What is included in the computer device. The main components of a computer. Every computer contains

Acquaintance with operating system Windows XP.

Chapter 1. GENERAL DEVICE OF A PERSONAL COMPUTER.

Target: Acquaintance with the architecture and main components of a personal computer.

Representation of information in a personal computer. Bits and bytes. Number systems.

The purpose of a computer is to receive, process, store and issue information following the commands coming from a person. When performing any actions on the computer, the user sends commands to the computer, which are converted into the simplest computational instructions (addition, multiplication, shift). Performing millions of elementary operations per second, a computer allows you to work with texts, graphics, listen to music, watch videos, work on the World Wide Web.

To teach calculus electronic device, at the dawn of the computer age, a very simple number system was created. The natural electronic way of counting is a number system based on two digits. 0 and 1("there is a signal / there is no signal"), which is called binary. In the binary system, one bit is called a bit. Bit- This is a term that is short for the words "binary digit" (binary digit - bit).

There are 256 integers in eight binary digits - enough to give a unique 8-bit designation for each capital and lowercase letter two alphabets (Russian and English), punctuation marks, numbers, some other characters, as well as control codes. Thus, 8 bits are needed to encode and transmit any character or control code. There is a code table in which each character is assigned a binary number from 00000000 to 11111111 (in decimal representation from 0 to 255). Naturally, an eight-bit number - bytes - was chosen as a unit of computer information. Byte- the amount of information required to accommodate one character. About 4000 characters or bytes fit on one page. Each instruction understood by a PC (machine instruction) consists of one or more bytes. There are large units of information.

Kilobyte 1 Kb = 2 10 bytes = 1024 bytes.

Megabyte 1 Mb = 1024 Kb = 2 20 bytes = 1048576 bytes.

gigabyte 1 GB = 1024 MB = 2 30 bytes.

Terabyte 1 TB = 1024 GB = 2 40 bytes.

Numbers can also be written in other number systems. The most familiar to us is the decimal number system, in which the score is accepted in tens and 10 basic digits are used (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). By placing these numbers in different positions, any number can be expressed.

Components of a personal computer.

Visually, a personal computer (PC) consists (see Fig. 1.1) of the system unit, keyboard, mouse and monitor. Speakers (see Fig. 1.1), printer (Fig. 1.2) or scanner (Fig. 1.3) can be connected to the computer.

The motherboard contains:

1. Processor(see Fig. 1.5) performs calculations and provides general control of the computer.

The processor consists of: an arithmetic logic unit designed to perform arithmetic operations; control device that provides control of the computing process.

The processor is characterized by:

Clock frequency;

Bit depth;

architecture.

Clock frequency is determined by the maximum execution time of an elementary action (addition or multiplication) in the processor. The clock frequency of a modern personal computer reaches 3.4 GHz (ie 3.4 billion elementary operations per second).

Bit depth - maximum number bits that can be processed at the same time. The concept of capacity includes:

The capacity of the internal registers of the processor;

Bit width of the data bus;

Address bus width.

Bit depth of internal registers determines the size of the data that the processor can work with. The bit width of the data bus determines the rate of information transfer (the amount of data that can be transferred per unit of time) between the processor and other devices. The address bus width defines the computer's address space.

Thus, if the clock frequency determines the speed of calculations, then the bit depth determines the size of data that can be processed by the processor or transmitted from one computer node to another per unit of time.

2. Computer memory- a storage device directly connected to the processor and designed to store programs and data during the execution of the program. Main memory consists of random access memory (RAM or RAM) and read only memory (ROM or ROM). RAM is volatile. It is in the RAM that programs and data are stored while the PC is running. Modern personal computers are equipped with 256 (or more) MB of RAM.

ROM- an energy-independent device that provides reliable storage and issuance of information. The contents of the ROM cannot be changed. Sometimes the contents of the ROM are called BIOS(Basic Input Output System - base system I/O). The ROM stores programs that implement the basic I / O functions, as well as a PC test program and a number of other programs.

There is another kind of memory - CMOS, is a semi-permanent memory designed to store the parameters of the computer's functioning. CMOS stores the characteristics of a number of devices (for example, hard drive).

3 . Inside the system unit are devices designed for long-term storage of information. These devices are called magnetic storage media.

Hard Disk Drive(or the rooted slang term "hard drive") is a huge data warehouse that stores programs and user data. "Winchester" consists of a package of hard magnetic disks, enclosed together with read-write heads in a sealed case (see Fig. 1.6).

Rice. 1.6- Appearance modern "winchester"

Hard magnetic disks have a large volume (the volume of a modern hard drive is 40 - 160 GB) and high speed.

A floppy disk drive reads and writes information to floppy disks enclosed in hard plastic envelopes. Such disks are called diskettes. A floppy disk consists of a round polymer substrate (see Fig. 1.7), coated on both sides with magnetic oxide and placed in a plastic package, on inner surface which has been coated. The package has radial slots on both sides through which the read / write heads of the drive gain access to the disk.

To remove a floppy disk from the floppy drive, press the eject button (see Fig. 1.9).

Rice. 1.9

At first, floppy disks were the only storage of information, but due to their small volume, they no longer meet the requirements of the user, and modern computers are almost always equipped with drives. CD-ROM(Compact Disk Read Only Memory - Read Only Memory on a CD) or CD-RW(Compact Disk Read and Write) (see Figure 1.10). A CD-ROM drive is similar in design to a laser player, but allows you to read both music discs and computer disks written in a special format. CD-RW drives allow you not only to read information from a disc, but also to write it to a disc.

To eject a disk from the drive (drive), press the Eject button (see Fig. 1.10).

The information carrier in these drives is a compact disk (CD-ROM) - a transparent polymer disk with a diameter of 12 cm and a thickness of 1.2 mm, on one side of which a reflective aluminum layer is sprayed, protected from damage by a layer of transparent varnish. The coating thickness is several ten-thousandths of a millimeter. The information on the disk is represented as a sequence of depressions (recesses in the disk) and protrusions (their level corresponds to the surface of the disk) located on a spiral track emerging from the area near the axis of the disk. On each inch (2.54 cm), 16 thousand turns of a spiral track are placed along the radius of the disk. The capacity of the CD reaches 780 MB.

CD-ROM technology is rapidly being replaced by DVD digital video disc technology. These discs are the same size as regular CDs but can hold up to 17 GB of data, i.e. by volume replace 20 standard CD-ROM discs. These discs produce multimedia games and interactive videos of excellent quality.

4 . Inside the system unit is a video card. video card- a device that connects the monitor to the motherboard. Modern video cards have a fairly large internal memory (64-128 MB) and allow you to independently process video information without loading the computer processor. On modern PCs, there are video cards built into the motherboard or made as a separate board (see Fig. 1.11), which are inserted into a special connector on the motherboard (AGP connector).

5 . Sound card is used to convert a digital signal into an audio signal. Speakers or headphones are connected to the sound card. There are sound cards built into the motherboard or made as a separate board and connected via a PCI connector.

7. Modem- a device for connecting a computer to the telephone network in order to transmit and receive information. There are internal modems, which are made as a separate board and are inserted into the motherboard's PCI slot, and external (see Fig. 1.13), which are connected as an external device to the system unit.

The modem remains one of the main ways to connect to the Internet from a home computer today.

8. Network card A device that connects computers to form a local area network. Each computer on the network has its own network card. Computers are connected to a network using cables.

Rice. 1.13 - External modem

The following are connected to the system unit external devices:

1. Keyboard- a device for entering symbolic information into a computer.

2. Mouse- is a device that converts movements on the table into moving the cursor on the screen and is used in addition to the keyboard as an input device.

3. Printer- a device for displaying information on paper. The most common types of printers are:

- dot matrix printers- printers with a needle printhead form printed characters from dots. These dots are imprinted on paper at the moment the ink ribbon is pressed against it by the needles of the print head as it moves along the line. These printers are very loud, produce poor quality documents, and are quite expensive. Their advantages include low cost Supplies and the ability to print on paper is not very high quality.

IN inkjet printers the image results from spraying ink on paper; the advantages of inkjet printers include high-quality color and black-and-white printing, relatively inexpensive cost; to the disadvantages - the very high cost of consumables, the cost of a color and black cartridge in a printer is comparable to the cost of the printer itself.

- laser printers page printers have the same technology as copiers; the advantages of laser printers include high-quality printing, relatively inexpensive cost of consumables; The main disadvantage of laser printers is their rather high cost.

4. Scanner reads information from the document and generates an electronic copy that can be processed by various programs, including text recognition programs, with which you can enter information into a computer through a scanner, bypassing the keyboard.

Keyboard.

It can work in the input mode of Russian letters or Latin (English). As a rule, Latin letters on the keys are shown in black, Russian letters in red.

Mode switching Russianó English produced by simultaneously pressing the [ ctrl+Shift] or [ alt+Shift]. Each computer is configured with one keyboard shortcut.

Note: Another way to switch keyboard mode.

The current keyboard mode is displayed on the monitor screen in the lower right corner. If it reflects Ru, then the keyboard works in Russian mode; If En- in English (Latin). To switch the mode, you need to click on this indicator with the mouse and switch to another mode.

All keyboard keys (usually 104 of them) are divided into 5 groups (fields). Let's consider them.

1. Alphanumeric keys - the central, largest field of the keyboard. These keys have 2-3 characters each.

How to enter a specific character? How to enter a capital (lowercase) letter?

To enter capital letter, press the key Shift and simultaneously press the key with the desired letter.

To enter characters indicated on the keys above(for example, characters @, #, $, %, &, etc.), you should also press the key Shift and at the same time - a key with the desired symbol. At the same time, it should also be taken into account in which mode - Russian or English - you need to type desired character: if the symbol is red - it means in the mode of Russian letters, if black - in the mode English letters.

Example: to type a character @ , you need to set the mode of English letters, press Shift and at the same time a key @ .

We have depicted the rules for entering characters in the figure on the right.

2. Function keys (F1–F12). Pressing such a key leads to the execution of a certain operation. In different programs, these keys perform different operations, but the key F1(key “ Help”) in any program displays a guide for working with this program.

3. Control keys - clicking on them does not lead to a set of any character, but instructs the computer to perform a certain action:

ESC- stop cancel operation. So, when a dialog box appears on the screen (with buttons Yes, No, Cancel) pressing Esc means refusing to enter any command, i.e. same as pressing " Cancel".

Tab(tab) - in a text editor, Tab moves the cursor to the right several positions at once - by the amount of indentation. In a table, pressing Tab will move the cursor to the next cell.

cap lock- after pressing it, the entire printed test will be typed in large (capital) letters. At the same time, the Caps Lock indicator on the keyboard, on the top right, will light up. To cancel this mode, press Caps Lock again.

ctrl And alt used in conjunction with other keys to set different commands.

So, in case of a malfunction, to restart the PC, press together ctrl+ alt+ Del

ÿ - opens the main menu of the Windows system; this is equivalent to clicking on the button on the screen Start.

When pressing [ ÿ And E English] will open the program Conductor

Enter(input) - indicates “ Run” command after it is prepared on the screen. When typing, Enter moves the cursor to the next line to start a new paragraph or to insert a blank line.

ç or back space- For removal character to the left of the cursor.

Print Screen– copies the whole view of the screen into memory. After the team Insert you can insert this view as a picture in text or other place, or print it on paper.

Pause- when the PC boots up, when information about the system flashes on the screen, Pause stops this process, allowing you to read the necessary information at a leisurely pace.

4. Cursor keys .

ß , à , á , â – keys to move the cursor one position left/right, one line up/down.

Page Up, Page Down- scrolling the document up / down whole pages.

Home,End- while typing Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the line, End moves the cursor to the end of the line. [ ctrl+ Home] – jump to the beginning of the document,

[ctrl+ End] – jump to the end of the document.

Delete- key removal symbol of the right from the cursor or deleting the selected text, file, etc. of the selected objects.

Insert- key to change modes inserts And replacements characters. Insert mode prints new characters. In the replacement mode, some characters are replaced (erased) by others - those that are entered from the keyboard.

5. Additional keyboard (located on the right) can work in one of 2 modes: 1) dialing mode, 2) cursor control mode. These modes are switched with the key Num Lock. At the same time, on the keyboard, on the top right, the indicator of the same name will light up.

So, what does our usual personal computer (PC) consist of, which we use at home or at work.

Consider its hardware (“hardware”):

• system unit (that big box that is on your desk or under the desk, on the side of it, etc.). It contains all the main components of the computer.
• peripherals(such as monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, scanner, etc.).

The system unit in the computer is the "master". If you carefully unscrew the screws from its back wall, remove sidebar and look inside, then only in appearance its device will seem complicated. Now I will briefly describe its device, and then I will describe the main elements in the most understandable language.

The following elements are placed in the system block (not necessarily all at once):

- Power unit

- Hard disk drive (HDD)

- Floppy Disk Drive (FDD)

- CD or DVD drive (CD/DVD ROM)

- Connectors for additional devices (ports) on the rear (sometimes on the front) panel, etc.

- System board (it is more often called motherboard), which, in turn, contains:

• microprocessor;
• math coprocessor;
• clock pulse generator;
• memory chips(RAM, ROM, Cache, CMOS)
• controllers (adapters) of devices: keyboards, drives, etc.
• sound, video and network cards;
• timer, etc.

All of them are connected to the motherboard using connectors (slots). Its elements highlighted in bold are discussed below.

And now, in order about the system unit:

1 . Everything is clear with the power supply: it powers the computer. Let me just say that the higher its power rating, the cooler it is.

2. A hard disk drive (HDD - hard disk drive) is commonly called a hard drive.

This nickname originated from the slang name for the first 16 KB hard drive (IBM, 1973), which had 30 tracks of 30 sectors, which coincidentally coincided with the 30/30 caliber of the famous Winchester hunting rifle. The capacity of this drive is usually measured in gigabytes: from 20 GB (on older computers) to several Terabytes (1TB = 1024 GB). The most common hard drive capacity is 250-500 GB. The speed of operations depends on the rotational speed (5400-10000 rpm). Depending on the type of connection between the hard drive and the motherboard, ATA and IDE are distinguished.

3 . A floppy disk drive (FDD) is nothing more than floppy disk drive. Their standard capacity is 1.44 MB with a diameter of 3.5 "(89 mm). As a storage medium, magnetic disks use magnetic materials with special properties that allow fixing two magnetic states, each of which is associated with binary digits: 0 and 1.

4 . Optical disc drives (CD-ROM) come in different diameters (3.5" and 5.25") and capacities. The most common of them - with a capacity of 700 MB. It happens that CD discs can be used for recording only 1 time (then they are called R), and it is more profitable to use rewritable RW discs.

DVD originally stood for Digital Video Disk. Despite the name, you can burn anything to DVDs, from music to data. Therefore, in recent years, another decoding of this name is increasingly common - Digital Versatile Disk, loosely translated meaning "digital universal disk". The main difference between DVDs and CDs is the amount of information that can be recorded on such a medium. A DVD disc can contain from 4.7 to 13, and even up to 17 Gb. This is achieved in several ways. Firstly, a laser with a shorter wavelength is used to read DVDs than to read CDs, which has significantly increased the recording density. Secondly, the standard provides for the so-called dual-layer discs, in which data is recorded on one side in two layers, with one layer translucent, and the second layer is read "through" the first. This made it possible to write data to both sides of DVDs, thus doubling their capacity, which is sometimes done.

5 . Other additional devices can be connected to the personal computer ( mouse, printer, scanner and other). Connection is made through ports - special connectors on the rear panel.

Ports are parallel (LPT), serial (COM), and universal serial (USB). On a serial port, information is transmitted bit by bit (more slowly) over a small number of wires. A mouse and a modem are connected to the serial port. A parallel port transmits information simultaneously over a large number of wires corresponding to the number of bits. A printer and an external hard drive are connected to the parallel port. The USB port is used to connect a wide range of peripheral devices - from a mouse to a printer. It is also possible to exchange data between computers.

6. The main computer devices (processor, RAM, etc.) are located on motherboard.

Microprocessor (simpler - processor) - the central unit of a PC, designed to control the operation of all blocks of the machine and to perform arithmetic and logical operations on information.

Its main characteristics are bit depth (the higher it is, the higher the computer performance) and clock frequency (largely determines the speed of the computer). The clock frequency indicates how many elementary operations (cycles) the processor performs in one second.
Intel Pentium processors and its economy version Celeron are respected on the market, and their competitors are also valued - AMD Athlon with Duron economy variant. Intel processors characterized high reliability in operation, low heat generation and compatibility with all software and hardware. And AMD show great speed with graphics and games, but are less reliable.

Computer memory can be internal or external. External memory devices include the already considered HDD, FDD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. Internal memory includes read-only memory (ROM, ROM English), random access memory (RAM, RAM English), CACHE.

ROM is designed to store permanent program and reference information (BIOS - Basic Input-Output System - basic input-output system).

RAM has a high speed and is used by the processor for short-term storage of information while the computer is running.

When the power supply is turned off, no information is stored in RAM. For the normal functioning of a computer these days, it is desirable to have from 1 GB to 3 GB of RAM.

Cache memory is an operational super-fast intermediate memory.

CMOS memory - CMOS RAM (Complementary Metall-Oxide Semiconductor RAM). It stores computer configuration settings that are checked each time the system is turned on. To change the configuration settings for your computer, the BIOS contains the computer configuration program, SETUP.

Sound, video and network cards can be either built into the motherboard or external. External boards can always be replaced, while if the integrated graphics card fails, you will have to change the entire motherboard. From video cards, I trust ATI Radeon and Nvidia. The higher the video card memory, the better.

Peripherals

The computer consists of 6 groups of keys:

• Alphanumeric;
• Controls (Enter, Backspace, Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Tab, Esc, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock, Pause, Print Screen);
• Functional (F1-F12);
• Numeric keypad;
• Cursor control (->,<-, Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Delete, Insert);
• Light indicators of functions (Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock).

Mouse (mechanical, optical). Most programs use two of the three mouse buttons. The left key is the main one, it controls the computer. It plays the role of the Enter key. The functions of the right key depend on the program. In the middle is a scroll wheel, which you quickly get used to.

The modem is a network adapter. It can be both external and internal.

The scanner automatically reads from paper media and enters any printed texts and images into the PC.

The microphone is used to input sound into the computer.

(display) is designed to display information on the screen. Most often, modern PCs use SVGA monitors with a resolution (the number of dots placed horizontally and vertically on the monitor screen) of 800 * 600, 1024 * 768, 1280 * 1024, 1600 * 1200 with up to 16.8 million colors.

Monitor screen size is 15 to 22 inches diagonally, but 17 inches (35.5 cm) is most common. Dot size (grain) - from 0.32 mm to 0.21 mm. The smaller it is, the better.

PCs equipped with television monitors (CRTs) are no longer as popular. Of these, monitors with low radiation levels (Low Radiation) should be preferred. Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are more secure and most computers have one.

Designed for printing text and graphics. Printers are dot matrix, inkjet and laser. In dot matrix printers, the image is formed from dots in an impact way. Inkjet printers in the print head instead of needles have thin tubes - nozzles through which the smallest droplets of ink are ejected onto the paper. Inkjet printers also perform color printing by mixing primary colors. Dignity - high quality printing, disadvantage - the danger of drying ink, the high cost of consumables.

Laser printers use electrographic imaging. The laser is used to create an ultra-thin light beam that traces the contours of an invisible dot electronic image on the surface of a pre-charged photosensitive drum. After developing the electronic image with dye (toner) powder adhering to the discharged areas, printing is performed - transferring the toner from the drum to paper and fixing the image on paper by heating the toner until it melts. Laser printers provide the most high quality printing at high speeds. Color laser printers are widely used.

Speakers output sound. The sound quality depends - again - on the power of the speakers and the material from which the cabinets are made (preferably wood) and its volume. An important role is played by the presence of a phase inverter (a hole on the front panel) and the number of bands of reproducible frequencies (high, medium and low speakers on each speaker).

USB flash drives, in my opinion, have become the most versatile means of transferring information. This miniature device is smaller and weighs less than a lighter. It has high mechanical strength, is not afraid of electromagnetic radiation, heat and cold, dust and dirt.

The most sensitive part of the drive is the connector covered with a cap. These devices range from 256 MB to 32 GB, allowing you to choose the storage capacity you need according to your needs. Thanks to the interface, the USB drive can be connected to any modern computer. It works with Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7, Mac OS 8.6 ~ 10.1, Linux 2.4 operating systems. In Windows, you don’t even need to install any drivers: plug it into a USB port and work.

Needed to enter a dynamic image into a computer and sound (for communication and the possibility of creating teleconferencing).

Uninterruptable power source needed in the event of a power outage.

Phuff, well, in my opinion, that's all the main thing that I wanted to tell you about the computer hardware, the so-called hardware.

The article "Computer Device" was written quite a long time ago. Therefore, if you find an error or find some inaccuracy, please write about it using the comment form. We will be very grateful to you!

Purpose, composition and main characteristics of the computer. Is a personal computer a complex technical device that is better not to get into, or an apparatus that is quite accessible for understanding and evaluation, which everyone can understand?

Consider a personal computer from the point of view of the layman, who is interested in certain functions performed by the computer. To do this, we will try to understand what the computer consists of and which components are required, which are desirable (in connection with the intended use of the device), and which can be omitted when purchasing (or upgrading) your electronic assistant.

So, any personal computer consists of a system unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. This is something that can be seen in most computer owners. There are also printers, modems, video cameras, gamepads and other similar devices connected to personal computers.

Let's clarify right away that we are trying to show a certain minimum of devices that will allow you to fully use an expensive device for your personal or home interests. To do this, you have enough monitor, system unit, keyboard, mouse and speakers.

Monitor- this is a means of visualizing the information exchange that occurs between you (as a user) and a computing system - a computer. Monitors vary in size, matrix performance, color gamut, etc. Basically, a monitor can be compared to a TV.

In addition, modern TVs and monitors are completely interchangeable.

Keyboard and mouse - a means of entering information and commands into a computer. They do not require any special explanation. Note that keyboards are full-size and abbreviated, and mice differ in the shape and number of function keys.

speakers- Devices for reproducing sounds. They differ in appearance and power of reproduced sounds. Currently, speakers can be equipped with monitors.

The main computing device (for the user, the most significant is the program execution function) device of a personal computer is the system unit. The system unit itself is a metal-plastic box on which a number of buttons and connectors are located.

Buttons include: power and reset buttons, as well as buttons for opening / closing various devices. Connectors are designed to connect headphones, microphones, external storage devices. Of greatest interest are the internal components of the system unit.

The composition of the system unit:

1) motherboard;

2) processor;

3) hard drive;

4) power supply;

5) RAM;

6) input devices from external media (CD, DVD, BD drives, USB connectors, floppy drives may also be found in older models);

7) in addition, an audio card, a video card, a TV tuner, a network card, a card reader, etc. may be included.

Motherboard - the largest and most visible part of the system block (after the block itself, of course). The main purpose of the motherboard is to combine all the components of the computer into a single whole, into a workable device. The motherboard houses all the devices included in the system unit (with the exception of the power supply), which are connected to each other through special input connectors, called cables and slots, and electronic conductive tracks.

The brain of a computer is CPU- This is the most important and main element of your device. The main purpose of the processor is to solve the tasks assigned to the computer. In this regard, the main task of the processor becomes problem solving.

Many, when they see the word “solve”, assume the solution of mathematical problems. But the processor, solving just mathematical problems, helps to realize any kind of activity: write texts, play games, communicate on social networks, create drawings, process photos, listen to music, etc.

A feature of the processor is its architecture and socket type. The architecture determines the size of the processor, the order in which it processes commands, and the way tasks are performed. Socket is the type of socket that the processor is connected to. Note that the socket of the processor and the motherboard must match.

HDD or permanent memory. Sometimes you can still see the name "hard drive", after the name of the first company that created a long-term memory device built into a computer. The main purpose of a hard drive is long-term storage of information.

Information here means everything: a program (in fact, any program is a list of commands that the processor needs to execute), a photograph, and a text file. In addition, the operating system and programs are installed (and actually permanently stored) on the hard disk. It is the hard drive that creates the appearance of the best organizer for a person from a computer.

RAM - a special device designed for temporary storage of information in the process of computing. On the one hand, it can be assumed that RAM is an optional element of a computer, but this is not so. In fact, any calculation assumes intermediate results.

It is for the storage of these intermediate results that RAM is intended. A feature of RAM, or "RAM" as they say in computer slang, is its frequency. The frequency of the RAM must match the frequency of the motherboard connector.

power unit- the main source of electricity for all elements of the computer system unit. Nowadays, the power supply is included in the system unit, but sometimes it has to be purchased separately.

This feature can be useful when a specialized computer is purchased, for example, for audio processing or a server. External electricity is supplied to the power supply, which is distributed through the motherboard to other consumers.

Input devices for external information . The main purpose of these devices does not require special explanation. It can only be noted that it is necessary to understand what external devices you will use. Currently, DVD and USB drives are the most popular.

However, CDs have not lost their relevance either. In addition, most of the audio files are recorded on CDs. Note that DVD drives read CD discs quite easily. The same can be said about BluRay (BD) drives. They can read both DVDs and CDs. Besides, naturally, and BD disks.

USB or flash drives are now the most common. This is easy to explain from the point of view of logic, since they are small in size, have large amounts of memory and a fairly high speed of information exchange with a computer.

We note one feature: the presence of a USB input on the case of the system unit does not mean at all that you can use it. This requires that the motherboard inserted into your system unit has an appropriate connector connected to these USB inputs.

All the main devices necessary for the operation of a personal computer have been listed. Now let's focus on additional components, such as an audio and video card, a network card, a card reader and a TV tuner.

Audio and video card , as a rule, is now built into the motherboard. But, in order to save both the resources of the motherboard itself and the buyer's funds, they have weak characteristics. Of course, they are enough to play games or listen to an album of your favorite artist.

But, if you are going to process music, photos or videos, play resource-intensive games with high quality, watch movies in HD or 3D quality, then the built-in capabilities will not be enough. In this case, it is necessary to install an audio and (or) video card that has greater performance, its own RAM and often its own processor. Note that the motherboard always has connectors for additional audio and video cards.

LAN card, as well as an audio (video) card, is also built into the motherboard. Modern motherboards are quite powerful in terms of network equipment, so there is no particular need to purchase an additional network card. However, if you feel (or know) that the built-in capabilities are not enough, you can always install additional hardware.

At the same time, do not forget that each additional equipment requires its own power supply. Therefore, when buying each new board, do not forget to evaluate the adequacy of the power that your power supply produces.

card reader- a special device for reading information from removable media such as SD, microSD, etc. These mini and micro media are usually used in portable devices (photos, video cameras, telephones, players, etc.).

In order to exchange information between your computer and these devices without connecting the devices themselves, card readers were invented. As it is already clear, the card reader is connected to the rest of the computer elements through the motherboard using a special connector.

TV tuner designed to receive television or radio signals. It connects to the motherboard. Sometimes a TV tuner is built into the video card (as well as into the motherboard itself).

In conclusion, we note that we have considered the main components of a personal computer. It is very common to see many other devices plugged into or inserted into a computer. But, in order to fully use your device at home, these devices are quite enough.

For a successful online business, two conditions are necessary, a computer and the Internet. To successfully work on a computer, you need to have an idea about the main elements of the computer and their interaction with each other.

Basic elements of a computer — these are the system unit, keyboard, monitor, mouse, audio speakers and other parts. Regarding the monitor, speakers, keyboard and computer mouse, I think everything is clear. Let's talk about the system unit.

System unit is the main part of the PC. We can say that this is a computer. The remaining elements of the computer are mainly designed to deliver data to the user and manage this data. For example, when connecting a more modern monitor, keyboard and mouse to the system unit, it will be more convenient for the user to watch movies, edit text and participate in games, while the functionality of the PC will remain the same. All actions, the data of which we see on the screen, first take place in the system unit. The functionality of the PC is precisely their consequence.

Basic elements of a computer

• frame,
• motherboard,
• processor ,
• cooler,
• RAM,
• HDD,
• graphics card,
• power unit
• DVD drive

Frame- this is, as it were, the outer skeleton of a computer, all the important parts of the system unit are attached to it, it is the case that we most often call the system unit.

Motherboard(motherboard) - the main microcircuit of the computer. The main elements of the computer are connected to it. There are also USB and other connectors where the main elements of the computer are connected (shown in the figure). The main task of the motherboard is to combine these nodes into an integral organism - a computer. When opening the cover of the system unit, our gaze first falls on it.

Central processing unit, CPU (CPU) – the brain of a computer (seen in the figure). The processor carries out all the instructions of a person and under his leadership are other elements of the computer. From the speed of its work comes the speed of other elements of the computer. It processes the incoming data. The most popular processor manufacturers are Intel and AMD. Central processors have the following differences among themselves: - model and frequency. It is attached to the motherboard using a special connector called the central connector - socket.

Cooler (fan)- installed directly on the processor, which is attached to the motherboard. Its main function is to cool the processor. Coolers are classified according to their physical characteristics: many of them have a copper base, an aluminum base, an aluminum copper base, and heat pipes. The cooler looks like a heatsink and a fan for cooling the processor. The processor needs cooling, otherwise it will overheat and crash the computer. If the temperature threshold for heating the processor is exceeded, the PC will simply turn off, so the cooler is simply necessary for the normal operation of the computer. The PC will not be able to work until the processor temperature drops to normal. The processor can also overheat if the cooler heatsink becomes clogged with dust. To prevent this from happening, you need to clean the cooler's radiator with a conventional vacuum cleaner or compressor, blowing out rather than blowing in air. Dust removal should preferably be done every 4-6 months.

RAM - RAM- board for temporary storage of information, which is necessary for the CPU to perform specified operations. When these tasks are completed (for example, the application is turned off), the information from the RAM is erased. When we start new data, the information that the CPU needs at the given time goes to the RAM from the HDD. Information goes to RAM many times faster than it goes to the hard disk. This property helps the CPU to manage the necessary data at a tremendous speed, almost instantly.

It comes in several types. DDR III RAM is considered one of the most modern and fastest, DDR II is a little slower. DDR II retains a fairly high rating and popularity. In addition, the speed of the PC depends on the amount of RAM. To perform many tasks, the CPU often does not have enough memory from the RAM and it takes some of this memory from the local disk (this is called the swap file, or stop file). Given that the data in the hard drive is much slower than the data from the RAM, the PC will start to work slowly. For more functional operation, RAM boards are installed in pairs, or two pairs (depending on the type of motherboard), preferably produced by the same manufacturer. This is done to get two channel mode. As mentioned in the previous article, a 64-bit system requires at least 4 GB of RAM.

Hard Disk (HDD)- refers to the main elements of the computer. It plays an important role in storing and remembering information. It contains all the operating system data (various videos, SOFT, pictures, etc.). Hard drives differ from each other in capacity. Larger hard drives can store more information. The most common hard drives are 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB. The size of the information that can be stored in a given disk directly depends on its volume. In most cases, HDDs are connected to the motherboard using the SATA and IDE interfaces. For some hard drives, additional coolers are installed (in case of severe overheating).

Video card (graphic adapter, video adapter)- an element of a computer that is responsible for the speed at which video data is processed. Video cards are currently connected to the motherboard using the PCI-Express connector, which is located on this motherboard. Thanks to this, we can immediately use from 2 to 4 video cards. Which improves PC graphics.

Most motherboards have an integrated graphics card. Its functions are quite enough for work in the office, you can play simple games and watch movies with it. For complex 3D games with complex graphics and professional work with Photoshop, you need a separate video card.

power unit- Needed for the operation of all parts of the computer. Different power supplies have different capacities. More powerful ones are connected to more computer elements.

In addition, the motherboard has a built-in network card, as well as a built-in sound card. It also contains optical connectors and connectors for other computer elements. CD and DVD drives are connected to optical connectors. To expand the capabilities of a PC, PCI connectors are made universal so that various computer elements can be connected to them (for example, a tuner, adapter, sound card, etc.).

Here is a summary of the basic elements of a computer to help novice users get an idea of ​​a PC and how it works.

Among other things, if you are interested in assembling a computer with your own hands, you can study the video course on this topic. It's pretty convenient! I myself often study various courses, including PC building courses. Of the courses presented in Runet, I would recommend the course of Maxim Negodov "Assembling a computer from A to Z".

In this course, the author examines in some detail all the stages of assembling a computer, from A to Z. After studying the course, you will be able to assemble a PC yourself according to the main elements, and do it exactly the way you want, and not the way the seller in the store will offer you .

You can also inspect and repair your computer on your own. You will no longer need to call the master and extra costs, which in our time plays no small role! More information on the Maxim website. Just click on the image to visit his website!

Friends, I suggest you install not a regular HDD, but an SSD, as I did. You can buy it on Aliexpress. Disks on the page from 120 to 960 GB, i.e., actually 1TB. You can buy from the link.... Judging by the description, the disc is suitable for both Computers and (laptops).

From the screenshot you can see the volumes of the disks. If you need to install the system exactly, it is enough to purchase a disk with a capacity of 120 GB. If, however, as a full-fledged hard drive, then, at your discretion, from 480 to 960 GB. Why do I recommend installing Windows on a solid state hard drive? Your system will boot in seconds! If you purchase a 1TB disk, all your programs will fly!

In general, you can choose the one you like SSD drive on page... For those who do not know what an SSD drive is, I advise you to read my article " What is an SSD drive».

Also, in this store you can buy a decent link video.... Good luck!

Another anecdote:

If the user has just sat down at the computer, then you can start working on it by going to the description of the operating system that is installed on the computer, for example, Windows 7. But some users, before starting to work, would like to know which blocks consists of a computer, what devices are available, connector standards for connecting external devices. We will consider these questions further.

Let's describe the main components of a personal computer. The figure below shows the following components:

The system unit (in a laptop this is the case),

display or screen,

Keyboard,

Mouse with pad or touchpad,

Speakers or speaker output.

In a laptop the display is mounted in the cover, the devices located in the system unit of a stationary computer, the keyboard, the touch panel (similar to a mouse) and the speakers are located in the case (see the figure below).

Personal computer devices are divided into internal, located inside the system unit and external, connected to the system unit through information cables (or using the transfer of the necessary data using various radiations, in particular the infrared spectrum).

External devices can be connected to the computer: a printer (for printing documents), a scanner (for converting a visual image into digital form), external hard drives (for storing information), a flash drive or flash drive (for storing and transferring information to another computer) and other.

Internal devices. The main part of a desktop computer is the system unit, which has the following internal devices (see the figure above):

Power unit;

The main (or motherboard) board, on which the main components of the computer are located and information communication between them is carried out;

Processor (main chip) that performs data processing and device control operations;

RAM, where the data that the processor works with is located;

A video card that processes video data for the display;

A sound card that processes audio data and outputs it as sound through speakers and other devices such as headphones or audio amplifiers;

A hard drive that stores user data even when the computer is turned off (if there is a shortage of RAM, the hard drive supplements its resources);

Floppy drives that work with floppy disks (rarely used in modern computers);

Optical drives for CD and DVD discs (recently, drives have begun to be used to work with Blu Ray discs);

I / O ports designed to transfer data from / to external devices;

Speaker.

All these devices are located in the laptop case, except for the power supply. The power supply is external and is a box to which wires are attached, one is connected to the network, the other to the laptop.

The picture on the right shows a power supply with a wire connected to a laptop, and the picture on the left shows separate wire connectors for connecting to the mains.

The figure on the left shows the connector for connecting the power supply in a laptop.

The motherboard, processor, RAM, video card, sound card, hard drive and speaker are inside the system unit, they are not visible to the user, more precisely, they do not have access to the front panel of the system unit.

The computer case is designed to install the main devices in it and protect them from dust and other external influences, and also protects the user from electromagnetic radiation from the components that are in it. Indicators and buttons are placed on the front panel, some internal devices (optical drives) also go to it with the front side.

The power supply of a desktop computer is designed to convert 220 volt alternating current into 5 and 12 volt direct current and power devices inside the system unit with it. As a rule, it comes with the system unit, but it can also be purchased separately. The system unit has connectors on the back for connecting to a power source (electrical outlet or surge protector), a connector for connecting power to a 220-volt monitor (on older models) and a switch for different input voltages - 110 or 220 volts. Inside the system case, there are wires that come out of the power supply and connect to internal devices.

The laptop power supply is designed to convert 220 volt alternating current into a different voltage DC, the value of which depends on the laptop manufacturer. Can be values ​​- 9.5, 15, 16, 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5

The motherboard serves to ensure the interconnection of information flows between various components of the computer. It has a processor, RAM, cache memory, recently integrated video and audio subsystems, connectors for connecting serial and parallel ports, for expansion cards (sound, video cards) and other connectors.

CPU. The processor, which can be called the brain of the computer, performs the basic operations. Processors can be : 86, 286, 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium mmh , Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Celeron, Pentium IV, Core 2 Quand, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Atom Intel company. There are also AMD processors, we will consider them in a separate article about computer hardware. The difference between them is in performance. The higher the clock speed of the processor, the higher the performance of your computer. The clock speed determines how many operations per second the processor can perform. For earlier types of processors (for example, 286), one instruction was executed in several cycles. In more modern ones, several operations are performed in one cycle.

Currently, it is determined that the clock frequency has its limits and more than a certain limit is not possible. Therefore, processors began to develop along the path of increasing the number of threads in the core and the number of cores. However, the performance of a computer depends not only on the speed of the central processor, but also on the speed of other components of the computer, in particular on the speed and amount of RAM.

HDD. The data in the computer is stored on the hard disk. When the power is turned off, the data on the hard disk is saved. One of the main parameters is the capacity of the disk, which is measured in gigabytes (One gigabyte is equal to approximately one billion bytes. One character is stored in a byte). The disk can have a capacity of 2, 4, 8, 16, 30, 32, 40, 60, 64, 80, 96, 115, 120, 128, 160, 180, 250, 256, 320, 400, 500, 512, 640, 750 gigabytes and 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 terabytes (1 terabyte is approximately 1,000 gigabytes). Older discs have a capacity measured in megabytes (one megabyte equals approximately one million bytes).

RAM. After turning on the computer, the data from the hard disk is transferred to the RAM, and the processor works with them. If this type of memory did not exist, then the processor would work only with a hard disk, each data would have to be written to and read from it. In this case, the speed of work would decrease sharply, since the system would often be waiting for I / O operations. By having RAM that runs at a speed close to the processing speed of the processor, the performance of the computer is improved. The larger the memory size, the fewer disk accesses and the faster the computer will run.

The main characteristic of memory is its size, which is measured in megabytes. It can be installed in old computers - 8, 16, 24, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, in new ones 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and more gigabytes. It is often cheaper to increase the size of RAM to improve performance than to change the processor to a higher frequency. Note that modern computers have a minimum RAM of 512 megabytes, older computers have less memory.

In order to speed up calculations and not wait until the data comes from the main memory to the central processor or can be written to it, the processor has a more efficient cache memory, which differs in size. The presence of cache memory can significantly increase the performance of the computer.

Sound. The system unit of a desktop computer also contains a speaker, which is usually supplied with the case. The main function of the speaker is to give sound signals after turning on the computer and in case of a malfunction. As a rule, in other cases it is used quite rarely. To work with sound, a sound card and speakers connected to them are intended.

Sound board. This board processes the audio data that comes from the RAM. Data can also come from an optical disc reader when playing music. To do this, the board must be connected by a wire to the device on which the optical disk is located. Once processed, the data can be sent to speakers, a tape recorder, or other devices. In recent computers, the sound subsystem is integrated on many motherboards and does not require a separate board (although it may be required to obtain particularly high-quality sound).

The laptop has a sound subsystem that is integrated on the motherboard. Speakers and a microphone are installed in the case. There are also outputs for connecting external devices on the side or front panel. The figure on the right shows three connectors: two with a headphone icon, which connect headphones or speakers, and one with a microphone icon.

Video card processes data for the display (monitor). For programs that work with two-dimensional or three-dimensional images, a special processor located on the video card can take over the processing of video data for the display, which will offload the main processor. The quality of the image may improve dramatically.

The video card can be integrated into the motherboard, which is usually done in laptops. The disadvantage is the fact that it cannot be changed. At the same time, the advantage of stationary ones is that you can install a new video card, even if there is a video card built into the motherboard. This is often used by fans of new games and professionals who work with video and graphics. For ordinary users, as a rule, standard video subsystems are quite enough, especially if the user works with office programs.

Desktop computers have a connector for connecting a display. Notebooks may also have a connector for connecting an external display, as shown in the figure on the right.

Floppy drives for desktop computers. A 3.5-inch floppy disk drive comes out on the front of the computer case of older computers. In modern stationary computers, such a device is no longer used. It was practically non-existent in laptops. To use floppy disks, external drives were used, however, such devices have not been produced for several years.

Optical drive works with similar discs or, as they are also called, CDs.

(Notebooks may not have a recess.) The view of the optical drive for desktop computers is shown above, for laptops below.

In order to open the drive, you need to press the button to open the tray. The button works only when the computer (laptop) is turned on. This will automatically eject the tray on which to place the disc.

There are two recesses in the tray because there are two formats of discs. One of them, smaller, is practically not used now, although it is sometimes shown in science fiction films. Discs of this format are inserted into a small recess. The disc of the second type, the most common, is placed in a large recess, with the working surface down, and the painted image on top. (Notebooks may not have a recess.)

On the front side of the disc is its name or other information. The opposite, back side is working and it is undesirable to touch it with your hands. When cleaning optical discs from dust, a cloth is gently drawn perpendicular to the recording tracks from the inner hole to the outer edge.

Optical discs are usually in a plastic box or paper bag. Open the box. To remove the disc, move your index finger to the center of the disc and remove it with your thumb and middle fingers, then place the disc on the tray with the working surface down, respectively, the name will be at the top. After that, press the drive button again.

Sometimes when you press the button to open the tray, it does not slide out. In this case, take a paper clip, straighten it and insert the end into the hole to open the tray. The tray opens (for desktop computers).

Optical discs can be roughly divided into two types. The first is discs with textual, graphic and other information, usually with programs or text. The second type is music or video discs used in laser players, which can also be used to play on an optical disc reader on a computer. The sound can be heard through headphones or speakers. The headphone plug can be inserted into a special hole on the front surface of the drive (for desktop computers). To increase / decrease the headphone volume, use the knob, which is located near the output (for desktop computers). The indicator light glows when information is being read from the disc. Since the reading occurs in jumps, the lamp will flash (for stationary computers).

Buttons on the system unit. In addition to the above devices, the system unit contains the Reset, Turbo, Power keys (on older computers) and indicators, as shown in fig. higher. Currently, there is one Power key, and it has several functions. If you press it when the power supply is on, the computer turns on. When it is pressed, electric current is supplied to the main components inside the system unit, they are tested and the operating system programs are loaded, depending on which one is installed on the computer.

The computer is turned off using the modes of the operating system, which will be discussed in the description of thedifferent versions of Window . However, when the computer freezes, that is, does not respond to pressing the keyboard or mouse actions, then you need to press the button and hold it longer (15-20 seconds) until the computer turns off. Other modes by pressing the button will be discussed in the computer hardware section of this site.

The laptop has one button to turn on the computer, which can be round or rectangular and is usually located at the top of the keyboard block, as shown in the figure on the right (in the center of the figure).

Indicators. The number of indicators depends on the type of system unit. They can either be present in full, or in a truncated version, or completely absent.

The power-on indicator lights up when the computer is turned on. Near the indicator there may be the name Power, the icon or .

The hard disk access indicator lights up when I/O operations are being performed on the hard disk. There is usually an icon next to it. or .

Laptops have a battery status indicator, it lights up when it is being recharged (). The following indicators may also be present:

Wi-Fi network connection indicator ().

Bluetooth system operation indicator ().

The indicators may be different, in addition, the icons may have a different look, depending on the manufacturer.

external devices.

The next component is keyboard shown in fig. below, with the help of which text information is entered and the computer is controlled using the function keys (the keyboard is built into the case on a laptop, however, you can connect an external keyboard that has a USB connector). In fact, it is very similar to a typewriter, but has additional keys and, in addition, allows you to work with different character sets, such as Cyrillic (Russian) and Latin (English) characters. A more detailed description of the keyboard is given below.

Next to the keyboard is a mouse-type device that allows you to control the cursor. It has become a standard pointing device, is used in almost all computers and looks really like a mouse - small, with a long tail, that is, a cable that connects to the system unit(although there are so-called wireless mice controlled by radio signals, recently according to the protocol Bluetooth or WiFi ). Hereinafter, for convenience, we will simply refer to this device as a mouse or mouse. At the bottom of the device is a ball that allows you to move the cursor on the display screen when you move the mouse on the mat. There is another variety that is actively used today - an optical mouse, which determines its movement with the help of light (recently, a laser beam has been increasingly used for this). You can try to work without a pad, but since the adhesion between the pad and the mouse ball is higher than on the surface of the table, it is better to have a pad, especially since it is inexpensive. The mouse has two or three buttons, but in practical work two of them are used: left and right. Many mouse models have a wheel between the two buttons that allows you to "scroll" the text displayed on the screen.

The laptop has an optical device that mimics a mouse - the so-called touchpad (see figure below). It has a rectangular window that you slide your finger over to move the cursor on the screen. The two buttons below are like two mouse buttons.

Computers often have a paper output device called printer. The main characteristics of the printer are its type (needle, inkjet, laser), the size of the paper it works with (A4, A3, etc.), the ability to output an image in color, the output speed of printed sheets, etc. The view of the printer is shown below.

In addition, other external devices can be additionally included in the personal computer kit - an MFP (scanner, copier, printer in one device, its appearance is shown in the figure below), a scanner, plotter, joystick, external hard drive, etc.