The motherboard is a central hub for all other hardware, acting as the brain to allocate power to different components. It also has specific form factors that are only compatible with certain types of computer cases.
A GPU takes care of all the graphics rendering for games and video editing, freeing up your CPU to work on other tasks. This enables you to play triple-A games at high settings without any onscreen lag or stutter.
Processor
The central processing unit (CPU) is the ‘brain’ of your device. It tells all the hardware from your screen and disk drives to your graphics processing unit (GPU) what to do.
Each CPU performs four main functions: fetch, decode, execute and write back. It fetches instructions from memory, then decodes them into signals for other parts of the CPU. Then it executes the machine instructions, which perform tasks such as calculating addresses and performing math operations.
There are different types of processors for different needs and performance levels. Some are made to handle everyday computing while others can take on heavy-duty tasks such as professional video editing and gaming. Some have multiple cores that can work independently to deliver faster performance. Others have special arithmetic and logic units that handle numbers more quickly than basic microprocessor circuitry can.
Memory
Computer memory is a place where programs and data are stored temporarily. It is volatile, meaning it loses its contents if the device shuts down or loses power.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the most common type of computer memory. It stores information on a series of chips that can be read by the CPU at high speeds.
It prevents other components from having to read from slower storage, like a hard disk drive or solid-state drive, which are much slower.
The flat component that connects and facilitates communication between the other pieces of hardware. Often found in the center of the motherboard, it features a copper heat sink that presses tightly against one of the chips and dissipates heat. This keeps the chip functioning properly.
Graphics Card
The graphics card (also called a video card) is responsible for the images and videos displayed on your computer monitor. It works with the CPU to process and render visual data. It is one of the most important components of a computer for gamers and demanding applications such as photo editing.
The GPU takes input data like ones and zeros that are transmitted over a bus line to the motherboard, and breaks them down into smaller chunks known as pixels. It then rasterizes those pixels and adds lighting, color and texture to create an image.
Discrete GPUs are mounted on a separate card that slips into an expansion slot on the motherboard. They are replaceable, which allows users to upgrade their graphics capability as technology advances.
Hard Drive
The hard drive stores all of your important applications, photos and documents for long-term storage. It’s also where your computer saves its game settings and information that it pulls from RAM for processing.
Hard drives contain magnetic recording medium layered on high-precision glass or aluminum disks, called platters. The platters spin, allowing the read heads to access data on the surface of the disk(s).
A hard drive’s storage capacity is measured in gigabytes and terabytes. However, operating systems, file system structures and redundancy procedures use a large portion of the available space.
Like many other types of hardware, the hard drive creates wastes and emissions that have a negative impact on the environment. These impacts occur throughout the hard drive’s life cycle, from the acquisition of raw materials to its manufacturing and transportation to its end-of-life.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the central hub connecting all of your computer’s functional components so that they can interact. It houses essential circuits, chips, sockets, slots, and ports that determine your system’s performance, expandability, and compatibility.
It also acts as a backplane for components like the CPU and RAM. Early motherboard designs used copper wires to connect card connector pins, but printed circuit boards became standard practice.
Today, motherboards are available in various sizes and features to meet your specific computing needs. Standard ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) motherboards are most commonly found in desktop computers, while micro ATX and mini-ATX boards are often seen in small form-factor systems. These smaller motherboards offer the same performance as their larger counterparts while providing a more compact form factor that saves on space.