What's Inside?

Inside the computer case

Some people get a little excited when they look inside a computer and see all the different electrical components and circuit boards. All the wires, connectors and data cables inside tend to be a little intimidating. Yet, all of today's computer repairs, replacements, upgrades and installations are getting easier and easier.

A technician could spend hours (at outrageous prices) to search for a specific chip or failed solder connection that's causing a particular problem. Repairs aren't done at the chip level anymore. Everything is very modular. It's quicker, easier, and much more economical to have the technician pop in a whole new video card or motherboard.

It's still important to know some of the different components and what they do. It can give you an insight as to which particular module may need replacement, and aids in the troubleshooting process.

It may only take 5 minutes to replace a particular FRU (Field Replaceable Unit), but it might require a lot more time to troubleshoot the problem and discover which module needs replacement.

Even if you don't plan on becoming A+ (A Plus) Certified, if you've come this far you must have an interest in computers. This is a great place to learn about what's inside that case.

Start this section with ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) precautions and work your way through in order. Once you understand ESD and the precautions you should take, go ahead and open the case. See if you can find the different components, connectors, and devices discussed. When you do, try and discover everything you can about it. What kind of chip is it? What does it do? What kind of socket does it fit into? How much data can it move at once? How fast is it?

If you have room on your desk, you can run your computer with the cover off * so you can look inside as you read (keep your hands out).

*Note: Only run your system with the cover off for a short period of time. Contrary to popular belief, leaving the cover off can interrupt the airflow, actually contributing to overheating in some cases. For short periods of time it should be OK. In fact, its often necessary when troubleshooting hardware. Its also a good time to make sure the CPU fan is working properly!

By the time you're done, you'll be removing and reinstalling some of the devices inside.

Look around for an old 286 or 386 computer. They can be picked up for less than 50 dollars, in working condition. Whether it's working, or not, you can learn an awful lot by taking it apart and putting it back together.

Please Remember: Do Not take apart a monitor or power supply, there is enough stored electricity inside to cause you serious injury!

Good luck, and always remember your ESD precautions!