-Motherboard
- Motherboard - It is the "body" or mainframe of the computer, through which all other components interface.
- Central processing unit (CPU) - Performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, sometimes referred to as the "backbone or brain" of the computer.
- Computer fan - Used to lower the temperature of the computer; a fan is almost always attached to the CPU, and to the back of the case, also known as the 'muffin fan'.
- Firmware is loaded from the Read only memory eg. ROM run from the Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) or in newer systems Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) compliant
- Internal Buses - Connections to various internal components.
- Current
- PCI (being phased out for graphic cards but still used for other uses)
- PCI Express (PCI-E)
- USB
- FireWire
- HyperTransport
- Intel QuickPath (expected in 2008)
- Obsolete
- External Bus Controllers - used to connect to external peripherals, such as printers and input devices. These ports may also be based upon expansion cards, attached to the internal buses.
A case contro, and (usually) a cooling fan, and supplies power to run the rest of the computer, the most common types of power supplies are mechanic shed (old) but the standard for PCs actually are ATX and Micro ATX.
Produces the output for the visual display unit. This will either be built into the motherboard or attached in its own separate slot (PCI, PCI-E, PCI-E 2.0, or AGP), in the form of a graphics card.
- CD (compact disc) - the most common type of removable media, inexpensive but has a short life-span.
- CD-ROM Drive - a device used for reading data from a CD.
- CD Writer - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a CD.
- DVD (digital versatile disc) - a popular type of removable media that is the same dimensions as a CD but stores up to 6 times as much information. It is the most common way of transferring digital video.
- DVD-ROM Drive - a device used for reading data from a DVD.
- DVD Writer - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a DVD.
- DVD-RAM Drive - a device used for rapid writing and reading of data from a special type of DVD.
- Blu-ray - a high-density optical disc format for the storage of digital information, including high-definition video.
- BD-ROM Drive - a device used for reading data from a Blu-ray disc.
- BD Writer - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a Blu-ray disc.
- HD DVD - a high-density optical disc format and successor to the standard DVD. It was a discontinued competitor to the Blu-ray format.
- Floppy disk - an outdated storage device consisting of a thin disk of a flexible magnetic storage medium. Used today mainly for loading RAID drivers.
- Zip drive - an outdated medium-capacity removable disk storage system, first introduced by Iomega in 1994.
- USB flash drive - a flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB interface, typically small, lightweight, removable, and rewritable.
- Tape drive - a device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape, used for long term storage.
Hardware that keeps data inside the computer for later use and remains persistent even when the computer has no power.
- Hard disk - for medium-term storage of data.
- Solid-state drive - a device similar to hard disk, but containing no moving parts and stores data in a digital format.
- RAID array controller - a device to manage several hard disks, to achieve performance or reliability improvement in what is called a RAID array.
Enables the computer to output sound to audio devices, as well as accept input from a microphone. Most modern computers have sound cards built-in to the motherboard, though it is common for a user to install a separate sound card as an upgrade. Most sound cards, either built-in or added, have surround sound capabilities.
-Random Access Memory (RAM)
There's too much "stuff" on your computer's hard disk to use it all at the same time. During the average session sitting at the computer, you'll probably use only a small amount of all that's available. The stuff you're working with at any given moment is stored in random access memory (often abbreviated RAM, and often called simply "memory"). The advantage using RAM to store whatever you're working on at the moment is that RAM is very fast. Much faster than any disk. For you, "fast" translates to less time waiting and more time being productive.
So if RAM is so fast, why not put everything in it? Why have a hard disk at all? The answer to that lies in the fact that RAM is volatile. As soon as the computer is shut off, whether intentionally or by an accidental power outage, every thing in RAM disappears, just as quickly as a light bulb goes out when the plug is pulled. So you don't want to rely on RAM to hold everything. A disk, on the other hand, holds its information whether the power is on or off.
So if RAM is so fast, why not put everything in it? Why have a hard disk at all? The answer to that lies in the fact that RAM is volatile. As soon as the computer is shut off, whether intentionally or by an accidental power outage, every thing in RAM disappears, just as quickly as a light bulb goes out when the plug is pulled. So you don't want to rely on RAM to hold everything. A disk, on the other hand, holds its information whether the power is on or off.
Source :*Wikipedia
*Alan Simpson at http://www.coolnerds.com/Newbies/Hardware/hardware.htm
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