Computer Hardware and History

Computer Hardware and History Computer hardware includes the physical, tangible parts or components of a computer, such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard, and so on, all of which are objects you can see and touch. In contrast, software is instructions that can be stored and run by the physical hardware. This section will help you understand the inner workings of your computer by introducing you to its basic components. CPU Figure. A CPU.The CPU (central processing unit or processor) is responsible for processing all information from programs run by your computer. The speed at which the processor processes information is measured in gigahertz (GHz). This means that a processor advertising a high GHz rating will likely perform faster than a similarly specified processor of the same brand and age. RAM Figure. RAM.Random-access memory, or RAM, is hardware found in the memory slots of the motherboard. The role of RAM is to temporarily store information created by programs and to do so in a way that makes this data immediately accessible. The tasks that require random memory could be rendering images for graphic design, editing video or photographs, or multitasking with multiple applications open. Hard Drive Figure. Hard drive.The hard drive is a storage device responsible for storing permanent and temporary data. This data comes in many different forms but is essentially anything saved or installed to a computer; for example, computer programs, family photos, operating systems, word-processing documents, and so on. There are two different types of storage devices: the traditional hard disk drive (HDD) and the newer solid-state drives (SSD). Hard disk drives work by writing binary data onto spinning magnetic disks called platters that rotate at high speeds, while a solid-state drive stores data by using static Graphics Processor Unit Figure. A graphics processor unit.Especially important for 3D rendering, the graphics processing unit (GPU) does exactly what its name suggests and processes huge batches of graphic data. You will find that your computer’s graphics card has at least one GPU. As opposed to the basic on-board graphic capabilities that PC motherboards supply, dedicated graphics cards interface with the motherboard via an expansion slot to work almost exclusively on graphic rendering. This also means you can upgrade your graphics card if you want to get a bit more performance from your PC. Not only this, but modern GPUs fulfill a broad computational workload beyond just rendering, making them an extension to the central processing unit. Expansion CARD Figure. The expansion card. In computing, the expansion card, expansion board, adapter card, or accessory card is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an electrical connector or expansion slot on a computer motherboard, backplane, or riser card to add functionality to a computer system via the expansion bus. An expansion bus is a computer bus that moves information between the internal hardware of a computer system (including the CPU and RAM) and peripheral devices. It is a collection of wires and protocols that allows for the expansion of a computer. The Computer System You have already learned a bit about the basic components of a , a system of hardware, software, networking, and human components that function together. Now take another look at the diagram introduced earlier in this unit. The IPOS (input-process-output-storage) model explains what computer systems are used for. They take input, process it, and provide an output while using storage to keep intermediate and final results of the transformation of data. Individual hardware components support the function of computer systems. Generally, computer hardware contains three major components: the central processing unit, storage, and peripheral devices. The central processing unit supports data processing. Computer memory stores ephemeral programs and data in use temporarily for quick access and primarily stores it in RAM. Peripheral devices support the input and output operations of the system. Most computing systems include these elements, which constitute the Von Neumann architecture of a computer system, another name for the IPOS model. The Architecture of a Computer System The Computer System The computer system is a system of hardware, software, networking, and human components that function together. The IPOS (input-process-ouput-storage) model explains what computer systems are used for. They take input, process it, and provide an output while using storage to keep intermediate and final results of the transformation of data. Individual hardware components support the function of computer systems. Basic Components Figure. The basic components of a Von Neumann computer architecture.Generally, computer hardware contains three major components: the central processing unit, storage, and peripheral devices. The central processing unit supports data processing. Computer memory stores ephemeral programs and data in use temporarily for quick access and primarily store it in RAM. Peripheral devices support the input and output operations of the system. Most computing systems include these elements, which constitute the Von Neumann architecture of a computer system, another name for the IPOS model.