Скачать или смотреть 9626 Unit 1-2 The Main Components of A Computer System

The main components of a computer system are the Central Processing Unit which is contained on the motherboard, the internal hard disk and the RAM and ROM.

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The central processing unit is the part of the computer that interprets and executes the commands that are sent from the computer hardware and also software.
The CPU is usually inserted onto the motherboard.
A CPU is also known as a microprocessor and is a single integrated circuit which is central to all computer systems.
The CPU is described as the brain of the computer system as it performs all of the logic and mathematical calculations that the computer needs to do to process data into information.
The CPU can also be found in many household devices and equipment where there is a need for monitoring and control such as ovens, heating systems, microwaves and so on.

The Central Processing Unit is made up of three components.

Firstly, the Control Unit which controls the flow of data into and out of the processor.

Secondly, the ALU, the Arithmetic and Logic Unit which carries out the calculations and makes logical decisions.

Thirdly there is the IAS, the Immediate Access Store. This is the RAM and this is where data is held before entering the ALU for processing.

The motherboard allows all of the components inside of the computer system to be connected together.

The motherboard also allows for peripherals, external devices to connect to the main computer system through different ports such as the USB port.

Next we have the RAM, the Random Access Memory.

This is the internal memory where data is temporarily stored such as the operating system, the applications that you are using and the files that you are working on.

Since its contents can be lost when the power to the computer is turned off RAM is often referred to as volatile memory.

ROM, Read Only Memory is another form of memory used by the computer to store information that is permanent.

This information is often in the form of a computer program which controls a piece of hardware and you will find ROM chips on all hardware devices.

ROM is a computer chip, and these chips cannot be altered hence the name Read Only Memory.

Information stored on a ROM chip is never lost when the power to the computer is turned off.

It is often referred to as non volatile memory.

The most common ROM chip is the BIOS chip on the motherboard.

The BIOS, Basic Input Output System Chip contains instructions that carries out a hardware check to find all of the devices connected and if they are functioning correctly.

The instructions store on the BIOS chip is known as the Boot File, because it boots up the computer.

BIOS also stores the date, the time and the system configuration in a chip called a CMOS, Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor which is usually powered by a battery on the motherboard.

The final item inside of our computer is the required for storage and this can be either an internal Hard Disk Drive, or in more modern computers a Solid State Drive.

This serves as the main storage medium for our computer allowing us to store the operating system, applications software and also our files such as text, photographs and music.

The main advantage of these storage devices is their access speed and also the speed in which data can be transferred. Solid state drives are particularly fast compared to their hard disk drive counterparts.