Computer hardware describes the physical pieces that make a computer hum with life. The heart of the system is a chip that takes instructions from programs (software) and makes calculations. The rest of the system handles input and output.
Inside a desktop PC there’s room for a big power supply unit that converts electricity, as well as RAM to store data temporarily and hard disk drives or solid state drives to store long-term data. Fans keep the system cool and a mouse helps users navigate it.
Motherboard
Motherboards, sometimes called main boards, house many of the most important elements of a computer. They’re large printed circuit boards into which all the other hardware connects via wires and cables. In older designs, these connections were made by copper wires but, with the invention of microprocessors, they now take the form of slots into which individual circuit boards plug in.
Among these are the (removable) central processing unit, or CPU, into which running programs load and store data, as well as the RAM chips that store temporary information while the computer is working. There are also a variety of expansion slots that enable additional hardware like graphics cards, hard drives, and memory modules to be added. In addition, there are ports for connecting to peripherals such as the keyboard and mouse.
RAM
RAM is the main memory of a computer. It holds the operating system and software programs so that they can be easily accessed by the central processing unit (CPU).
RAM works by having tiny capacitors continuously filled and emptied with electricity. This allows it to hold more data than standard storage media like hard drives and solid-state drives. However, RAM requires constant power and cannot remain charged indefinitely like non-volatile storage media can.
Earlier types of RAM used to require a special board and connector, but most desktop computers are fitted with SDRAM modules today. SDRAM stands for synchronous dynamic random-access memory, and operates in synchronisation with the CPU clock cycle, greatly improving performance. This is a very efficient form of RAM. It can hold more data and operate much faster than FPM and EDO RAM.
CPU
Every modern PC has a brain-like unit called the central processing unit (CPU) that interprets instructions from software programs. These are used to perform various tasks like surfing the web, creating documents, or playing games.
The CPU’s input unit takes data from devices like a keyboard, mouse, or microphone. This is then processed and sent to output devices like a monitor or speakers. The CPU’s arithmetic logic unit handles mathematical and logical operations, including addition, subtraction, and comparisons.
Today’s premium CPUs feature multiple physical cores, allowing them to handle more tasks at once. However, due to the limits of Moore’s law and extreme miniaturization of transistor technology, future CPUs may not be as powerful as current models. Fortunately, software tools like perf can provide low-overhead ways to measure and collect CPU performance metrics.
Graphics Card
A graphics card (also called a video card or display adapter) is responsible for rendering images, videos and animations on the computer monitor. It works in tandem with the central processing unit to process and output visual data.
Whether you’re planning on gaming or content creation, the right GPU can make all the difference. Modern AAA games require high-end GPUs with ample video random access memory (VRAM) to perform well.
A GPU can be an expansion card plugged into a PCIe slot, or integrated into the motherboard. Integrated GPUs are usually cheaper but not upgradeable, while dedicated cards can provide superior performance for gaming, video editing and graphic design. The latest GPUs like Nvidia’s RTX 20 series have built-in ray tracing cores that improve lighting effects and enable a more realistic experience.
Storage
Storage preserves your operating system and installed programs for long-term use. It also houses your media files and other documents, providing a non-volatile home for data that remains intact when you turn off your computer.
A hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD) stores bytes as magnetic patterns on spinning platters. SSDs use silicon chips with groups of transistors that retain their electrical charges to represent 1 or 0 in binary bits.
Networked storage (NAS) uses a server and hard drives to store and manage data remotely. This solution is better for sharing data among multiple users, but it requires a dedicated, high-speed network connection.