The Basic Anatomy of the

Personal Computer




Oliver Vickery

English 202C





Source: http://pinoypc.weebly.com/uploads/6/4/8/9/6489204/9913892.jpg?615
Audience and Scope

The purpose of this technical document is to inform anyone interested in the technology field of
the basics of the anatomy of the personal computer. The personal computer was first invented
in the 1970s and has since grown to be one of the most utilized tools in everyday life. While a
majority of people use a personal computer on a daily basis, many of these people do not know
the basics of how their personal computer works. This technical document covers the essential
components of a personal computer and a basic description how these parts work together to
carry out the calculations and produce the output a user expects when they interact with a
personal computer.

What is a Personal Computer?

A personal computer is an electronic device in which the device receives input, the input is
processed in some capacity, and output is returned to a single user. The user provides input
through various input devices connected to the computer that is then processed by the
computer. The computer performs the necessary calculations based on the task being
conducted at that given time. Finally, the personal computer returns the appropriate output to
the user through the various output devices connected to the computer.



The Components of a Personal Computer




The personal computer is not a single piece, but a complex system of components that all
perform their own job and work together. In order to fully understand how a computer works,
one must have a basic understanding of how the individual components work and their role
within the overall system. Each role is unique within the computing sequence and has a direct
impact on the overall speed and performance of the computer. While there are a large number
of parts to a personal computer, this guide focuses on the essential parts of the personal
computer architecture listed below.

Motherboard
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Operating System
Power Supply
Hard Drive
Case


Motherboard

The motherboard is the primary circuit board within the personal computer. It is the piece that all
components of the personal computer connect to and allows communication between them.
Each component has a designated port located on the motherboard that they directly connect
to. Communication between all these components is sent through the Bus on the motherboard.
The Bus is a circuit loop in which signals travel around in a circle. The speed of the
communication around the Bus varies with the quality of the motherboard and a faster speed
enables better performance by the computer. When a part of the computer sends a signal to
another part, the signal travels around the Bus until it reaches the part of the computer the
signal was sent to.

In addition, the motherboard contains a chip that includes the Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
for the computer. When the computer is first turned on, the power supply provides power to the
motherboard which carries out the instructions located on the BIOS called firmware. These
instructions provide a series of steps for the computer to follow to properly boot up the
computer. These steps include performing tests to ensure the critical components of the
computer are functioning properly and culminate in transferring control to the operating system
after the operating system has been loaded off the hard drive.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Attached directly to the motherboard is the Central Processing Unit (CPU) which is one of the
most vital components of the personal computer as it is the part of the computer where a
majority of the processing is conducted. The CPU stores the microprocessor and is often
referred to simply as the processor of the computer. Within the microprocessor are billions of
transistors that each have an on and off state. The CPU utilizes binary numbers and the
American Standard Code Information Interchange (ASCII) character-encoding scheme to
perform calculations and process information. All numbers, characters, and anything else
needed to be represented within the computer are assigned a binary number value in ASCII.
These designations are used by the CPU to perform the necessary calculations. The
performance of a processor directly relates to the number of cores the processor contains and
the speed at which the processor completes a clock cycle (one complete lap around the entire
circuit loop). The more cores a processor contains and the faster it completes a clock cycle
result in better, faster performance by the processor. Below is a chart detailing the
performances of the most common CPUs in todays market.




Since the CPU consumes a significant amount of power, heat
is generated as a byproduct. To combat the heat, CPUs are
equipped with various heat-reducing devices to prevent the
CPU from overheating. CPUs commonly have heat-sinks
directly applied to them to redirect heat away from the
processor. These heat-sinks are often made from materials
that easily absorb heat such as copper. In addition to a heat
sink, CPUs often have a fan applied directly on top of the
processor that moves warm air away from the processor. To
the right is a picture of a typical processor.






Source: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Xeon+E5-
2687W+%40+3.10GHz&id=1222
Source: http://www.xda-developers.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/06/CPU.jpg
Source: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

The graphics processing unit (GPU) is the circuit board of the personal computer that is
dedicated to processing the images that will be displayed on the computers monitor. Every pixel
displayed on a personal computers monitor must be calculated and the GPU is the component
that determines the state of each of the millions of pixels for every frame passed onto the
monitor. It contains its own microprocessor that performs separate calculations from the CPU
that are devoted to generating the images to be displayed. In addition, it contains its own
Random Access Memory (RAM) for its microprocessor that is often referred to as Video
Random Access Memory (VRAM). The GPU connects directly into the motherboard and
contains a port where the computer monitor directly connects to. The GPU works in conjunction
with the CPU by receiving requests from the CPU through the motherboard regarding what to
display on the monitor. The GPU takes these requests and generates an image that includes
everything requested by the CPU.

Today, GPUs are becoming increasingly powerful and are beginning to perform calculations that
include physics in addition to 3D image generation. Computer engineers are increasing the
processing performance of the GPU to ease the demands on the CPU which increases the
overall performance of the personal computer as a whole. The performance of the GPU is
determined by the number of processing cores it contains and the speed at which it completes a
clock cycle. Below is a chart displaying the performance of the most powerful GPUs on the
market today.







Random Access Memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory (RAM) is a series of memory sticks that directly connect to the
motherboard. RAM is short-term memory and serves as a buffer for the CPU. The CPU stores
information in the RAM that it will need to quickly access to perform calculations. The CPU will
store information that it does not immediately need, but will need later on. Think of the RAM as
a kitchen counter and the CPU as the stove top where the cooking is being done. Ingredients
not currently being used, but will be needed at some point in the cooking process are stored on
the kitchen counter. The CPU grabs information from the RAM when it is needed in a
calculation.

The amount of RAM a PC can support is dependent directly upon the amount of slots the
motherboard of the PC contains. More RAM increases the performance and speed of a PC and
enables a PC to perform more tasks at once.

Operating System

The Operating System (OS) is the central software application of the
personal computer that manages the computer hardware, executes
applications, and controls all peripherals connected to the computer.
Once the OS has been loaded from the hard drive, the OS provides
all the logic that the computer follows. The OS manages the
hardware and provides the necessary resources required by
applications. The diagram to the right illustrates how the OS allows
the User and Applications to communicate with the hardware
components of the personal computer.








Power Supply

The power supply is the component of the personal computer that provides electricity to the
other components. The power supply directly plugs into an electrical outlet and directly to the
motherboard of the computer. All components connected to the motherboard receive their
power from the power supply through the motherboard. Components not directly connected to
the motherboard, such as additional fans in the case, require a direct connection to the power
supply. The power supply ensures the proper voltage is received by all components of the
Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/O
perating_system_placement.svg
personal computer. When a personal computer is first turned on, the power supply provides
electricity to the motherboard which carries out the instructions located in the BIOS.

Hard Drive

The hard drive serves as the long term memory for the personal computer and is connected
directly to the motherboard. The hard drive is a magnetic disk that rotates and has information
stored and read on it by a read/write head. The read/write head reads information on the hard
drive by reading the magnetic flux at a designated part of the disk. The read/write head stores
information on the magnetic disk by changing the magnetic flux at a designated part of the disk.

Within the hard drive, the operating system and other software and files are permanently stored.
When information is requested by the CPU, the disk of the hard drive rotates to the position
where the information is stored and the read/write head reads the information off of the disk.
The information is then sent back to the CPU through the Bus on the motherboard. When the
CPU requests to store or change information on the hard drive, the disk spins to the appropriate
position and the read/write head changes the magnetic flux to represent the provided
information.

When the personal computer is first booted up, the BIOS loads the operating system from the
hard drive to the other components of the computer. Once the operating system has been
properly loaded, control is passed on from the BIOS to the operating system. All files and
software is written onto the hard drive for long term storage as information on the hard drive is
not lost when the power source of the computer is removed.

Case

The case of the personal computer is the simplest component yet its role is a vital one. The
case holds all the components together in a controlled environment and ensures proper
ventilation and air flow to the other components of the computer for cooling. In addition, cases
often include fans that aid in the flow of cool air to replace the heat generated by the other
components of the computer. Cases come in many sizes depending on the size of the other
components of the computer.

Conclusion

The Personal Computer has evolved significantly since its invention in the 1970s. However, the
core architecture has remained the same. At its core, the Personal Computer is a complex
system of various components that work in conjunction to process the input provided by the
user and to provide the appropriate output back to that user. This technical document covered
that core architecture that has remained the same throughout the years. The Personal
Computer will continue to evolve, but the components covered in this document will remain an
integral part of the personal computer architecture for the foreseeable future.