Computer System Unit and Motherboard Components Quiz

System Unit

• The system unit is a case that contains electronic components used to process data.
• It comes in various shapes and sizes and is made of metal or plastic to protect internal components from damage.

Motherboard

• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the system unit where many electronic components attach.
• Some components are built into the motherboard.

Processor (CPU)

• The processor interprets and carries out basic instructions to operate a computer.
• It significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most computer operations.
• Processors are tiny, powerful chips that use built-in transistors to operate as a logic gate of binary number sequences.
• They contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that work together to perform processing operations.

Inside the CPU

• A CPU is an integrated circuit (chip) that integrates millions or billions of tiny electrical parts into circuits in a compact box.

Control Unit

• The control unit directs and coordinates most computer operations, interpreting each instruction issued by a program and initiating the appropriate action.
• It directs internal components such as the arithmetic/logic unit, registers, and buses.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

• The ALU performs arithmetic, comparison, and other operations.
• Arithmetic operations include basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Comparison operations involve comparing data items to determine whether one is greater than, equal to, or less than another.

Memory Management Unit (MMU)

• The MMU handles all memory and caching operations associated with the processor.
• It is usually integrated into the processor or occupies a separate integrated circuit (IC).
• The MMU's work falls into three categories: hardware memory management, OS memory management, and application memory management.

Memory

• Memory consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting to be executed.
• It stores three basic categories of items: operating system and system software, application programs, and data being processed.

Storage Devices

• A storage unit is a part of the computer system that stores information and instructions to be processed.
• Without a storage device, a computer would not be able to run or boot up.

Types of Memory

• Primary Memory (Internal Memory/Main Memory): holds program instructions, input data, and intermediate results.
• Secondary Memory: stores data for longer periods of time.
• Tertiary Memory: an archival storage device used to store data for extended periods of time.