Devices are made up of components. Questions and tasks. Budget positioning of GPUs

The computer consists of system unit And peripheral devices(monitor, mouse, keyboard). In this post, I would like to disassemble the computer in detail down to every bolt, consider the structure of the computer as a whole, what it contains and what each part is needed for.

System unit

The system unit is the computer itself. The system unit contains: PSU (power supply), HDD (hard drive), motherboard, RAM, processor, sound card, video card, LAN card, disk drive and other components that are necessary to expand capabilities. Let's now take a closer look at each device and find out what function it performs.

System unit case

Cases come in different types: compact, transparent, backlit, but its main task is to fit all the computer devices. Of course, you could do without it, hang the motherboard on the wall, and put everything else on the table next to it, but this is stupid, inconvenient and dangerous.

While the system unit is turned on, under no circumstances should you touch its components. Passes inside high voltage which can even kill. This is why the case is always used, it is convenient and safe.

PSU – Power supply

Almost all the wires in the computer come from the power supply. It provides each device in the system unit with electricity, without which nothing will work. The power supply weighs about a kilogram, and is approximately the size of .

The power supply produces: 3.3v, 5v and 12v. Each device has a separate voltage. Also, to prevent the power supply from overheating, it is equipped with a radiator and a cooling fan. This is where the sound of a working computer comes from.

Motherboard

The main task of the motherboard is to connect ALL devices of the computer. It literally combines everything: mouse, keyboard, monitor, USB drives, HDD, processor, video card and everything else. For more information about the holes/connectors and ports of the motherboard, see the picture above.

CPU - computer's central processing unit

The processor powers and calculates all operations on the computer. When compared to human organs, a computer processor can be compared to the brain. The more powerful the chip (CPU), the more calculations it can do, in other words: the computer will run faster. But this is only one of the main devices responsible for the speed of your computer.

RAM - random access memory

RAM is a random access memory device. Also called RAM, random access memory and random access memory. This small board is needed to store temporary data. When you copy something, this information is temporarily stored in RAM, which is also how it stores information system files, programs and games. The more tasks you assign to the computer, the more it will need random access memory. For example, at the same time the PC will download something, play an audio file and the game will be launched, then there will be huge pressure to RAM.

The more RAM, the better and faster the computer works (as is the case with the processor).

Video card (video adapter)

A video card, also called a video adapter, is necessary to transfer images from a computer to a screen/monitor. As mentioned above, it is inserted into the mat. board into its connector.

In general, the computer is designed in such a way that each device has its own hole and even brute force You won't be able to insert something into the wrong place.

The more complex the image (HD video, game, graphical shell and editor), the more memory should have graphics card. For example, 4k. The video will not play properly on a weak video card. The video will slow down, and you may think that the Internet is weak.

A modern video card also contains a small cooler (cooling fan), both for power supply and CPU cooling. Under the cooler is a small graphics processor that works like a central processor.

HDD (hard disk) Hard Disk Drive

HDD – aka: hard disk, hard drive, hard drive, screw, drive. No matter what people call him, he has one task. It stores all information and files. Including OS (operating system), programs, browsers, photos, music, etc. In other words, this is computer memory (like a flash drive in a phone).

There is also SSD. The essence and principle are the same, but an SSD works many times faster and costs an order of magnitude more. If you use SSD as system disk for the OS, then your computer will run much faster.

Drive

If you need to view/copy information from a disk, then you need a disk drive. Nowadays, you rarely see this device in new computers; the drive has been replaced by USB drives (flash drives). They take up much less space than disks, are easier to use, and are reusable. Nevertheless, disk drives are still used, and I couldn’t help but write about it.

Sound card

A computer needs a sound card to play audio files. Without it, there will be no sound on the computer. If you go back to the "motherboard" section for a second, you will see that it is already built into every motherboard.

As you can see in the photo above, there are additional sound cards. They are necessary for connecting more powerful speaker systems and provide better sound in contrast to integrated (built-in) ones.

If you use ordinary small speakers, then the difference will not even be noticeable. If you have a subwoofer or home cinema, then of course you need to install a decent sound card.

Additional computer devices

Everything I said above necessary for the operation of the system unit, and now let's look at additional computer devices that expand its capabilities and add functionality.

External hard drive

Unlike HDD, external hard portable disk. If HDD and SSD need to be installed in the case and secured there, then the external one is connected with just one USB cable. This is very convenient for all occasions that there is no point in describing. External HDD it's like a flash drive, only with big amount memory.

Uninterruptable power source

Absolutely every computer is afraid of voltage surges, I would even say more than any other equipment. An uninterruptible power supply will provide stable voltage and will protect your power supply from surges.

Voltage may fluctuate various reasons, and it’s not always noticeable. For example, if you have weak wiring, then when you turn on other equipment in the house, the voltage may jump. Or maybe the neighbors have something powerful... In general, I strongly recommend that everyone use a power supply.

TV tuner

A TV tuner is a special chip that allows you to watch TV on a computer. Here, rather, as in the case of the disk drive, it still works, but is no longer relevant. To watch TV on your computer, you don’t need to insert special boards, we now have and have a whole section on my blog dedicated to this topic.

Computer peripherals

As Wikipedia says:

Peripherals are hardware that allows information to be entered into or output from a computer. Peripheral devices are optional for system operation and can be disconnected from the computer.

But, I don't agree with her. For example, we don’t even need a computer without a monitor, and without a keyboard, not everyone can turn on a computer, only the most experienced users can do without a mouse, and without speakers you can’t watch or listen to anything. These are not all devices yet, so let's look at each of them separately.

Personal computer monitor

Let me repeat a little - we don’t need a computer without a monitor, otherwise we won’t see what’s going on there. Perhaps in the future they will come up with some kind of hologram or special glasses, but for now this is just my sick fantasy).

The monitor is connected to the video card special cable, of which there are 2 types VGA (obsolete connector) and HDMI. HDMI provides best picture, and also transmits sound parallel to the image. So, if your monitor has built-in speakers and it has a high resolution, you definitely need to use an HDMI cable.

Keyboard

The keyboard is needed to enter information, call commands and perform actions. There are different types of keyboards: regular, silent, multimedia and gaming.

1. Regular - the simplest keyboard with only standard buttons.
2. Silent – ​​rubber/silicone keyboards, when working with which not a single sound is heard.
3. Multimedia. In addition to standard buttons, the keyboard has additional keys to control audio/video files, volume, touchpad (possibly), and the rest.
4. Gaming – Additional buttons for different games, the main buttons for the game have a different color and other goodies.

Mouse

The main task computer mouse- this is the control/movement of the cursor on the screen. You can also select and open files/folders and call the menu with the right button.

Now there are many different mice for computers. There are wireless, small, large, with additional buttons for convenience, but its main function remains the same decades later.

Acoustic system

As mentioned above, the speaker system is connected to the sound card. The signal is transmitted through the sound to the speakers, and you hear what they say in the video and sing in the song. Acoustics can be different, but without any, a computer with all its capabilities becomes an ordinary working tool, in front of which it is boring to spend time.

MFP - Multifunctional Devices

An MFP is more necessary for office and study. Typically contains: scanner, printer, copier. Although these are all in one device, they perform completely different tasks:

1. Scanner – makes an exact copy of a photograph/document in electronic form.
2. Printer – prints an electronic version of a document, photographs, pictures onto paper.
3. Xerox – Makes an exact copy from one paper to another.

Gamepad or joystick

A gamepad is also a joystick in the past. Only needed for comfort in some games. There are wireless ones and vice versa. Usually they contain no more than 15 buttons, and there is no point in using them in non-games.

Computers are one of the most common means of obtaining information and earning money among the population. In this article, you will be able to get acquainted with the structure of most PCs that you may encounter in everyday life, unless you are a specialist in the field of computer technology.

Why is this necessary?

First, let's define the term. PC is a personal computer that you see every day when you come to your workplace.

Few people who work at a computer have any idea how it works. Meanwhile, knowledge of even the simplest elements can save a person a large number of time in case of breakdown. If he knows the PC device, at the slightest problem he is able to quickly determine and correct its cause on his own, without waiting for professionals.

This review article will look at all the PC devices that a user may encounter, as well as the simplest diagrams of interactions between the elements of your computer.

First meeting

Remember the first time you saw a computer. If you were then asked about what it consists of, the maximum that you could answer? Surely this is the general main device of the PC:

• system unit;
• monitor;
• mouse;
• keyboard.

It is clear that such an answer would make any system administrator laugh at the user. Meanwhile, you are not far from the truth. With the exception of the system unit, these elements are PC peripheral devices designed to interact with end user, that is, with you.

The most curious early childhood They are trying to disassemble the system unit to see what is inside. Those who manage to do this could hardly immediately say what was before their eyes without preparation. There are many microcircuits and wires, the purpose of which we will talk about below.

PC internals are the lifeblood of your personal computer. In general terms, we can say that its insides consist of data transmission and processing devices. This is the so-called PC technical device.

External devices

A separate group is the equipment that a person sees in front of him every day. External PC devices are allocated for operation and user interaction.

• Input Devices- This Hardware, intended for entering information and data into a computer.

1. Mouse.
2. Keyboard.
3. Scanner.
4. Joystick.
5. Microphone.

• Output devices- These are PC devices that display and output information to the user in any form.

1. Monitor.
2. Speakers, headphones or others sound devices PC.
3. A printer.

The further logic is quite easy to follow, so we will not list absolutely all PC peripheral devices. In most cases, external ones are easy enough to replace. When they break, either the computer stops recognizing them, or they simply stop working. Accordingly, it is not difficult to determine which technical device of the PC has failed.

Let's take a look inside

At first glance, the internal elements are too complex, but even their totality has a strict structure. The basis of everything is the motherboard, which connects all the PC devices together. The connection diagram will be discussed a little later, but for now let’s look under the cover of the system unit and list what we saw:

• motherboard;
• RAM;
• CPU;
• video card;
• sound card;
• HDD;
• power unit;
• disk reader;
• cooling system;
• network card or built-in Wi-Fi adapter.

In addition to the devices themselves, in the system unit you can see a large number of connecting cables, thanks to which the PC devices interact, as well as power cables, thanks to which all elements are powered. As you can see, there are quite a lot of internal components, so it makes no sense to consider them together, and we will describe them separately.

"Brain"

In general, “brains” in programmers’ slang is the central processor of a personal computer. It serves to process all data and signals, as well as to process processes located in the PC memory. It looks like a small plate with many connector pins placed on the motherboard, usually completely covered on top by its own cooling system - a cooler (fan).

Technology development does not stand still, and processors are becoming more powerful every year. Back in 1995, a 350 MHz processor could be considered the ultimate dream of the average user. This was completely enough for all computer tasks. Today, CPUs have several cores - 2, 4, 8, the power of each of which is up to several gigahertz.

However, nothing revolutionary has happened in this area over the past decades. Capacity is growing slowly, and no breakthroughs in the area of ​​information processing speed are planned.

Memory

Some users believe that a computer's memory is how much information it can hold, and this is partly true. The PC memory device can be divided into two types, just like in humans. There is long-term and short-term memory.

PC RAM is short-term memory that contains all the data and processes when you work on the computer. When you run any program, its working part is transferred to RAM. It is from there that the data is transferred to the microprocessor for processing. The volume of the OP determines how much information it can contain and the speed of its processing.

From the point of view of its development, no special breakthrough has been noticed either. Volumes per bar are increasing, as is the speed of processing and transmitting information to the microprocessor, but nothing grandiose is expected.

A hard drive is a permanent, long-term computer memory with which the user directly works. This is where you record your information, programs and games. Dimensions hard memory disk are much higher than the operational one.

Volatile memory is located on the motherboard. Serves to store the most common and basic settings personal computer, such as date, time, passwords, system boot information. This memory got its name due to the fact that it requires constant replenishment of energy, which it receives through a battery, also located on the motherboard.

It is also worth noting that memory is part of PC devices, since it contains information on processor requests.

Nutrition

The thesis is clear to any schoolchild: all PC devices consume electricity. A computer power failure leads to the loss of data from RAM and volatile memory, and if the computer turns off while the user is working, not only may unsaved data be lost, but it may also be damaged existing information, which can lead to unreadable files.

Using power cables, the unit supplies +12 and -12 volts, as well as +4 and -4 volts to personal computer devices, so you are not in danger of death from electric shock. However, it is better not to take risks and follow safety precautions.

Picture and sound

To display images on the screen, a video card is used, which is also mounted on the motherboard. In many cases, the motherboard has built-in video cards, but they are too low-power to work with graphic programs or games. Therefore, people usually purchase more powerful components as part of the package.

Video cards in a computer are one of the hardest working parts. Based on this, experienced system administrators installed inside the system unit additional cooling in addition to what is already there.

The best video cards have several ports - for connecting not only a monitor, but also a TV.

An inseparable part of the image is sound. Personal computers also have built-in sound cards. They provide fairly high-quality sound, but for lovers of more powerful special effects, it is recommended to purchase additional elements.

Sometimes you may have noticed that your personal computer makes high-pitched sounds when booting up. They are produced by a built-in speaker, which, depending on the BIOS manufacturer, informs the programmer about the boot status with sound signals. In older games, this speaker was also sometimes used to create ambiance.

The basis

The article has already mentioned the motherboard more than once. This is the basis of the computer, connecting all its parts together with a single chip. It serves to provide absolutely all personal computer devices.

Physically, this is a board on which all internal expansion strips are attached, and components located inside the system unit are also connected. This is the main device of the PC.

The logical structure of the motherboard is divided into north and south bridges. Although many companies are beginning to refuse to implement the first, transferring its functions to CPU.

Let's figure out what is called the north bridge. This is part logic circuit personal computer, designed to ensure interaction between internal devices and the south bridge. The latter is the part of the circuit responsible for the interaction of input-output devices.

The motherboard contains slots for expansion cards, ports for connecting external devices, as well as one of the most important parts of a personal computer - the BIOS. He is responsible for the basic computer settings, loading operating system, and possible setting some physical parameters of the PC.

Assembly

PC devices are connected directly to the motherboard. For internal elements, there are special wires - loops, consisting of several small wires, each of which has a specific function. Also everyone internal devices connected to the power supply via power wires. A little advice: when connecting expansion cards, it is better to support the motherboard with reverse side, however, due to the fact that it is attached to the body of the system unit, you can use a pencil, carefully sliding it under the chip.

External devices connect to the part of the motherboard that is exposed on the back of your personal computer - the so-called ports. In the past every external device had its own specialized connector, but over time the developers came to unified standard connecting wires. And now USB ports are used to connect external devices. The table above shows some old port designations.

Remember that for the operation of almost any device connected to your personal computer, installed drivers are required.

Safety

Many people are skeptical about some safety requirements when working with a personal computer, but its effect on the human body has not been fully studied, so it is better to follow them.

• If you are going to work with a computer and, moreover, disassemble it, be sure to dry your hands.
• Before touching motherboards with bare hands, be sure to discharge static electricity by touching the PC case.
• Work on a personal computer with breaks for at least 2 hours.
• Ventilate the room regularly.
• Clean your computer from dust inside the system unit.

By following these tips, you can extend the life not only of yourself, but also of your computer.

Conclusion

Thanks to this article, you were able to gain basic knowledge of the structure of your personal computer. This should help you solve a number of problems related to repairing and purchasing a PC, as well as organizing your workplace or the place of your employees. This will also help protect yourself from unnecessary expenses on spare parts with proper and timely care of your computer.

With all this, by raising the level of your erudition, you will be able to communicate with your friends on computer topics and not look stupid in dialogues.

| How does a personal computer work? Basic characteristics of a personal computer

Lesson 7
The device of a personal computer and its main characteristics. Familiarization with the configuration of PC devices, connecting external devices

§7. How does a personal computer work?
§8. Basic characteristics of a personal computer

How does a personal computer work?

Main topics of the paragraph:

What is a PC;
- basic PC devices;
- the main principle of interaction between PC devices.

Questions studied:

What is PC

In § 5 we got acquainted with the basic devices of a computer - an electronic computer (computer). Modern computers are very different: from large ones that occupy an entire room, to small ones that fit on a table, in a briefcase, and even in a pocket. Various computers are used for different purposes. Today, the most popular type of computer is personal computers. Personal computers (PCs) are intended for personal (personal) use. Exist Various types PCs: stationary (desktops) and mobile (laptops, tablets, pocket PCs).

Despite the variety of PC models, there are many similarities in their design. These general properties will now be discussed.

Basic PC devices

The main “part” of a personal computer is the microprocessor (MP). It is a miniature electronic circuit created by very complex technology, which performs the function of a computer processor.

A personal computer is a collection of interconnected devices. In a desktop PC, the central device is the system unit. The system unit contains the “brain” of the machine: a microprocessor and internal memory. The following are also located there: the power supply unit, disk drives, and external device controllers. The system unit is equipped with fans to cool elements that heat up during operation.

On the outside of the system unit there is a power switch, a computer reset button, connectors (called ports) for connecting external devices, and a pull-out tray for installing an optical drive.

Connected to the system unit are a keyboard (keyboard device), a monitor (another name is a display) and a mouse (manipulator). Sometimes other types of manipulators are used: joystick, trackball, etc. In addition to the PC, the following can be connected: a printer (printing device), a modem (for access to computer network) and other devices (Fig. 2.7).

Figure 2.7 shows a stationary PC model, Fig. 2.8 - laptop.

Everything in the laptop necessary components combined in one case, which folds like a book (hence the name of the computer).

All devices external memory, as well as input/output devices interact with the PC processor through special blocks called controllers (from English controller - controller, manager). There is a disk drive controller, a monitor controller, a printer controller, etc.

Relatively recently, a universal controller appeared as part of the PC, allowing you to connect via a universal connector (USB) different kinds devices: printer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc.

The main principle of interaction between PC devices

The principle by which information communication between computer devices is organized is called the backbone principle of interaction. The processor communicates with other devices through a multi-wire line called a trunk (another name is a bus) (Fig. 2.9).

Each device connected to a PC receives its own number, which serves as the address of this device. Information transmitted from the processor to the device is accompanied by its address and supplied to the controller. Next, the operation of the device is controlled by the controller.

The typical organization of the bus is as follows: one group of wires (data bus) transmits the information being processed, and another (address bus) carries the addresses of memory or external devices accessed by the processor. There is also a third part of the highway - the control bus; control signals are transmitted through it (for example, checking the device’s readiness for operation, a signal to start the device’s operation, etc.).

Briefly about the main thing

The system unit includes: microprocessor, internal memory, disk drives, power supply, external device controllers.

External devices(input/output devices, external memory devices) interact with the PC processor through controllers.

All PC devices are connected to each other via a multi-wire line called information highway, or tire.

Each external device has its own address(number). The information transmitted to it via the data bus is accompanied by the device address, which is transmitted via the address bus.

Questions and tasks

1. Name the minimum set of devices that make up a personal computer and take photographs of these devices.

2. What devices are included in the system unit?

3. What is a controller? What function does it perform?

4. How are they physically connected to each other? various devices PC?

5. How does information transmitted over the bus get to the desired device?

Basic characteristics of a personal computer

Main topics of the paragraph:

Microprocessor characteristics;
- volume of internal (RAM) memory;
- characteristics of external memory devices;
- input/output devices.

Questions studied:

Personal computer – a computer for personal use.
- Basic devices of a personal computer.
- Minimum set of devices.
- Main principle interaction between personal computer devices.
- Microprocessor characteristics: clock frequency, bit depth.
- Volume is the main characteristic of RAM.
- Characteristics of external memory devices.

Increasingly, personal computers are used not only in production and in educational institutions, but also at home. You can buy them in a store the same way you buy household appliances. When purchasing any product, it is advisable to know its main characteristics in order to purchase exactly what you need. PCs also have these basic characteristics.

Microprocessor Specifications

Exist various models microprocessors produced by different companies. The main characteristics of MP are processor clock speed and bit depth.

The operating mode of the microprocessor and other associated devices is set by a microcircuit called a clock generator. This is a kind of metronome inside the computer. The processor is allocated a certain number of clock cycles to perform each operation. It is clear that if the metronome “knocks” faster, then the processor works faster. Clock frequency is measured in megahertz - MHz. A frequency of 1 MHz corresponds to a million clock cycles per second. Here are some typical microprocessor clock frequencies: 600, 800, 1000 MHz. The last value is called gigahertz - GHz. Modern microprocessor models operate at clock speeds of several gigahertz.

Next characteristic - processor capacity. Bit capacity is called maximum length binary code, which can be processed or transmitted by the processor as a whole. The processor capacity on the first PC models was 8 bits. Then 16-bit processors appeared. Modern PCs most often use 32-bit processors. The highest bit capacity of modern microprocessors used in PCs is 64 bits.

Volume of internal (RAM) memory

We have already talked about computer memory. It is divided into operational (internal) and long-term (external) memory. The performance of a machine greatly depends on the amount of internal memory. If there is not enough internal memory to run some programs, the computer begins to transfer some of the data to external memory, which sharply reduces its performance. The speed of reading/writing data into RAM is several orders of magnitude higher than into external memory.

The amount of RAM affects the performance of your computer. Modern programs require hundreds or thousands of megabytes (gigabytes) of RAM to run efficiently.

Purpose of cache memory

To reduce program execution time, the PC includes special type internal memory, which is called cache memory. It is small in volume, but has the most a short time read/write section of computer memory. Cache memory duplicates the data and instructions from RAM that the processor accesses most frequently when executing a program. Therefore, the processor initially looks for the required information in the cache memory, and only if it does not find it there, it turns to the slower RAM.

Characteristics of external memory devices

External memory devices are magnetic and laser drives, flash memory. Magnetic disks built into the system unit are called hard drives, or hard drives. This is very an important part computer, since this is where all the programs necessary for the computer to operate are stored. Reading/writing to a hard drive is faster than to all other types of external media, but still slower than to RAM. The larger the volume hard drive, all the better. Installed on modern PCs hard disks, the volume of which is measured in gigabytes: tens and hundreds of gigabytes. When you buy a computer, you also buy necessary set programs on the hard drive. Usually the buyer himself orders the composition software computer.

All other external memory media are removable, i.e. they can be inserted into and removed from the drive. These include optical discs such as CDs (compact discs) and DVDs. Their properties were discussed in § 6. Disks are convenient for long-term storage of programs and data, as well as for transferring information from one computer to another.

The required set of a modern PC includes optical drives for working with CD and DVD. Software is distributed on these media. The capacity of a CD-ROM is hundreds of megabytes (standard volume is 700 MB). The information capacity of DVD is calculated in gigabytes (4.7; 8.5; 17 GB). Video films are often recorded onto DVDs. On one disc you can fit a two-hour video with several soundtracks different languages.

Writeable optical drives allow you to write and rewrite information on CD-RW and DVD-RW.

Recently, flash memory has become the main means of transferring information from one computer to another. Flash memory is an electronic external memory device used to read and write information to file format. Flash memory, like disks, is a non-volatile device. The storage capacity ranges from hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes. And the speed of reading and writing data to flash media is approaching the speed of reading and writing to a hard drive.

I/O Devices

All other device types are classified as number of input/output devices. Mandatory ones are a keyboard, monitor and manipulator (mouse; on mobile PCs: trackball, touchpad, joystick, etc.). Additional devices: printer, modem, scanner, sound system and some others. The choice of these devices depends on the needs and financial opportunities buyer. You can always find sources reference information about the models of such devices and their operational properties.

Briefly about the main thing

Main characteristics of the microprocessor: clock frequency and bit depth. The higher the clock frequency, the higher the speed of the processor. Increasing the bit depth leads to an increase in the amount of data processed by the computer per unit of time.

RAM capacity affects computer performance. Modern programs require hundreds or thousands of megabytes (gigabytes) of RAM to run efficiently.

Hard magnetic disk- a mandatory external memory device included in the computer.

Removable media are optical disks and flash memory.

Required set of input/output devices: keyboard, pointing device, monitor.

Additional I/O Devices: printer, scanner, modem, speaker system, etc.

Questions and tasks

1. What characteristics of a computer determine its performance?

2. What order of information volume do hard drives, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs have?

3. Which memory devices are built-in and which are removable?

4. Which input/output devices are required for a PC, and which are optional?

Electronic lesson supplement

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Every PC user knows perfectly well that a computer consists of a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and a system unit. But it is clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is, so to speak, just one side of the coin. If you look inside the system unit and other component computer, then we will find more great amount details, thanks to which, in fact, it works.

The most basic, of course, is system unit.

In general, it is directly a computer that performs hundreds of thousands of operations. If we replace the monitor, keyboard or mouse, it will simply become more convenient for us to watch movies, listen to music, type texts, etc., but the PC parameters will remain the same. Everything that is displayed on the monitor and heard in the speakers depends on what is inside. The internal details of the system unit determine the capabilities of the system as a whole.

The computer system unit consists of: video card, hard drive, RAM modules, coolers, processor, motherboard and many other parts. Let's look at the important parts and their functions in more detail.

Motherboard - This is the basis of the entire system unit.

This is the board to which all the other parts of the mechanism are attached: video card, processor, hard drive, etc. Because of this, its name is appropriate. It ensures the vital functions of other parts. The main function of the motherboard is to connect the other parts so that they work as one. If you open the cover of the system unit, you will immediately notice it.

CPU - This is the so-called heart of the computer.

It is the processor that executes all the commands that the PC user sets. The speed and capabilities of a computer depend on how powerful the processor is. The processor is located on the motherboard in a special connector, which is called the “Central Processor Connector” or “socket”.

Cooler. This part is located immediately above the processor.

A cooler is a small heatsink with a fan that dissipates heat and thus cools the processor. This is a very important detail, because if the processor overheats, the computer will shut down. And this will quickly lead to PC failure.

Winchester or hard drive is a device on which all the information on your PC is stored.

It goes without saying that the larger the hard drive, the more information Can accommodate a computer. Location of the hard drive in modern computers a little different from the older ones. Now they are connected using an interface. As a rule, hard drives also often overheat, and therefore, for more long term computer service, install another small cooler near the hard drive, which will be enough to avoid repairs.

Video card– part of the computer responsible for the speed of processing video information.

In modern computers, the video card is installed on the motherboard via a PCI-Express connector. There are also motherboards that have several PCI-Express slots, this naturally improves the picture and makes the graphics subsystem more powerful overall. But basically, a regular video card is enough for the average user. Powerful video cards are necessary for those who directly work with graphics or simply who like to play games with a clearer picture in order to feel the whole atmosphere of the game. Each computer also has a sound and network card. Their names themselves speak for their functions in the PC.

RAM modules– this is RAM in other words.

RAM temporarily stores data that the processor needs to perform an operation. At the end of such processes, for example, after closing a particular operation, the data from the RAM is immediately deleted. The speed of RAM, or more precisely access to it, is much higher than the speed of access to the hard drive. This helps you get virtually instant access to necessary information. Exist different models RAM, and therefore the connectors for them on the motherboard are also different.

These, of course, are not all the parts that make up a computer. In order to expand the capabilities of your PC, various TV tuners, modems, etc. are also installed. It depends on the desires of the user.

And, of course, in order for all this to function, you need power unit, which will give life to all this “hardware”.

Hello dear visitors of the blog site. Today we’ll talk about computer devices, or as they usually say, “hardware” that can be found in the computer system unit. This way you will understand what a computer is made of. Hardware device computer or as it is fashionable to say “hardware” remains a mystery even to many experienced users. In this article I’ll tell you about hardware devices, thereby filling the gap, of course, if you have one, and if you are familiar with them, then we’ll refresh your memory a little.

First of all, let’s divide what is commonly called a “computer” into two groups:

• System unit. This is that big (or not very big) box to which everything is connected.
• Peripherals. You can read about peripheral devices in my article « » These are all other devices that help you work with a computer. Their main feature– they are located outside the system unit and connected to it externally.

System unit device

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

1. Power unit.
2. RAM.
3. Hard disk drive.
4. Floppy disk reader.
5. Reader optical disks.
6. Additional devices.

Points 1 to 5 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 externally.

What does computer consist of:

Now let's tell you in more detail about each component.

power unit

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

Importance of this component often underestimated. When buying a computer, you may be offered to save money by installing a lower-quality power supply. This is highly not recommended, since the power supply is the source of energy for all other components of the system. If a low-quality power supply breaks down or has some problem in the electrical network, it can damage other components of the system. In addition, cheap and low-quality models often indicate power values ​​that are far from reality. 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 located inside the system unit are connected. It is the main board in the system. Let's take a closer look at its contents:

• Socket – connector for connecting a processor. Depending on which socket your motherboard contains, you may only be able to 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. Modern motherboards may have two types of slots at once.
• Connectors for connecting devices and storing data. For ordinary PCs, they come in two types: a wide elongated connector with 39 pins in two rows and a small almost rectangular connector with an “r”-shaped middle. The first is a parallel interface called IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) and its second name is PATA (Parallel ATAttachment). The second is sequential SATA interface(Serial ATtachment).
• Expansion slots. These are connectors that are used to connect additional devices. They are an elongated connector located horizontally on the lower left side 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 the PCI interface (Peripheral component tinterconnect) or its derivatives PCI Express, etc.
• Chipset. This is a set of chips that provide communication between system components. Usually it can be divided into the so-called north and south bridge. North Bridge is a memory controller, that is, a part that ensures data exchange between the central processor and RAM. IN modern platforms The memory controller can be integrated directly into the central processor. South Bridge– This is an input/output controller, a part that provides communication between the processor and interfaces such as SATA, IDE, PCI, USB and others.

Listed above required components motherboard, they are also united 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 many connectors that are also physically located on the motherboard. They are located on the left side, approximately in the middle and are 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 (in colloquial speech 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 increasingly rare to find it on board.
• COM port. Another obsolete serial interface. This port is actively used as an interface for configuring equipment.
• USB (Universal Serial Bus - universal parallel bus). This is the most popular way to connect peripheral devices to a modern PC. Used to connect a variety of devices: mouse, keyboard, scanner, printer, 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, but if you intend to play games on the computer, 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 audio jacks Jack 3.5. Used to connect speaker system and microphone. Green connector for connecting 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 below horizontally.

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

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

Bit capacity indicates the amount of information transmitted per unit of time over the data bus. Available in 8, 16, 32 and 64 bits. Accordingly, the higher the bit depth, the faster the processor runs. Clock frequency shows how many clock cycles (elementary operations) the CPU performs per unit of time. Power consumption indicates how much heat the processor generates when running.

Some time ago, the two main processor manufacturers - Intel and AMD - tried to increase their competition as much as possible clock frequency their processors. But we were faced with the fact that after overcoming a certain threshold, energy consumption and heat transfer begin to increase nonlinearly. The solution was multi-core processors. This means that one CPU contains several crystals that distribute the computing load among themselves. The most widely used devices 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 this parameter does not add the desired gigahertz, but can have a very significant impact on performance. Intelligent organization of work, as we know, costs a lot.

RAM

RAM is a random access memory (RAM), in English – RAM (Random Access Memory). This memory area is volatile, that is, without “power” the data is not saved in it. The RAM stores information that must be processed by the processor in real time. During operation, RAM contains data from the operating system and running user programs.

Today, RAM modules of the SDRAM DDR3 standard are relevant; before them there were SDRAM DDR 2 and SDRAM DDR 1 (of course, you can still find them). Each new generation had a number of serious advantages over its predecessors: increased throughput, energy consumption decreased.

HDD

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

This type of memory is not non-volatile, that is, data is retained in memory after the power is turned off. It is this computer device that contains all the user data: movies, music, documents and everything else.

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

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

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of connection method: IDE and SATA. The first one is almost never used anymore, since serial SATA faster and more convenient. According to the form factor, HDDs come in 5.25 (discontinued production); 3.5, 2.5 inch, 1.8 inch, 1.3 inch, 1 inch and 0.85 inch are the sizes of the plates that contain the information. Desktop PCs usually use 3.5 HDDs, laptops 2.5. How faster speed rotation - 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 more fast models hard drives for laptops.

Floppy disk drive

Floppy disk drive, in English FDD (Floppy Disk Drive r), also called Floppy or simply floppick. This is a floppy disk 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. The size of floppy disks is 3.5 inches (5.25 inch floppy disks have been used for a long time). The floppy disk capacity is 1.44 MB. Floppy disks, in addition to their small volume, have a serious drawback - they are very unreliable, the information on them may become unreadable due to exposure to magnetic fields or shock. Because of this, this type media is 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 multi-purpose disc), Blu-ray Disc (from English Blue Ray– blue beam).CD and DVDs There are three types: ROM (Read Only Memory), R (Recordable), RW (Re-Writable).

Drives (disk drives) for reading optical discs are called the same as media. Moreover, the drive is called an abbreviation of the last generation in line that it can read. That is DVD-ROM drive reads DVDs and CDs, but the 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).

CD capacity 700 MB. DVD discs can be single-layer, double-layer and double-sided, the volume of regular is 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 can store 25 GB, double layer 50 GB.

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

Additional devices (peripherals)

Additional devices can be devices that are inserted into the motherboard. A discrete one (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 (that’s what computer hardware is called) will become a little closer and clearer to my readers.