Even the most inexperienced users know that a personal computer is a system unit, monitor, keyboard, speakers and mouse. But not everyone knows about the structure and operating principle of each element. Let's try to look inside each component of a PC to understand not only what a computer is, but also what it consists of (depending on what types of computers we are talking about, some details are different - for a laptop, for example, as opposed to " “classical” desktop machine, there is no system unit, and its elements and their analogues are located inside the case).
The desktop system unit is the most important part. Its components determine exactly how a computer works. The cases of modern desktop system units look quite intimidating, but if you look inside, the “filling” is unlikely to seem the same.
The first thing we will pay attention to is the power supply. Its task is to provide the system with electricity. Operating efficiency will depend on the power rating.
Important element internal structure is a hard magnetic disk drive HDD. In simple terms, it is called a “screw” or “hard drive”. Memory capacity is measured in gigabytes. Average capacity per modern computers, regardless of type, ranges from 512 GB to several terabytes.
The next important element is the optical disk drive. With its help, the computer can read CD or DVD discs. In addition to reading, you can write using CD-DVD-ROM necessary information to these media. Currently, users mainly use only DVD discs, since they are much larger than CD format discs. You can record up to 17 GB of information on DVD media. Whereas on CD only up to 700 MB. In addition, the ROM drive, when writing information to DVD, reduces the length of its own waves. This increases the recording density. Modern DVDs The media can also be double-sided, so that the volume is doubled.
To connect to personal computer peripheral devices, there are special ports located on the rear panel of the system unit. There are both parallel and serial connectors. Serial ports have fewer wires running through them and are typically used to connect a mouse, keyboard, or various modems. As for parallel ports, they carry more data, so more wires pass from them. In this case, the principle of “one wire - one discharge” works. An external hard drive or, for example, a printer is connected to such ports. USB ports belong to the category of universal serial ports, and you can connect anything to them, up to a second computer, if it is needed for data exchange.
also in system unit there is a cooler that cools the “internals”. Depending on the power of the computer, their number can reach up to two.
Personal computer motherboard
The motherboard deserves a separate point in our story about what a computer is, since it is on it that the most important devices any computer. Let's start with the processor. The processor is a central unit that controls the functions of all other units. In addition, the processor processes information, performing actions of both logical and arithmetic nature. Devices are characterized by their bit capacity and clock frequency. Productivity depends on the first indicator, and speed of work depends on the second.
There are two main competitors in the modern market - processors Intel Pentium and Athlon from AMD. Users are more inclined to Pentium for high degree reliability in operation, as well as compatibility with any software or hardware. A powerful and productive Athlon is a real dream for any gamer, since the processors perform excellently with complex graphics, however, their reliability is lower. Each processor has its own “light version”. Pentium has Celeron, Athlon has Duron.
Another component of the motherboard is memory. We have already talked about external memory above, these are hard drives and DVD-ROM drives. TO internal memory refers, firstly, to ROM. Its task is to save reference and program data. This is the BIOS - basic system input and output of information.
RAM is random access memory. The processor uses RAM to temporarily store data while the computer is running. If the computer is turned off, the information will not be saved. For normal functioning of the computer, it is desirable to have at least 4 GB of RAM.
Another type is cache memory, which is essentially intermediate RAM that runs at super-fast speed.
CMOS-RAM stores all the characteristics of the computer's configuration. All characteristics are checked regularly, every time the operating system is started. Configuration parameters can be changed via SETUP. This section is located in the BIOS menu.
The computer motherboard contains sound, network and video cards. But each of these elements can also be external. External cards can be easily replaced by following simple algorithm. It’s not so easy with built-in ones, because you have to change the entire “motherboard” if at least one component does not work.
The ability of the computer to reproduce sound depends on the sound card. Thanks to network cards, the computer is able to communicate over a network with other computers or connect to the Internet.
But you need to pay special attention to video cards when assembling a system unit. Each video card has this important indicator, as the amount of memory. The ability to play various modern games or watch videos in ultra-high definition will depend on it. In the modern market, video cards such as Nvidia GeForce and ATI Radeon stand out.
All about personal computer peripherals
One of the most important peripheral devices, without which normal operation of a computer is almost impossible, is the keyboard necessary for entering information. The vast majority of keyboards consist of several key groups:
- numbers and letters;
- control keys;
- function keys;
- separate number keys;
- keys that control cursor movement;
- information LEDs.
With letters and numbers everything is very clear. Control keys include Enter, Backspace, Spacebar, CapsLock, Alt, Shift and some others. Function keys are located in the range from F1 to F12. The cursor is controlled using the arrow buttons, as well as PageUp, PageDown and others.
Computer mouse
Mice come in both mechanical and optical types. On modern devices There are three keys, the middle of which is a wheel. The left key performs the input function. Function right button depends on the internal settings in a particular software. The wheel allows you to scroll pages up or down.
Monitor
The monitor is used to display information and display it on a display - a monitor screen. There are SVGA format devices on the market. Their resolution varies (when transmitting 16.8 million colors). The most common and popular screen size is 17 inches diagonally. But there are both smaller and larger diagonals.
In general, despite the convenience large screens, it was small screens that showed their best side. It's all about the size of the point, that is, the pixel. When the same image is shown with minimum number points, its quality will be significantly higher. Television monitor models are hardly found anywhere anymore. The most popular at the moment are LED liquid crystal monitors capable of transmitting images and video recordings in high resolution HD.
Scanners, microphones
Microphones for personal computers are responsible for inputting voice and other audio information into the system.
Scanners are capable of automatically reading printed data from external, usually paper, media, converting the data into digital form.
Printers
Printers are needed to print text and images. There are matrix, inkjet or laser. Matrix printers are no longer used almost anywhere. They are not very good and they certainly do not get the job done very quickly. The image and text here are produced using the “impact” method by applying a large number of dots using needles in the head of the device.
Inkjet printers do not have needles in the head. Instead of blows, the head sends the finest ink drops onto the paper, which can be of any color. Inkjet printers have truly high print quality. However, Consumables They are expensive, and the printing speed is still not very high. Moreover, if you do not use the devices periodically, the ink may dry out.
Laser printers create a very thin beam of light that prints an image onto a special drum. The drum, in turn, transfers the data already developed using dye onto the paper. Printing using laser printers, characterized by the highest quality and high speed. Devices with color printing capabilities are very popular.
Rest
The audio speakers are responsible for outputting audio data. The sound quality depends on the power of the device, as well as the material from which they are made.
External USB drives are needed to transfer data from computer to computer. Devices are connected via the appropriate connector.
Web cameras are required to dynamically transmit images to the system.
When working with a personal computer, it is advisable to have a source at hand uninterruptible power supply. It protects the system and information during a power outage.
In this article, which was prepared for novice users, we will look at computer device. We will also find out the main characteristics of the devices and what functions they perform.
An ordinary personal computer that we use in our daily life consists of the following parts:
System unit;
Monitor;
Keyboards and mice;
Additional devices (printer, scanner, webcam, etc.)
Personal computer device. The content of the article:
System unit
The system unit is the central part of the computer, in which all the most important components are located. Everything that makes a computer work. A wide variety of system units are produced, which differ in size, design and assembly method.
Main elements of the system unit:
- RAM;
- Video card;
- HDD;
- Optical drive (DVD, Blu-ray);
- power unit
Let's look at each of them in more detail.
The motherboard is the largest board in the system unit. The main devices of the computer are installed on it: processor, RAM, video card, slots (connectors), BIOS, a DVD drive is connected to the motherboard using cables and cables, HDD, keyboard, mouse, etc. the main task motherboard - connect all these devices and make them work as one. In addition, there are controllers on it. Controllers are electronic boards inserted into connectors (slots) on the motherboard; they control devices connected to the computer. Some controllers are included on the motherboard. Such controllers are called integrated or built-in. So mouse and keyboard controllers are always built-in. By adding and replacing controller boards, you can expand the capabilities of your computer and customize it to your requirements. For example, the user can add additional sound card, which can work with new multi-channel speaker systems.
The central processing unit (CPU) is the main element of the computer, its “brain”. He is responsible for all calculations and information processing. In addition, it controls all computer devices. The speed of the computer and its capabilities depend on its power.
Main characteristics of the central processor:
- Number of Cores
- clock frequency
- socket
Let's take a closer look at them.
Number of Cores
The more cores a processor has, the more operations it can perform simultaneously. Essentially, multiple cores are multiple processors that are located on the same die or in the same package. In a single-core processor, commands received at its input sequentially pass through the blocks necessary for their execution, that is, while the processor is executing the next command, the rest are waiting for their turn. In a multi-core processor, several separate streams of commands and data enter the input and also exit separately, without affecting each other. Due to parallel processing of several command streams by the processor, computer performance increases. Today, as a rule, 2-8 nuclear processors. However, not all programs are designed to use multiple cores.
Clock frequency
This characteristic indicates the speed at which commands are executed by the central processor. A cycle is the period of time required for the processor to perform elementary operations.
In the recent past, the clock speed of a central processor was identified directly with its performance, that is, the higher the clock speed of the processor, the more productive it is. In practice, we have a situation where processors with the same frequency have different performance, because they can execute a different number of instructions in one clock cycle (depending on the core design, bandwidth buses, cache memory). Modern processors operate at frequencies from 1 to 4 GHz (Giga Hertz)
Cache
The cache is used to significantly speed up calculations. This is ultra-fast memory built into the processor case that contains data that the processor accesses frequently. The cache memory can be of the first (L1), second (L2) or third (L3) level.
Socket
A socket is a connector (socket) on the motherboard where the processor is installed. But when we say “processor socket,” we mean both the socket on the motherboard and the support of this socket by certain processor models. The socket is needed precisely so that you can easily replace a failed processor or upgrade your computer with a more powerful processor.
RAM
The next important element of the computer, which is located in the system unit, is random access memory (RAM or random access memory). It is in it that the information processed by the processor and the programs launched by the user are remembered. It is called operational because it provides the processor fast access to the data.
DDR2
DDR3
Main characteristics of RAM:
- volume– measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB), significantly affects the performance of a computer. Due to insufficient RAM, many programs will either not load or will run very slowly. A typical computer today uses at least 1 GB of memory, although comfortable work It is better to have 2 or 3 GB;
- bus frequency – measured in megahertz (MHz), also has a great influence on the speed of the computer. The larger it is, the faster the data transfer between the processor and the memory itself.
- memory type– indicates the generation to which the memory belongs. Today you can find RAM the following types (placed in chronological order of appearance):
DDR SDRAM(100 – 267 MHz)
DDR2 SDRAM (400 – 1066 MHz)
DDR3 SDRAM(800 – 2400 MHz)
DDR4 SDRAM(1600 – 2400 MHz)
Video card
Video card | Computer device
Video card – electronic board, which provides the formation of a video signal and thereby determines the image displayed by the monitor. For existing video cards different possibilities. If office programs are used on the computer, then there are no special requirements for the video card. Another thing gaming computer, in which the video card takes on the main work, and central processor plays a secondary role.
Main characteristics of the video card:
- video memory volume - measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB), affects the maximum monitor resolution, number of colors and image processing speed. Currently, video card models are produced with video memory capacity from 256 MB to 6 GB. The optimal average volume is 512 MB or 1 GB;
- video memory bus width - measured in bits, determines the amount of data that can be simultaneously transferred from video memory (to memory). The standard bus width of modern video cards is 256 bits;
- Video memory frequency – measured in megahertz (MHz), the higher, the greater the overall performance of the video card.
Currently, video cards are produced based on nVidia chipsets GeForce and ATI Radeon.
HDD
Hard drive | Computer device
Hard drive without top cover | Computer device
A hard drive, also called a hard drive or HDD, is intended for long-term storage information. It is on the hard drive of your computer that all information is stored: operating system, necessary programs, documents, photographs, films, music and other files. He is the main one atconstruction storage information on the computer.
For the user hard disks They differ from each other primarily by the following characteristics:
- capacity (volume) – measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB), determines how much information can be written to the hard drive. On this moment The volume of a modern hard drive ranges from several hundred gigabytes to several terabytes;
- performance, which consists of the access time to information and the speed of reading/writing information. Typical access time modern drives is 5-10 ms (milliseconds), average read/write speed is 150 MB/s (megabytes per second);
- interface - the type of controller to which the hard drive should be connected (most often EIDE and various SATA options).
DVD drive
DVD drive | Computer device
A DVD drive is used to read DVDs and CDs. If the name contains the prefix “RW”, then the drive is capable of not only reading, but also writing to disks. The drive is characterized by read/write speed and is designated by a multiplier (1x, 2x, etc.). The unit of speed here is 1.385 megabytes per second (Mbps). That is, when the drive indicates a speed value of 8x, the actual speed will be 8 * 1.385 MB/s = 11.08 MB/s.
Blu-ray drive
Blu-ray drive | Computer device
Blu-ray drives can be three types: readers, combos and writers. The Blu-ray reader can read CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The combo can additionally burn CDs and DVDs. The Blu-ray writer can read and write all discs.
power unit
The power supply supplies power to the computer's devices and is usually sold with the case. IN currently produce power supplies with a power of 450, 550 and 750 Watts. More powerful power supplies (up to 1500 Watt) may be needed for a computer with a powerful gaming video card.
Monitor
The monitor is designed to display images coming from the computer. It refers to computer output devices.
Main characteristics of monitors:
- Screen size– measured in inches (1 inch=2.54 cm) diagonally. At the moment, the most popular are 19-inch LCD monitors;
- screen format(vertical and horizontal aspect ratio), now almost all monitors are sold in wide format: 16:9 and 16:10 format;
- matrix type– the main part of the LCD monitor, on which its quality depends 90%. Modern monitors use one of three main types of matrices: TN-film (the simplest, cheapest and most common), S-IPS (have the best color rendition, used for professional work with images) and PVA/MVA (more expensive than TN-film and cheaper IPS, we can say that these matrices are a compromise between TN+Film and IPS.);
- screen resolution– the number of pixels (pixels) in width and height that make up the image. The most common 17 and 19-inch monitors have a resolution of 1280x1024 and 1600x1200 pixels. The higher the resolution, the naturally more detailed the image;
- connector type used to connect to a computer, analog VGA (D-Sub) or digital connectors DVI, HDMI.
Computer- This electronic device, which works with information and data. It can store information, process, receive, transmit, etc. You probably already know that using a computer you can work with documents, by email, play games, browse the web, and work with spreadsheets, presentations, watch videos and much more.
In this lesson, we will answer the basic questions that beginners have, such as what is a computer and what types of computers are there.
Hardware and Software
Before going any further, you should know two important things: this Hardware computer or in other words “Hardware”, and software or simply programs with which we perform any tasks on the computer every day.
Everything you do on your computer involves hardware and software. For example, you are currently viewing this web page and learning a lesson using web browser (software), and on your right hand you hold mouse(hardware) with which you can easily navigate through pages.
Types and types of computers
When most people hear the word computer, they think of a personal computer or laptop. However, computers are different forms and sizes, and they fulfill various functions in our daily life. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, when your groceries are scanned at the supermarket, or when you use a calculator. All these are also computers, but only of a different type and purpose.
Desktop computers
We use desktop computers at work, at home, at school, in the library, etc. They can be small, medium, large and they are usually located on the table. It consists of a keyboard, mouse, monitor and system unit. Read more about what a computer consists of.
Most desktop computers are easy to upgrade and expand, or add new parts. Another advantage of desktop computers is their cost. If you compare a desktop computer and a laptop with the same functionality, you will most likely find that the desktop computer will be lower in price.
Laptop computers
The second type of computer is laptops. Their advantage is that they are battery operated and are more compact, mobile and therefore can be used almost anywhere.
Since a laptop is smaller than a desktop computer, it will be more difficult to access the internal components. This means you can't upgrade or add new parts as easily as you can with a desktop computer.
Tablet computers
Tablet computers or simply "tablet". They are even more compact and mobile than laptops. Used instead of a keyboard and touchpad touch screen for dialing and navigation. iPad is an example of a tablet computer.
A tablet cannot completely replace your home computer or laptop, because It will be more convenient to run programs and work with documents on a laptop or desktop computer. But if you just want to play games, sit in in social networks, listen to music and watch videos, then a tablet can be an excellent replacement for a computer for you.
Servers
A server is a computer that serves other computers on the network. Many firms and enterprises have file servers for storing information. The server may look like a regular desktop computer, or it may be much larger.
Servers play an important role in . They store web pages, websites, photos and videos. And they are responsible for their security and loading time in the browser.
Other types of computers
There are many devices that are also basically specialized computers, although we don't always think of them as computers. Here are some examples:
- Cell phones: Today they are able to provide you with many functions that previously could only be performed on a computer, for example, such as playing games, watching movies, etc. Such phones are called smartphones.
- Gaming consoles: specialized species a computer that is used to play video games. Although they are not as full-featured as desktop computers, many can handle tasks such as browsing the web and watching videos online.
- TVs: Many TVs now include programs and applications that allow you to surf the Internet or watch movies online.
There are two types of personal computers: PC and Mac. Both are fully functional but look different.
PC: The first such computer was called IBM PC, which was released in 1981. Then other companies began to produce similar computers. It is the most common type of PC today and uses the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Mac: These computers began to be produced in 1984, by Apple Inc. They are the first computers with a graphical user interface (GUI). They use the Mac OS X operating system.
So, what does our ordinary personal computer (PC) that we use at home or at work consist of?
Let's look at its hardware (“hardware”):
- system unit (that large box that stands on your table or under the table, on the side of it, etc.). It contains all the main components of the computer.
- peripherals(such as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, scanner, etc.).
The system unit in a computer is the “main” unit. If you carefully unscrew the screws from its back wall, remove sidebar and look inside, then only at first glance its structure will seem complicated. Now I will briefly describe its structure, and then I will describe the main elements in the most understandable language.
The system unit contains the following elements (not necessarily all at once):
- Power unit
— Hard drive magnetic disk(HDD)
— Floppy disk drive (FDD)
— CD or DVD drive (CD/DVD ROM)
— Connectors for additional devices (ports) on the rear (sometimes also on the front) panel, etc.
— System board (more often called motherboard), which, in turn, contains:
- microprocessor;
- mathematical coprocessor;
- clock generator;
- memory chips(RAM, ROM, cache memory, CMOS memory)
- controllers (adapters) of devices: keyboards, disks, etc.
- sound, video and network cards ;
- timer, etc.
All of them are connected to the motherboard using connectors (slots). We will look at its elements in bold 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 popularly called a hard drive.
This nickname arose from the slang name of the first model hard drive with a capacity of 16 KB (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 old computers) to several Terrabytes (1 TB = 1024 GB). The most common hard drive capacity is 250-500 GB. The speed of operations depends on the rotation speed (5400-10000 rpm). Depending on the type of connection between the hard drive and motherboard distinguish between ATA and IDE.
3. Floppy Disk Drive (FDD) floppy disk drive) is nothing more than floppy disk drive. Their standard capacity is 1.44 MB with a diameter of 3.5" (89 mm). Magnetic disks use magnetic materials with special properties as a storage medium that allows them to record two magnetic states, each of which is assigned binary digits: 0 and 1.
4 . Drives on optical disks(CD-ROM) come in different diameters (3.5" and 5.25") and capacities. The most common of them are with a capacity of 700 MB. It happens that CD discs can be used for recording only once (then they are called R), and it is more profitable to use repeatedly rewritable RW discs.
DVD originally stood for Digital Video Disk. Despite the name, DVDs can record anything from music to data. Therefore, recently another decoding of this name has become 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 media. From 4.7 to 13, and even up to 17 Gb can be recorded on a DVD disc. This is achieved in several ways. First, reading DVDs uses a laser with a shorter wavelength than reading CDs, which has significantly increased recording density. Secondly, the standard provides for so-called double-layer discs, in which on one side the data is recorded in two layers, while one layer is translucent, and the second layer is read “through” the first. This made it possible to write data to both sides of DVDs, thereby doubling their capacity, which is sometimes done.
5 . Other additional devices can be connected to a personal computer ( mouse, printer, scanner and other). The connection is made through ports - special connectors on the rear panel.
There are parallel (LPT), serial (COM) and universal serial (USB) ports. A serial port transmits information bit by bit (slower) over a small number of wires. A mouse and modem are connected to the serial port. Through a parallel port, information is transmitted 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. Data exchange between computers is also possible.
6. The main computer devices (processor, RAM, etc.) are located on motherboard.
Microprocessor (simpler - processor) is the central unit of a PC, designed to control the operation of all units of the machine and to perform arithmetic and logical operations over information.
Its main characteristics are the bit depth (the higher it is, the higher the computer’s performance) and clock frequency (largely determines the speed of the computer). The clock speed indicates how many elementary operations (cycles) the processor performs in one second.
Intel Pentium processors and its economical version Celeron are respected in the market, and their competitors are also appreciated - AMD Athlon with economy version Duron. Intel processors characterized by high operational reliability, low heat generation and compatibility with all software and hardware. And AMD shows greater speed with graphics and games, but is less reliable.
Computer memory can be internal or external. External memory devices include the already discussed HDD, FDD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM. Internal memory includes permanent storage (ROM, ROM), random access memory (RAM), Cache.
ROM is designed to store permanent program and reference information(BIOS - Basic Input-Output System - basic input-output system).
RAM is fast and is used by the processor for short-term storage of information while the computer is running.
When the power source is turned off, the information in RAM is not saved. For the normal functioning of a computer these days, it is advisable to have from 1 GB to 3 GB of RAM.
Cache memory is an ultra-high-speed intermediate memory.
CMOS memory - CMOS RAM (Complementary Metall-Oxide Semiconductor RAM). It stores computer configuration settings that are checked every time the system is turned on. To change computer configuration settings, the BIOS contains a computer configuration program - SETUP.
Sound, video and network cards can be either built into motherboard, and external. External boards can always be replaced, whereas if the built-in video card fails, you will have to replace the entire motherboard. For 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 controls (->,<-, Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, Delete, Insert);
- Function indicator lights (Caps Lock, Num Lock, Scroll Lock).
Mouse (mechanical, optical). Most programs use two of the three mouse keys. 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 vary depending on the program. In the middle there is a scroll wheel, which you quickly get used to.
Modem - 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 located horizontally and vertically on the monitor screen) of 800*600, 1024*768, 1280*1024, 1600*1200 when transmitting up to 16.8 million colors.
The monitor screen size ranges from 15 to 22 inches diagonally, but most often it is 17 inches (35.5 cm). Dot (grain) size - from 0.32 mm to 0.21 mm. The smaller it is, the better.
PCs that are equipped with television monitors (CRT) are no longer so popular. Of these, preference should be given to monitors with low radiation levels (Low Radiation). Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are safer, and most computers have one.
Designed for printing text and graphic images. Printers are dot matrix, inkjet and laser. In dot matrix printers, the image is formed from dots using the impact method. Inkjet printers have thin tubes in the print head instead of needles - nozzles, through which tiny droplets of ink are thrown onto the paper. Inkjet printers also produce color printing by mixing base colors. The advantage is high print quality, the disadvantage is the danger of ink drying out and the high cost of consumables.
Laser printers use the electrographic method of image formation. The laser is used to create an ultra-thin beam of light that traces the contours of an invisible dotted electronic image on the surface of a pre-charged light-sensitive 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 the paper by heating the toner until it melts. Laser printers provide the highest quality printing with high speed. 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 bass reflex (hole on the front panel) and the number of reproduced frequency bands (high, mid and low speakers on each speaker).
USB flash drives, in my opinion, have become the most universal means of transferring information. This miniature device is smaller in size and weight than a lighter. It has high mechanical strength and 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. The capacity of these devices ranges from 256 MB to 32 GB, which allows you to select a drive of the required capacity, in accordance with 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: just plug it into a USB port and go.
Needed to input dynamic images into a computer and sound (for communication and the ability to create teleconferences).
Uninterruptable power source needed in case of a power outage.
Puff, well, in my opinion, that’s all the main thing I wanted to tell you about the computer hardware, the so-called hardware.
The article “Computer Design” 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!
In order to drive a car, it is not at all necessary to know how it works. But to be a good driver, it is still necessary to understand the structure and interaction of individual parts of the car. The same can be said about a computer: you can work on it using ready-made programs, and even program it yourself, without knowing the internal structure of the computer. However, you cannot become a qualified user and programmer without studying the device and the interaction of its individual parts.
Computers are different. You will almost certainly have to work on the so-called personal computer. This is what I said about in 0.1, that it looks like a TV with a keyboard. Here is his usual appearance:
To make it easier to understand the interaction of various parts of a computer, let’s imagine its structure schematically:
The diagram shows only the seven most necessary devices, although there may be many more of them in a computer. Inside the box, which is called a system unit, there are: a central processor (or just a processor), RAM (or just memory), a bus, and almost always a hard drive and an input/output device on floppy disks, so named because it uses it to provide information You can enter information from a floppy disk into a computer, or you can output information from a computer to a floppy disk. In addition, it includes many auxiliary electronic circuits and devices.
While the computer is running, all devices exchange information with each other. For example, a program from a floppy disk or keyboard is sent to memory. To enable information to pass from one device to another, all devices are connected to each other by a common bus, which is a series of electrical conductors through which signals can be transmitted.
Let's look at what each computer device does separately. First of all, let's highlight two devices that form the “brain” of the computer - the processor and RAM. It is these two devices that carry out the main processing of information, they solve all problems, calculate trajectories, think about chess moves, etc. Just don’t forget that they do all this by blindly executing the program’s commands, which means that the entire intelligence of the computer is concentrated not in them, but in the program; it is not the computer itself that is smart, but the program in it that is smart. Therefore, often, instead of saying “the computer solved the problem,” they say “the program solved the problem.”
The processor can be called the “boss” over the other devices of the computer, since it manages the operation of all devices during program execution. It is he who “understands the meaning” of each program command and executes it himself or orders other devices to execute it. However, the processor remembers almost nothing. Or rather, his memory is good, but very small - he can remember only a few numbers or letters.
But RAM is specifically designed to quickly memorize and quickly recall large amounts of information; it can’t do anything else. In short, the processor and memory - like the blind and the deaf - are separately helpless, but together they are quite capable of existing.
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