bcopyright;http://blogs.helsinki.fi/ict-driving-licence/1-introduction-to-the-use-of-computers/1-1-computer-functionality/basic-parts-and-functionality-of-the-computer/asic parts and functionality of the computer

Whether it is a telephone with a touch screen, a laptop, a tablet or a desktop, all computers consist of certain basic elements. This basic assembly is formed usually of a motherboard, a processor, central memory, hard disc drive, connections, the monitor as well as the keyboard, mouse or some kind of a touch pad.. The majority of the listed parts are inside the cabinet, but knowing them is important in order to manage different problem situations.

Remember what the reading instructions for this material told you: you don’t have to read everything from start to finish! If you are familiar with a particular subject, just skim through it and skip any content which you already know thoroughly.

The computer case

The computer case contains the most important components of the computer: the motherboard, the processor, random access memory modules, the hard drive etc. It may not be possible to exchange the components in a laptop computer, but in a desktop computer you have much more influence on the parts inside the case.

The motherboard

The motherboard is the part of the computer where such things as the processor, memory modules, expansion cards and external devices are attached. This means that the motherboard controls the functions of different components. Below are some important features of the motherboard:

• Number and type of hook-ups for peripheral devices
• Number of memory module slots (for the RAM)
• The chipset (determines how a new processor can be hooked up to the motherboard)

In addition to different hook-ups, the motherboard contains a small battery to ensure that the settings to the motherboard are preserved even when the computer is turned off.

The processor

The processor can be considered to be the ‘engine’ of the computer because it executes the lion’s share of the information processing; the processor fetches commands and necessary information from the RAM, carries out the tasks specified by the commands, and returns the processed information to the RAM.

The speed of a computer depends largely on the speed of the processor. The processor’s speed, in turn, is affected by various factors, such as the so-called clock frequency (usually expressed as gigahertz, GHz), the amount of cores and of the so-called cache memory inside the processor.

Random access memory

The RAM (Random Access Memory) is a memory storage that functions during computer use and is especially utilised by the processor. In modern computers, the amount of RAM is around 4 – 16 GB depending on the type and purpose of the computer (please seedata entry units for more information). The RAM consists of one or more memory modules (see image above).

When the computer is started, the operating system is loaded into the RAM (an operating system is a program that controls the devices and programs in a computer – please seeoperating systems for more information). The computer also loads the files being processed – music, assignments, videos etc – to the RAM.

If there is enough RAM, the computer executes requested tasks quickly. This is why it is a good idea to add to the memory by buying more memory modules as the need arises.