1.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) which acts as

brain of the computer. It does the computing and
processing works of the computer; such as
calculating your data with formulas in Microsoft
Excel worksheet, processing the raw data into a
usable one, etc.

2. RAM (Random Access Memory) works as

volatile data memory for programs to work. Imagine
this: program works in a office workspace and RAM
is size of the cubicle. Larger cubicle means program
have bigger working space and thus could work
faster if it needs to. Who determines which program
need larger or smaller cubicle? Kernel does (which is
a part of OS). Data stored in RAM won’t survive a
power-off.

3. Storage drive, Well… it acts as data storage

where your data and program innards reside. If
RAM is the office cubicle, then storage unit is the
office storage room. Obviously, the larger it is then
the more you could store your data. Storage drive
usually comes in HDD (Hard Disk Drive) which is a
quite dated but still largely used; the other one is
SSD (Solid-state Disk) which is newer and sports
faster read and write operation. Data stored in
storage drive last longer than RAM (if the drive is
not faulty, but it will deteriorates as aging kicks in).

4. Optical drive reads (or write) your optical media

such as CD, DVD, or BD. Usage trend for this media
is declining, so is for the usage of optical drive.

5. GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) process any

kind of graphical data. Be it your game, the interface
of a program, or the desktop. Some systems have
CPU sufficiently process the graphic - or a combo of
CPU+GPU, but for more demanding program you’ll
need a discrete graphic card.

6. PSU (Power Supply Unit) supply power to

components of the computer. Without it working
properly, it could impede the performance of whole
system and even broke from insufficient and
fluctuating power. Higher efficiency and quality PSU
means higher quality power output for components.

7. Sound card process audio and route any input

audio to proper output.

8. Motherboard is the central of those component

above where circuity wonder flows process and
data to appropriate component. If it unable to
works properly, it could stop whole system to a
grinding halt.

9. Input device, such as: mouse, keyboard, touch-

pad, scanner, optical drive, microphone, etc.
Anything that gives input to the system, usually by
user.

10. Output device, such as: monitor, printer, and

speaker. Self-explanatory, it outputs whatever
data that has processed by the system.