5.3 HARDWARE COMPONENTS OF A PC
Hardware is an essential component of any computer system. A computer is made up of
several different components. All these components work together in order to produce
desired result. The physical components of a computer which can be seen and touched
are known as hardware of a computer system. Each of these parts are designed for a
specific purpose. Central Processing Unit (CPU), Memory, Input / Output devices like
mouse, keyboard, Monitor, CPU, Memory etc. are different hardware components of a
computer system. These hardware components are the building block of a computer.
A computer case covers the computer circuitry. It is also known as cabinet, box,
computer chassis etc. it is a box which contains different components of a computer like
CPU, Motherboard, RAM, Power supply unit etc.
Computer cases are available in many different forms and sizes like desktop cases, full size tower cases, mini tower cases etc. ATX is the most popular form factor used for
desktop computer these days. Computer case includes input/output ports and power
buttons. Motherboard is a main component placed inside the computer case. The power
supply unit is also attached with the case. A power supply unit is responsible for
providing power to other components of a computer.
Central Processing Unit
Central Processing Unit (CPU) is considered as one of the most important component of
a computer system. It is also known as the brain of a computer. The main function of a
CPU is to execute a series of instructions called as program in a specific sequence.
Normally there are four steps that all CPU use in order to perform their operation these
are: fetch, decode, execute and output.
CPU contains Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and Control Unit(CU). ALU and CU are
jointly known as the central processing unit (CPU). The ALU of a computer performs all
the arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and
also all the logical decisions are made by the ALU.
Control Unit (CU) is the unit which manages and coordinates the entire operation of a
computer system. It controls the operation of the other components of a computer system.
Motherboard
Motherboard holds some of the most important component of the computer system. It is
also known as system board, main board etc. in a typical computer microprocessor, main memory and other components are connected to the motherboard. It acts a s a base for
other components. Motherboard also provides connectors for several other devices. A
motherboard allows many different parts of our computer to receive power and
communicate with one another. The shape , size and layout of a motherboard is called a
form factor. The Motherboards usually provides the interface between the CPU memory
and input/output peripheral circuits, main memory, and facilities for initial setup of the
computer immediately after power-on.
The below is a brief description about some parts of a motherboard:
a) ATX Power Connector: Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) power connector
is used to connect computer’s power supply to motherboard.
b) AGP Slot: Accelerated Graphics Ports (AGP) is a point-to point channel which is
used to attach a video card to a motherboard
c) CD-in header: At this CD drive is plugged in or connected
d) FDD Header: Floppy Disk Drive (FDD) header is used for Floppy drive. Now this
slot is obsolete because floppy disks are outdated.
e) HDD Headers: Hard Disk Drive header is used for connecting to hard disk .
g) USB Headers: It is a group of pins to which an internal USB cable can be attached
to provide extra USB ports. These ports are used for attaching external/auxiliary
devices such as pen drive, printer etc.
Video card
A video card is an expansion card , which is used to produce output images to a display
in a monitor. Its main purpose is to generate graphical information. It is responsible for
rendering the image on the monitor of a PC . It is also known as video adapter, display
adapter or graphics card. A video card should be capable of displaying the best resolution
supported by the monitor of the system. These days high performance video cards are
available for gaming purposes which requires very high resolution. Video card consists of
a circuit board which holds several components such as graphics processing unit (GPU),
video memory, video BIOS etc. Video graphics array (VGA), Digital visual interface,
high definition multimedia port etc are some of the common connection points used
between video card and display.
Now-a-days, high performance video cards are available, which has higher visual
capability. With increasingly popularity of computer games video cards became one of
the most important parts of a computer. One disadvantage of this high performance video
card is that consume high power. The amount of video memory in video card is one of
the main considerations while opting for a video card. Advanced graphics port (AGP)
and PCI-Express are the two commonly slots available which is used to connect a video
card.
👉Check Your Progress-1
1. True/False
(a) A workstation is a high-end personal computer designed for technical or
scientific applications.
(b) Pentium Chip is one of the most popular processor brand.
(c) ALU and CPU are jointly known as Control unit.
(d) VGA stands for video graphics array.
(e) One disadvantage of high performance video card is their high power
consumption.
2. Multiple Choice Questions
1. (a) Which of the following is not a part of computer motherboard.
(i) AGP Slot (ii) ATX power connector (iii) PCI Slot (iv) Light pen
(b) Which of the following is a type of personal computer
(i) Tablet PC (ii) Net book (iii) Desktop (iv) All of these
(c) Which one of these is not a hardware component of a computer.
(i) Operating system (ii) Monitor (iii) CPU (iv) Video Card
3. What is a PC? What are different types of a PC?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. How a laptop is differ from a desktop? Specify one configuration of a laptop.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. What is the need of a motherboard in a computer? List some major components of a
motherboard.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….
