PC hardware includes internal components like the central processing unit, random access memory, and hard disk drives. It also includes external peripheral devices such as the mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
The CPU determines the speed at which a computer processes data and executes programs. Processors often have multiple cores to allow parallel processing; this is known as multithreading.
Motherboard
The Motherboard is the central circuit board that connects and coordinates all functional parts of a computer. It provides a socket for the CPU and slots into which memory modules or expansion cards are plugged in. It also manages communication between components, connects power connections, and controls system settings through the BIOS/firmware.
Modern motherboards contain spaces for random access memory (RAM), which is a temporary warehouse where running programs store data and instructions while performing tasks. They’ll also contain a hard drive connector for a traditional spinning disc drive or solid-state drive, as well as expansion slots to accommodate devices like GPUs or sound and video cards. All of these parts generate heat as they use electricity for different functions, so the motherboard has a cooling fan to eliminate excess heat. The CPU, which is the main component on a motherboard, serves as its “brain” and processes instructions from software. It then translates those instructions for the other hardware to execute.
Graphics Card
A GPU, or video card, is the hardware that sends signals to your computer’s display. It calculates and controls how the image appears on your screen, determining how well it can run games and other visual output. Today’s GPUs can either be standalone cards plugged into the motherboard or integrated into the CPU package.
A good GPU will allow you to play games at high resolutions and frame rates without lag or stuttering. You may even be able to play at 4K if you want.
A GPU’s performance is measured by the number of triangles or vertices it can process per second. Gamers looking for the best performance should consider a discrete graphics card with 8GB of VRAM or more. The latest graphics chips are manufactured using TSMC’s 28 nm technology, which allows for higher performance with less power. For example, Nvidia’s Kepler and Maxwell lines are fabricated with this process. AMD’s Polaris 11 and 14 nm chips are also used in modern GPUs.
RAM
RAM is a volatile memory, meaning that its contents are lost when the computer’s power is switched off. Rather than using a physical disk, it stores data electronically on transistors. This is much faster than the process of moving data from and to storage, which is why it’s used to load software applications.
Basically every bit of data you use in a computer is encoded into a binary format of 0s and 1s – or on’s and off’s – called bits. The way you store this information in a computer depends on the performance you want to get out of it.
For example, a video game may require huge amounts of information to play at high resolutions and frame rates. In this case, the data is stored in a fast, small pool of very fast RAM called cache (or L1, L2 and L3 caches inside the CPU itself). This reduces the number of times the CPU needs to move from the slower storage to RAM and back again.
Hard Drive
Hard drives are where all of your files are stored, and can be anywhere from the size of a thumbnail to several terabytes. They store everything from pictures and music to text documents and video games, as well as files for the computer’s operating system and programs.
A hard drive works by using magnetic polarities on a spinning aluminum or glass disk, called a platter. Each tiny portion of the platter houses a binary bit, either a 1 or a 0. A read/write head moves like a record tone arm to input these bits into the drive.
The most important specifications for a hard drive are its data rate and seek time. Typically, the higher these numbers are, the faster the drive will work. However, many connection types don’t live up to their advertised speeds — for example, USB 2 drives often have a lower transfer rate than FireWire 800. Also, hard drives are often slowed down when they’re full.