103b bx 2012f
Contents
Introduction
On September 25, 2012, I took apart a Dell X10-60256 desktop during the CSC 103 Demolition Lab. The operating system on the computer was Windows XP Professional. We began the lab by removing the metallic covering of the computer, which exposed several significant components of the hardware including the motherboard, processor, RAM, hard disk, and power supply.
Components of a Computer
Processor
- Company: Intel
- Model: Pentium 4
- The processor, which is located on the motherboard, interprets computer program instructions and processes data.
Motherboard
- The motherboard is the central circuit within the computer that connects all of the computer components. It also houses the processor and integrated circuits.
- The battery, which maintains the internal clock of the computer, and the quartz crystal, which acts as a metronome for the processor and other parts of the hardware, are located on the motherboard.
RAM
- Company: Samsung
- Storage: 512 MB (2)
- Random Access Memory (RAM) stores computer data when the computer is running.
CD Player
- Samsung
- Model: CD Master 48E SC-148
- The CD player stores and retrieves reads data on a CD. Interestingly, our computer did not have a DVD player, but it did have a floppy disk drive.
Hard Disk
- Company: Western Digital
- Model: WD 800
- Storage: 80 GB
- The hard disk uses magnetic technology to store computer data on a disk when there is there is no electricity.
Power Supply
- Output: 280 watts
- The power supply provides the computer with the electricity necessary to operate. There were many electrical cables evident in the computer that are used to transfer power and data.
Conclusion
The Demolition Lab was lots of fun! If you would like to see some of the other students' pictures from the Demolition Lab check out CSC103_2012f. To see some of the other cool things we've done in class you can explore CSC103_Page_2012F!
Sources
- Lecture Notes -- CSC 103: How Computers Work, 2 October 2012, Professor Dominique Thiebaut
- Lecture Notes -- CSC 103: How Computers Work, 4 October 2012, Professor Dominique Thiebaut
