Tom Linton

Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

In the article below I intend to cover the topic of the basic

computer components that are required for every PC. This article
will also cover the hardware and software that is required. These
topics will be explained by how they have come to be what they
are today. The final topics that I will be covering include GUIs
(Graphical User Interfaces) and the different networks that are
able to be supported by a PC.

Software:
GUI
GUI or more commonly known as Graphical User
Interface is a program that is graphical or basically
has images instead of text to guide the user around
their computer easier. Non Graphical User Interfaces
such as the computer program / software Command
Line (CMD) is mainly a text based user interface
where you have too input where you would like to go
to in the computer via typing phrases through the
keyboard.
Whereas the
interface only
point and
mouse, but it
same thing as
user interface
user will click
interface will
certain / specific part of the computer system.

Graphical user
requires the user to
click with the
will do exactly the
the non-graphical
in the sense that the
on an image and the
take them to that

Hardware:
Hard Drive
HDD, Hard Disk Drives or more commonly known as Hard Drives are like
RAM (Random Access Memory) in the sense of them being a data storage
device. Data storage devices are used for storing and retrieving digitalised
information by using rapidly rotating disks that have a coated magnetic
material. Hard drives are also able to retain its data that it has been
collected even after the users computer has been powered off. The user
is able to read the data / information that is stored onto a Hard Drive in a
random manner which means that blocks of data / information can be
stored or retrieved in any order that the user chooses to do so rather than
going through in a sequence. Just one hard drive is able to normally
contain one or more rigid rotating disks which have magnetic heads to
read and write data / information on the surface.

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

Keyboard
In I.T or even when a user is building a computer they have to take into
consideration of what a keyboard really does. Everyone knows that a user
will use it to type to friends and socialise with it, but there is much more
to a keyboard then just typing for social purposes. A keyboard is basically
a modern day typewriter in the sense of the user using the arrangement
of buttons that are available to press. These buttons that are available to
press act as mechanical levers, electronical switches and triggers. The
buttons are counted as triggers because they are able to lead to a
certain / specific thing happening, therefore counting as an event. For
example the user presses keys in a certain / specific order to create a
word. Once this is done the computer will then take those letters into
account and creating a word on the monitor before the user. So to sum up
the user presses the key which is the trigger to produce the event which is
the word appearing on the monitor in front of the user. Most keyboards
also have the letters engraved or printed onto them, but they are able to
wear off after a while due to the amount of times it has been pressed.
However some keys require the user to press and hold down certain /
specific keys to achieve getting capital letters for example. Finally there
are different versions of keyboards all around the world some are in
different languages, others have different layouts and some are shortened
down to keys that are only useful in games. The different layouts of
keyboards are QWERTY, AZERTY and Dvorak.

Mouse
A mouse is like a keyboard in the sense that it is a trigger. The trigger only
happens when a user presses the button on a mouse. Most mice will
contain at least one button and a scroll wheel. However since times are
changing mice now have at least 3 buttons and at the most 20, but that is
with the gaming mice which have keyboard shortcuts on the left side of
the mouse. Over the years mice have always had a solid rubber ball that
rolls in any direction the user moves the mouse, the sensors inside would
then basically relay the movement of the rubber ball and display the
movement in conjunction with the cursor that appears in front of the user
on their monitor. However as times have changed companys / businesses
who have produced mice have changed the solid rubber ball to a powerful
and bright laser that will do exactly the same thing in the sense of
detecting movement.
Motherboard
In a computer the mother board is the overall circuit board that contains
connectors and cables to every other piece of hardware in the computer.
The main hardware components that a user is able to find on a

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

motherboard is the CPU, Graphics / Video card, Sound card, Heat Sync and
fan, RAM, ROM and lots of cable slots for expanding or even adding more
into the computer. On most of the motherboards that a user is able to buy
different CPU chips and replace them or even upgrade them to make their
computers performance even better.
CPU
The Central Processing Unit or more commonly known as the CPU is
basically the brain of the computer. Therefore meaning that this is where
all of the computers statistics, calculations and mathematics are done.
This also means that it is one of the most important component parts to
the computer. Without this then the computer would not be able to run
any program not even the CMD (Command Line) because the computer is
not able to recognise the binary coding behind it because it is just
numbers.
Power Supply
The power supply or also known as the PSU is the computer component
that basically supplies power the whole computer. The way that this works
is that the user will plug the personalised computer or just any computer
into an electrical outlet. The user will then have to make sure that the
voltage outlet is on 115 and not 230. This is because in Europe the
voltage current is 115 and the American voltage current is 230, if the user
did not change the voltage output from 230 to 115 then the computer
would malfunction and possibly explode causing server damage to the
components and critical injuries to the user themselves. Power supplies
are also measured in watts therefore meaning that the more powerful a
computer is the more watts it is therefore able to provide to other
components.
Graphics Card / Video Card
Graphics Cards or also known as Video Cards are one of the key hard ware
components to a computer in the sense that it is used to generate
graphics on an output device such as a monitor so that the user is able to
see them. Graphics / Video cards are mainly measured in how much power
they have to support graphics. One of the best companies for making
Graphics / Video cards is a company / business call Nvidia they have some
of the best and most powerful cards on the market at this current moment
in time. Their fastest graphics / video card that they sell is the GTX Titan
which costs $999 and is able to smoothly run any game or program
without hassle that has been created at the moment.
RAM
Random Access Memory or most commonly known as RAM is one of the
main forms of computer data storage and it allows the user to be able to

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

access data items that can be read and re-written whenever the user
feels like it is necessary to do so. These pieces of data are able to be read
and re written at any time regardless in what order they have been
accessed in the first place. There are many types of RAM (Random Access
Memory) at this current point in time meaning that some are more
powerful than others causing the user to achieve different outcomes then
before. For example the most powerful type of RAM (Random Access
Memory) are the DDR3s which allow for a users computer to run more
efficiently basically granting the users computer more power to run
programs and software that they possibly couldnt run before.
ROM
Read Only Memory or most commonly known as ROM is another type of
data storage that is used in computers, but as it says in the name of the
component is the user is only able to read what is on the memory device.
To basically sum up what the ROM chip does is that once the data has
been put onto the ROM (Read Only Memory then is not able to be
removed, but it is only able to be read. Unlike RAM (Random Access
Memory), the contents of a ROM chip is also able to retain information
even when the computer has been initially switched off. Therefore ROM is
related to being non-volatile and RAM is related to being volatile. Most
personal computers contain a small amount of ROM that stores programs
that are critical to the users computer such as the program or piece of
software that basically boots up the computer in the first place.

Output:
Scanner
Although scanners are not an essential piece of hardware for a user when
they are looking to build a new computer they are able to be of some use.
Scanners are an external piece of hardware that is used for taking images
or files / documents of text and putting them into a computer system. This
is only able to be achieved when the user places the piece of paper on the
scanner and closing it. Once they have closed the lid then the scanner will
start to digitally transfer the data / information to the computer and onto
the monitor that is in front of the user.
Speakers
Speakers are seen as an essential external piece of hardware for users
when they are building computers for the purpose of hearing sound. The
sound can come from watching videos, playing computer games, listening
to music and much more. This is done by electrical signals that emit from
the speakers. The electrical signals that are emitted from the speaker is

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

measured in decibels which is also the frequency that humans are able to
hear in.
Printers
A printer is an external hardware device that is able to be used for printing
out text file / document or even pictures. Printers are also able to be
linked up with digital cameras and be used to print out pictures that way.
They would normally be used in a workplace environment in a company /
business, but there would only be 2 or 3 per floor therefore causing the
company / business less money in toner, paper and overall printing costs.
Another constraint would include employees queuing up to use the printer.
One of the main constraints however would be if the company / business
lose money on trying upgrade their printing machines because they would
have to upgrade to a more advanced type of printer making the toner
prices, paper prices and overall printing costs higher from the technology
that is involved.
Monitor
Monitors are one of the main pieces of hardware that a user needs if they
require a computer. Without a monitor the user will not be able to see the
visual display their computer is trying to portray for them. When monitors
were first introduced to the world they were these big square bulky boxes
that were quite heavy and would not be that portable. Also they looked
like smaller versions of the televisions that were introduced in the 1990s.
Whereas modern day monitors are quite thin and are made out of
materials like plastic that is quite light. However this is able to lead to
monitors becoming less protective because of the amount of plastic that is
there in the first place causing the user to lose more money in replacing it
if they therefore drop it. Early electronic computer monitors were fitted
with a panel of really small LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights which light up
behind the monitor a certain / specific colour when any program is loaded.
This is thanks to the CPUs calculations on what colour needs to be loaded
for the user to see the right thing. While the LED lights play a big part in
seeing colours on a monitor red, green and blue coloured pixels come into
effect making it possible for modern monitors today to use colour.

Networks:
LAN or also known as Local Area Network is able to connect users
together within a local area. For example schools, small
companies / businesses, laboratories, colleges and much more.
The smallest LAN network is able to support just 2 computers
whereas the biggest LAN network is able to support thousands of
computers. These PCs are also able to be on the same site
therefore meaning that the LAN is able to support them easily and
that the LAN network is also able to be wired meaning that they

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571
are always able to connect together and not lose the connection.
The cables in a wired network are mainly copper straight through
cables with the maximum distance that they are able to reach is
100 metres.

Topologies:
Bus:
The bus topology is able to connect people through a single point
in the line. Each computer that is able to connect
to the LAN network or every server that is able
to connect to a LAN network is overall connected
to a single bus cable. How this topology works
is that a signal will travel from the source in
both directions to all of the machines
connected in the network until it finds its
destination. Although if the data / information
is
not able to find its recipient then it will ignore the data /
information altogether. If the network has been terminated at
both ends then the data / information that was travelling inbetween points then it will be forgotten about.
Star:
A star topology is able to have a central point
that is able to host the whole network. The
central point in this type of topology is either a
hub or a switch. So when data / information is
passing through the topology it comes from the
centre hub / switch and is then relayed to where
it
is required to go. Although for the topology to be
successful and for the network to work all of the points have to be
connected to the hub or switch.
Ring:
This topology is set up like a hexagon in the
sense of the point of where the data /
information is able to be relayed to. However
this hexagon shaped topology is only able to
make the data / information travel one way.
The only way that the data / information is able
to get to its required destination is by travelling
through each device.
Mesh:
A mesh or a fully connected topology is able to
connect all devices to each other. Even if there was
interference then there will be another way to get
that data / information to the required destination.
Partially Connected:
The partially connected topology is when some of the hub /
switches are connected. This topology is able to be big or small
depending on where it is put in a network.

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

What a LAN
(Local Area
Network)
would look like
in real life.

Bibliography:
RAM
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/RAM.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory

ROM
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/ROM.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only_memory

Graphics / Video Card

http://www.geforce.co.uk/geforce-gtx-titan-z-where-to-buy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_card

Printer
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/printer.html

Keyboard

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/keyboard.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_keyboard

Mouse
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/m/mechmous.htm
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/mouse.html

Motherboard
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/motherboard.html

Processor / CPU
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CPU.html

Power Supply
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/power_supply.html

Hard Drive
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hard_disk_drive.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_disk_drive

GUI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/G/Graphical_User_Interface_GUI.html
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/U/user_interface.html

Scanners
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/photo_scanner.html

Speakers

Tom Linton
Unit 20 Assignment 2
Student No. 2068571

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/speaker.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_speaker

Printer
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/printer.html

Monitor
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/M/monitor.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_monitor