Unit V:PC HARDWARE OVERVIEW

1. List out the functional units of PC hardware

Sol: Five basic components of computer system
Input Unit.
Output Unit.
Storage Unit.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
Control Unit.

2. Define BTX
(Balanced Technology EXtended) A motherboard design from Intel introduced in 2004
that supersedes the ATX. Unlike the ATX, the placement of all chip sockets in the BTX
is defined in order to provide sufficient air flow over the processor and graphics card.
microBTX and picoBTX provide smaller form factors.

3. What is mother board?

A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer. The motherboard
is a computer’s central communications backbone connectivity point, through which all
components and external peripherals connect.
components can be added to a motherboard through its expansion slots. These may in-
clude processor sockets, DIMM, HTX, PCI, PCIe and M.2 slots as well as power supply
connections. Typically motherboards offer additional connectivity through a Southbridge
chip such as PCI, SATA, Thunderbolt, USB and more. CPU to RAM and PCIe are gener-
ally connected through point-to-point interconnects such as Hypertransport (HT), Quick
path interconnect (QPI) or Ultrapath interconnect (UPI). Often, choosing a motherboard
determines many of the features a desktop will have.

4. List out the good ISA

5. What is an ISA slot? Stands for ”Industry Standard Architecture.” ISA is a type of bus
used in PCs for adding expansion cards. For example, an ISA slot may be used to add a
video card, a network card, or an extra serial port. The original 8-bit version of PCI uses
a 62 pin connection and supports clock speeds of 8 and 33 MHz. 16-bit PCI uses 98 pins
and supports the same clock speeds.
The original 8-bit version of ISA was introduced in 1981 but the technology did not become
widely used until 1984, when the 16-bit version was released. Two competing technologies
– MCA and VLB – were also used by some manufacturers, but ISA remained the most
common expansion bus for most of the 1980s and 1990s. However, by the end of the

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twentieth century, ISA ports were beginning to be replaced by faster PCI and AGP slots.
Today, most computers only support PCI and AGP expansion cards.
6. Define EISA
EISA is a standard bus (computer interconnection) architecture that extends the ISA
standard to a 32-bit interface. It was developed in part as an open alternative to the pro-
prietary Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) that IBM introduced in its PS/2 computers.
EISA data transfer can reach a peak of 33 megabytes per second.
7. What is VESA in computer?
VESA Local Bus (sometimes called the VESA VL bus) is a standard interface between
your computer and its expansion slot that provides faster data flow between the devices
controlled by the expansion cards and your computer’s microprocessor. A ”local bus” is a
physical path on which data flows at almost the speed of the microprocessor , increasing
total system performance. VESA Local Bus is particularly effective in systems with
advanced video cards and supports 32-bit data flow at 50 MHz . A VESA Local Bus is
implemented by adding a supplemental slot and card that aligns with and augments an
Industry Standard Architecture expansion card. (ISA is the most common expansion slot
in today’s computers.)
8. What does PCI card do?
A Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot is a connecting apparatus for a 32-bit
computer bus. These tools are built into the motherboards of computers and devices in
order to allow for the addition of PCI devices like modems, network hardware or sound
and video cards.
9. How many types of mother board are there?
(a) AT Motherboard
(b) ATX Motherboard
(c) LPX Motherboard
(d) BTX Motherboard
(e) Pico BTX Motherboard
(f) Mini ITX Motherboard
10. What are the components in Motherboard and explain the function
The main printed circuit board in a computer is known as the motherboard. Other
names for this central computer unit are system board, mainboard, or printed wired
board (PWB). The motherboard is sometimes shortened to Mobo. Numerous major
components, crucial for the functioning of the computer, are attached to the motherboard.
These include the processor, memory, and expansion slots. The motherboard connects
directly or indirectly to every part of the PC. The type of motherboard installed in a PC
has a great effect on a computer’s system speed and expansion capabilities.

Major Motherboard Components and Their Functions

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Also known as the microprocessor or the processor, the CPU is the computer’s brain.
It is responsible for fetching, decoding, and executing program instructions as well as

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performing mathematical and logical calculations. The processor chip is identified by the
processor type and the manufacturer. This information is usually inscribed on the chip
itself. For example, Intel 386, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) 386, Cyrix 486, Pentium
MMX, Intel Core 2Duo, or iCore7. If the processor chip is not on the motherboard, you
can identify the processor socket as socket 1 to Socket 8, LGA 775 among others. This can
help you identify the processor that fits in the socket. For example, a 486DX processor
fits into Socket 3.

Figure 5.1: Motherboard Chipset architecture

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory, or RAM, usually refers to computer chips that temporarily store
dynamic data to enhance computer performance while you are working. In other words, it

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is the working place of your computer, where active programs and data are loaded so that
any time the processor requires them, it doesn’t have to fetch them from the hard disk.
Random access memory is volatile, meaning it loses its contents once power is turned off.
This is different from non-volatile memory, such as hard disks and flash memory, which
do not require a power source to retain data. When a computer shuts down properly, all
data located in RAM is returned back to permanent storage on the hard drive or flash
drive. At the next boot-up, RAM begins to fill with programs automatically loaded at
startup, a process called booting. Later on, the user opens other files and programs that
are still loaded in the memory.

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. BIOS is a ”read-only” memory, which
consists of low-level software that controls the system hardware and acts as an interface
between the operating system and the hardware. Most people know the term BIOS by
another name—device drivers, or just drivers. BIOS is essentially the link between the
computer hardware and software in a system. All motherboards include a small block
of Read Only Memory (ROM) which is separate from the main system memory used
for loading and running software. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to
control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number
of miscellaneous functions. The system BIOS is a ROM chip on the motherboard used
during the startup routine (boot process) to check out the system and prepare to run the
hardware. The BIOS is stored on a ROM chip because ROM retains information even
when no power is being supplied to the computer.

Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Random Access Mem-

ory (CMOS RAM)

Figure 5.2: CMOS Battery

Motherboards also include a small separate block of memory made from CMOS RAM
chips which are kept alive by a battery (known as a CMOS battery) even when the PC’s
power is off. This prevents reconfiguration when the PC is powered on. CMOS devices
require very little power to operate. The CMOS RAM is used to store basic Information
about the PC’s configuration for instance:

(a) Floppy disk and hard disk drive types

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(b) Information about CPU

(c) RAM size
(d) Date and time
(e) Serial and parallel port information
(f) Plug and Play information
(g) Power Saving settings

Other Important data kept in CMOS memory is the time and date, which is updated by
a Real Time Clock (RTC).

Cache Memory
Cache memory is a small block of high-speed memory (RAM) that enhances PC perfor-
mance by pre-loading information from the (relatively slow) main memory and passing
it to the processor on demand. Most CPUs have an internal cache memory (built into
the processor) which is referred to as Level 1 or primary cache memory. This can be
supplemented by external cache memory fitted on the motherboard. This is the Level 2
or secondary cache. In modern computers, Levels 1 and 2 cache memory are built into
the processor die. If a third cache is implemented outside the die, it is referred to as the
Level 3 (L3) cache.

The Expansion Buses

An expansion bus is an input/output pathway from the CPU to peripheral devices and
it is typically made up of a series of slots on the motherboard. Expansion boards (cards)
plug into the bus. PCI is the most common expansion bus in a PC and other hardware
platforms. Buses carry signals such as data, memory addresses, power, and control signals
from component to component. Other types of buses include ISA and EISA. Expansion
buses enhance the PCs capabilities by allowing users to add missing features in their
computers by slotting adapter cards into expansion slots.

Figure 5.3: Expansion Bus

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The Computer Chip-sets

A chipset is a group of small circuits that coordinate the flow of data to and from a PC’s
key components. These key components include the CPU itself, the main memory, the
secondary cache, and any devices situated on the buses. A chipset also controls data flow
to and from hard disks and other devices connected to the IDE channels.
A computer has got two main chipsets:
• The NorthBridge (also called the memory controller) is in charge of controlling trans-
fers between the processor and the RAM, which is why it is located physically near the
processor. It is sometimes called the GMCH, for Graphic and Memory Controller Hub.
• The SouthBridge (also called the input/output controller or expansion controller) han-
dles communications between slower peripheral devices. It is also called the ICH (I/O
Controller Hub). The term ”bridge” is generally used to designate a component which
connects two buses.
Chipset manufacturers include SIS, VIA, ALI, and OPTI.

The CPU Clock

The CPU clock synchronizes the operation of all parts of the PC and provides the basic
timing signal for the CPU. Using a quartz crystal, the CPU clock breathes life into the
microprocessor by feeding it a constant flow of pulses.
For example, a 200 MHz CPU receives 200 million pulses per second from the clock. A 2
GHz CPU gets two billion pulses per second. Similarly, in any communications device, a
clock may be used to synchronize the data pulses between sender and receiver.
A ”real-time clock,” also called the ”system clock,” keeps track of the time of day and
makes this data available to the software. A ”time-sharing clock” interrupts the CPU at
regular intervals and allows the operating system to divide its time between active users
and/or applications.

11. Describe about LGA 1366 socket The latest Intel socket is the LGA1366 socket. It’s
called a land grid array socket, but the lands in the socket are actually more like pins
that connect with lands on the bottom of the processor This socket and the chipset
determine which processors a board can support. A socket will hold either an Intel or
AMD processor. a. 1366 pins that touch pads on the processor b.Works with DDR3
memory c. Expected to replace LGA771 and LGA775 sockets

12. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of cooling system.

The specification of the CPU is mainly rated by the speed they have. This speed is rated
in Hertz and is the cycle per second. So basically, a megahertz processor can do millions
of instruction in a second while the gigahertz processor can do billions of instructions per
second. Even though the speed is presented by the cycles but still, there are some other
things as well which are responsible for the speed. These include the architecture of the
CPU, cache size, the Bus speed and the capabilities that an operating system has. Now,
the marketers of the manufacturers are trying their best to divert the attention from the
fact that how fast the CPU is to the fact that what a CPU is capable of.

13. Write overview about the mother board card slots with their specifications.

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Figure 5.4: Sockets

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