Computer Components
1. Motherboard
Motherboard, also called system board, is the main printed circuit board in most computers.
It allows communicating between many crucial electronic components of a system, such as
the central processing unit and memory.
Motherboard, as its name suggests, is often referred to as the mother of all components
attached to it, which often include peripherals, interface cards, sound cards, hard drives,
network cards, and so on.
Most motherboards in computer are expandable. In this situation, you can replace the
components as long as they are compatible. For example, you can choose to replace the
hard drive with a larger one or with SSD.
2. BIOS
You may not be able to easily pinpoint the BIOS chip on the motherboard, but you will see it
in action the moment you turn the PC On. The BIOS or Basic Input Output System chip checks
your system prior to loading the operating system. It is sometimes called the ROM chip. It
ensures that the CPU can effectively talk to all the other hardware components on your
system. This not only includes the hardware connected internally, but also external hardware
such as USB drives, peripherals, etc. Most PC manufacturer's hide BIOS information with their
company logo. It is more aesthetically pleasing to view the logo instead of the BIOS details.
3. CPU
Another important component of a computer is the CPU, also called central processor. It is
the electronic circuitry within a computer that executes instructions that make up a computer
program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling and input/output operations
specified by the instructions in the program.
The CPU is the brain of the computer, so you can know its importance. Its main job is to carry
out the instructions of computer programs that are stored in computer memory. In addition,
computer performance may be affected by the CPU.
The CPU itself contains millions of microscopic circuits and, as a consequence of those millions
of circuits, produces an enormous amount of heat - hence the need for the heat sink and fan.
The heat sink helps dissipate the heat while the fan draws cooler air from outside the PC case,
blowing it down onto the heat sink and
CPU to moderate the CPU's temperature.
4. Graphics Card
There are two different types of graphic card, integrated or expansion. The integrated video
card is connected directly to the motherboard and is part of the processor. The expansion
card is a separate card that is connected to another part of the motherboard.
The major work of the graphics card is to create graphics and images that can be shown on
a monitor. If your computer does not have the graphics card, you will not see the data and
the computer would be useless.
5. Hard Drive
Hard drive would be another component of a computer. Hard drive is used to store programs
and files on your computer. The traditional hard drive would be the HDD which is comprised
of a series of magnetized disks. Newer hard drives are called SSD which use electrical circuits
to store data. In general, SSDs are faster than traditional HDDs.
6. Network Card
The Network card would be separate card or integrated into the motherboard. The major
work of network card is to enable your computer to connect to the network and Internet.
Many computers have an integrated network card into the motherboard. If you are using a
laptop, you can also choose to connect Wi-Fi networks through a Wi-Fi card which is usually
close to the outer edges of the devices.
7. Monitor
Even though the computer is great, but without monitor, they also would be useless. So, when
building a computer by yourself, you also need to choose a monitor. The monitor enables you
to view the changes on your computer.
8. USB Ports
USB port is also one of the most important computer components. The USB port enables you
to connect some computer accessories, such as a mouse, keyboard, external hard drive, and
so on. USB ports labelled SS (Super Speed) allow for data transfer for up to 5 Gb/s.