Anatomy of a PC

1
Anatomy of a PC

• August, 2002
• Summer Institute for Computer Studies Teachers
  Presented by Celine Latulipe

2
Outline

• Introduction Equipment
• Warnings
• Steps 1 2 Prep work
• Step 3 Remove and Label Components
• Step 4 Rebuild
• Steps 5 6 Plug in and Reboot
• Wrap-Up

3
Introduction

• Why bother disassembling and reassembling a
  computer?
• Get over the fear of whats inside
• Develop a better understanding of what makes up a
  computer
• Build confidence
• Mostly BECAUSE ITS FUN!

4
Equipment

• Screwdriver
• A computer (these are old Pentiums donated by the
  UW Library)
• Monitor, keyboard
• Small post-it notes
• Anti-static bracelets
• Handout

5
Warnings

• Disassembly UNPLUG from wall first
• After reassembling, screw the lids onto the boxes
  before powering up (the wires from the power
  button to the power supply are live, so you dont
  want to be near them when the computer is on)
• Rebooting plug into the wall LAST

6
Warnings (contd)

• Ensure nothing is consuming large amounts of
  power on the same circuit (power outlet that the
  computer is plugged into)
• Be careful - computers have sharp parts inside
  (we have band-aids)
• Only remove what I tell you to remove!

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Step 1 Getting Ready

• Boot up the computer to make sure it works (no
  Windows installed on these - just DOS)
• Shut down computer
• Put on anti-static bands and clip them to
  grounding mats
• Read over handout

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Step 2 Looking Inside

• UNPLUG all cables
• Remove cover
• Unscrew 4 screws at back closest to the edge of
  the computer, then pull the sides of the computer
  forward
• The front and side panels slide off the front all
  in one piece
• Lay the computer on its side with the
  motherboard closest to table

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Back of Computer
Remove these screws
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Step 2 Looking Inside

• Identify all the major components
• Power Supply
• Motherboard
• Memory
• Card Slots
• Cards (sound, video, network)
• CPU, heatsink and fan
• Drives (floppy, hard and CD-ROM)

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COMPONENTS
power supply
CD-ROM drive
floppy drive
cards
hard drive
motherboard
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What these components do

• Motherboard (body) acts as a manager for
  everything on the computer connects all the
  other components together
• CPU Central Processing Unit (brain) this does
  all the work of computing
• Hard Drive (long-term memory) holds all of the
  information that needs to be stored between uses
  of the computer

13
What these components do

• RAM Random Access Memory (short-term memory)
  holds data and program instructions that the
  computer is currently using
• Floppy and CD-ROM drives (mouth/ears) allow you
  to give data to the computer and take data away
  from the computer
• Power Supply (heart) supplies power to all
• Network Card (telephone) allows computer to
  talk to other computers over a wire

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What these components do

• Video card (?) Does all of the processing
  necessary to get stuff looking nice on screen,
  quickly
• Sound card (vocal cords) Allows sounds from HD
  or CD-ROM to be displayed
• Card Slots (?) Allows other components to be
  added to the computer (joystick cards, tv cards,
  etc.)

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Step 2 (contd)

• The handout has a listing of the parts to be
  disassembled
• Floppy drive, ribbon cable (unplug power)
• CD-ROM drive, sound cable, ribbon cable (unplug
  power)
• Sound, Video and Network cards
• Memory
• Draw the component beside each name on the handout

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Step 3 Taking it Apart

• Remove CD-ROM Drive
• UNPLUG sound cable from CD
• UNPLUG power cable from CD
• UNPLUG ribbon cable from CD
• Unplug other end of ribbon cable from motherboard
  and label it CD ribbon
• Unscrew CD-ROM drive and slide out
• Label CD-ROM drive with a post-it note

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CD-ROM Drive
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Hard Drive
We wont remove this.
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Step 3 (contd)

• Remove Floppy Drive
• UNPLUG power cable from floppy drive
• UNPLUG ribbon cable from floppy drive
• Unplug other end of ribbon cable from motherboard
  and label it floppy ribbon
• Pull floppy drive out

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Floppy Drive
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Ribbon Cables
polarized
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Step 3 (contd)

• Remove Video Card
• Video card is the one with the 15-hole video port
  that the monitor was plugged into
• Unscrew the card from the back of the case
• Pull card straight up and out of PCI slot
• Label video card with post-it note

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Video Card
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Step 3 (contd)

• Remove Sound Card
• Sound card is one with audio ports on it
• Leave sound cable (from CD-ROM) attached to card
• Unscrew card where it attaches to back of
  computer
• Lift sound card straight up and out of ISA slot
• Label Sound Card with post-it note

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Sound Card
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Step 3 (contd)

• Remove Network Card
• Network Card is the one that has a port that
  looks like a phone jack
• Unscrew card from back of computer case
• Lift Network Card straight up and out of PCI slot
• Label Network Card with post-it note

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Network Card
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Step 3 (contd)

• Remove RAM
• Pull levers at each end of RAM away from RAM
• At same time push RAM to one side
• RAM card will tilt to one side and can be lifted
  out
• Most of these machines have 2 RAM cards
• Label RAM with post-it note

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RAM
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Look Inside Again!
RAM BANK
CPU, Fan, Heatsink
Card Slots (ISA PCI)
31
Step 4 Putting it Back Together

• Put everything back, reverse order (remove
  post-its as you re-assemble)
• Memory pops back in pretty easily
• If you unplugged power cable from motherboard (to
  access RAM) plug it back in
• Slide floppy in and plug in power cable
• Plug ribbon cable into floppy and into
  motherboard (it only goes in one way)

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Step 4 Putting it Back Together

• Slide CD-ROM back into case, replace screws, plug
  ribbon cable into CD and motherboard (it only
  goes in one way)
• Plug power cables back into CD (it only goes in
  one way)
• Dont worry about sound cable yet

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Step 4 Putting it Back Together

• Place video card back into slot it came out of
  (press firmly), screw it back in
• Place network card back into slot it came out of,
  screw it back in
• Place sound card back into slot it came out of,
  screw it back in
• Plug sound cable from sound card into the back of
  the CD-ROM drive

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Step 5 Getting Ready to Reboot

• Have Celine or Elodie check your work if its
  okay
• Put the lid on the box and screw in
• Plug the cables back in, in this order
• Monitor to computer (video cable)
• Keyboard to computer
• Monitors power cable into wall
• Computers power cable into the wall

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Step 6 Reboot

• Turn it on
• If it works (you get a DOS prompt),
  congratulations!
• If not, call Celine or Elodie over to diagnose
  the problem

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Wrap-up

• Unplug computers and monitors and stack them at
  back of the room
• Hope you had fun! Thanks for participating!