Today, computer technology is taking leaps and bounds, and, for example, a PC can become completely outdated in a few years. And on outdated equipment, many modern programs will run slowly or not start at all. Someone will offer to buy a new computer, and someone will upgrade. In both cases, you need to know the structure of the computer system unit.
General information
What are the main parts of your PC? If in general, then the structure of the computer assumes the presence of the following elements:
- Internal devices of the system unit.
- Input devices (usually a keyboard and mouse, but can be supplemented by many others, for example, a tablet for drawing).
- Information output devices (monitor, headphones).
- Additional peripherals (card readers, TV tuners, network adapters, USB modems).
The structure of the computer system unit must be considered in detail, because it includes many important components that directly or indirectly affect the speed of the system as a whole. These components include:
- Motherboard.
- CPU.
- RAM.
- Hard drive or solid state drive.
- Video card
- Sound card.
- PCI devices.
Computer processor structure
It is believed that the central processor is the most complex digital device in a computer. It is made in the form of a silicon wafer in a case with many pins that connect to a special socket on the motherboard. A substance is sprayed onto silicon that reproduces a complex, but very small, electrical circuit.
Several million elements (transistors, resistors) are included in the structure of the computer processor. All parts are several nanometers in size. After manufacturing the device, a radiator for heat removal and a blowing fan are installed on it. With the simultaneous operation of a large number of transistors, one cannot do without it.
The structure of the computer processor is so high-tech that only two companies in the world compete in this market segment (Intel and AMD).
Main features of the CPU
The main characteristics of the CPU are clock frequency, cache size, number of cores. Accordingly, the higher these parameters, the faster the device performs calculations. The clock frequency determines how many logical and arithmetic operations can be performed per second by one core, respectively, if there are two cores in a computer, then twice as many operations per second.
The cache is designed to store commands that programs send to the central processor. Information exchange with the cache is performed at the highest speed. If its size is too small, then it will not work to use the entire processor speed.
Motherboard structure
Of course, you need to consider the build of the computer motherboard. The motherboard is a complex device with a multilayer circuit. It contains the main sockets for connecting all other computer devices, logic sets so that all components work interconnected, controllers of the main interfaces (sound card, network card, input-output devices). Often, the motherboard may have slots for additional devices (PSI-e, PCI, USB).
A key component of the motherboard is the chipset. This is a chip that connects device controllers to the CPU for their joint operation. The internal structure of the computer is determined entirely by the chipset. For example, you cannot install third-generation memory on the motherboard if the logic only supports the second generation, also with all other devices.
RAM
RAM (RAM) - random access memory (random access memory). Describing the internal structure of the computer, this element can not be ignored. The RAM stores temporary data and processor instructions for which there was not enough space in the cache. The most important characteristics of memory are frequency, volume, generation, and timings. At the same time, the memory strip of the DDR2 or DDR generation cannot be installed in the DDR3 connector, because the sets of program logic for all these generations are different.
Frequency and timings are the most important indicators for determining the speed of information exchange with RAM. There are two reciprocal rules. If the frequency is higher, the speed is greater. With timings, the opposite is true, so lower performance is preferable.
Video card
The structure of a personal computer in the modern world necessarily requires a video card. In simple terms, this device prepares and generates graphic information, which is subsequently displayed on the screen.
The video adapter can be integrated into the motherboard of the computer or connected to the PCI-e connector. Adapters of the first type are almost always called budget ones; they allow you to work comfortably in office software packages, but do not form complex three-dimensional images. Even if the output of graphics for such video cards is tough, then their power is unlikely to be enough to confidently maintain an acceptable level of FPS (number of frames per second).
If we consider the video adapter connected to the PSI-e connector, we can say that this is an additional computer that is installed inside the system unit. Its structure also includes a processor (but not a CPU, but a GPU) with a cooling system, video memory (GDDR), a controller, DAC and ADC (digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters).
The fact that such a complex device is included in the structure of a computer is caused by increased resource requirements for rendering realistic three-dimensional graphics. Otherwise, the beauty of modern video games will have to be forgotten.
You can study the main characteristics of a video card based on the most important parameters of the remaining components that make up the computer structure. This includes the frequency of the video processor, volume, frequency, and bandwidth of the video memory. It is impossible not to say about SLI and CrossFire technologies. They allow you to combine several video adapters to increase the power of the video system.
HDD
Hard Disk Drive is used to store data. It is on it that OS, games, programs are installed, it is on it that music, videos, photographs are stored. The structure of the computer is such that any device can be replaced by a similar one without problems, however, after changing the HDD, all user data is lost, therefore the highest reliability requirements are imposed on devices of this type.
HDD Main Features
Capacity (measured in bytes), the larger this indicator, the more data can be written to the drive. In modern conditions, it makes sense to give preference only to those members of the family whose capacity is above 500 Gigabytes.
Spindle speed (measured in revolutions per second) determines the average speed of data access. The higher this characteristic, the faster the reading and writing of information. Remember that high revs create a high level of noise.
Interface (type of connector for connecting to the system board). The structure of a personal computer in the modern world is such that it is almost impossible to choose a motherboard and a hard drive so that they do not fit together.
Cache - a kind of RAM. Its purpose is to smooth out the difference in read and write speeds. When choosing a device, this parameter can be ignored.
Keyboard
Everything is moving forward, everything is developing, the processing power of processors is increasing, teaching aids and lectures on which computer science is being taught are changing. The structure of the computer, however, has one component that remains unchanged is the keyboard. It can be with membrane keys, semi-mechanical, mechanical, or use a scissor mechanism.
The structure of the computer keyboard with a membrane mechanism includes plastic cones and three layers of film on which the contacts are located. When you press the key, the cone is compressed, shorting the upper and lower contacts. These keyboards are the cheapest and lightest.
In semi-mechanical keyboards, instead of short-lived sprayed contacts, metal ones are installed, which are mounted on a printed circuit board. But returning the key to its original position and closing the contacts still performs a plastic cone.
Mechanical keyboards use a spring as a return mechanism. They are considered the most durable and reliable. Their service life in the normal mode is from 50 to 100 years. Weight is much higher than any other.
Scissor keyboards are considered a kind of membrane. These are most often installed in laptops. Under the key, in addition to the membrane, there are two cross-shaped square-shaped laths that provide smooth running, and this, in turn, protects against jamming.
Power Supply
When the anatomy of a computer (or the structure of a computer) is described, often information about this component is crossed out. But in vain, the stability of the entire system depends on the power supply.
Its main characteristic is power. The modern market offers a choice of devices from 300 to 1600 watts. Four hundred is enough for an office computer, and the latest gaming system will require at least a kilowatt.
Keep in mind that the PB must not only provide all components with the necessary power, but also have excess power exceeding the standard performance by 20%. Things are like this, because after a while the characteristics of the power supplies “subside”, and peak loads can damage the device.
According to computer science, the structure of the computer is absolutely independent of the selected power supply. They are universal and suitable for any configuration. However, more powerful power supplies have a larger size and an increased number of connectors of the same type. In the vast majority of cases, the number of connectors is excessive even on power supplies with the lowest power.
It is better not to use the cheap PBs that manufacturers produce without a name. A low voltage (from 3 to 12 Volts) is supplied to the PC devices, and even a slight fluctuation of this indicator can damage some kind of hardware. In addition, in practice, such power supplies give a quarter less power than the data in the passport.
Instead of an afterword
The educational program on the topic "building a computer for dummies" has been completed. It describes not absolutely exhaustive information. In such descriptions, you can go on endlessly, describing technical details, however, for the simple user, the information provided in this article is sufficient. Understanding the computer device already at this level, you can not call yourself a teapot or a beginner.