Laptops For Dummies, 6th Edition
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The console’s backside is its busy side. On the back of a computer console, you find various connectors for the many other devices in your computer system: the console’s back also has a place to plug in the monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and just about anything else that came in the box with the PC.

Use this figure as a guide for finding the following important items on the back of your PC’s console:

Important doodads on the back of the console.
Important doodads on the back of the console.
  • Power: This thing is where the PC plugs into a cord that plugs into the wall.

  • Fan: Air gets sucked in here, blows around inside the console to keep things cool, and then puffs out the vents.

  • Voltage switch: Use this item to switch power frequencies to match the specifications for your country, region, or planet.

  • Expansion slots: These slots are available for adding new components to the console and expanding your PC’s hardware.

  • Vents: The breathing thing again.

  • I/O panel: Aside from the power cord, and anything attached to an expansion card, the rest of your PC’s expansion options and plug-in-type things are located in a central area that I call the I/O panel.

Note that some things may look different than this figure on your computer, some things may be missing, and some newfangled things that your computer has may not be listed here.

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