KS3 COMPUTING INTERACT!VE

Input, Output and Storage

Devices that can be connected to a computer are known as peripherals. Peripherals can be organised into three different categories: input devices, output devices and storage devices. Input devices input data into the computer so it can be processed. Output devices output processed data from the computer in a form humans can understand. Finally, storage devices are used to store data and to transfer it between computer. Some examples are shown in the table below:

Internal Components

Internal components are the parts inside a computer that make it work. The key components are shown in the table below:

Component		Description
Random Access Memory		Temporarily stores programs and files while they are in use. It is wiped when the computer is turned off.
Graphics Card		All computers use a graphics card to convert processed data into a form that can be displayed on a monitor.
Hard Disk Drive		Used to store the operating system, programs and files.
Motherboard		All the components of a computer system are connected to this, which allows them to communicate with each other.
Central Processing Unit		The brains for the computer, it performs all the calculations.

Fetch-Execute Cycle

When a computer is turned on the CPU loads the first instruction and executes it. The CPU then fetches the next instruction and repeats this process. This is known as the fetch-execute cycle and is repeated continuously.