1. Discovering
Computers 2010
Living in a Digital World

2. Objectives Overview
Differentiate among various Describe the control unit
Identify chips, adapter
styles of system units on and arithmetic logic unit
cards, and other
desktop computers, components of a processor,
components of a
notebook computers, and and explain the four steps in
motherboard
mobile devices a machine cycle
Identify characteristics of
various personal computer Define a bit and describe Explain how program
processors on the market how a series of bits instructions transfer in and
today, and describe the represents data out of memory
ways processors are cooled
See Page 209 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 2
for Detailed Objectives Chapter 4

3. Objectives Overview
Differentiate between a port and
Describe the purpose and types
a connector, and explain the
of expansion slots and adapter
Differentiate among the various differences among a USB port,
cards, and differentiate among
types of memory FireWire port, Bluetooth port,
slots for various removable flash
SCSI port, eSATA port, IrDA port,
memory devices
serial port, and MIDI port
Explain the purpose of a power Understand how to clean a
Describe the types of buses in a
supply and describe how it keeps system unit on a computer or
computer
cool mobile device
See Page 209 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 3
for Detailed Objectives Chapter 4

4. The System Unit
• The system unit is a case that contains electronic
components of the computer used to process data
Page 210 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 4
Figure 4-1 Chapter 4

5. The System Unit
• The inside of the system unit on a desktop
personal computer includes:
Drive bay(s)
Power supply
Sound card
Video card
Processor
Memory
Page 211 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 5
Figure 4-2 Chapter 4

6. The System Unit
• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the
system unit
– A computer chip contains integrated circuits
Page 212 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 6
Figure 4-3 Chapter 4

7. Processor
• The processor, also called the central processing
unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate a computer
– Contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)
Multi-core Dual-core Quad-core
processor processor processor
Page 213 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 7
Chapter 4

8. Processor
Page 213 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 8
Figure 4-4 Chapter 4

9. Processor
• The control unit is the component of the
processor that directs and coordinates most of
the operations in the computer
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs
arithmetic, comparison, and other operations
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Control Unit
below Chapter 4
Page 214 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 9
Chapter 4

10. Processor
• For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of
four basic operations, which comprise a machine
cycle
Page 215 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 10
Figure 4-5 Chapter 4

11. Processor
• Most current personal
computers support
pipelining
– Processor begins
fetching a second
instruction before it
completes the machine
cycle for the first
instruction
Pages 215 – 216 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 11
Figure 4-6 Chapter 4

12. Processor
The processor contains registers, that
temporarily hold data and instructions
The system clock controls the timing
of all computer operations
• The pace of the system clock is called the clock
speed, and is measured in gigahertz (GHz)109
Page 216 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 12
Chapter 4

13. Processor
• The leading
manufacturers of
personal computer
processor chips are Intel
and AMD
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Multi-Core
Processors below Chapter 4
Pages 216 – 217 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 13
Figure 4-7 Chapter 4

14. Processor
• Determine how you plan to use a new computer
before selecting a processor
Page 218 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 14
Figure 4-8 Chapter 4

15. Processor
• A processor chip
generates heat that
could cause the chip to
burn up
• Require additional
cooling
– Heat sinks
– Liquid cooling
technology
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click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Liquid Cooling
below Chapter 4
Pages 219 - 220 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 15
Figures 4-9 – 4-10 Chapter 4

16. Processor
• Parallel processing uses multiple processors
simultaneously to execute a single program or task
– Massively parallel processing involves hundreds or thousands of
processors
Page 220 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 16
Figure 4-11 Chapter 4

17. Data Representation
Analog signals are continuous and vary in
strength and quality
Digital signals are in one of two states: on
or off
• Most computers are digital
• The binary system uses two unique digits (0 and 1)
• Bits and bytes
Page 221 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 17
Chapter 4

18. Data Representation
A computer circuit represents Eight bits grouped together as a
the 0 or the 1 electronically by unit are called a byte. A byte
the presence or absence of an represents a single character in
electrical charge the computer
Page 221 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 18
Figures 4-12 – 4-13 Chapter 4

19. Data Representation
• ASCII (American
Standard Code for
Information
Interchange) is the most
widely used coding
scheme to represent
data
Page 221 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 19
Figure 4-14 Chapter 4

20. Data Representation
Page 222 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 20
Figure 4-15 Chapter 4

21. Memory
• Memory consists of electronic components that
store instructions waiting to be executed by the
processor, data needed by those instructions, and
the results of processing the data
• Stores three basic categories of items:
Data being
The operating
Application processed and the
system and other
programs resulting
system software
information
Page 223 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 21
Chapter 4

22. Memory
• Each location in memory has an address
• Memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB or K),
megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes
(TB)
Page 223 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 22
Figure 4-17 Chapter 4

23. Memory
• The system unit contains two types of memory:
Volatile memory Nonvolatile memory
Loses its contents when
power is turned off Does not lose contents
when power is removed
Examples include ROM,
Example includes RAM flash memory, and
CMOS
Pages 223 - 224 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 23
Chapter 4

24. Memory
Page 224 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 24
Figure 4-18 Chapter 4

25. Memory
• Three basic types of RAM chips exist:
Dynamic RAM Magneto resistive
Static RAM (SRAM)
(DRAM) RAM (MRAM)
Page 225 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 25
Figure 4-19 Chapter 4

26. Memory
• RAM chips usually reside on a memory module
and are inserted into memory slots
Page 225 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 26
Figure 4-20 Chapter 4

27. Memory
• The amount of RAM necessary in a computer
often depends on the types of software you plan
to use
Page 226 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 27
Figure 4-21 Chapter 4

28. Memory
• Memory cache speeds the processes of the computer
because it stores frequently used instructions and data
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Windows Ready
Boost below Chapter 4
Page 227 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 28
Figure 4-22 Chapter 4

29. Memory
Read-only memory (ROM) refers to memory chips
storing permanent data and instructions
A PROM (programmable read-only memory) chip is a
blank ROM chip that can be written to permanently
• EEPROM can be erased
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click ROM
below Chapter 4
Page 228 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 29
Chapter 4

30. Memory
• Flash memory can be erased electronically and
rewritten
– CMOS technology provides high speeds and consumes
little power
Pages 228 – 229 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 30
Figure 4-23 Chapter 4

31. Memory
• Access time is the amount of time it takes the
processor to read from memory
– Measured in nanoseconds
Page 229 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 31
Figures 4-24 – 4-25 Chapter 4

32. Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
• An expansion slot is a
socket on the motherboard
that can hold an adapter
card
• An adapter card enhances
functions of a component of
the system unit and/or
provides connections to
peripherals
– Sound card and video card
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Video Cards
below Chapter 4
Page 230 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 32
Figure 4-26 Chapter 4

33. Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
• Removable flash memory includes:
– Memory cards, USB flash drives, and PC Cards/Express
Card modules
Page 231 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 33
Figure 4-28 Chapter 4

34. Ports and Connectors
A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches to or
communicates with a system unit (sometimes referred
to as a jack)
A connector joins a cable to a port
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Digital Audio Port
below Chapter 4
Page 232 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 34
Chapter 4

35. Ports and Connectors
Page 232 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 35
Figure 4-29 Chapter 4

36. Ports and Connectors
• On a notebook computer, the ports are on the
back, front, and/or sides
Pages 232 - 233 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 36
Figure 4-30 Chapter 4

37. Ports and Connectors
Page 233 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 37
Figure 4-31 Chapter 4

38. Ports and Connectors
• A USB port can connect up to 127 different
peripherals together with a single connector
– You can attach multiple peripherals using a single USB
port with a USB hub
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click USB Ports
below Chapter 4
Page 234 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 38
Figure 4-32 Chapter 4

39. Ports and Connectors
• Other types of ports include:
Firewire Bluetooth
SCSI port
port port
eSATA
IrDA port Serial port
port
MIDI port
Pages 234 - 236 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 39
Chapter 4

40. Ports and Connectors
A Bluetooth wireless port A smart phone might
adapter converts a USB port into communicate with a notebook
a Bluetooth port computer using an IrDA port
Page 235 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 40
Figures 4-33 – 4-34 Chapter 4

41. Ports and Connectors
• A port replicator is an
external device that
provides connections to
peripherals through ports
built into the device
• A docking station is an
external device that
attaches to a mobile
computer or device
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click Docking Station
below Chapter 4
Page 236 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 41
Figure 4-35 Chapter 4

42. Buses
• A bus allows the various
devices both inside and
attached to the system
unit to communicate with
each other
– Data bus
– Address bus
• Word size is the number
of bits the processor can
interpret and execute at a
given time
Page 237 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 42
Figure 4-36 Chapter 4

43. Buses
• Expansion slots connect to expansion buses
• Common types of expansion buses include:
PCI Express Accelerated
PCI bus
bus Graphics Port
USB and
PC Card bus
FireWire bus
Click to view Web Link,
click Chapter 4, Click Web
Link from left navigation,
then click FireWire
below Chapter 4
Page 238 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 43
Chapter 4

44. Bays
• A bay is an opening
inside the system unit in
which you can install
additional equipment
– A drive bay typically
holds disk drives
Page 238 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 44
Figure 4-37 Chapter 4

45. Power Supply
The power supply converts the wall
outlet AC power into DC power
Some external peripherals have an AC
adapter, which is an external power
supply
Page 239 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 45
Chapter 4

46. Putting It All Together
Home Small Office/ Mobile
Intel Core 2 Duo or Intel Home Office Intel Core 2 Extreme or
Celeron Dual Core or Intel Core 2 Quad or AMD Turion X2
AMD Sempron Intel Core 2 Extreme or
AMD Athlon FX or AMD
Athlon X2 Dual-Code Minimum RAM: 2 GB
Minimum RAM: 2 GB
Minimum RAM: 4 GB
Page 239 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 46
Figure 4-38 Chapter 4

47. Putting It All Together
Power Enterprise
Intel Itanium 2 or AMD Intel Core 2 Quad or
Quad Core Opteron or Intel Core 2 Extreme or
Intel Quad Core Xeon or AMD Athlon FX or AMD
Sun UltraSPARC T2 Athlon X2 Dual-Core
Minimum RAM: 8 GB Minimum RAM: 4 GB
Page 239 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 47
Figure 4-38 Chapter 4

48. Keeping Your Computer
or Mobile Device Clean
Clean your computer or mobile device once or twice a year
Turn off and unplug your computer or mobile device before
cleaning it
Use compressed air to blow away dust
Use an antistatic wipe to clean the exterior of the case and a
cleaning solution and soft cloth to clean the screen
Page 240 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 48
Chapter 4

49. Summary
Sequence of operations
How memory stores
Components of the that occur when a
data, instructions, and
system unit computer executes an
information
instruction
Comparison of various
How to clean the
personal computer
exterior and interior of
processors on the
a system unit
market today
Page 241 Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World 49
Chapter 4