Chapter Two

System Unit
Components & Types of
Storage
Discovering
Computers
Your Interactive Guide to the
Digital World
 The System Unit

• The system unit is

a case that
contains electronic
components of the
computer used to
process data

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Figure 4-1
 The System Unit

• The inside of the system unit on a desktop personal

computer includes:

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Figure 4-2
 The System Unit

• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the

system unit
– A computer chip contains integrated circuits

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Figure 4-3
 Processor

• The processor, also called the central processing

unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate a computer
–
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Contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)

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Processor

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Figure 4-4
 Processor

• The control unit is the component of the processor

that directs and coordinates most of the operations
in the computer
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs
arithmetic, comparison, and other operations

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 Processor

• For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of

four basic operations, which comprise a machine
cycle

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Figure 4-5
Processor

• Most current personal

computers support
pipelining
– Processor begins
fetching a second
instruction before it
completes the machine
cycle for the first
instruction

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Figure 4-6
Processor

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Processor

• The leading
manufacturers of
personal computer
processor chips are Intel
and AMD Loading…

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Figure 4-7
Processor

• A processor chip
generates heat that
could cause the chip to
burn up
• Require additional
cooling
– Heat sinks
– Liquid cooling
technology

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Figures 4-9 – 4-10
 Processor

• Parallel processing uses multiple processors

simultaneously to execute a single program or task
– Massively parallel processing involves hundreds or thousands of
processors

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Figure 4-11
Data Representation

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Data Representation

A computer circuit represents the Eight bits grouped together as a

0 or the 1 electronically by the unit are called a byte. A byte
presence or absence of an represents a single character in
electrical charge the computer

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Figures 4-12 – 4-13
Data Representation

• ASCII (American
Standard Code for
Information
Interchange) is the most
widely used coding
scheme to represent data

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Figure 4-14
Data Representation

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Figure 4-15
 Memory

• Memory consists of electronic components that

store instructions waiting to be executed by the
processor, data needed by those instructions, and
the results of processing the data
• Stores three basic categories of items:

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 Memory

• Each location in memory has an address

• Memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB or K),
megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes
(TB)

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Figure 4-17
 Memory

• The system unit contains two types of memory:

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 Memory

• Memory cache speeds the processes of the computer

because it stores frequently used instructions and data

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Figure 4-22
Memory

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 Memory

• Flash memory can be erased electronically and

rewritten
– CMOS technology provides high speeds and consumes
little power

Pages 228 – 229

Discovering Computers : Chapter 4 0
Figure 4-23
 Memory

• Access time is the amount of time it takes the

processor to read from memory
– Measured in nanoseconds

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Figures 4-24 – 4-25
 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards

• With Plug and Play, the computer automatically

can configure adapter cards and other peripherals
as you install them

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Figure 4-27
 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards

• Removable flash memory includes:

– Memory cards, USB flash drives, and PC
Cards/ExpressCard modules

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Figure 4-28
Ports and Connectors

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Figure 4-31
 Ports and Connectors

• A USB port can connect up to 127 different

peripherals together with a single connector
– You can attach multiple peripherals using a single USB
port with a USB hub

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Figure 4-32
Ports and Connectors

A Bluetooth wireless port adapter A smart phone might

converts a USB port into a communicate with a notebook
Bluetooth port computer using an IrDA port

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Figures 4-33 – 4-34
Power Supply

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Keeping Your Computer
or Mobile Device Clean

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Storage

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Storage

Pages 352 – 353 Discovering Computers : Chapter 7 0

Figure 7-1
 Storage

• Capacity is the number of bytes a storage medium

can hold

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Figure 7-2
 Storage

• A storage device is the computer hardware that

records and/or retrieves items to and from storage
media

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 Hard Disks

• A hard disk contains one or more inflexible, circular platters

that use magnetic particles to store data, instructions, and
information

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Figure 7-5
 Hard Disks

• Hard disks can

store data using
longitudinal
recording or
perpendicular
recording

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Figure 7-6
Hard Disks

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Figure 7-9
Hard Disks

Pages 360 – 361

Discovering Computers : Chapter 7 0
Figures 7-14 – 7-15
Flash Memory Storage

Pages 364 – 365

Discovering Computers : Chapter 7 0
Figures 7-18 – 7-19
 Flash Memory Storage

• USB flash drives plug into a USB port on a

computer or mobile device

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Figure 7-21
 Cloud Storage

• Cloud storage is an Internet service that provides

storage to computer users

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Figure 7-23
Cloud Storage

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Figure 7-24
 Cloud Storage

• Users subscribe to cloud storage for a variety of

reasons:

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 Optical Discs

• An optical disc consists of a flat, round, portable

disc made of metal, plastic, and lacquer that is
written and read by a laser
• Typically store software, data, digital photos,
movies, and music
• Read only vs. rewritable

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Figure 7-25
Optical Discs

• Optical discs commonly

store items in a single
track that spirals from
the center of the disc to
the edge
• Track is divided into
evenly sized sectors

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Figure 7-27
 Optical Discs

• Care of optical discs

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Figure 7-28
Optical Discs

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Figure 7-29
Optical Discs

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Figure 7-29
Other Types of Storage

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 Other Types of Storage

• Tape is a magnetically coated ribbon of plastic capable of

storing large amounts of data and information
• A tape drive reads and writes data and information on a
tape

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Figure 7-35
Other Types of Storage

• A magnetic stripe card

contains a magnetic
stripe that stores
information
• A smart card stores
data on a thin
microprocessor
embedded in the card

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Figure 7-36
 Other Types of Storage

• Microfilm and microfiche store microscopic

images of documents on a roll or sheet film

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Figure 7-37
Other Types of Storage

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Figure 7-38
 Other Types of Storage

• Enterprise storage stores huge volumes of data and

information for large businesses
– Uses special hardware for heavy use, maximum
availability, and maximum efficiency

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Figure 7-39