Computer Fundamentals

2

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM HARDWARE

Contents

• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
  • Arithmetic logic unit
  • Registers
  • Control Unit (CU)
• Memory unit
  • Cache memory
  • Primary memory
  • Secondary memory
• Instruction format
• Instruction set
• Instruction cycle—Fetching, decoding,executing, storing
• Microprocessor—CISC, RISC
• Interconnecting the units of a computer— System bus, expansion bus, external ports
• Performance of a computer—Registers, RAM, system clock, bus, cache memory
• Inside a computer cabinet—Motherboard, ports and interfaces, expansion slots, ribbon cables, memory chips,storage devices, processor

Why this chapter

The computer as a machine consists of different components that interact with each other to provide the desired functionality of the computer. ...