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System unit definition. Purpose and components of the system unit

In this article, specialists from the computer site kompiklava will tell you what elements a personal computer consists of, what devices are located in the system unit and what functions they perform.

This information will be useful to those who want to assemble or upgrade a computer themselves.

IN in a general sense, the concept of “personal computer” implies system unit, in which all the computing work actually takes place, and the input/output devices connected to it (monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer).

In this article, we will dwell in more detail on the system unit and key elements, included in its composition.

Computer system unit

The system unit includes:

1. Motherboard

Motherboard This board is perhaps the most important element system unit, since it interacts with each other among all computer nodes. On motherboard devices such as processor, memory, video card and additional PCI boards (LAN card, sound card).

Among the non-removable elements of the motherboard, the most significant is the chipset. This is a set of chips that ensure data transfer between all computer nodes. The chipset consists of a north and south bridge.
South Bridge

The South Bridge ensures the interaction of hard drives, various storage devices and all peripheral devices with north bridge.
North Bridge

The north bridge provides interaction between the graphics controller and memory with central processor, as well as the connection of the processor with all devices for which it is responsible south bridge. Also north bridge determines the type of RAM (DDR, SDRAM and others), its maximum permissible volume and data exchange rate with the processor.

2. Processor

The processor is the main “brain” of the computer. It carries out all arithmetic and logical operations. The performance of the computer as a whole largely depends on the frequency of its operation.

Also, computer performance depends on the number of processor cores and the command system, which determines how many clock cycles a particular operation will take.

3. RAM

Random access memory This element is often simply called computer memory, since it is directly used by the central processor to store data processed during calculations, and therefore its size significantly affects the performance of the computer.

Data located in RAM is stored only while the computer is turned on, and after each reboot the RAM is reset to zero.

4. Hard drive

Hard driveResponsible for long-term storage of data on the computer. Accessing information stored on a hard drive requires much more time than in the case of RAM, so the volume hard drive affects only how many programs or files you can store on your computer, and not the performance and speed of the computer.

However, the hard drive contains a paging file that is used by the operating system to compensate for lack of RAM when needed, and the size of this file can still affect the performance of the computer.

And of course, if you fill it to capacity hard section disk on which the operating system is located, this will certainly lead to serious problems in operation, such as freezes, slow work computer and so on.

5. Video card

The video card is responsible for generating the video signal and sending it to the computer monitor. This is a rather complex device that includes its own processor and RAM.

Often, on the video card board there is additional cooler, although in some models it is still used passive cooling, which only implies the presence of a radiator that absorbs heat from the video card.

A good video card, coupled with a large amount of RAM and powerful processor is able to provide maximum performance Your computer, and allow you to easily run the latest video games or create 3D graphics and video processing.

6. Optical drive

Optical drive This device is designed for reading and writing information on CDs. More functional models have read and write capabilities various formats discs such as DVD and Blu-ray.

However, due to the growing popularity of flash memory, optical discs are gradually going out of fashion, and if we talk about office computers, they are often missing optical drive as unnecessary.

Perhaps, after some time, these devices will completely fall out of use, just as floppy disk drives (soft disk drives) once did, but this moment However, on store shelves, all films, music and video games are distributed in the CD format.

7. Power supply

The power supply in our list is at last place, however, it plays an important role in the operation of the PC, since this device provides power to all components of the computer, and right choice The power supply is the key reliable operation your computer.

Thus, in this article we looked at the standard configuration of an average system unit personal computer. Also, the system unit may contain additional PCI devices, such as an audio card, network card, wifi adapter and etc.

Computer device. Composition of the PC system unit.

In this article, experts computer service ITart will tell you from what elements consists of Personal Computer, which devices are situated in systemic block and what functions they do. This information will be useful to those who want assemble it yourself or modernize computer.

In a general sense, the concept " Personal Computer"implies system unit, in which all the computing work actually takes place, and the input/output devices connected to it (monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer). In this article, we will focus in more detail on system unit and the key elements included in it compound.

IN composition of the system unit includes:

1. Motherboard

This pay is perhaps the most important element systemic block, since it interacts with each other of all nodes computer. On maternal board devices such as CPU, memory, video card and additional PCI cards (network card, sound card).

Among the non-removable elements of the motherboard, the most significant is chipset. This is a set of chips that ensure data transfer between all nodes computer. The chipset consists of northern And southern bridge.

South Bridge

South Bridge provides interaction tough disks, various storage devices and all peripheral devices with northern bridge.

North Bridge

Northern bridge provides interaction between the graphics controller and memory with central processor, as well as communication processor with all devices for which he is responsible southern bridge. Also northern bridge defines the type operational memory(DDR, SDRAM and others), its maximum permissible volume and data exchange rate with the processor.

2. Processor

CPU- this is the main “brain” computer. It performs all arithmetic and logical operations. Productivity largely depends on the frequency of its operation. computer generally. Likewise, performance computer depends on number of cores processor, and a command system that determines how many clock cycles a particular operation will take.

3. RAM

Often this element is simply called - memory computer, since it is directly used by the central processor to store data processed during calculations, and therefore its size significantly affects performance computer. Data located in RAM is stored only for as long as computer enabled, and after every reboot operational memory is reset to zero.

4.Hard drive

Responsible for long-term data storage on computer. Accessing information stored on a hard drive takes much longer than with RAM, so the volume hard disk only affects how many programs or files you can store on your computer, and not on productivity and speed computer. However, the hard disk contains swap file, which is used by the operating system to compensate for lack of space operational memory when necessary, and the size of this file may still affect performance computer. And of course, if you fill the section to capacity hard disk, on which is located operating system, this will certainly lead to serious problems in operation, such as freezes, slow operation computer And so on.

5. Video card

Responsible for generating a video signal and sending it to the monitor computer. This is a rather complex device, which includes its own CPU And RAM. Often, on board video cards there is an additional cooler, although some models still use passive cooling, which only implies the presence of a radiator that absorbs heat from video cards. good video card, coupled with a large volume operational memory and powerful processor can provide maximum performance to your computer, and allow you to easily launch new video games or create 3D graphics and video processing.

6.Optical drive

This device is designed to read and write information on CD-disks. More functional models have the ability to read and write various disk formats, such as DVD And Blu- Ray. However, due to the growing popularity of flash memory, optical discs are gradually going out of fashion, and when it comes to office computers, they often lack optic drive unit as unnecessary. Perhaps, after some time, these devices will completely fall out of use, just like floppy drives (soft disk drives) once did, but at the moment, all films, music and video games on store shelves are distributed in the comact format disks.

7. Power supply

This element is in last place on our list, but it plays an important role in the work PC, since this device provides food all components computer, and correct choosing a power supply is the key to reliable operation of your computer.

Thus, in this article we examined the standard configuration of the average system unitpersonal computer. Also in composition of the system unit There may be additional PCI devices, such as an audio card, network card, Wi-Fi adapter, etc.

The contents of the system unit largely depend on computing system in general, its tasks, goals and form factor. If used rationally, the system unit better suits the needs of the computing system. Depending on the computing system, the system unit may contain various components hardware:

    A computing unit in the form of a main/system/motherboard with a processor and RAM installed on it.

    Can also be installed with expansion cards (video card, sound card, network card).

    Power unit

    Compartments for peripheral devices filled with storage devices - hard drive(s), SSD, optical drive, etc.

The front panel can be equipped with power and reset buttons, power and storage indicators, headphone and microphone jacks, data transfer interfaces (USB, FireWire).

Types of cases (chassis) for system units[edit | edit source text] Main article:

Form factor (technique) A case that protects the internal components of a computer from external influence

    and mechanical damage, maintaining the required temperature conditions inside, shielding electromagnetic radiation created by internal components, can be represented by standard chassis of different shapes and proportions (dimensions are indicated in millimeters):

    • Horizontal:

      Desktop (533×419×152)

      FootPrint (406×406×152)

      SlimLine (406×406×101)

    UltraSlimLine (381×352×75)

    • Vertical:

      MiniTower (152×432×432)

      BigTower (190×482×820)

      SuperFullTower (various sizes)

In this article we will look at what does the system unit consist of?.

Go!

So, all components of the computer system unit can be divided into two categories.

First of these, includes something without which the PC will not work at all:

  • Frame.
  • HDD.
  • CPU.
  • Power unit.
  • Motherboard.
  • Cooling system.
  • RAM.

The main components that make up the system unit

Frame. Designed for compact arrangement and fixation of all other PC components. Sometimes they are supplied immediately with a built-in power supply. Several standards (ATX) are issued that describe the permissible sizes of motherboards and power supplies that can be installed in these cases. May have built-in ports:

USB.
Audio (miniJack).
eSATA.
IEEE 1394.

HDD. This is a device with non-volatile memory for storing information. For PCs, hard drives of form factor 3.5 are almost always used? and rotation speed 7200 rpm. There are three types hard drives:

  • HDD. The noisiest, but the cheapest. In terms of writing/reading speed it ranks third. In case of failure, the data can be restored. They are afraid of shock loads. The resource is practically unlimited.
  • SSD. Silent, not afraid of shocks and falls, the highest possible speed. If damaged, the data cannot be restored. The resource is limited. The most expensive.
  • H-HDD. A less common type of hard drive. This is a hybrid of the two models described above. Main memory on HDD + 1.5-2% of the total volume on SSD.

You can install several hard drives in one system unit. Some motherboards allow you to create RAID arrays from them.

CPU. Kit integrated circuits, located on one module. Everything happens in it computing processes.
The speed of the PC depends on the speed of the processor. All modern processors multi-core. Everyone has Cash. This is a kind of RAM of the processor. It is divided into three levels – L1, L2, L3.

Power unit. Selected taking into account the case, motherboard and power. It has a certain amount of connectors for connecting components of the system unit.

Motherboard. A device for pairing all PC components. Its choice determines the type of processor and RAM. Almost all motherboards have integrated audio and video cards. Their capabilities are more than enough for watching movies, listening to music and even playing simple games. The motherboard configuration is characterized by:

USB3.0 and 2.0 port controllers
PCI ports Express and PSI ports.
Network Controller.
Channels for connecting devices with SATA interface.
Number of slots for RAM modules.

Cooling system. Cooler and radiator. The minimum quantity in one system unit is 2 pcs. One is mounted on the processor, the second on the power supply. 96% of system unit noise is produced by cooling system coolers. Some processors are sold immediately, with a cooler and radiator, in which case they have the prefix “BOX” in the name. There is a less common water system cooling. It is 3-3.5 times more expensive, but it works silently.

RAM. This is a set of chips that store the data necessary for the operation of the PC at the moment. Installed in special sockets on the motherboard. On some boards you can install immediately up to 4 slats. It is very important that all modules are from the same batch. Clock frequency (speed of information exchange with the processor) and the amount of RAM directly affect the performance of the PC. When you turn off the system unit, all data from RAM is deleted.

Minor elements that make up the system unit

From the entire list of the second part, it is highly desirable to have a video card and drive in the system unit, and the rest are less important:

Video card, needed for gaming and working with complex video editing programs. Installed on all high-performance computers, but for regular user, for which it is primarily important social media, Skype and the like, in general it’s not important. But without installing a video card, the main processor of the computer must have a built-in graphics core.

Optical drive. From three types:

  • CD drive. Outdated standard.
  • DVD drive. The most common option.
  • Blu-ray drive. More perfect look. But quite expensive.

The remaining components of the system unit do not play a significant role for the average user and have a narrow specialization. For example:

Card reader. A device that allows you to connect memory cards to the system unit.

Audio card, required to create 7.1 surround sound effect.

TV card(TV tuner), allows you to watch and record television programs.

Satellite map, processes the signal received by the satellite dish.

Now you fully know what the computer system unit consists of and can easily give exact definition for any of the components: video card, processor, hard drive, RAM and so on.

You probably haven’t thought about how it works inside before. Usually this block is placed in the most inconspicuous place on the desktop. However, if we think about it, we will understand that without this block the full operation of your workstation. The computer system unit consists of many elements; below we will study the main components in detail. Let's look at the structure of the computer system unit, because this is quite important and useful information.

What does a computer system unit consist of?

The first thing that catches your eye is the case; it is a “box” for placing the motherboard, hard drive, drives, etc.

The most important part of a computer system unit is the motherboard, on which various devices are located.

It is a special multilayer board on which various components are installed. It is the motherboard that combines and coordinates the work of such components as the processor, RAM, expansion cards and all kinds of storage devices, about which we'll talk Further.

The motherboard contains various connectors necessary for connecting external devices. These are USB connectors, audio connectors for headphones and microphone, HDMI connectors for connecting to a TV, a connector for connecting a monitor, etc.

To these connectors you can connect a mouse, keyboard, speakers, audio systems, as well as various gaming instruments, such as for complete immersion in a computer game.

CPU

Is the brain of the computer. This device processes program code and defines the basic functions of a computer for processing information.

Visually it looks like a small square plate:

The processor has several technical parameters:

  • Clock frequency

Clock speed is the main characteristic of the processor, reflecting the speed of performing one task per second. The higher the clock speed, the more operations the processor can process. However, processors with the same clock frequency can have different performance, since to perform one operation different systems may be required different quantity beats

  • Bit depth

You've probably heard it often. The bit depth parameter determines how many bits the system can be used.

This parameter is related to the internal architecture of the processor. Basically, all new processors require the installation of 64-bit systems.

Currently on the market various models processors from AMD and Intel, mainly differing in the number of cores.

RAM

RAM is a strip on the motherboard designed for temporary storage of data and commands. required by the processor to perform operations:

Significantly affects overall performance computer.

There are different types of RAM: DDR, DDR2, DDR3. It is necessary to select the type of memory based on the characteristics of the motherboard. Also, RAM has the same memory frequency and memory capacity as the processor.

Currently, DDR2 and DDR3 sticks with a capacity of 2GB or more are mainly used.

HDD

All files that we place on the computer, all programs, music and films are stored on the computer’s hard drive. It is also called a hard drive. Data is recorded on special plates coated with a layer of ferromagnetic material. The hard drive itself looks like a metal box with a round plate:

Hard drives are distinguished according to the following parameters:

  • Disk capacity

​Disk capacity determines how much data you can store on your hard drive. Disks up to 5 TB are available for sale.

  • Interface

​Choosing an interface is one of the most difficult tasks when choosing a disk. Interfaces are divided into SATA, SAS and IDE.

The IDE is slowly becoming a thing of the past, leaving its memory as an expensive and low-functional interface. SATA has a low cost, but at the same time smaller volumes compared to SAS, but the cost of SAS is significantly higher.

  • Cache size

​Cache is a built-in HDD memory designed to store data that is accessed most frequently. When accessing the cache, higher data processing speed is achieved. The larger the cache, the higher the disk performance.​

  • Spindle speed

This parameter determines the speed at which the magnetic disks inside the hard drive case. In general, this value is 5400 revolutions per second, but for SAS drives the rotation speed reaches 15,000 revolutions.

Video card

A video card is a device that converts an image stored in the computer's memory into a video signal for the monitor:

The main components are GPU, video controller, video memory and digital-to-analog converter.

Designed to supply a computer electrical energy. The power supply converts the voltage to the required values, stabilizes and protects against interference of the original voltage. Almost all computers use pulse block nutrition.

The power supply consists of several components:

  • Generator
  • Transformer
  • Low voltage rectifier
  • Stabilizer
  • Rectifier

Most important parameter The power supply is its power. How more power block, the longer it will be able to provide energy to the computer after the original energy supply has stopped.

To determine the required power of the unit, you can collect information about the energy consumption of system components and summarize it. Similar information is available in the documentation for the motherboard, processor and other devices of the system unit. To count the required power, it is necessary to add up the powers indicated in the documentation and add a small margin of up to 20%, so we can calculate the approximate power for the power supply.

CD/DVD drive

Typically, the basic configuration of the system unit includes a drive for reading and writing CDs and DVDs.

You've probably burned photos to disk or watched movies from disks. This function is implemented thanks to the presence of a CD/DVD drive.

The drives currently available for sale are small in size compared to their predecessors and read and write information much faster.

Personal computers in their traditional sense have long been predicted to become obsolete and soon to be retired. Over the years, laptops, tablets with smartphones, and game consoles. But, as practice has shown, all these devices certainly find their consumers - and at times even significantly influence the PC market. But they are unable to force users to completely abandon the “traditional” platform.

Why? Reason #1 is definitely the versatility of the PC. The mobility of tablets and smartphones, gaming capabilities and services of consoles are, of course, excellent qualities. But how will they help you if you urgently need to finish a work project or rewrite a paragraph in a term paper?

Reason #2 is the outstanding PC customization options. Laptops, tablets and other similar devices in most cases are “things in themselves.” You can change some minor details, but overall you will have to put up with both the price of the device and the functionality it offers for the money.

The PC, in turn, can be assembled from any compatible components. If you want to save money, please, there is budget hardware available to almost anyone. You need a balanced system for a certain budget - and there is plenty to choose from. Do you need some special functionality? And it can be solved!

In fact, PCs are so affordable today that you don't even need to know much about hardware to purchase them (although this leads to very disastrous consequences both for the computer, and for its owner, and for the community as a whole) - in any self-respecting stores, in addition to individual components, they also sell system units ready for use.
We'll talk about them today.

What you need to know when choosing

Do you really need a ready-made system unit?

The key advantage of ready-made system units is, in fact, their readiness. You don't need to compare component models, search for them in stock, or order them for delivery to one store. This saves your effort and time, but otherwise ready-made systems are always a compromise.

Almost certainly, for the same budget, a self-assembled PC will be faster and more functional, not to mention such parameters as acoustic comfort, possibilities (and cost!) of further upgrades and, finally, appearance housings.

Recommendation #1: Before you run to the store for a ready-made system unit, go to the page dedicated to the selection of components and PC configuration. It's completely free and doesn't require any special effort. But as a result, you will know what you can buy for the same money, and how much faster and better it will be.

Remember that the service of assembling a PC from components is available in almost every store in the DNS network. This service is paid, but its cost is far from astronomical, and you don’t need to deal with the assembly yourself or look for a “knowledgeable” friend. Which, you see, is also convenient and also saves time.

However, if you still prefer finished assembly...

System unit type and size

Yes, in this case you should start not with choosing specific components, but with identifying the goals and objectives facing your future computer.

In addition to system units in their most traditional form, the DNS offers the following PC formats:

When choosing a processor manufacturer, everything is quite simple: here either Intel, or AMD. Only thin clients and other embedded systems stand apart, where you can find products VIA, Allwinner and other companies whose names are not so well known.

But with the choice of a specific model or at least a line, everything is somewhat more complicated: there are a huge pile of offers, it is not always clear how one processor model differs from another, and even the disclosures are overflowing.

The advice here is the same as in the case of a separate product. All you should be interested in is the performance of the processor that falls within your budget. It doesn’t matter who wins in the higher or lower price segments - you’ll have to get along with specific model CPU!

Here, unfortunately, there is only one piece of advice: read authoritative resources (preferably foreign ones!), study comparative testing, analyze the information received and make a reasoned choice. Believe the cries of fanatics from one side or another - in the end you will buy something that does not correspond to the money spent at all.

The number of cores can serve as a definite marker (but far from accurate!) of processor performance:

However, the opposite is also true. If you are confident that you will use only and exclusively content located in the global or local network, or on your home file storage - you can look at system units with less space. and a gigabyte is enough for your eyes And operating system the required set

software... although, however, in this case it is better to use an SSD. If you are not so radical, there are options with hard drives volume in , or.

3 terabytes Recommendation #6:

There is never enough space on your hard drive. Even if it seems to you that the current volume is enough, very soon you will be surprised that the “huge” space is already completely filled with photos from your vacation, your favorite music and films, and you have significantly more games installed than you planned (and you can’t delete old ones). rises). Here the rule “more is better” works fully, without reservations. However, this does not mean that you need to buy only system units with maximum volume hard drives! Like RAM, the drive is easy to install yourself, so increase the capacity file storage

later no one stops you.

SSD capacity Solid state drive (SSD) - not required, but very useful device , which can significantly speed up the loading and operation of the operating system and other programs installed on it. In fact, today the likelihood of meeting a user PC in which the system is installed on a good old mechanical disk tends to. And not only in the top segment - both budget builds and very old systems are equipped with solid-state drives, with the exception of those that do not support SATA interface at least the second revision.

Actually, no one will forbid you to add an SSD to a ready-made assembly that didn’t have one in the first place. However, the DNS assortment also includes options for system units with pre-installed SSDs.

They differ, just like hard disks, primarily in terms of volume. However, there is some specificity here. So, SSD capacity from 8 to 64 gigabytes- this is nothing more than a high-speed swap file. The fact is that such a volume will be immediately filled by the OS Windows family after installing and downloading it latest updates. If you are going to use any lightweight Linux distribution- perhaps this volume is enough for you, but even in this case you should not experiment.

The reasonable minimum for today is SSD capacity V 120-128 GB. This is enough for both the operating system and the set of programs required for operation. SSD with a capacity of 240 or more gigabytes will be required if, in addition to the OS, some specialized software will be installed on them, which will work faster on a solid-state drive.

Recommendation #7: SSD is not an essential item; a system unit can be purchased without him, subsequently installing it yourself. But operating a PC with solid state drive much more comfortable, and in every sense: the system works faster, programs launch almost instantly, and the user’s ears are not bothered by the noise from the disk mechanics (due to the absence of such mechanics). If you have the opportunity to purchase a ready-made system unit with an SSD, choose this option.

Optical drive and accessories

Relatively recently, it was difficult to even think about purchasing a PC without a CD/DVD drive: the only way to purchase software and games was, in fact, to buy them on physical media, and recordable/rewritable discs were the most common means of transferring information from user to user, and storing this information too.

But progress spares no one. The sale of discs was killed by digital distribution services; it turned out to be more convenient to transfer information using high-speed flash drives large volume, and the increase in the capacity of hard drives put an end to home collections of CDs and DVDs with neat (or not so neat) inscriptions with a special marker. The final nail in the coffin of old ways of exchanging information came with the spread of broadband Internet access.

Do you need a DVD drive today? Honestly - decide for yourself. For a large proportion of users - absolutely not needed, fortunately even Windows distribution You can absolutely legally download from the official website and create a bootable flash drive proprietary utility, which does not require user participation.

On the other hand, if in your region the tariffs of Internet providers contain a bunch of asterisks after the description of the conditions, or you have a disc edition of a game that today cannot be purchased officially or “buy when it gets dark” - disk drive it won't be superfluous.