8 Standard Computer Components and What They Do Houk Consulting

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8 Standard Computer Components and What They Do

 March 2nd, 2017  Business Intelligence
Computers are complex machines, with much of the processing and work being done at a microscopic level.
But did you know that inside a computer are several parts that you can see or identify with ease? These
computer components are what make any machine run and affect its performance.
You don't have to be an IT expert to learn the basics of what computer parts do and what they look like. Let's
review some of the standard computer components and you'll hopefully learn something today!
Motherboard
https://www.houkconsulting.com/2017/03/standard-computer-components/ 1/15
The motherboard is an important computer component because it's what everything else connects to! The
motherboard is a decently sized circuit board that lets other components communicate. A motherboard has
ports that face outside a PC's case, so you can charge your computer, plug in a monitor, or connect a mouse.
A computer's motherboard also contains slots for expansions, so you can add additional accessory ports if
you wish. The motherboard also stores low-level information like the system time even when the computer is
turned off.
Power Supply
True to its name, the power supply powers all other components of the machine. It usually plugs into the
motherboard to power the other parts. The power supply connects to either an internal battery (on a laptop)
or a plug for an outlet (on a desktop).
Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A CPU, sometimes referred to as a computer's brain, is the workhorse of the machine. It performs the
calculations needed by a system, and can vary in speed. The work that a CPU does generates heat, which is
why your computer has a fan inside. A more powerful CPU is necessary for intense computer work like
editing high-de nition video or programming complex software.
Random-access Memory (RAM)

RAM is temporary memory. Whenever you open up a Microsoft Word window, your computer places it in
RAM, and when you close the window, that RAM is freed. Since RAM is volatile, its contents are lost if the
machine loses power. This is why you lose a Word document when the power goes out if you didn't save it.
The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run at once. A common cause of slow computers is a
lack of su cient RAM.
Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive

Since RAM is temporary, your computer needs a place to store data permanently. That's where the hard drive
comes in. The traditional hard drive consists of several spinning platters with an arm that physically writes
data to the disk. However, these drives are slow and are starting to be replaced by the faster solid-state
drives.
Solid-state drives consist of ash memory, like your smartphone or ash drive. They are much faster than
traditional hard disk drives, though cost more for the increased e ciency. Both types of drives come in
various sizes to suit different needs.
Replacing a hard drive with a solid state drive is one of the best computer upgrades you can make — the
speed difference is amazing.
Video Card
A video card is a dedicated unit for handling the output of images to a display. Video cards have their own
dedicated RAM for performing these functions. A high-end video card is required to process extremely
intense visual functions, such as computer drafting by engineers. Like many components, many types of
video cards are available with varying power and prices.
An alternative to a video card is integrated graphics, which occurs when the system borrows regular RAM for
graphics processing. Typically integrated graphics are attached to the CPU, especially on laptops. Integrated
graphics is su cient for normal computing use and is less expensive than a dedicated card, but won't work
for intense editing jobs or high-end games.
Optical Drives
Though less common than they used to be, many machines still have an optical drive for reading CDs and
DVDs. These can be used to listen to music or watch movies, place information onto a blank disc, or install
software from a disc. Since most software nowadays is installed from the internet instead of using discs,
these aren't as important as they once were, especially on laptops.
Input and Output Devices

Depending on your particular computer, you can connect a variety of devices to send information into it or
out of it. Common input devices include mice (touchpads on laptops), keyboards, and webcams, while output
devices consist of monitors, printers, and speakers. Removable media such as ash drives and SD cards can
also be used to transfer data between computers.
In summary, here's the inside of a desktop computer with its parts labeled:
Now you know the basics of what's inside your PC! These components look slightly different inside laptops
to compensate for the size differences, but perform the same functions.
Image credits: Jonathan Zander, Danrok, Evan-Amos, D-Kuru via Wikimedia Commons, GCFLearnFree.org via YouTube
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16 Comments
DAGHHHHGG
February 11, 2020 2:45 am
THANK U I THINK IT WILL ALSO HELP OTHERS

Reply
kekes
February 11, 2020 2:41 am
thanks coz it helped

Reply
Dambiri A. K. Mohammed
January 31, 2020 6:40 am
Comment*I love the way you presented your lecture. Thanks.

Reply
hi
January 29, 2020 4:11 pm
ty soooo much
Reply
Luke Azman
December 29, 2019 7:49 pm
This really helped me with my scout logbook .Thank you (:

Reply
ali
December 26, 2019 10:35 am
very informative thank you

Reply
Filipe Macedo Zandamela

December 10, 2019 10:20 am
This lessons helped me, parts of the computer and it’s functions was confusing,
but now I got it 100%.
Reply
JacobBater
October 30, 2019 8:18 am
hi thanks for the help with my assessment

Reply
Selebia Morkans
October 22, 2019 2:08 pm
This is a really good website it offers all the basic information you require!
Reply
Caden
October 15, 2019 11:13 am
I just wanted to ask could you add anymore information on computers and how to
x them if broken
Reply
marquise dennis
October 4, 2019 1:35 pm
This was really helpful to me thank you

Reply
Mohammed M. Rahman
September 17, 2019 12:04 am
This is very helpful to me. Thank you very much.

Reply
Swe Khine Htet

September 10, 2019 9:56 pm
This really helped me with my assignment,Thx a lot and keep up the good work!
🤩🙏😎
Reply
Klaudijus
August 24, 2019 3:17 pm
Where did you get the wires from???

Reply
Ben Stegner
January 29, 2020 5:55 pm
We used stock images available online for this post; we didn’t put a
computer together with wires.
Siyabulela Abel Lwandle

August 17, 2019 3:30 am
This was of great help to me. Thank you.

Reply
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2/23/2020 8 Standard Computer Components and What They Do | Houk Consulting

8 Standard Computer Components and What They Do

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Random-access Memory (RAM)

Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive

Input and Output Devices

Get up to date technology information for Pittsburgh Small Businesses.

THANK U I THINK IT WILL ALSO HELP OTHERS

thanks coz it helped

Comment*I love the way you presented your lecture. Thanks.

This really helped me with my scout logbook .Thank you (:

very informative thank you

Filipe Macedo Zandamela

hi thanks for the help with my assessment

This was really helpful to me thank you

This is very helpful to me. Thank you very much.

Swe Khine Htet

Where did you get the wires from???

Siyabulela Abel Lwandle

This was of great help to me. Thank you.

For the best IT results for your Small Business

Call Houk Consulting

Houk Consulting LLC

Get IT Updates for

Small Business Owners

©2020 Houk Consulting

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