what are they and what are they for

One of the biggest problems with which we have deep knowledge of an extremely technical subject is that what for us seems everyday to the rest of the people can seem to come from another planet. That’s why we thought of a guide so that you can know the different components of a computer, so that you can have a general idea of how they work.

All components of a computer are based on the same architecture

When we talk about architecture, we refer to the organization and interaction of the different elements of a system. Just as the parts of a car or any other machine only work as such, if they are organized in a specific way, when we speak of a computer it is exactly the same. And it is that apart from the fact that a computer today does not use mechanical elements, but electronics, it is still a machine and an evolution of the mechanical calculators already disappeared from the beginning of the 20th century.

The architecture used by all personal computers today is called the Von Neumann architecture, which consists of a central processor which we also know as the CPU, RAM, and a series of peripherals. Which can be internal and included in the same circuit of the computer or inside the box or be completely external. So let’s see a summary of the most basic ones.

What are the components of a computer?

In general, components are considered to be all those that are inside the PC case and are not connected to the outside. So even though the keyboard, mouse, and even the monitor are essential to using a PC, they are generally not considered components of a computer and are listed under the peripherals section. While it should be noted that in many categorisations the two are placed together, we believe it is far better to separate a computer’s internal components from its external peripherals. So some components like the graphics card for example, you will also see them as peripherals. Since these are connected to any of the expansion ports found both internally and externally on the computer.

So in short, the same way RAM and CPU are connected to their corresponding sockets inside the computer for its operation and interaction with the rest.

The processor or CPU

It is the central part of the computer, hence its name centr al processing unit and its job is to run the programs continuously

Yes manage interaction with peripherals and other computer components. But what is a program? It is a list of things to do or instructions that the processor itself executes and which are coded in binary format. Each instruction contains the action and the data on which it is applied and we must take into account that all the programs that we execute in our computer are nothing more than a set of ones and zeros executed in the CPU.

Much like a fuel engine, it follows a series of times or steps to convert gasoline or diesel into electricity to run the engine. In the case of CPUs, these for each instruction that they have to process follow a series of basic steps that they perform with each program instruction that they execute. This is called the Fetch-decode-execute cycle. Whichever processor we are talking about, it happens in all of them without reference.

So the CPU is a machine in itself that is responsible for executing what we call a program, which is a binary encoded to-do list, which the CPU itself understands and is used to solve a specific problem in the same time.

the graphics card

Its job is to free the CPU from displaying and computing graphics on the screen or monitor. Today, they use their own kind of processor which we call GPU and whose complexity is almost as powerful as a central processor. So much so that today some of the programs do not run on the processor, but on the GPU of the graphics card.

This brings its own RAM memory and we can find it in the form of an expansion card or in the processor itself. In this case, it is called integrated or iGPU and it does not have its own memory, but rather shares it with the processor. In the market we can find a wide range of graphics cards with different power levels and designed to work at different resolutions.

RAM

Computer programs have a peculiarity, they do not run randomly, but often have conditions and jumps. This means that at any time they can tell the processor to jump to a previous or random line of code due to a specific condition. Therefore, access to data stored in memory must not only be done sequentially and in order, but also randomly.

This is where RAM comes in, which temporarily stores and while the computer is on, all the programs and data the processor needs to run with. It is therefore one of the most fundamental computer components. And on PC, we cannot find them around the CPU with which they communicate directly, either in the form of DIMMs or as circuits soldered on the same board.

Motherboard

It is the card on which all the components of the computer are connected, whether it is memories, expansion cards, the processor itself and even the power supply. It is therefore the general hub of the computer and on which the rest of the components are mounted.

Its role is therefore the intercommunication between the various components connected to it, as well as the distribution of their energy from the power supply. Due to the appearance of new processors and technologies, motherboards are renewed as well as processors and RAM memories and evolve over time with them.

Storage

Since RAM cannot hold data when turned off, it needs a medium to store it for later retrieval when turned on again. Storage is therefore an essential component of a computer. Because without it, when we turn it off, we would lose all our work. This is why a computer has different ways of storing information in perpetuity.

Currently, the most widely used storage media as components of a computer are hard drives and solid-state drives. On some computers, you usually see external disk drive units. Today, in the luck of MicroSD slots, although rather in the latter case, the cards they interact with are considered peripherals rather than components because they are external. In the same way, despite the fact that they are also considered as storage, all these external units are not considered as components of a computer, for what we have mentioned before. They do not connect to internal connections or ports on the computer.

food

It is surely the most essential of all, since without the power supply (also called PSU) or the transformers which are in charge of converting the electricity which comes from the socket, or from the battery if you use a laptop computer, you cannot could not use our computer.

There are many types and sizes, from small ones with a few tens of watts of power and used in very light laptops to internal power supplies that can range from 500W to 2000W. or more.

Other computer components integrated on the motherboard

Due to the evolution of technology, many elements have been integrated into the motherboard itself. A few years ago, having any of these required expansion cards. They are found on the market, but they are already intended for extensions or to obtain better performance at some point. The components integrated in the motherboards are the following: