Computer Connectors on Front and Back Side of PC

Inside the article

If you look at the front or the back side of a desktop computer, you will notice buttons or connectors on both of these sides. The front side buttons of a PC are used by a user to operate the PC, for example, a computer switch to power-On and Off the PC is on the front side whereas back side connectors or ports are connected to various input/output devices.

Both sides of a PC are explained below with the help of the picture below.

Back side connectors of PC

SMPS. Switch Mode Power Supply uses electronics circuitry that converts the AC input voltage to different values of regulated DC supply which are fed into various color-coded wires fixed to connectors.
SMPS FAN. The fan is fixed inside the SMPS and is used to radiate the internal heat of the SMPS to the outside.
Power In Socket. This socket is used to input 220V AC to the PC from the main supply when the computer switch on the front side is pressed.
PS-2 Port. You can see two different colored 6-pin round-shaped connectors. These connectors are used to connect input devices, keyboards, and mouse. Color Coding defines the connector type. The purple connector is dedicated to connecting the Keyboard and the Green color is used for Mouse.
USB Port. The full form is Universal Serial Bus and is used to connect various input and output devices like Mouse, Keyboard, Printers, Webcams, etc. USB 3.0 is the latest version which offers a high data transfer speed.
DVI Port. Digital Video Interface is a high-speed serial link for connecting output Display Devices.
HDMI Port.HDMI stands for a high-definition multimedia interface. This is the latest interface that helps to get high-definition video and multi-channel sound. You can connect HDMI-enabled blue ray devices, LEDs, etc.
15-pin Female VGA Port. This is used to connect display devices like Monitor / LCD / LED Displays.
LAN Port. The LAN or network port is used to connect to other devices and computers in a network.
Audio Ports. Generally, there is 3 number of audio ports on the back side of a PC. These parts are either aligned vertically or in a horizontal position. The green color port is dedicated for headphones or speakers, the blue colored port is marked as Line-in and Mic can be inserted in a pink port.
Expansion Slots: These expansion slots are used to connect add-on cards to increase the capabilities of the motherboard.

Front Side buttons on PC

DVD-Writer. The top slot of the cabinet is reserved to fix CD-ROM or DVD-writer.
Power-LED: The LED glows and indicates that the Input Power is ON
HDD LED: When we are working on the computer, the hard disk is in use, this LED glows and is an indication that the hard disk drive is in use.
Reset Switch: This computer switch is quite handy when the computer is stuck-up and you are not able to work on the computer. Just press this switch, and the computer will Re-Boot.
Front USB. Cabinet provides a facility for you to connect USB devices from the front side as it is quite awkward to get to the back side of the computer again and again.
Front Audio Ports: The ports for MIC and HeadPhone at the front are for users quite easy to approach.
Power Switch. It is used to switch ON the computer.