Computer hardware includes the physical parts of a computer. These parts include the motherboard, central processing unit (CPU), RAM and hard drives.
While a computer’s hardware provides the foundation, software tells it what to do. Understanding both can help you choose a computer that meets your needs.
Motherboard
The motherboard acts as the skeleton of the computer and provides connections for expansion components and storage devices. It contains slots that can house a variety of different types of memory and connects to other computer hardware pieces via wires. The motherboard also houses a chipset, which serves as the digital glue that enables different components to communicate with one another.
Today, modern motherboards feature PCIe ports that support the newest graphics cards and storage drives. They typically also include USB ports (which use classic or the slim, reversible Type-C connectors) and may provide support for the newer DisplayPort technology. They also have a CPU socket and RAM slots to house a desktop computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and expand its capability.
Processor
The processor (or CPU) is the brain of a computer and interprets instructions contained in software programs. It also tells other components like the GPU, disk drives, and screen what to do.
Its key features include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a floating point unit (FPU) that performs operations faster than basic microprocessor circuitry, and registers and cache memory that store copies of frequently used data for speedy access. Its address generation unit calculates addresses that the CPU uses to access main memory.
Understanding your use case helps guide processor selection. Checking technical specifications like core and thread count, clock speeds, and power consumption help optimize performance.
Memory
The components that store data for quick access by processing devices. They include random-access memory (RAM) and hard disk drives. These can be internal, or external, such as those that plug into a USB port and are known as flash drives.
RAM enables the CPU to keep a working copy of input data and instructions. This reduces wait times, and increases performance.
Today, most desktop PCs are fitted with SDRAM modules (which stand for synchronous dynamic RAM). This allows the memory to transfer data in synchronisation with the processor clock cycle, which further improves CPU performance. This type of RAM is also used in laptops, tablets and some smartphones.
Graphics Card
Graphics cards—also known as video cards—convert electronic signals into the pixels that make up images on your monitor. They’re essential for displaying videos, games and other media. Most desktop and notebook computers have a graphics card.
GPUs are also capable of processing large amounts of data at once, making them well suited for tasks like computer vision and machine learning. You can find dedicated graphics cards for gaming, video editing and professional design. You can also find “integrated” graphics solutions built into your CPU or motherboard.
Dedicated GPUs connect to your motherboard using expansion slots, such as PCI-Express (PCIe) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP). Most graphics cards use bi-directional PCIe lanes with different transfer speeds depending on the number of lanes—1 lane (x1), 4 lanes (x4) and 16 lanes (x16). Some have external enclosures.
Sound Card
A sound card, also called an audio output device or sound board, is responsible for what you hear in your computer speakers or headphones. It’s an internal expansion card that plugs into the motherboard’s expansion slot and provides input and output of sound-related signals.
A music file stored on your hard disk is sent to the sound card, which changes it into an analog signal. The signal travels to the speakers, which turn it into the sounds you hear. In many modern computers, basic sound processing is built into the motherboard. External sound cards, which are sometimes known as audio interfaces, allow you to add more features like optical out and surround sound out.
Network Card
A network card (also called a network interface card or NIC) connects to your computer or server and the rest of your network through ethernet cables. Whether you’re using a wired or wireless NIC, it’s essential for connecting devices like computers, printers and routers to your network.
Network cards are commonly implemented as expansion components that plug into a motherboard. They may also come equipped with LED indicators that help users identify the NIC’s working status. Today, it’s very rare to find a desktop or laptop without a NIC integrated into the motherboard. NIC technology has come a long way in recent years, with more and more NICs supporting higher data transmission speeds.