What Is a Computer?
A computer is relatively defined as any machine that can be programmed to carry out a set of algorithms and arithmetic instructions. Of course, the computers we think of today are so much more advanced than that and I’m talking beyond just being machines used to play games and watch videos of cats on the internet! Desktop Computers specifically has been a mainstay to many different job scope, from the average Admin Worker, to the important Secretary, to even E-Sports icons from a variety of games! Each one of them follows a specification to the build of their Desktop Computer, some different from the others, but here, I’ll explain to you the 5 main parts of a desktop computer you can find!5 Vital Parts of a Desktop Computer
1. The Motherboard
2. The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The “Brain” of a computer, as it is often called, due to its direct plug connection to the Motherboard, is the portion of a computer that retrieves and executes instructions. The CPU is essentially acts as the brain of a CAD system. It consists of an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), a control unit, and various registers. Whenever you write a line of code (in Python Java C++ , or any other programming language ), it’s broken down into assembly language which is a language that the processor can understand. It fetches, decodes, and executes these instructions.
The CPU is often simply referred to as the processor.
3. The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
The very item Gamers tend to obsess about, and willing to spend the big bucks on, the GPU is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and game consoles.
Due to this reason, these graphic cards make it possible for computers to generate high-end visuals like those found in the many different types of video games. Aside from gaming, however, good graphics cards also come in handy for those who rely on images in order to execute their craft, like 3D modelers using resource-intensive software.
One thing to note, however, is that Graphics cards often communicate directly with the display monitor, meaning a $1,000 graphics card won’t be of much use if there isn’t a high-end monitor connected to it. This part of the desktop tends to specifically work hand-in-hand with the monitor.
4. Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM, also known as volatile memory, stores data regarding frequently accessed programs and processes. A form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code.
It has been called volatile memory due to the fact it gets erased every time the computer restarts. Due to this nature, RAM helps programs and games to start up and close quickly.
The two main types of volatile random-access semiconductor memory are static random-access memory (SRAM) and dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The difference between the two are:
static random-access memory (SRAM)
- has lower access time, and is faster
- users transistors and latches
- is in the form of on-chip memory
- as a higher access time and is slower compared to SRAM
- uses capacitors and very few transistors
- has the characteristics of off-chip memory
5. Storage
The “Memory” of the Desktop Computer, this is where you will be storing your games and applications into. The modern Desktop Computers typically have two orders of secondary storage device due to these storage devices being less expensive. the Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) or Solid-State Drives (SSDs) are usually utilized as the secondary storage.
The difference between the two drives are:
- HDDs are made of an actual disk onto which data is stored. The disk is read by a mechanical arm. (HDDs are cheaper than SSDs, but are slowly becoming more and more obsolete.)
- SSDs (think SIM cards) have no moving parts and are faster than a hard drive, because no time is spent waiting for a mechanical arm to find data on a physical location on the disk.
