International Business Machines Corporation

Prabhakara Rao Vadapalli

Duy Q Huynh

Loc Tien Tran

Raymond Roger Trombly

This invention relates to personal computers, and to the handling of input/output signals exchanged between a microprocessor included within a personal computer and devices remote from the microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor and a system board mounting the microprocessor, a personal computer in accordance with this invention has an input/output signal processing circuit for performing logical operations on digital signals passing to and from the microprocessor and preparing such signals for operative communication between the microprocessor and devices remote from the microprocessor, a second circuit board for mounting the circuit, a board connector mounting the second circuit board on the system board, an input/output connector for passing signals to and from the circuit for receipt from and delivery to devices remote from the microprocessor, and a signal communicating member extending between the circuit and the input/output connector for operatively communicating signals therebetween.

Personal computer with input/output subsystem

A personal computer housing has a plurality of air intake openings located around the sides and front. A fan is mounted at the rear of the housing and sucks or draws coolant air through the intakes and exhausts the air to the rear. A bulk power supply is mounted along one side of the housing and is cooled by air flow through adjacent intakes. A plurality of I/O or expansion cards are located along the opposite side of the housing and cooled by air flowing through adjacent side intakes. A plurality of system cards including a processor card and memory cards, are located in parallel, rearwardly extending rows directly between at least some of the front intakes and the fan. A DC/DC regulator card is mounted over the system cards and has a heat sink provided with rearwardly extended cooling fins aligned in the direction of air flow from front to rear.

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Boca Raton, FL, United States of America

Prabhakara Rao Vadapalli