Zeyn Mahomed Grade 10 2020
LU3 - Hardware
1. The Motherboard Components
Motherboard PCB - Printed Circuit Board
Circuit board that houses the essential components of a device:
● CPU
● Primary memory (RAM)
Central Processing Unit Largest integrated circuit in a computer. It consists of:
(CPU)
Arithmetic Logic Performs all local, logical calculations (math) within
Unit (ALU) a CPU
Control Unit (CU) Co-ordinates the sequence of instructions to be
followed by a CPU
Registers Memory ‘holding’ places for data / instructions
within a CPU
Volatile Memory Storage which is erased when a computer turns off
Primary Memory
Basic Input Output Non-volatile firmware used to initialize hardware
System (BIOS) when the computer starts up
● Firmware - software that is programmed on a
ROM chip
Random Access Volatile memory that holds the instruction-related
Memory (RAM) data that the user has loaded.
● Dynamic RAM (DRAM) constantly changes its
contents
● More RAM can be added to improve speed and
memory
Read Only Non-volatile memory that permanently stores data
Memory (ROM) such as BIOS firmware, embedded operating
systems and appliance controllers
● ROM data can sometimes be changed or not at
all, depending on its purpose
● EEPROM (Electronically Erasable
Programmable ROM) would be used to change
data
Components vs
Peripherals Components Peripherals
Placed directly on the Connected to the motherboard, but not
motherboard directly placed on the motherboard
11
LU3 - Hardware
1. The Motherboard Components
Motherboard PCB - Printed Circuit Board
Circuit board that houses the essential components of a device:
● CPU
● Primary memory (RAM)
Central Processing Unit Largest integrated circuit in a computer. It consists of:
(CPU)
Arithmetic Logic Performs all local, logical calculations (math) within
Unit (ALU) a CPU
Control Unit (CU) Co-ordinates the sequence of instructions to be
followed by a CPU
Registers Memory ‘holding’ places for data / instructions
within a CPU
Volatile Memory Storage which is erased when a computer turns off
Primary Memory
Basic Input Output Non-volatile firmware used to initialize hardware
System (BIOS) when the computer starts up
● Firmware - software that is programmed on a
ROM chip
Random Access Volatile memory that holds the instruction-related
Memory (RAM) data that the user has loaded.
● Dynamic RAM (DRAM) constantly changes its
contents
● More RAM can be added to improve speed and
memory
Read Only Non-volatile memory that permanently stores data
Memory (ROM) such as BIOS firmware, embedded operating
systems and appliance controllers
● ROM data can sometimes be changed or not at
all, depending on its purpose
● EEPROM (Electronically Erasable
Programmable ROM) would be used to change
data
Components vs
Peripherals Components Peripherals
Placed directly on the Connected to the motherboard, but not
motherboard directly placed on the motherboard
11
