CHF

• PC Hardware


  The physical components that make up a personal computer
• PC Development Timeline


  PC development over time
• System Components


  • Microprocessor
  • Port
  • Motherboard
  • Processor
  • Memory
  • Hard Disk Drives
  • Monitor
  • Video Card
  • Power Supply
  • PC Power Supply
  • Case

  
• Microprocessor


  Central Processing Unit (CPU) that reads and writes data and instructions to/from storage devices and performs calculations and other data processing
• Port


  Physical connector that allows a cable from a peripheral device to be attached to the computer
• Motherboard


  Core of the system which controls all the devices
• Processor


  Serves as the brain or engine of the PC
• Memory


  Contains data which the processor is using at a given time
• Hard Disk Drives


  Secondary storage that is used when large amounts of data have to be stored
• Monitor


  Video display which shows information
• Video Card


  Controls the information displayed on the monitor
• Power Supply


  Source of electrical power for every part of the PC
• PC Power Supply


  Provides all of the different voltages the computer needs to operate properly, converts AC to DC, and is designed to be efficient and generate minimal heat
• Case


  Frame that houses the system unit
• PC Case Functions


  • Housing
  • Ventilation
  • EMF Elimination and Grounding
• PC Case Form Factors

  • ATX
  • Micro-ATX
  • Extended-ATX
  • ITX
• Obsolete PC Case Form Factors

  • AT
  • Baby-AT
  • LPX
• Motherboard


  The main printed circuit board that resides inside the PC, equipped with sockets where the processor, memory, plug-in cards, daughterboard, and peripheral devices are connected

  
• Motherboard Form Factors


  • ATX
  • Micro-ATX
  • Mini-ITX
  • Mini-DTX
• ATX Motherboards


  • Widely used in low-cost home PC and small form-factor corporate PC
  • An open, non-proprietary industry specification originally developed by Intel in 1995
  • Built in I/O external connector panel that eliminated the need for cables
  • Single main internal power supply connector that is very easy to plug and cannot be installed incorrectly
  • CPU and memory is relocated next to the power supply, so that they cannot interfere with any bus extension cards
  • Internal I/O connectors for the floppy and hard drive are relocated near the drive bay so cables can be shorter
  • CPU and main memory are designed to improve overall system cooling
  • Considered cheaper to manufacture due to elimination of cables to external port connectors
• Obsolete Motherboards


  • PC/XT
  • Full-size AT
  • Baby-AT
  • LPX
• Chipsets


  Group of microchips on the motherboard that control the flow of data and instructions to and from the CPU, controlling memory cache, power management, external buses and some peripherals

  
• Modern Intel Chipsets


  • Z690
  • B660
  • H610
• Modern AMD Chipsets


  • X670
  • B650
  • A520
• Buses


  Electrical channels that transfer bits internally within the computer, allowing devices to communicate with each other, carrying electrical power, control signals, memory addresses, and data
• Types of System Bus

  • Data bus
  • Address bus
  • Control bus
• BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

  Low-level software that controls the system hardware and acts as a link between the hardware and the operating system, providing device drivers
• Sources of BIOS in a PC

  • Motherboard ROM
  • Adapter card ROM
  • Loaded into RAM from disk
• Functions of BIOS


  • POST (tests PC components)
  • Setup (configures PC settings)
  • Bootstrap loader (reads disk drives and looks for a master boot record)
  • BIOS (provides interface between hardware and OS after boot-up)
• Types of ROM Chips

  • Read-only memory (ROM)
  • Programmable ROM (PROM)
  • Erasable PROM (EPROM)
  • Electrically Erasable PROM (EEPROM)
• Popular BIOS Manufacturers


  • American Megatrends, Inc. (AMI)
  • Phoenix Technologies
  • Award Software
• BIOS Setup Keystrokes


  • AMI BIOS - <delete>
  • Phoenix BIOS (FirstBIOS Pro) - <F2>
  • Award BIOS (FirstBIOS) - <delete> or <Ctrl+Alt+Esc>
  • Microaid Research (MR) BIOS - <Esc>
• BIOS Setup Menu Screens

  • Maintenance
  • Main
  • Advanced
  • Security
  • Power
  • Boot
  • Exit
• Motherboard


  The main printed circuit board that resides inside the PC, equipped with sockets where the processor, memory, plug-in cards, daughterboard, and peripheral devices are connected
• Motherboard Form Factors


  • ATX
  • Micro-ATX
  • Mini-ITX
  • Mini-DTX
• ATX Motherboard


  • Standard for tower and desktop systems, most common from 1996 to present, supports high-end systems, 12 inches long with width varying from 6.7 to 9.6 inches
• Micro-ATX Motherboard


  • Smaller version of ATX, used in mid-range systems, fits microATX or ATX chassis, 9.6" x 9.6" or 9.6" x 9.1"
• Mini-ITX Motherboard


  • Smaller than standard ATX, 6.7 inches x 6.7 inches, typically has only one expansion slot, ideal for small form factor computers
• Mini-DTX Motherboard


  • Developed by AMD in 2007, slightly larger than ITX at 9.6 inches x 8 inches, designed for compact PCs
• ATX Motherboards


  • Widely used in low-cost home PCs and small form-factor corporate PCs, open non-proprietary industry specification developed by Intel in 1995, built-in I/O external connector panel, single main internal power supply connector, CPU and memory relocated next to power supply, internal I/O connectors for drives near drive bays, designed for improved cooling