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The central processing unit and random access memory (RAM) are core components of any computer. RAM chips are packaged into small cards called DIMMs, which plug into the motherboard.
Motherboard
The motherboard is the skeleton that holds and connects all the other components of a computer. It distributes power from the PSU to different parts of the computer, regulates voltage and prevents dangerous fluctuations that can damage or destroy other hardware. It also enables data transfer across various interfaces and buses.
Its sockets hold the central processing unit (CPU), memory and expansion cards like the GPU and sound card. Motherboards also have connectors for storage devices and ports for external peripherals. It also houses the system’s firmware, known as BIOS or UEFI. It takes care of initializing the hardware during startup and provides a display to set system configurations.
CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) acts like a computer’s brain, telling other hardware what to do. It takes in input from a variety of sources and sends out control signals to all other components like the graphics processing unit, disk drives and screen.
It does this by following instructions from a system’s memory. The speed at which it does this is called clock speed and is measured in gigahertz.
The CPU is made of billions of microscopic transistors arranged on a single computer chip. Transistors act as tiny switches that alternate between on and off states. They convey the binary ones and zeros that make up all computing activities.
RAM
A computer’s RAM — Random Access Memory — stores immediate data that a processor can access quickly. Compared to storage drives that take much longer to read data, this makes RAM a key component of any PC.
When you open a program, it takes up space in your RAM until you close it and the operating system removes it from its temporary storage area. That leaves your hard disk free to store the original copy.
The RAM in your computer is inserted into slots called “banks” on the motherboard. Today, most desktop PCs use DIMM sticks — dual-inline memory modules — while laptops and some Mini-ITX small form factor computers use SO-DIMM sticks.
Hard Drive
The hard drive is the hardware component that stores all your digital content – documents, pictures, music, videos, programs, and more. It is an electro-mechanical data storage device that uses rigid rapidly rotating disks coated with magnetic material to store and retrieve data, and it can be either internal or external.
When a computer asks to read or update data, the I/O controller instructs the actuator arm to scan each track and sector of the platters for an electrical charge. This is how the hard drive knows if it should change the magnetism on each platter. This takes time, and this is why HDDs can be slower than SSDs.
Optical Drive
The optical drive retrieves and stores data from optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays. They hold much more information than the older magnetic floppy disk storage media.
Optical drives use a laser to read the underside of a spinning plastic disc, detecting a series of bumps and pits that contain encoded digital information. Optical drives that can write to discs use a low-power laser for reading, and high-power lasers for erasing or burning writable (RW) or one-time-write (R) discs.
You can find an internal optical drive in many desktop and laptop computers. Modern external slim portable optical drives sport a USB connector and can be used with Windows, Linux, Mac, and more.
Tower
The tower is the computer case, also known as a “tower.” It keeps all the components of your computer in place and protected. It also provides ventilation, which is crucial to electronics since they overheat very easily. Without proper air flow and cooling, your entire system would shut down.
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