The system unit of a computer is the components that makes the computer a system. The system unit are the components inside the computer, which includes the case where the components are inter-connected for effective data interaction, from local and remote sources. Although, this excludes all external makeup of the computer. The computer system unit includes the following;
The System Unit of a Computer
- Motherboard
- Memory
- Power supply
- Chip
- Video card
- Modem card
- Sound card
- CD/DVD
- Hard drive
- Power cord
- Fan
- Ribbon cable
If you want to have an insight on the definition of some of the components of the computer system unit, continue reading.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the electronic centerpiece of the computer – everything else connects to the motherboard.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The central processing unit is also known as the main processor. It is the brain of the computer where data processing happens. The processor has two major components which are;
- The control unit (CU)
- The Arithmetic logic unit
Functions of the Central processing Unit
The CPU is a computer chip found on the motherboard that does the following
functions.
- Carries out instructions.
- Directs the flow of information through the system
- Transfers results to memory
- Makes calculations.
The central processing unit in the computer works very fast, by carrying out millions of
instructions each second. It is a very complex computer chip as most actual computation takes place here.
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
Power Supply Unit converts alternating current (AC), to direct current (DC), there by providing appropriate voltages and currents for the internal components.
RAM Random Access Memory
This is the “short-term memory” of your computer, used by the CPU to store program, instructions and data upon which it is currently operating.
HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive)
This component of the computer is the “long-term memory” of the computer. A user of a computer can use a hard disk drive to store date in the computer for a long time.
Optical Drive
With the use of the optical drive, it gets easy to read and write an optical disks. It May read CDs, DVDs or other optical media, depending on the type. It is very useful for installing many operating systems and programs. Although, many optical drive, can run with the use of a universal serial bus (USB) which may be able to write some of these discs, as well.
Computer Case
The computer case contains all the actual components inside a computer, like the motherboard, hard drive, optical drive, and the floppy disk drive. They usually come bundled with a power supply.
The Structure of the Hardware and Software of a Computer
Basically, all computers are alike in structure. You cannot bring a separation between the hardware and the software components of the computer.
Hardware
The hardware of the computer system, is the physical structure of the computer that executes commands presented on the screen by the software. The software and the hardware of a computer system jointly functions.
- The keyboard
- The mouse
- Other inbuilt parts that can be seen and touched.
Software
The software in contrast to the hardware, refers to all instruction that gives directives on what to do and how to do it. These includes;
- Web browsers
- Games
- Word processor
Output device
The output device is the hard ware structures of a computer, that converts data in such a way that the end result is easily relatable. Examples includes:
- Monitor or VDU (Visual Display Unit)
- Headphone
- Braille reader
- Printer
- Speaker
- Sound card
- GPS
- Optical mark reader
- Projector
- Speech generating device
- Video card
Input Devices
Users of a computer can enter data into the the system, through the use of of one or more input device. Input devices allows the user to communicate with the computer, by enabling the user to send data into the computer for processing and storage.
Input devices can be classified according to Keying devices, Pointing devices, Scanners and many others. Examples of input devices are;
- Keyboard
- Touch Screen
- Mouse
- Optical/magnetic Scanner
- Barcode Reader
- Cameras or Webcam
- Joystick
- Microphone
Conclusion
Conclusively users now have a vast knowledge about the computer system unit, thereby bringing up the idea of cloning branded system for a personalized use.
