In the world of PCs, there's a likely chance you've heard of terms like processor or RAM. People may recognize what makes up a computer, not everyone may not their function. If you're new on what makes a desktop, then you've come to the right place.
Table of Contents
1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Whenever you're typing away an email, or launching a program, your CPU is tasked to carry out all these commands. There's a reason why the CPU is called the "brain" of the PC. its purpose is to carry out the instructions and functions it is told to do.
The 2 most popular brands that produce CPUs are AMD and Intel.
Make sure your CPU's socket has to be compatible with your motherboard and cooler. There are websites online to ensure your CPU will fit.
2. CPU Cooler
Because the CPU will generate a lot of heat, you will need a CPU cooler.
The cooler has to be compatible with your CPU and socket.
The 2 most different types of coolers are air and water.
3. Motherboard
The motherboard acts like the skeleton and structure of the computer. It is where you connect your USB ports, CPU, hard drives, fans, and etc.
The 3 most common sizes are ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ATX, so make sure the motherboard will fit to your case.
4. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Its role is to render and process computer visuals and graphics. The more powerful the GPU is, the faster and higher quality the images, videos, and visuals will be.
The most common types of GPUs today are dedicated GPUs and integrated GPUs from a CPU.
Make sure your powersupply has enough watts to support your GPU.
5. Hard Drive/Solid State Drive (HDD/SSD)
This is where all your data is stored. However, processing and loading data from a HDD is slow.
In comparison, SSDs play a similar role of storing permanent data, but they are much faster than HDDs.
It does not mean that HDDs are completely obsolete! SSDs are more expensive, and certain data like saving old photos or archiving videos does not necessarily need the faster performance of a SSD.
6. Random Access Memory (RAM)
Ram acts like the bridge between your HDD to your CPU.
When you open up a program like Chrome, the data that is stored from your HDD will transfer to your RAM, once your CPU can access the data, the RAM will then be cleared up.
Whereas a HDD stores lots of data with slow access, RAM has faster access to data but at the cost of very small storage space.
This is a summary of a lot of the essential parts to a desktop, so there will other details and other components not mentioned here.
If you additional assistance and information, feel free to email me questions.
Comments