sound adapter is installed on the motherboard. It can be integrated into the motherboard chipset or implemented as a separate plug-in board called a sound card.
The sound card connectors are located on the back of the computer. To play sound, connect speakers or headphones to them. A separate connector is for connecting a microphone. If you have a special program, this allows you to record sound. There is also a connector (line output) for connecting to external sound recording or reproducing equipment (tape recorders, amplifiers, etc.).

HDD. Since the computer's RAM is cleared when the power is turned off, a device is needed for long-term storage of data and programs. Currently, so-called hard drives are widely used for these purposes.
Operating principle hard drive is based on registering changes in the magnetic field near the recording head.

The main parameter of a hard disk is its capacity, measured in gigabytes (billions of bytes), GB. The average size of a modern hard drive is 80 - 160 GB, and this parameter is growing steadily.

floppy disk drive. To transport data between remote computers use the so-called floppy disks. A standard floppy disk (floppy disk) has a relatively small capacity of 1.44 MB. By modern standards, this is completely insufficient for most data storage and transportation tasks, but the low cost of media and the high degree of availability for work have made floppy disks the most common storage media.

To write and read data placed on floppy disks, a special device is used - a disk drive. The receiving hole of the drive is displayed on the front panel of the system unit.

CD-ROM drive. For transporting large amounts of data, it is convenient to use CD-ROMs. These discs only allow you to read previously written data - you cannot write to them. The capacity of one disk is about 650-700 MB.

CD-ROM drives are used to read CDs. The main parameter of a CD-ROM drive is read speed. It is measured in multiple units. The unit is the reading speed, approved in the mid-80s. for music CDs (audio CDs). Modern CD-ROM drives provide a read speed of 40x - 52x.
Main disadvantage CD-ROM drives- inability to burn discs - overcome in modern devices write-once - CD-R. There are also CD-RW devices that allow multiple recordings.

The principle of data storage on CDs is not magnetic, like floppy disks, but optical.

Communication ports. To communicate with other devices, such as a printer, scanner, keyboard, mouse, etc., the computer is equipped with so-called ports. A port is not just a connector for connecting external equipment, although a port ends with a connector. A port is a more complex device than just a connector, which has its own microcircuits and is controlled by software.

network adapter. Computers need network adapters so that they can communicate with each other. This device ensures that the processor does not submit a new portion of data to an external port until the network adapter of a neighboring computer has copied the previous portion to itself. After that, the processor is given a signal that the data has been taken and new ones can be submitted. This is how the transmission takes place.

When a network adapter "learns" from a neighboring adapter that it has a piece of data, it copies them to itself, and then checks whether they are addressed to it. If yes, it passes them to the processor. If not, it exposes them to the output port, from where the network adapter of the next neighboring computer will pick them up. This is how data moves between computers until it reaches the destination.

NICs can be built into the motherboard, but are more commonly installed separately as add-on boards called network cards.

The personal computer has long been present in almost every family. Thanks to the rapid development of technology and electronics, computers that occupied entire halls some 40-50 years ago, today fit perfectly on a desk. A modern person no longer perceives the presence of a personal computer in the house as a luxury, today it is both a tool for work, and an entertainment center, and a means for finding the necessary information. Each user should know what parts the computer consists of, so that when upgrading or handing it over for repair, not to become a victim of unscrupulous sellers or repairmen, but to spend the invested funds as efficiently as possible.

General computer device

Any modern computer consists of connected external devices (peripherals) and internal modules located in the system unit. Peripherals include printers, monitors, mice, keyboards and many other devices that are connected to the computer system unit and are structurally separated from it. What are the main parts of a computer?

It depends on the purpose for which a particular personal computer is used. It can be conditionally divided according to the tasks to be solved into office, multimedia, workstations and gaming. The presence or absence of some components inside the system unit depends on the purpose for which the PC is used. Below we will consider in more detail what parts a computer consists of. This is very important to know, because there are basic components that cannot be dispensed with, as well as those that are not present in every personal computer.

What parts does a computer consist of?

The first thing we see when looking at a personal computer is the case, inside of which, in fact, the rest of the internal parts are fixed. Computer cases vary in size and, accordingly, the size of supported motherboards. Next, we will take a closer look at the elements that are hidden inside the PC case.

Motherboard

The basis of the entire computer, without which no PC can function, is the motherboard. It is the link between the rest of the computer. It performs the role of the nervous system, transmitting signals from the brain - the processor to the rest of the PC. Motherboards differ in size (mATX, ATX, E-ATX, ITX, etc.), socket (the socket where the processor is inserted), the type of memory supported (DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4), the presence and number of slots (interfaces or tires) for connecting various expansion cards (video cards, network, sound, etc.).

CPU

The central processing unit is the heart and brain of any computer. It processes all the data that comes from running programs and manages the flow of this data. Processors, other than the manufacturer (the largest are Intel and AMD), differ in clock speed - the most important parameter, showing the number of operations performed per second, the number of cores (the number of processors engaged in parallel processing of data located in the same physical chassis), the type of RAM supported, and the design (socket). Any processor needs cooling, therefore, looking inside the system unit, you will see a heatsink with a fan, which is completely pressed against the motherboard with special latches and prevents the processor from overheating.

RAM

Designed to store information that the processor may need in the shortest possible time (data is placed here running programs, operating system services, etc.). Unlike hard drives, information storage requires a power source, i.e. when the computer is turned off, all information from the RAM is deleted (which is why when the PC is turned off unplanned, the data open programs are not saved).

RAM differs in type (DDR, SO-DIMM DDR3, etc.), frequency, register (for servers) or not.

HDD

A hard disk is a device for storing information. Unlike RAM, hard drive memory is non-volatile, allowing data to be retained even when the computer is turned off. 2 are currently in use different kind solid state drives: HDD (Hard Disc Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). The main ones are the volume ( maximum amount information that can be written to the disc) and read/write speed.

video card

A video card is a device for displaying images from a computer on a monitor screen. Video cards are built-in (the video core is built into the motherboard chipset or into the central processor) and external, which are connected to the computer motherboard through a special PCI-Express connector. As a rule, integrated video cards have rather mediocre characteristics and are designed to work with office applications, watching videos and undemanding games. The main characteristics of a video card are the frequency GPU and memory, bus width and video memory size.

Sound card

Sound card - a device designed to output sound signal to external devices (headphones, microphone, speakers, etc.) In the vast majority of computers, the sound card is soldered onto the motherboard. But there are also external sound cards that differ from the built-in more high quality reproduced sound.

LAN card

A network card is a device that is necessary to connect a computer to a network with other computers, which makes it possible to exchange information at high speed between them. Just like a sound card, modern computers the network card is soldered to the motherboard.

power unit

A power supply unit is a device that converts energy from a household electrical network into electrical energy with specified parameters necessary for the operation of all parts of a computer. The main characteristics of the power supply are its power and efficiency. It is important that the power is sufficient for the operation of all plug-ins, otherwise, at peak loads, the computer will simply turn off.

Above, we examined what parts the computer system unit consists of. Without these devices, no computer will be able to fully work. But besides them, inside the system unit can be connected via various interfaces many other devices, such as additional ports for connecting external devices (USB, LPT, etc.), TV tuners, sound and network cards. But they are not mandatory and are used only when necessary.

External parts of the computer

When answering the question of what parts a computer consists of, external devices should also be mentioned. These include a monitor, keyboard, mouse, video camera and speaker system. Monitors differ in diagonal, type of matrix and backlight used (we are talking about liquid crystal monitors, since monitors with a cathode ray tube are no longer available and have been almost universally replaced by more technologically advanced TFT monitors), image refresh rate. Also to external devices computer includes numerous means for input and output of various information: printers, scanners, MFPs, projectors, joysticks, etc.

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at what a personal computer consists of. Informatics at school provides more detailed and detailed knowledge. By studying it, you can understand the basic principles of building a PC with your own hands. But in order to delve deeper into the essence of work and operation, for example, to figure out what parts the computer bus consists of, it is recommended to study specifications equipment, which is beyond the scope of this article.



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