The different Parts of the Computer

A computer is made up of many different components. Each part has a specific function. Whether you need to replace a part, are thinking about building a computer, or just looking for some additional information, it's important to understand the basic computer parts and what they do.

Case

1. 
   A Mid-tower computer case
   The case is the part of your computer that holds all the other parts. Some common types of computer cases are: full-tower, mid-tower, mini-tower, and laptop. If you have a desktop computer, you are likely using a mid-tower; if you are using a notebook computer, you have a laptop case.

Motherboard

2. 
   A Gigabit brand motherboard
   The motherboard is the part of your computer that wires all of the other parts together. Every component of your computer, from the DVD burner to the CPU, will connect directly into the motherboard. Motherboard specs are typically designed around which processor (CPU) the computer uses. For example, if your computer uses an Intel processor, you will need an Intel compatible motherboard.

Processor (CPU)

3. 
   An Intel Processor
   The processor, or CPU, of a computer is basically the brains of the computer. The processor is responsible for interpreting every code it receives from the other computer components, and making it usable to your operating system. Some common types of processors are Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Phenom. A processor's speed will often determine the overall speed of your computer.

Hard Drive

4. 
   A Western Digital Hard Drive
   The hard drive part of your computer is very simple. Essentially, it is the part of the computer that stores all your information. If you upload a picture to your computer, it is stored on the hard drive. Hard drive capacity is measure in gigabytes, or GB. There are typically two ways that hard drives can connect to the motherboard: SATA and IDE.

Video Cards (Graphic Cards)

5. 
   A Simple Graphics Card
   A graphic card is the component of your computer that interprets video signal. These cards are necessary so that you can connect a monitor to your computer. There are many types of graphic cards available: anything from high-end gaming cards to TV tuner cards. Some popular graphic card manufacturers are NVIDIA, ATI, and EVGA.

RAM (Memory)

6. 
   Typical Desktop RAM module
   You may have heard of people upgrading the RAM in their computers. RAM is the part of your computer that is used as instant memory. RAM is always in use. For example, if you run many programs at once, you may want to upgrade your RAM because your computer is using more memory. RAM comes in many different configurations, such as DDR2 and DDR3. The type of motherboard you have will determine your RAM.

Optical Drive

7. The last main part of a computer is the optical drive. An optical drive is many times the drive you would use to burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and more. Optical drives can be either slot loading, or tray loading and come in many different configurations. Optical drives connect directly to the motherboard of the computer.
8. Disk-a disk is a piece of plastic that holds information for or from your computer.
9. C.D.-a round circle holds information for or from your computer.
10. Hard Drive-hard drives are machines that have alot of memory to save your work and carries a c.d.rom and a floppy disk.
11. Keyboard-a keyboard is a tool that is used for typing like a typewriter.
12. Monitors- a monitor is the screen on your computer that you look at when you are on the computer.
13. Mouse- A piece of plastic that has a ball on the bottom and two buttons on the top. When you click on the mouse, you usually click on the left button. It allows you to click on and choose things on your screen.
14. Printer- A machine that puts things from the computer onto paper.
15. Scanner- A piece of equipment that copies pictures so that you can use it in your computer projects.
16. Speakers- The part of the computer that lets you hear the sounds from the programs.
17. Modem- A part of the computer that connects to the phone lines so that you can go on the Internet.
18. Chip- A small piece inside the computer that helps your computer work. Chips have to be programmed by people or they won't work. There are many chips in a computer.
19. Motherboard- A main board of the computer that has many chips on it. The motherboard makes the computer work. It also is where the memory and the processing are found.
20. CPU (Central Processing Unit)- A chip that is the "brains" of your computer that processes the information.