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  • Home
  • Primary
    • Class Rules
    • Grade 3 >
      • Starting with Searches
      • Exploring Programming Quizzes
      • Exploring Multimedia
      • Introduction to CAD design >
        • Lesson 1
        • Lesson 2
        • Lesson 3
        • Lesson 4
        • Lesson 5
        • Lesson 6
        • Lesson 7
      • Developing Game Design >
        • 3B1
        • 3B2
        • 3B3
      • It’s Cool To Be Kind
      • Online Safety >
        • What is Cyberbullying?
        • To buy or not to buy
        • Keep it to yourself
        • E-mailing
        • Online Communication
    • Grade 4 >
      • Exploring Documents
      • Exploring Spreadsheets
      • Exploring Programming/ Scratch
      • Exploring Images >
        • Lesson 1
        • Lesson 2
        • Lesson 3
        • Lesson 4
        • Lesson 5
        • Lesson 6
        • Lesson 7
      • Exploring Programming/ Scratch Snake Game >
        • Lesson 1
        • Lesson 2
        • Lesson 3
        • Lesson 4
        • Lesson 5
      • Don’t Fall For Fakes
      • Online Safety >
        • Cyber Bullying
        • Super Searchers
    • Grade 5 >
      • Multimedia for a Purpose
      • Programming for a Purpose/ Scratch Quest Game
      • Exploring CAD design >
        • Lesson 1
        • Lesson 2
        • Lesson 3
        • Lesson 4
      • Video for a Purpose >
        • Lesson 1
        • Lesson 2
        • Lesson 3
        • Lesson 4
        • Lesson 5
        • Lesson 6
        • Lesson 7
      • Website Design for a Purpose
      • Online Safety
  • Secondary
    • ICT >
      • Grades >
        • Grade 6 >
          • Spreadsheets
          • Coding
          • E-Safety
          • Computer Animation
          • Video Editing
        • Grade 7 >
          • Databases
          • Computer Peripherals
          • Computer Hardware
          • Image Editing
          • Flash Animation
          • Computer Animation
          • 3D Design
        • Grade 8
    • iGCSE >
      • iGCSE ICT NOTES
      • Types and components of computer systems
      • Input and output devices
      • Storage devices and media
      • Networks and the effects of using them
      • The effects of using IT >
        • Employment
        • Working Patterns
        • Microprocessors in the Home
        • Health Problems
      • ICT applications >
        • Communication Applications
        • Data Handling Applications
        • Measurement Applications
        • Microprocessors
        • Modeling Applications
        • Applications in Manufacturing
        • School Management Systems
        • Booking Systems
        • Banking Applications
        • Medical Applications
        • Library Applications
        • Expert Systems
        • Retail Applications
        • Recognition Systems
        • Monitoring & Tracking
        • Satellite Systems
      • The systems life cycle
      • Exam Paper 1
      • Exam Paper 2
      • Exam Paper 3
      • Website authoring
  • Contact
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YOUR CART

Computer Hardware - Internal Components.     

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Motherboard
The motherboard is a printed circuit that acts like the air traffic controller of the computer. It coordinates all the processes, makes sure power is routed properly, and connects all the other components of a computer together. 

The primary thing you’ll notice when you look at any motherboard is that it has a lot of slots and connections.

Since everything is routed through the motherboard, it needs physical contact with nearly all computer components.

That includes main power, the CPU, video and sound cards, all types of memory that the computer may use, and expansion slots.

If you use a mouse or keyboard, they have their own connections, too — along with any other important accessory you might want. .

Picture

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Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Core Processing Unit (CPU) is often referred to as the brains of the computer.

While the CPU only makes up one of many processing units, it is one of the most important. It is the part of a computer that performs calculations, actions, and runs programs.

The CPU takes instructional inputs from the computer’s RAM, decodes and processes the action, before delivering an output.


Random Access Memory (RAM)

​Random Access Memory (RAM) is the part of the computer that temporarily stores the instructions that the computer is running, and the data it is processing.

RAM is a volatile storage device. This means that if the computer’s power is turned off the contents of RAM disappear and are lost.

RAM, like the CPU, also plugs in to sockets on the motherboard.


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The storage capacity of memory is measured in Bytes.

Usually RAM can hold millions of bytes of data, so you will see capacities measured in:

Megabytes (MB) or 1,000,000 (1 million) Bytes Gigabytes (GB) or 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) Bytes

So, if a computer has 2GB of RAM, it can hold 2 billion bytes of data and instructions at any time.


Read-Only Memory (ROM)

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Read-Only Memory (ROM) is used in most computers to hold a small, special piece of software: the 'boot up' program.

This 'boot up' software is known as the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

This software runs when the computer is switched on or 'boots up'. The software checks the computer’s hardware and then loads the operating system.

ROM is non-volatile storage. This means that the data it contains is never lost, even if the power is switched off.


Compare RAM and ROM

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Hard-Disk Drive

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The main internal backing store is a computer's hard disk.

A hard disk stores: the operating system software applications or programs the majority of your data files

Hard disks spin at very high speeds (around 7,200 RPM - revolutions per minute) within a sealed unit inside the computer.

Hard disks store large amounts of 
data - 200 GB to 1TB is common in desktop computers.

​The data stored on a hard disk is retained until deleted, but it needs to be loaded into main store RAM before it can be used.