A+ Hardware Service Technician: Computer Hardware, System Boards, and Storage Devices

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Parts of a PC

There are basic parts common to all PCs. Though they may look different, most of these components function similarly among different brands, shapes, and sizes of computers. This is a broad overview of the elements that makeup a PC, the System Architecture course goes into much greater detail.

The Case

Typically, there are 5 types of cases for computers (from smallest to largest): small form factor, minitower, midtower, desktop, full tower.

Depending on your use for the computer, different sizes serve different needs. A full tower has the advantage of a large amount of expansion space. A small form factor, on the other hand, does not have much expansion room, but does fit quite nicely in a small office or area.

The case is built to hold all of the components of a computer and protect from the normal elements inside an office. If you pour coffee into your computer, the case will not be able to protect it all that much, though from the normal every day occurrences, a case does provide some protection. A case also is developed to allow for easy cooling of the devices inside. Many elements of a computer become extremely hot when operating and a case must be designed to handle airflow effectively to reduce the temperature of its components.

The Power Supply

The power supply has the responsibility of converting power and providing it to the components in the computer. The power supply converts 110 volt AC into four voltages: +5 volts DC, -5 volts DC, +12 volts DC, -12 volts DC (ground).

The Motherboard

The Motherboard, sometimes referred to as the system board or main board, is the central piece of all computers. The motherboard contains the processor, the RAM, and the expansion devices.

Storage Devices

A computer is not an effective tool if it doesn’t have a method to run software or store data. Storage devices come in all shapes, sizes, and types. The purpose for a storage device is to store and retrieve data.

Expansion Cards

Expansion cards allow you to expand the computer to add peripherals, communication devices, or other functionality.

Monitor/Display

The monitor or display device is used to view the software which is running on the computer.

CRT – Cathode Ray Tube. Most monitors built over the years are CRT monitors. CRT is the standard in most televisions as well.

LCD – Liquid Crystal Display. LCD monitors have been widely used in laptops and notebooks. Due to their high cost, they have mostly stayed off the desktop until recently. With dropping LCD costs, more people are moving to LCD monitors with the advantages of smaller occupied space, lower power requirements, and what many believe is a higher quality picture (or possibly just easier on the eyes).

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