COMPUTER
FUNDAMENTALS
TOPIC 1- PC HARDWARE, PC CASE AND PC SUPPY
ABBREVIATION
IBM – International Business Machines
GUI – Graphical User Interface
VGA – Video Graphics Array
FPU – Floating Point Unit
AMD – Advanced Micro Devices
CPU – Central Processing Unit (Microprocessor)
RAM – Random Access Memory
XT – Extended PC
AT – Advanced Technology
PC TIMELINE
1972 – Intel’s 8008 microprocessor
1973 – the Micral, the earliest commercial,
non kit personal computer based on the 8008
microprocessor, was developed.
PC TIMELINE
1974 – Scelbi advertised its 8H
computer, the first commercially
advertised of US computer based on
the 8008 microprocessor
1976 – Steve Wozniak designed the
apple I, a single-board computer. This
system consisted of a main circuit
board screwed to a piece of plywood.
It didn’t have a case and power supply.
PC TIMELINE
1977 – the Apple computer introduce
the Apple II.
1979 – Motorola introduced the 6800
microprocessor
1981 – Xerox introduced the star, the
first PC w/ a graphical user interface .
PC TIMELINE
1981 – IBM shipped its first PC
1983 – Apple introduced the
Apple Lisa computer which
incorporated with GUI
1984 – Apple computer launched
the Macintosh, the first
successful mouse-driven
computer GUI.
PC TIMELINE
1986 – Compaq announced the
Deskpro 386, the first computer on
the market to use what was then
intel’s new 386 chip.
1987 – IBM introduced its PS/2
machine, which made the 3 ½
floppy disk drive and VGA video
standards for PC
PC TIMELINE
1988 – Compaq and other PC-
clone maker developed Enhance
Industry Standard Architecture
(EISA)
1989 – Intel released the 486
microprocessor ( full 32bit,8KB
of L1 cache, built in FPU, 20-
50MH)
PC TIMELINE
1993 – Intel released its 5th generation
processor called P5.
1995 - Intel released the Pentium Pro
processor , the first P6 processor family.
1997 – Intel release the Pentium II processor.
A Pentium Pro with MMX instruction added.
1998 – Intel released the Celeron, a low cost
version of Pentium II processor
1999 - Intel released the Pentium III and
AMD introduced the Athlon.
PC TIMELINE
2000 – Both Intel and AMD introduced
processor running at 1GHz. AMD introduced
Duron and Pentium 4 for Intel.
2003 – the first 64-bit processor, AMD
Athlon’s 64 becomes available to the market
consumer.
2004 – Mozilla's Firefox challenged the
Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the dominant
web browsers.
PC TIMELINE
2006 – Apple introduces the Macbook Pro, its
first Intel-based, dual-core mobile computer,
as well as an Intel-based iMac. Nintendo’s
Wii hits the market
2007 – The iPhone brings many computer
functions to the Smartphone.
2009 – Microsoft launches Windows 7, which
offers the ability to pin applications to the
taskbar and advances in touch and
handwriting recognition among other
features.
PC TIMELINE
2010 – Apple unveils the iPad, changing the
way consumers view media and jumpstarting
the dormant tablet computer segment.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Motherboard
- core of the systems which controls all
the devices
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Processor/CPU
- serves as the brain or engine of the PC
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Memory
- it contains data which the processor is
using at a given time and the primary
memory is often called RAM
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Case
- it is the frame that houses the system
unit
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Power Supply
- it is the source of electrical power of
every part in the PC
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Hard Disk Drive
-it is a secondary storage that is used
when large amount of data have to be
stored, particularly if some of the data need
not to be accessed very frequently.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Floppy Disk Drive
- a secondary device that can be read in
and write to a Floppy disk
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Compact Disk/Digital Versatile Disk
- it is a high-capacity removal media,
optical storage device of the system
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Monitor
- it is visually display the output of the
computer
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Video Card
- is an expansion card which generates a
feed of output images to a display
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Sound Card
- it is an expansion card that provides a
port for speakers and microphones
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Keyboard
- it is the primary input device used to
communicate with the PC
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Mouse
- It is a pointing input device used to
communicate with the pc
SYSTEM TYPES
There are Two basic types of PC Hardware
based on the motherboard host bus, or
processor bus design and width ;
1. 8-bit (PC/XT-class) systems
2. 16/32/64-bit (AT-class) systems
PC CASE FORM FACTORS
• AT (Advance
Technology)
- Introduce in 1984
- one distance
characteristics of this case
was round hole at the back
used for inserting the DIN
plug of old keyboard
PC CASE FORM FACTORS
BABY-AT
- Scaled down model /version of AT
PC CASE FORM FACTORS
LPX
- Known as Low Profile Extension Format
PC CASE FORM FACTORS
• ATX
- Stands for
Advance
Technology
Extended
FUNCTIONS
HOUSING
- the case usually makes room for the power
supply unit, expansion slot/bays, and I/O ports
connected to the motherboard.
VENTILATION
- the case should be well ventilated and can be
equipped with cooling fans.
EMF ELIMINATION AND GROUNDING
- the case can keep internal components from
generating EMF to a minimum. The case can also
provide adequate grounding, causing immunity to
static electric discharges.
POWER SUPPLY
This supply provides all of the different
voltages the computer needs to operate
properly
The power supply doesn’t actually generate
electricity but converts the power received
from a standard power outlet, the
alternating current and reduces it to a
voltage that the computer can handle the
direct current
FUNCTIONS
- a power supply is designed to give an
efficient and inexpensive power source, as
well as it should generate a minimum
amount of heat
END OF TOPIC 1
