1.1 System Architecture

1.1 System Architecture

1. Hardware

   • Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer

2. Peripheral

   • A peripheral device is any auxilary device such as a computer mouse or keyboard that connects and works the computer in some way

3. Input peripheral

   • A device that may be connected to a computer system
     • They are used to bring data from the physical world into the computer system
       • e.g. mouse, touchscreen

4. Output Peripheral

   • A device that may be connected to a computer system
     • They are used to bring data from the computer to the physical world
       • EG. A monitor or speakers

5. BIOS

   • Basic input output system
     • A small program stored on this ROM chip to load the OS correctly

6. CMOS Battery

   • Small battery chip mused to keep track of time when a computer is off

7. CPU

   • Central processing unit
     • The device is used to control and execute commands within the computer
       • The performance is measured in GHz, which is the number of processes which can be executed per second

8. GPU

   • Graphics processing unit
     • Used for processing graphics, particularly used by gamers and graphic designers

9. RAM

   • Random access memory
     • Volatile, erased after system is powered off