Components of a Computer

Main components of a computer.. Power Supply Motherboard Central Processing Unit (CPU) Random-Access Memory (RAM) Read-Only Memory (ROM) Video (or Graphics) Card Buses Storage devices (Hard-drive and Solid-state drive) Input and output devices

Power Supply A power supply unit (PSU) converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low- voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. Laptops are capable of running from a built-in battery, normally for a period of hours.

Motherboard The motherboard is the main component of a computer. It is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the other parts of the computer including the CPU, the RAM, the disk drives(CD, DVD, hard disk, or any others) as well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) The CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer. The CPU works on a list of things to do, called 'instructions'. Moore’s Law: v=YqKtVX5D-bw v=YqKtVX5D-bw

Read-Only Memory and Random-Access Memory THE READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM) STORES THE PROGRAMS THAT RUN WHEN THE COMPUTER IS POWERED ON. IT IS MAINLY USED TO DISTRIBUTE FIRMWARE (SOFTWARE THAT IS VERY CLOSELY TIED TO SPECIFIC HARDWARE, AND UNLIKELY TO NEED FREQUENT UPDATES). ROM RETAINS ITS CONTENTS EVEN WHEN THE COMPUTER IS TURNED OFF. THE RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY (RAM) STORES THE CODE AND DATA THAT ARE BEING ACTIVELY ACCESSED BY THE CPU. CONTENTS ARE ONLY STORED TEMPORARILY AND ARE CLEARED WHEN THE COMPUTER IS TURNED OFF. ROM RAM

Video Card A Video Card is used to process images so they can be displayed on your monitor. A good video card can make a big difference in the quality of your graphics, so this is particularly important if you play games or work with photography and video. Video Cards can have different video outputs, but the most common is “VGA”

Storage Devices A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive or fixed disk is a data storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information using one or more rigid ("hard") rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. A solid-state drive (SSD) (also known as a solid- state disk though it contains no actual disk, nor a drive motor to spin a disk) is a storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently.r

Input and Output devices Input DeviceOutput Device

BUSES The internal bus, also known as internal data bus, memory bus, system bus or Front-Side-Bus, connects and transfers data between all the internal components of a computer, such as CPU and memory, to the motherboard. Internal data buses are also referred to as a local bus, because they are intended to connect to local devices

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