Discovering Computers
Technology in a World of Computers,
Mobile Devices, and the Internet
Chapter 6
Inside Computers
and Mobile Devices
Objectives Overview
See Page 248 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
for Detailed Objectives
Objectives Overview
See Page 248 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
for Detailed Objectives
Inside the Case
• The case contains and protects the electronics of the
computer or mobile device from damage
Page 248 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-1
Inside the Case
Page 250 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-2
Inside the Case
• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the
computer
– A computer chip contains integrated circuits
Pages 250 - 251 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-3
Processors
• The processor, also called the central processing
unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic
instructions that operate a computer
– Contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)
• A multi-core processor is a single chip with two or
more separate processor cores
Pages 252 - 253 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Processors
Page 253 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-4
Processors
• 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
Page 253 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Processors
• For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of
four basic operations, which comprise a machine
cycle
Page 254 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-5
Processors
Page 255 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Processors
• The leading
manufacturers of
personal computer
processor chips are
Intel and AMD
Page 255
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Processors
• A processor chip generates heat that could cause
the chip to malfunction or fail
• Require additional cooling
– Heat sinks
– Liquid cooling technology
– Cooling mats
Pages 256 - 257 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figures 6-6 – 6-7
Cloud Computing
• Home and business users choose cloud
computing for a variety of reasons
Page 257 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Data Representation
Page 259 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Data Representation
The circuitry in a computer or Eight bits grouped together as a
mobile device represents the on or unit are called a byte. A byte
the off states electronically by the
presence or absence of an represents a single character in
electronic charge the computer or mobile device
Pages 259 - 260
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figures 6-8 – 6-9
Data Representation
Page 260 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-10
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:
Page 261 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Memory
• Each location in memory has an address
• Memory size commonly is measured in gigabytes
(GB) or terabytes (TB)
Page 261 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-11
Memory
• The system unit contains two types of memory:
Page 262 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Memory
Page 262 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-12
Memory
• Two common types of RAM chips exist:
Page 263 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Table 6-1
Memory
• RAM chips usually reside on a memory module
and are inserted into memory slots
Page 263 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-13
Memory
• Memory cache speeds the processes of the computer
because it stores frequently used instructions and data
Page 265 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-14
Memory
Page 265 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Memory
• Flash memory can be erased electronically and
rewritten
– CMOS technology provides high speeds and consumes
little power
Pages 266 - 267 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Memory
• Access time is the amount of time it takes the
processor to read from memory
– Measured in nanoseconds
Page 267 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Table 6-2 and Figure 6-15
Adapters
• An adapter card enhances
functions of a component of
a desktop or server system
unit and/or provides
connections to peripherals
– Sound card and graphics card
• An expansion slot is a
socket on a desktop or
server motherboard that
can hold an adapter card
Page 269
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Table 6-3
Adapters
• With Plug and Play, the computer automatically
can recognize peripheral devices as you install
them
Page 269 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-16
Adapters
• Adapters for mobile computers are in the form of
a removable flash memory device
– USB adapter
– ExpressCard module
Page 269 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figures 6-17 – 6-18
Buses
• A bus allows the various
devices both inside and
attached to the system
unit to communicate with
each other
– Data bus
– Address bus
• Word size is the number
of bits the processor can
interpret and execute at a
given time
Pages 270 - 271
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-19
Buses
• A computer might have these three types of
buses:
Page 271 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Power Supply and Battery
• The power supply or
laptop AC adapter
converts the wall outlet
AC power into DC
power
Page 271
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-20
Power Supply and Battery
• Mobile computers and devices can run using
either a power supply or batteries
• Batteries typically are rechargeable lithium-ion
batteries
Page 272 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Figure 6-21
Summary
Page 275 Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
Discovering Computers
Technology in a World of Computers,
Mobile Devices, and the Internet
Chapter 6
Inside Computers
and Mobile Devices
Chapter 6 Complete
