BASIC COMPUTER PARTS & THEIR FUNCTIONS

ATX or Tower Desktop Casing The "box" or case that holds the parts that

Make up a computer

Motherboard

Everything inside the computer is connected to a circuit

board called the 'motherboard'.

Processor The part of the computer that interprets data, executes

instructions, and solves arithmetic problems; the main
information processor or "brain" of the computer.

Processor Fan w/Heat Sink All computers have fan & heat sinks,

which help keep the processor cool and

prevent it from overheating.

RAM: (random access memory) a form of temporary internal memory storage whose
contents can be retrieved and altered by the user: also
called read and write memory.

Hard disks drive a rigid platter or stack of platters with a magnetic surface.
Hard disks can hold massive amounts of information; they
usually serve as your computer's main storage, holding
almost all of your programs and files.

An SSD is a type of mass storage device similar to a hard

disk drive (HDD). ... Unlike hard drives, SSDs do not have
any moving parts (which is why they are called solid state
drives).

Optical Drives CD or DVD drive, usually located on the front of the system
unit. CD drives use lasers to read (retrieve) data from a CD,
and many CD drives can also write (record) data onto CDs.
You can also use a CD drive to play music CDs on your
computer.
Floppy disk drive Floppy disk drives store information on
floppy disks, also called floppies or
diskettes.

Integrated Drive Electronics(IDE) Cable It is a standard type of connection for storage

devices in a PC. Generally, it refers to the types of cables
and ports used to connect some hard drives and optical
drives to each other and to the motherboard.

Serial ATA (SATA) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus
adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives
and optical drives.

Floppy cable A ribbon cable found in PC computers that allow one or

more floppy disk drives to be connected to a computer.

Video Card The video card is responsible for the

graphics part. It processes images, videos, 3D
games and pretty much everything that is displayed
on the monitor.

Sound Card A sound card is necessary if you want sound

output from your computer. Sound cards can be
either separate components or directly integrated
on the motherboard, and usually every PC has
them.

Modem a device that converts signals from one form to a form

compatible with another kind of equipment to transmit
data between computers, generally over phone lines
USB card (universal serial bus) is a newer way to connect a variety of
peripherals to the computer. Simplifies connection of up to
63 devices to the system while it is running.

Network Interface Card/LAN Card
The network card is component used in order to establish a
connection between multiple computers, or to connect to
the Internet. Network cards, just the same as sound cards,
can be either integrated on the mainboard or can come as
separate components.

Power Supply The power supply unit converts AC power from your wall
outlet to DC power, usable by the computer internals, and
controls power saving.

Automatic Voltage Regulator(AVR) A device that maintains the terminal voltage of a generator
or other voltage source within required limits despite
variations in input voltage or load.

Power Cord A cord to conduct power. Desktop computers typically use a

universal power cord for power, while laptops use power
adapters, often made to the specifications of the
manufacture.

Keyboard The keyboard is the device that is used to input data. A

keyboard can connect to a computer using an old-style
serial connection or a newer USB connector. Keyboards can
do more than just provide a way to type data. They can
also contain controls for the audio as well as video, such as
a DVD player.

Mouse A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items

on your computer screen. Although mice come in many
shapes, the typical mouse does look a bit like an actual
mouse. It's small, oblong, and connected to the system unit
by a long wire that resembles a tail. Some newer mice are
wireless.
Monitor A monitor displays information in visual form, using text
and graphics. The portion of the monitor that displays the
information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a
computer screen can show still or moving pictures.

Speakers Output device that produces sound and music when

connected to the computer.

Headphones Output device for listening that is held over the ears by a
band worn on the head

Microphone Input device in which sound energy is changed into

electrical energy for the sending or recording sound (your
voice).

Scanner Input device that reads copy as an image and digitally

records the image

Projector Output device for displaying onto a large surface

(projection screen) what appears on the computer monitor.

Printer A device that produces a paper copy of the information on

your screen.