IT Chapter 2 Part B

1
IT Chapter 2 Part B

• Power Supply, motherboard, CPU, BIOS, Bus,
  expansion slots, memory

2
Motherboard

• Can also called the system board or main board
• Nerve center of the computer system
• Everything else in the system plugs into it, is
  controlled by it, and depends on it to
  communicate with other devices on the system
• Most motherboards are constructed from sheets of
  fiberglass
• Motherboards are usually described by their form
  factors, which describe their physical dimensions
• Two most common form factors in use today are the
  Baby AT motherboard and the ATX
• Most new systems come with the ATX motherboard
  form factor

3
Motherboard Cont.

• Motherboards are sometimes described according to
  the type of microprocessor interface (socket)
  they present. Motherboards can be described as
  Socket 7, Socket 370, Socket 423, Socket 478,
  Slot 1, and so on.
• The major components on the motherboard include
  the chipset, CPU socket, expansion sockets, I/O
  support, BIOS, RAM sockets, power supply socket,
  CMOS chip, dipswitches and jumpers, and the
  memory cache
• The chipset determines how much RAM a motherboard
  can use, the type of RAM chip, cache size and
  speed, processor types and speeds, and the types
  of expansion slots the motherboard can
  accommodate. In other words, the motherboard
  chipset determines motherboard performance and
  limitations

4
CPU

• The CPU is contained on a single integrated
  circuit called the microprocessor.
• Often referred to as the brains of a computer
• The CPU contains two basic components
• Control unit Instructs the rest of the computer
  system on how to follow a program's instructions.
  It directs the movement of data to and from
  processor memory
• Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU) The ALU performs
  both arithmetic and logical operations
• The processor handles most of the operations that
  are required of the computer by processing
  instructions and sending signals out, checking
  for connectivity, and ensuring that operations
  and hardware are functioning properly

5
CPU cont.

• The microprocessor is connected to the rest of
  the computer system through three buses,
  including the data bus, address bus, and control
  bus
• Many different companies that produce CPUs,
  including Intel, Advanced Micro-Devices (AMD)TM,
  and Cyrix
• Socket X (X being any numerical number) is a
  descriptive term for the way certain processors
  plug into a computer motherboard so that it makes
  contact with the motherboard's built-in circuitry
  or data bus
• Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket. A ZIF socket
  is designed to make it easy to replace and
  upgrade the microprocessor. A typical ZIF socket
  contains a lever that opens and closes, securing
  the microprocessor in place