VISUAL SUMMARY The System Unit
SYSTEM UNIT SYSTEM BOARD
Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
Volodymyr Krasyuk/Shutterstock
System unit (system chassis) contains electronic compo-
nents. The most common personal computers are cell
phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and wearable computers. The system board (mainboard or motherboard) controls
all communication for the computer system. All external
Smartphones and internal devices and components connect to it.
Smartphones, more commonly called cell phones, are the
• Sockets provide connection points for chips (silicon
most popular personal computer. Amost all monitor with
chips, semiconductors, integrated circuits). Chips are
system unit, storage, and electronics located behind monitor.
mounted on chip carriers.
Tablet • Slots provide connection points for specialized cards
A tablet, or tablet computer, is like a cell phone except or circuit boards.
larger, heavier, and more powerful. A mini tablet has • Bus lines provide pathways to support communication.
a smaller screen with less functionality than traditional
tablet.
Laptop
Laptops, compared to cell phones, are larger, are more
powerful, have a separate monitor, and use a keyboard
and mouse. Specialty laptops include two-in-one laptops;
gaming laptops (high-end graphics and fast processors);
ultrabooks, also known as ultraportables; and mini
notebooks.
Desktop
A desktop is most powerful personal computer; tower unit
(tower computer) has vertical system unit; an all-in-one
desktop combines system unit and monitor.
Wearable Computers
Wearable computers (wearable devices) contain an ktsdesign/Shutterstock
embedded computer on a chip. The most common wear-
able computers are smartwatches and activity trackers.
Components
Each type of system unit has the same basic components,
including system board, microprocessor, and memory.
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system unit: system board, microprocessor, memory, expansion slots and cards, bus lines, ports, and cables. Addition-
ally, you need to understand how data and programs are represented electronically.
MICROPROCESSOR EXPANSION CARDS AND SLOTS
In most personal computers, the central processing unit
(CPU), or processor, is contained on a single chip called
the microprocessor. It has two basic components: a control
unit and ALU.
Microprocessor Chips
A word is the number of bits that can be accessed by the
microprocessor at one time. Clock speed represents the
number of times the CPU can fetch and process data or
instructions in a second.
Multicore processors can provide multiple indepen-
dent CPUs. Parallel processing requires programs that tkyszk/Shutterstock
allow multiple processors to work together to run large
complex programs.
SD cards are fingernail-size expansion cards used primar-
Specialty Processors ily for laptop computers, tablets, and cell phones. They
connect to expansion slots within these devices.
Specialty processors include graphics coprocessors, also
Many computers allow users to expand their systems
known as GPU or graphics processing unit (processes
by providing expansion slots on their system boards to
graphic images), and processors in automobiles (monitor
accept expansion cards.
fuel efficiency, satellite entertainment, and tracking
Examples of expansion cards include graphics cards,
systems).
network interface cards (NIC; network adapter cards),
and wireless network cards.
MEMORY
Memory holds data, instructions, and information. There BUS LINES
are three types of memory chips.
Bus lines, also known as buses, provide data pathways
that connect various system components. Bus width is the
RAM
number of bits that can travel simultaneously.
RAM (random-access memory) chips are called temporary System buses connect CPU and memory. Expansion
or volatile storage because their contents are lost if power buses connect CPU and slots.
is disrupted.
• Cache memory is a high-speed holding area for fre- Expansion Buses
quently used data and information. Three principal expansion bus types:
• DIMM (dual in-line memory module) is used to • USB (universal serial bus) can connect from one USB
expand memory. device to another or to a common point (hub) and
• Virtual memory divides large programs into parts that then onto the system board.
are read into RAM as needed. • FireWire bus is similar to USB bus but more specialized.
• PCI Express (PCIe) bus is widely used; provides a
ROM single dedicated path for each connected device.
ROM (read-only memory) chips are nonvolatile storage
and control essential system operations.
Flash Memory
Flash memory does not lose its contents when power is
removed.
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PORTS POWER SUPPLY
yxm2008/Shutterstock
Ports are connecting sockets on the outside of the system
unit.
Standard Ports
Four standard ports are as follows: Akkraraj kangrang/Shutterstock
• USB (universal serial bus)—one USB port can connect
several devices to system unit USB-A PCs; USB-B
peripherals; USB-C gaining popularity. Power supply units convert AC to DC and power
desktops. AC adapters power laptops and tablets and
• HDMI (high definition multimedia interface)— recharge batteries. Some cell phones use wireless charg-
provides high-definition video and audio.
ing platforms.
• Thunderbolt—provides high-speed connections to up
to seven Thunderbolt devices at once, such as external
hard drives and monitors.
ELECTRONIC REPRESENTATION
• Ethernet—high-speed networking port that has
become a standard for many of today’s computers. Human voices create analog (continuous) signals; comput-
ers only recognize digital electronic signals.
Specialized Ports
Three specialty ports are DisplayPort (DP) for large moni-
Numeric Representation
tors, and DVI (Digital Video Interface) for connecting to
monitors, and FireWire for high-speed connection Data and instructions can be represented electronically
to devices such as camcorders and secondary storage. with a two-state or binary system of numbers (0 and 1).
Each 0 or 1 is called a bit. A byte consists of 8 bits. A hexa-
Cables decimal system (hex) uses 16 digits to represent binary
Cables are used to connect external devices to the system numbers.
unit via ports.
Character Encoding
Character encoding standards assign unique sequences of
bits to each character. Three standards are as follows:
• ASCII—American Standard Code for Information
Interchange. Historically used for personal computers.
• EBCDIC—Extended Binary Coded Decimal Inter-
change Code. Historically used for mainframe
computers.
• Unicode—16-bit code, most widely used standard.
CAREERS in IT
Computer technicians repair and install computer compo-
nents and systems. Certification in computer repair or an
associate’s degree from professional schools is required.
Expected salary range is $27,000 to $58,000.
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KEY TERMS
AC adapter (122) mainboard (115)
activity tracker (114) memory (118)
all-in-one desktop (111) microprocessor (116)
analog (123) mini notebook (111)
arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) (116) mini tablet (110)
arithmetic operation (116) motherboard (115)
ASCII (American Standard Code for multicore processor (117)
Information Interchange) (124) network adapter card (119)
binary system (123) network interface card (NIC) (119)
BIOS (basic input/output system) (119) parallel processing (117)
bit (123) PCI Express (PCIe) (120)
bus (120) peripheral (121)
bus line (115, 120) personal computer (110)
bus width (120) port (121)
byte (123) power supply unit (122)
cable (122) processor (116)
cache memory (118) random-access memory (RAM) (118)
cell phone (110) read-only memory (ROM) (118)
central processing unit (CPU) (116) SD card (119)
character encoding standards (124) semiconductor (115)
chip (115) silicon chip (115)
chip carrier (115) slot (115)
clock speed (117) smartphone (110)
computer technician (125) smartwatch (114)
control unit (116) socket (115)
coprocessor (117) system board (115)
desktop (111) system bus (120)
digital (123) system chassis (110)
DIMM (dual in-line memory module) (118) system unit (110)
DisplayPort (DP) (121) tablet (110)
DVI (Digital Video Interface) port (121) tablet computer (110)
EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Thunderbolt 3 (121)
Interchange Code) (124) tower computer (111)
Ethernet port (121) tower unit (111)
expansion bus (120) two-in-one laptop (111)
expansion card (119) ultrabooks (127)
expansion slot (119) ultraportables (111)
FireWire bus (120) Unicode (124)
FireWire port (121) universal serial bus (USB) (120)
flash memory (118) universal serial bus (USB) port (121)
gaming laptop (111) Universal serial bus—A (USB-A) (121)
GPU (graphics processing unit) (118) Universal serial bus—B (USB-B) (121)
graphics card (119) Universal serial bus—C (USB-C) (121)
graphics coprocessor (118) virtual memory (118)
hexadecimal system (hex) 124) wearable computer (114)
High Definition Multimedia Interface wearable device (114)
(HDMI) port (121) wireless charging platform (122)
integrated circuit (115) wireless network card (120)
laptop (111) word (117)
logical operation (116)
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MULTIPLE CHOICE
Circle the correct answer.
1. This multiprocessor chip provides two or more separate and independent CPUs.
a. multicore c. random access
b. mobile d. graphics
2. This memory is volatile or loses its contents when power is turned off.
a. USB c. flash
b. random-access d. hex
3. This system board component provides a connection point for specialized cards or cir-
cuit boards.
a. slots c. sockets
b. ports d. buses
4. These provide connection points for chips.
a. microprocessors c. Unicode
b. sockets d. ROM
5. A type of memory that improves processing by acting as a temporary high-speed hold-
ing area between the memory and the CPU.
a. chassis c. coprocessor
b. DVI d. cache
6. A type of memory that provides a combination of features of RAM and ROM.
a. BIOS c. flash
b. PCIe d. system
7. Another name for a network adapter card.
a. ASCII c. NIC
b. GPU d. HDMI
8. This bus connects the CPU to memory on the system board.
a. tablet c. port
b. peripheral d. system
9. This port can be used to connect many USB devices to the system.
a. PCIe c. ALU
b. USB d. EBCDIC
10. A socket for external devices to connect to the system unit.
a. bus c. port
b. chassis d. tablet
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MATCHING
Match each numbered item with the most closely related lettered item. Write your answers in
the spaces provided.
a. system unit 1. The most popular personal computer.
b. cell phone 2. The mainboard or motherboard is also known
c. system board as _______.
d. word 3. This container houses most of the electrical compo-
e. chip nents for a computer system.
f. virtual 4. In a personal computer system, the central process-
ing unit is typically contained on a single ________.
g. network
5. This type of memory divides large programs
h. bus
into parts and stores the parts on a secondary
i. DisplayPort storage device.
j. digital 6. Also known as NIC, this adapter card is used to
connect a computer to a(n) _________.
7. This provides a pathway to connect parts of the
CPU to each other.
8. The number of bits that can be accessed by the CPU
at one time.
9. The specialized port that is typically used to con-
nect large monitors.
10. Computers can only recognize this type of elec-
tronic signal.
OPEN-ENDED
On a separate sheet of paper, respond to each question or statement.
1. Describe the five most common types of personal computers.
2. Describe system boards, including sockets, chips, chip carriers, slots, and bus lines.
3. Discuss microprocessor components, chips, and specialty processors.
4. Define computer memory, including RAM, ROM, and flash memory.
5. Define SD cards, expansion slots, cards (including graphics cards), network interface
cards, wireless network cards, and SD cards.
6. Describe bus lines, bus width, system bus, and expansion bus.
7. Define ports, including standard and specialized ports. Give examples of each.
8. Describe power supply, including power supply units and AC adapters.
9. Discuss electronic data and instructions.
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