Computer Basic Parts

 COMPUTER MOTHERBOARD



Computer Motherboards are an important part of the computer.

Definition of a motherboard: A motherboard is the mother to all the computer parts. In other words, everything in a computer connects to the motherboard.


Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Computer CPU



A computer cpu is the brain that runs a computer. CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the core chip to a computer. It is placed in the cpu socket and from here it forms an electrical interface with the motherboard. A CPU is the most important part in a computer

CPU Socket



A CPU socket is a connector built into the motherboard where the CPU (central processing unit) goes. Most motherboards use the PGA (Pin Grid Array) architecture which means that there is a grid of holes, in which a particular CPU's pins will fit into.

COMPUTER MEMORY (CPU)

Computer RAM



So what is Computer RAM?

Computer RAM (random access memory) is a volatile data storage device. It is used by the computer to temporarily store data. When the computer is turned off all the data stored on the computer memory is lost.

The words 'random access memory' refers to the fact that any byte of data can be accessed directly by the computer instead of it searching in order till it finds it (such as in a cassette tape).

RAM operates at very fast speeds and is crucial to the health of a computer. RAM was measured in ns (nanoseconds) which equals one billionth of a second but with the introduction of SDRAM is now measured in MHz (megahertz).

Computer memory (RAM) is placed into the memory slots of a motherboard meaning that it is easy to upgrade or swap if the memory breaks. Computer memory is needed for everything so it is important to have enough.

HARD DRIVE

Computer Hard Drive




A computer hard drive is the place where computer data is stored. A HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is generally referred to as the secondary computer storage device, as the RAM (Random Access Memory) is the primary. Data that is stored on the RAM is volatile meaning when the computer is shut down then the information will be lost.

EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE



External Hard Drive have been becoming very popular in the last few years. An external HDD is the same as a normal hard drive, except it is external from the computer and connects to the computer via a USB port or Firewire Port.

What is so good about External Hard Drives?

There are a number of reasons why these new external drives are so good. I will list them below.

They are really portable and you can bring them with you wherever you go. They are like a really big USB flash drive. For more information on Portable Hard Drives go to this page that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of portable drives and reviews some of the best drives on the market.

They have a large storage capacity. They can store between 20Gb-2Tb (2000 Gb), while flash drives usually store between 1Gb-32Gb.

Excellent for backing up your computer. Because they are external they are easy to use to backup your information. Simply plugin your hard drive and drag over the appropriate files. I would argue that External Hard Drives are the number 1 way of backing up your computer.

Another advantage of External drives is that basically any computer, with any operating system will recognize them and be able to use them. This means that you can store information from a Windows Vista computer and upload it on a Windows 98 PC.

The really old external drives were too big to carry around and were not very helpful, but more recently the size of the hard drive has been shrinking till they are nearly pocket size.


PORTABLE HARD DRIVE



Physical Hard Drive Size

The size of portable external hard drives are usually the same size as a laptop hard drive (2.5 inch) compared to the bigger hard drives (3.5 inch).



This means that you can hold the hard drive in the palm of your hand and bring them around with you.
Portable Hard Drive Capacity

A portable hard drive has a smaller capacity then the normal 3.5 " hard drives. It is the same hard drive as a laptop hard drive, which means that it has sizes between 20Gb - 500Gb. However, for most users 300Gb - 500Gb is big enough. This is why they are so much better than the small flash drive.

Disadvantages

There are a few little disadvantages to the portable hard drive. However these are so minor that it would not deter me from buying one.

Firstly, the price of smaller hard drives are more expensive than bigger 3.5" hard drives. This means that you will paying more per Gigabyte than you would pay for a bigger hard drive.

The second disadvantage in buying a portable external hard drive would be the speed of the platters. In most normal internal hard drives the speed is around 7200 RPMs while these small hard drives usually run at 5400 RPMs. This does mean that the hard drive is slightly slower and it will take slightly longer to run programs and move files.

Hard Drive Connectors

IDE Cables



IDE Cables connect from the motherboard of a computer to the hard drive, cd drive and/or floppy drive. IDE stands for Integrated Drive Electronics.



SATA Cable



SATA Cables (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) are used for connecting a hard drive or CD drive to the motherboard. This cable is quickly replacing the older and more common IDE Ribbon Cable (PATA). Not only is the Serial ATA cable easier to use then the IDE Ribbon cable because of its small width but it transfers data faster then the older IDE Ribbon cables.

The transfer data rate of Serial ATA cables started at 1.5Gbits but the more recent cables transfer 3.0Gbits and probably up to 6.0Gbits in the recent future.

It is common to have both SATA and IDE connectors on the motherboard but gradually IDE will disappear from the motherboard all

SATA Power Cable



Along with the introduction of the Serial ATA cable came the SATA power cable. The SATA Power Cable is a 15-pin cable that connects from the power supply to the hard drive or CD/DVD drive. The newer power supplies come with SATA power cables but if not it is possible to buy an adapter to turn Molex power cables (the older more common power cables) into a SATA power cable.

CD RW Drives



CD RW drives and other drives such as CD ROMs, DVD ROMs and DVD RWs have become a crucial component of a computer. Previously the CD ROM drive was not crucial to the life of a computer.

What is a CD ROM?



Well you most likely know what a CD ROM is used for but maybe you don't know what it means. CD stands for Compact Disc and ROM stands for Read Only Memory.
A CD ROM holds

Computer Monitor

CRT monitor



LCD monitor



A computer monitor is the viewing display of a computer. People often get confused and call the monitor the computer. The reason they get mixed up is because the monitor is the unit that people look at and is usually quite big. There are two types of monitors, these are the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The CRT is the older of these two types and is very chunky unlike the LCD monitors which are very thin.

A computer monitor connects to the computer's video card. The information is sent from the computer, processed by the graphics card and then sent through the cable to the monitor where it becomes visible. The monitor does not store information but only displays what is sent from the computer.

This means a computer can run without a monitor but there would be no point as the user cannot see anything he does.

The CRT monitor connects through the VGA (Video Graphics Array) port on the graphics card while the LCD monitor can connect either through the S-VGA port or the DVI (Digital Video Interface) Port.

NETWORK Card



What is a Network Card?

Basically to sum it up, a network card is a piece of computer hardware, that is designed to allow computers to communicate over a network.

Computer Power Supply



A computer power supply is a compulsory unit to a computer. Without the power supply a computer is useless as it is just a case full of metal and plastic.

A power cable connects from the power point to the power supply where it supply's the motherboard and other components with power. Often there is a power switch on the back which can be switched off to stop the power current. If this is not switched off and even though the computer is off power will still be drawn out of the power point (very small amount).

The most common power supply that we have in our computers today are the ATX Power Supply. The AT Power Supply was found in many computers a few years ago but this has become less common.

The graphic below shows each power cable and its name. To find out more about each cable and where it goes in the computer click on the links at the end of the page.



The computer power supply is placed inside the computer case generally near the top of the case. It is sometimes necessary to buy a mini power supply for some cases are so small that they need one. Most computer cases when bought come with a power supply that is suited to its case. There are usually power ports on the motherboard for the fans in the case but if not it is possible to buy an adapter that will convert power from the 4-pin power cable to a fan power cable.