PARTS OF THE COMPUTER

An Interesting Fact An Amd 1400 chip running without a heatsink gets as hot as 370 degrees.

Identify the numbered components.

The Computer System The computer system consists of : Hardware: This consists of the physical components of the computer. The parts that you can see and touch. Some examples are keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers.

The Computer System Software: This refers to the programs that run on the hardware. It tells the computer what to do. A few examples are Microsoft XP, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger.

Peripheral devices This is any hardware device that is connected to and controlled by the CPU. These devices are located outside the computer. Input , output and backing storage devices are peripheral devices.

Input Devices These are used to get data and instructions into the computer for processing. Examples Keyboard Mouse Joystick Scanner Microphone

Output Devices These devices translate information processed by the computer into a form which the user can understand. Examples Monitors Printers Speakers

Storage Devices RAM ROM Hard disk CD/DVD Floppy disk Flash drives Primary Storage (main memory/ immediate access) Secondary Storage (backing storage/ auxillary storage)

Diagram of a Computer Central Processing Unit This diagram shows the basic operations and data flow of a computer Central Processing Unit Control Unit Input Devices Output Devices Data Information Arithmetic and Logic Unit Main Memory/ Primary Storage Secondary Storage

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT This part of the computer processes data to give information. It contains the Control Unit (CU) and the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU). The CPU chip is called a microprocessor. Today, the speed of the CPU is measured in Giga Hertz (GHz). This usually indicates how powerful it is. The two leading manufacturers of microprocessors are Intel and AMD. Homework: Find for each manufacturer at least 3 names given to chips by Intel and AMD.

Control Unit This directs the internal operations of the CPU. Other Functions To control the flow of information to and from all components of the computer. Controls the flow of instructions in and out of main memory. Reads and interprets program instructions.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit This part of the computer manipulates the data. Performs computations i.e arithmetic operations (e.g addition, subtraction, division etc) Performs comparisons i.e logic operations (e.g more than, less than, and, or, etc)

Other Terms Data- This is a basic facts. Eg 900310 Information- Data which is processed into a useful format. Eg 10th of March 1990 Think of two more examples.