Components of a Computer

     My understanding of a Computer.

My interpretation of a computer has the functions of being used for enjoyment, research, work, and networking. But to grasp these uses of a computer, it might seem important to have a grasp on the machine that’s servicing our requests.

A step forward in understanding what makes a computer, Mr. Cheeseman helps us refine what we will discuss in this short essay; “Microcomputers, also known as personal computers (PCs), are small, low-cost, and single-user computer systems. They may stand alone or be connected to create a computer network serving more than one user. Microcomputers include (1) desktop computers, (2) laptops, and (3) handheld devices.” (Cheeseman). Mr. Cheeseman’s description of a Microcomputer entails a set of parameters to the size of what will be discussed. It can be assumed that all computers have a monitor connected to a computer case, and there can be many connecting cables between these entities. At the end of the cables, we will read about some of the mechanisms in a computer case that make our computers function. But to start our discussion from this perspective of what a computer is, we need to visualize what we are seeing, and the first thing to see is usually the monitor.

The computer screen displays a factory default photograph or the user's preferred screensaver. While the screen allows the user to interact with the device to view, insert, update, and delete files or programs throughout the computer from lifewire.com, Mr. Fisher gives us a better understanding of the function of a monitor, “The monitor is the piece of computer hardware that displays the video and graphics information generated by the computer through the video card.” (Fisher). Since Mr. Fisher does say that the ‘information generated’ by the computer is displayed on the computer's hardware, that is, the monitor. These thoughts are similar in how the monitor is used, but Fisher is more specific in the functionality of the hardware. To continue the discussion on computers, the monitors are not completely autonomous themselves; they usually have wires connecting to a terminal or a switchboard.

Refining more of our discussion, some devices fall under the description of a computer and don’t require wires to connect their monitor and computer case that are labeled as a computer. For example, apple’s iMac is autonomous; to further explain, it contains its own computer screen and computer all in one. Also, a laptop can be categorized as the all in one screen and hardware configuration. Thirdly, software packages make it so one computer’s software can be presented on many desktop screens and function independently (headless client). But what is being described is the fundamentals of the inner workings of a computer, about a monitor with wire connections to its terminal or referred to as a computer case.

Display Adapters:

We’re going to describe three common connecting wires used between a monitor and computer case; also referring to a wire that does not connect between these two pieces of hardware but is a common connecter to external devices trying to interact with our computer. To start our description of the common types of connecting wires, the most common connector now a day’s is a HDMI. Mr. Beal from Webopedia helps us comprehend an HDMI and the rest of our hardware connecting wires. But for an HDMI, Mr. Beal says,

 “Short for High-Definition Multimedia Interface is the first industry-supported uncompressed, all-digital audio/video proprietary interface. It is a single cable and user-friendly connector that replaces the maze of cabling behind the home entertainment center.” (Beal).

A high-definition multimedia interface cable is the first ‘industry supported … single cable’ consumers and technicians use for their devices and home entertainment systems. Alternatively, all these cables can be said to be able to transmit visual information between devices. But the HDMI is known and explicitly stated by Beal as simple to use, in other words, ‘user-friendly.’ Next to discuss is a VGA connecting cord; I need to know that my technical knowledge of the cords is quite limited. But here is what Mr. Beal has for a VGA,

 “Abbreviation of video graphics array, a graphics display system for PCs developed by IBM. VGA has become one of the de facto standards for PCs. .… Unlike earlier graphics standards for PCs -- MDA, CGA, and EGA -- VGA uses analog rather than digital signals. Consequently, a monitor designed for one of the older standards will not be able to use VGA.” (Beal).

Now knowing that HDMI and VGA are the most commonly used within work or business settings. Also, that was developed sequentially before the HDMI, so VGA is a more common business connection between a monitor and a computer case, which we will use as our ideal connection between components. As VGA was the predecessor to HDMI, the wiring developed before a VGA was a DVI cable. Mr. Beal will enlighten us on two wordings of the specifics of a DVI.

 “(1) Short for Digital Visual Interface, a digital interface standard created by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) to convert analog signals into digital signals to accommodate both analog and digital monitors. …. The standard specifies a single plug and connector encompassing the new digital and legacy VGA interfaces and a digital-only plug connector.” (Beal).

This definition is the most current on what a DVI stands for; later, Beal tells us the older understanding of the acronym. But a digital visual interface does the same thing as HDMI and VGA but is the predecessor and more cumbersome to implement. To have Mr. Beal tell us the older understanding of a DVI.

“(2) Short for Digital Video Interactive, a now-defunct technology developed by General Electric that enables a computer to store and display moving video images like those on television.” (Beal).

That HDMI sends images to monitors or tv screens as the current version of digital video interactive. Not confuse this understanding has not been in use since general electric’s upgrade. Splitting away from our primary connecting cables that are used to connect hardware. A non-mandatory cable is used to connect external devices to our computer case. This time Mr. Cheeseman comes with an accurate description of what a USB is,    

 “The USB is a common and popular external port for input and output devices. Almost every type of peripheral comes in a USB version. USB connections offer advantages over older types of connections (serial and parallel connections) because they support a wide range of devices, transfer data more quickly, and can be connected and disconnected without turning the computer off (hot swapping).” (Cheeseman).

Cheeseman helps us understand more precisely the usefulness of a USB cable. But the USB is not used for transferring image information like an HDMI, VGA, or DVI. To recap, these cables must have a working understanding of their uses. The HDMI, VGA, and DVI transfer visual information from the computer case graphics card to the monitor to display images for the user to interpret. Alternatively, the USB transfers information to external devices and receives instructions from this extra hardware.

Computer Case:

The external shell needs to be explained before we go into the inside of a computer. The part of the computer that keeps it all together is the computer case. The Website BleepingComputer.com tells us a good synopsis of what can be stored inside this hardware,

 “A Computer Case is the outer shell of a computer. This is what the motherboard, hard drives, cd drives, etc., are mounted to make the complete computer.” (BleepingComputer.com).

Now with an idea of what is stored within a computer case. How is the structure of this computer case supposed to be? Liking to discern in this example is a terminal computer case. To help visualize an outdated diagram below this article, needing to clarify Floppy Drive A and memory slots; should be overlooked for this explanation. Now Dummies.com, which didn’t invoke self-criticism once having cited, helps to build what the front and back of a computer console entail.

 “You use the front of the console to interact with the computer system directly. From the front of the console, you can add or remove disks, observe lights, punch buttons, and perhaps even plug one or two special items into the PC.” (dummies.com).

The front of a computer case holds as dummies.com describes how to interact with the machine. To insert external hardware as of to date with a USB connection. But also, the most important part of the front panel is that we can turn on and off the computer. Now able to visualize the front side of a computer case, it is pertinent to understand the back or rear of the case. Dummies.com helps us visualize the rear of the computer case. again

 “On the back of a computer console, you find various connectors for the many other devices in your computer system: the console’s back also has a place to plug in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and just about anything else that came in the box with the PC.” (dummies.com).

With to-date models, the back of a computer case can connect our HDMI, VGA, and DVI cables to a monitor or any other display that can accept these cables. The back panel also allows for adapting of ‘mouse, speakers, and keyboards’ to the device so the user can interact more fully with the computer. Having envisioned the parts contained within a computer and the external configuration of the computer case, know it's pertinent to describe the inner components of a computer case. 

Computer Componets:

The excerpt from BleepingComputer.com would have been more helpful in telling the inner workings of a computer within the computer case. The important parts that need to be described are the Motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, and PSU; we plan to explain the hard drive later in the text. Now to start, what all these components connect to or reside on is the motherboard. Mr. Cheeseman helps us understand a broad but refined use of the motherboard.

 “Alternatively referred to as the mb, mainboard, mboard, mobo, mobd, backplane board, base board, main circuit board, planar board, system board, or a logic board on Apple computers. The motherboard is a printed circuit board that is the foundation of a computer, located on the back side or at the bottom of the computer chassis. It allocates power and allows communication to the CPU, RAM, and all other computer hardware components.” (Cheeseman).

A motherboard can be envisioned as the central nervous system within the human body as a good comparison to what a motherboard does. To get back on track, the motherboard, the central nervous system, allows for communication across the device or, in our extrapolated example, the body. Some of the components that Cheeseman says the motherboard intermediates between are the ‘CPU, RAM, and all other components.’ But now, let’s describe the function of a Central Processing Unit, PH. Buckman helps me understand a CPU's function in his Introduction to Programming class. The expert from his lecture slides describes a CPU as a “Device that governs when input should be stored in memory, determines the calculations needed to process input into output, and sends output to the output devices (monitor)” (Buckman). CPUs can be envisioned as the arithmetic center of the device, where all the calculations are being computed. On the other hand, this excerpt only gives us a good understanding of what it does. Not what it’s a specific function of the computer Mr. Cheeseman; the CPU is defined by him as,

 “The CPU, also called the microprocessor or processor, coordinates the flow of data throughout the computer and is commonly referred to as the "brains" of the computer. The CPU also performs math and logic calculations, sends data to and retrieves data from memory and storage devices, and processes hardware and software instructions.” (Cheeseman).

Cheeseman builds off the human anatomy comparison and relates the Central Processing Unit to resemble the human brain. In context, the CPU is the hardware within the computer that makes logical decisions. Knowing how a CPU functions and its role within a computer, we can discuss another important piece of hardware in the computer. A Graphics Processing Unit, or GPU for short, is like a CPU but has a different purpose, whereas WhatIs.com gives us this difference and the current GPU purpose.

 “A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a computer chip that performs rapid mathematical calculations to render images. In the early days of computing, the central processing unit (CPU) performed these calculations. As more graphics-intensive applications such as AutoCAD were developed, their demands put strain on the CPU and degraded performance. GPUs were a way to offload those tasks from CPUs, freeing up their processing power.” (WhatIs.com).

WhatIs.com and Cheeseman both describe hardware residing within a computer. But Cheeseman describes a CPU only, and WhatIs.com describes a Graphics Processing Unit that is highly similar to a CPU. The purpose of the GPU is, as in the name to control graphical calculations within the computer. A cool historical note is that GPUs were developed to relieve strain on the CPU by taking its current purpose of calculating graphic’s related calculations. Continuing to describe important hardware that is pertinent for the function of a computer. The RAM or Random-Access Memory, another excerpt from Mr. Cheeseman, helps us understand a computer's function again.

 “The RAM is a temporary storage area active only while the computer is turned on. The RAM can be accessed, used, changed, and written on repeatedly. It provides storage for the program that is running, as well as for the data that are being processed. Before the computer is turned off, the data or information used again must be stored in long-term storage, either to the hard drive or to a secondary storage device.” (Cheeseman).

Our knowledgeable Mr. Cheeseman helps with RAM, which is a storage device within the computer. That stores its memory for a short period and then send’s it off to the long-term or short-term memory stores within the computer. To conclude, with some of the essential hardware within a computer, it could be the most vital for a computer to function as the Power Supply Unit. Christensson from TechTerms is to help with describing what a PSU is with her excerpt,

 “A power supply is a hardware component that supplies power to an electrical device. It receives power from an electrical outlet and converts the current from AC (alternating current) to DC (direct current), which the computer requires. It also regulates the voltage to an adequate amount, which allows the computer to run smoothly without overheating. The power supplies an integral part of any computer and must function correctly for the rest of the components to work.” (Christensson).

With an idea of how power is supplied to a computer, I’d like to re-articulate Christensson’s explanation of a PSU to ensure you understand this vital piece of hardware. Christensson describes it as hardware that acquires AC or DC power from a connected external source. This dilutes the power of the following hardware connected to the computer to make it run. Hoping my generalized description of a PSU helps make Christensson’s explanation of the same hardware more understandable. Since we have come to understand that a Power Supply Unit, Random Access Memory, Graphics Processing Unit, and Central Processing Unit are known to be important to the computer’s function.

Storage Memory:

To totally encompass the computer’s function is to understand how it stores memory and what types of memory there are; we’ll be highlighting two types of memory stored in the passage a Hard drive and an SSD (Solid-state drive). They both are used to store the computer's systems, files, and programs on these types of hardware. Conveniently, random-access memory usually sends its processed data to one of these kinds of memory storage. Starting with the most common type of memory, a hard drive, Christensson once again greatly describes a piece of computer hardware.

“The hard drive is what stores all your data. It houses the hard disk, where all your files and folders are physically located. A hard drive is slightly larger than your hand yet can hold over 100 GB of data. The data is stored on a stack of disks mounted inside a solid encasement. These disks spin extremely fast (typically at either 5400 or 7200 RPM) so that data can be accessed immediately from anywhere on the drive. The data is stored on the hard drive magnetically, so it stays on the drive even after the power supply is turned off.” (Christensson).

Important information about a hard drive that Christensson describes is not only that it is the main storage of our device's files. Is it using stacked discs to burn our information onto and then be randomly accessed later? It might shock some to think that discs are rotating at high speeds within their computers. But this has been a common practice of storing device memory for over a decade. The SSD is a revolutionary way of storing memory, which WhatIs.com can happily define.

“An SSD (solid-state drive) is a nonvolatile storage media that stores persistent data on solid-state flash memory. Two key components comprise an SSD: a flash controller and NAND flash memory chips. The architectural configuration of the SSD controller is optimized to deliver high read and write performance for sequential and random data requests. SSDs are sometimes referred to as flash drives or solid-state disks.” (WhatIs.com).

WhatIs.com tells us what it is for a Solid-State Drive like a hard drive; it stores files from its primary device. The differentiating aspect between the hardware is that SSDs randomly access their memory through memory chips within the SSD. That reduces the dangerousness of the storage hardware that resides within the computer. But WhatIs.com forgets to mention that once SSDs break, the memory is lost for good, while a hard drive with its disks stops working. The disks still give us the capability to recover the lost files. To wrap up this memory subject, Hard drives are best for their redundancy, whereas solid-state dives have the advantage of accessing files quicker and less volatilely.

            This text might be a strain on the memory to comprehend. So, we went over how Monitors could commonly be connected by three types of cables; HDMI, VGA, and DVI. That led to the computer case being connected to a GPU. Which hardware we covered also resides within the computer case the Motherboard, CPU, RAM, and PSU. To store all the actions on this machine, there are two common memory hardware types, Hard drives, and SSD, that make it so our actions on the computer are stored and retrievable for later. I hope this explanation of the hardware that makes up a computer helps with understanding how it works.

Works Cited:

Cheeseman, Susan E, DNP,A.P.R.N., N.N.P.-B.C. (2011). Mastering basic computer competencies one byte at a time. Neonatal Network, 30(6), 413-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.er.lib.k-state.edu/docview/905246379?accountid=11789.

Christensson, Per. "Hard Drive Definition." TechTerms. Sharpened Productions, 2006. Web. 12 November 2018. https://techterms.com/definition/harddrive .

Christensson, Per. "Power Supply Definition." TechTerms. Sharpened Productions, 28 January 2009. Web. 12 November 2018. https://techterms.com/definition/powersupply .

Beal, Vangie. “HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface.” Router vs Switch vs Hub: What's the Difference? Webopedia, www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/HDMI.html.

Beal, Vangie. “VGA - Video Graphics Array.” Router vs Switch vs Hub: What's the Difference? Webopedia, www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/VGA.html.

Beal, Vangie. “DVI - Digital Visual Interface.” Router vs Switch vs Hub: What's the Difference? Webopedia, www.webopedia.com/TERM/D/DVI.html.

Buckman, Joseph. “MIS – 411 Lecture 1.” PowerPoint presentation. KSU University. Manhattan, KS. 21 August 2018

Fisher, Tim. “What Is a Computer Monitor?” Lifewire, Lifewire, www.lifewire.com/what-is-a-monitor-2618155.

“Home.” BleepingComputer, BleepingComputer.com, www.bleepingcomputer.com/glossary/computer-case/.

“What Is GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)? - Definition from WhatIs.com.” SearchVirtualDesktop, searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com/definition/GPU-graphics-processing-unit.

“What Is a Motherboard?” Computer Hope, 30 Oct. 2017, www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mothboar.htm.

“What Is SSD (Solid-State Drive)? - Definition from WhatIs.com.” SearchStorage, searchstorage.techtarget.com/definition/SSD-solid-state-drive

“The Front of Your Computer Console.” Dummies, www.dummies.com/computers/computer-networking/networking-components/the-front-of-your-computer-console/.