1

PC Desktop Specs Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8400 (3GHz, 6M, 1333MHz FSB) Windows Vista Home Premium OS 2GB, DDR2 Non-ECC SDRAM, 800MHz (2 DIMMS) 160GB SATA 3GB/s 256MB ATI RADEON HD 3450 (Dual DVI/VGA/1 TV-out) Optical Storage Device: DVD+/-RW 3-Year Basic Limited Warranty and 3-Year Next Business Day Onsite Service (or

comparable service)

2

Hardware

– tiny electrical that can change between “on” and “off” millions of times per second

Currently, can fit 3 million in less than half a centimeter. Moore’s Law – the number of that can be packed onto a

doubles about every 18 months (with the cost staying the same) In 1961 a chip had 4 In 1971 it had 2,300. In 1979 it had 30,000. In 1997 it had 7.5 million. In 2005, Intel’s Itanium chip had 1.7 billion

This has enabled the industry to shrink the size and cost of things such as computers and cellphones while improving their performance.

– a bunch of and on a single chip (usually made of )

3

Hardware: The Basics

System: the basic unit of computing Uses just two numbers: and

All data and program instructions in the computer are represented as

: each 0 or 1 is a : a group of 8 : ~1,000 (1,024) : ~1 million (1,048,576) : ~1 billion (1,073,741,824) : ~ 1 trillion (1,009,511,627,576) : ~ 1 quadrillion Exabyte: ~ 1 quintillion

All the printed material in the world is ~ 5 exabytes

4

Processing

The and (located on your ) works with to process data

: Brain of the computer Does all the (all the “thinking”) “Process,” or change, data into information – key part of processor

: RAM, ROM, Cache, etc. Holds instructions that CPU will work on Note that this does not include the !!

5

CPU We often refer to as being “1.6 GHz ”

Referring to of clock vibrations of crystal quartz

Loosely refers to how one can be accomplished Older CPUs processing are in MegaHertz

1 MHz = 1 Million ticks per second Current CPUs processing are in GigaHertz

1 GHz = 1 Billion ticks per second The faster a CPU runs, the more it consumes, and

the more it generates

6

Dual-Core

Two integrated into a single These 2 work together to improve

performanceCan have more than two

E.g., core has 4Having 2 cores means we can processing

speed without increasing requirement (and output)

Problem- must be able to take instructions and divide them into 2 sets that can run in Can run two separate tasks

7

Parts of the CPU

size• The number of the can process at any one time• A of data used by a computer system.

• The system handles this size of data• For passing data around, it’s the size passed between the and

• It’s used to hold (so can’t be any bigger than a word in size)

• are used to locate data in • 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit, 64 bit , etc.

• NOTE: if the uses 64 bit words, you want the to use 64-bit words as well.

• High-speed storage on the that temporarily store data during • The is usually the size of the

8

Memory

Memory:

Holds Software instructions Holds Data before & after the processes it

is and – needs – can jump right in and get the data it needs

Makes it fast

is

All things being equal, to make your computer run faster, BUY MORE !!!!

9

Types of RAM1. DRAM

2. SDRAM

3. SRAM

4. DDR-SDRAM5. RDRAM

1. Dynamic RAM must be constantly refreshed by the CPU or it loses its contents

2. Synchronous Dynamic RAM is synchronized by the system clock and is much faster than DRAM

3. Static RAM is faster than DRAM and retains its contents without having to be refreshed by CPU (but is more expensive and larger)

4. Double-data rate synchronous dynamic RAM5. PC600, PC700, and PC800, fastest throughput

for memory

Other Memory

Cannot be written on or erased without special equipment Loaded at factory with fixed instructions

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor

Powered by a battery Contains

Nonvolatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed more than once

Doesn’t require a battery Used in newer PCs for instructions

10

The works much faster than So it could sit there waiting for information temporarily stores instructions and data that the

uses frequently to speed up processing Level 1 (L1) is part of the

Holds 8 to 256 kb Holds recently used data and instructions Faster than Level 2

Level 2 (L2) is SRAM external Holds 64 kb to 2 Mb (usually 1 Mb) Holds data and instructions we think the will want next

11

Bus

Buses • Transmit within the and between and other

components

• – data between and other main hardware• The faster the , the faster the computer• Wider = faster

• 32 bit FSB > 16 bit • Higher frequency = faster

• 400 MHz FSB > 300 MHz

Connections between and internal

Connects external devices to

Different types of (different bus connections) e.g., USB Port

12

13

Sample Specifications 

Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor T2390 (1.86GHz, 1MB L2, 533MHz FSB)   

4GB Dual Channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

320GB configured with a single 5400 RPM SATA hard drive.

8X Slot Load CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)

6X Slot Load Blu-ray/CD/DVD Combo Drive

High resolution, glossy LED widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440x900)

14

Secondary Storage

15

Secondary StorageHard Disks

Thin, rigid platters covered with a substance that allows data to be held in the form of chargeThe more platters there are, the higher the drive capacity Store data in , , and Data read by

Big that maps to Important data should always be backed up!

, but many moving parts

16

Secondary StorageHard Disks

circuit that allows the to communicate with the

EIDE – Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics Marketed as , Fast ATA, Ultra ATA, ATA-2, ATA/100

SCSI – Faster than EIDE controllers

17

Optical Storage

s Data is written and read using Data stored in the form of and

– Read Only Memory - recording only once – erasable, can record and erase data repeatedly

- -style disk with extremely high capacity Can store more and , and store in Stores 4.7 or more GB

is used for recording only once DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW are reusable s

drives can read ’s, but not always vice versa – next generation - 25 gigabytes

18

Flash Memory

Nonvolatile memory with But the electronics can Available as

Flash Insert these into a flash port of a camera, handheld PC,

smartphone, etc. Flash

A finger-sized module of flash memory Plugs into the of most PCs and Macintoshes