Ad blocker detected
Knowledge is free, but servers are not. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on EatYourBytes. Thanks!
The power supply unit (PSU) is the element that supplies power to the internal components of the computer. It is connected to the mains by a cable and it converts the 120V or 230V mains AC to the different low-voltages DC used by the computer components (3.3V, +/- 5V and +/- 12V). A laptop PSU is external while it is generally located inside the case of a desktop computer.
The hard drive is an important component that is used to store the computer data and programs as well as the operating system. The term hard drive comes from the 1970s, when IBM introduced the first “Winchester” drives in which the read/write heads and platters came together in a sealed unit, therefore called “hard”. These first hard drives only had a capacity of a few tens of megabytes (MB) while in 2021 some consumer hard drive models exceed a capacity of 10 terabytes (TB).
The graphics card is the component of the computer that transmits images and video from the computer to the screen. In 2021, some Intel or AMD CPUs integrate a graphics solution (an IGPU or Integrated Graphics Processing Unit) which eliminates the need for a dedicated graphics card if you don’t use your computer for playing 3D video games. A dedicated graphics card will be necessary if you wish to play recent video games in high resolution because the rendering of images in real time requires complex calculations.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the heart of the computer. It executes the instructions of the programs and the operating system and It is made up of several billion transistors which process information in the form of bits (which have a value of 0 or 1).
A chipset is an integrated circuit which manages the communication between the CPU and the other components (memory, hard drives, graphics card for example) of the motherboard. They are made by manufacturers such as Intel and AMD to support their processors. The features of a motherboard largely depends on the choice of chipset.
The CPU socket is the connector built into the motherboard where the CPU is installed. It has a mechanical mechanism to keep the CPU in place or to release it in case you need to extract it. In laptops, the CPU is usually soldered directly to the motherboard and therefore cannot be replaced. The sockets have a matrix of contacts that allow the CPU to be connected to the motherboard.
The motherboard is an essential component of a computer, most of the computer components are installed on the motherboard in the same way that most parts of a vehicle are attached to its chassis.
RAM memory is an essential component of a computer and it would not be usable without it. The term RAM is an acronym for Random-Access Memory, which means that the computer’s CPU can access this memory quickly in any order according to the programs needs.
