Parts of Computer

Motherboard is the main printed circuit board found in general purpose microcomputers and
other expandable systems. It holds and allows communication between many of the crucial
electronic components of a system, such as the central processing unit (CPU) and memory, and
provides connectors for other peripherals.

Microprocessor is a computer processor which incorporates the functions of a computer's central

processing unit. The microprocessor is a multipurpose, clock driven, register based, programmable
electronic device which accepts digital or binary data as input, processes it according to
instructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the
instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logical, control and
input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions.

Universal Serial Bus, USB is a plug-and-play interface that allows a computer to communicate with
peripheral and other devices. USB-connected devices cover a broad range; anything from
keyboards and mice, to music players and flash drives. For more information on these devices, see
our USB devices section. USB may also be used to send power to certain devices, such as
smartphones and tablets, as well as charge their batteries.

Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector. The 15-pin VGA
connector is found on many video cards, computer monitors, and high definition television sets.
On laptop computers or other small devices, a mini-VGA port is sometimes used in place of the
full-sized VGA connector.

Network card is an electronic device that connects a computer to a computer network, usually a
LAN. It is considered a piece of computer hardware. Today, most computers have network cards.
Network cards enable a computer to exchange data with the network.

Sound card is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates economical input and output of
audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is
also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using
hardware inside the PC

Jorge Núñez 8-913-1478

 Parts of Computer

Video card is an expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display (such as a
computer monitor). Frequently, these are advertised as discrete or dedicated graphics cards,
emphasizing the distinction between these and integrated graphics.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive or fixed disk[b] is a data storage device used for
storing and retrieving digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters)
coated with magnetic material. The platters are paired with magnetic heads arranged on a moving
actuator arm, which read and write data to the platter surfaces.

Computer monitor or a computer display is an electronic visual display for computers. A monitor
usually comprises the display device, circuitry, casing, and power supply. The display device in
modern monitors is typically a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) or a flat panel
LED display, while older monitors used a cathode ray tubes (CRT).

Mouse is a pointing device (hand control) that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a
surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows a
smooth control of the graphical user interface.

Computer case contains the most important components of the computer: the motherboard, the
processor, random access memory modules, the hard drive etc. It may not be possible to exchange
the components in a laptop computer, but in a desktop computer you have much more influence
on the parts inside the case.

Computer keyboard is a typewriter-style device which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to

act as a mechanical lever or electronic switch. Following the decline of punch cards and paper
tape, interaction via teleprinter-style keyboards became the main input device for computers.

Computer power supply is a switch-mode power supply that converts AC power from the mains
supply, to several DC voltages. Switch-mode supplies replaced linear supplies due to cost, weight,
and size improvement. The diverse collection of output voltages also have widely varying current
draw requirements.

Random-access memory is a form of computer data storage. A random-access memory device

allows data items to be accessed (read or written) in almost the same amount of time irrespective
of the physical location of data inside the memory.

Computer cooling system in computing generally refers to the dissipation of large amounts of
heat, which is created while a computer system is running. Heat is generated inside the computer
tower by various hardware such as CPU, video card or even the hard drive. The objective of
cooling is to maintain an optimal operating temperature and this can be achieved through various
methods including the introduction of heat sinks and fans. Other cooling methods include liquid
cooling and software cooling.

Computer cooling system is required to remove the waste heat produced by computer
components, to keep components within permissible operating temperature limits. Components
that are susceptible to temporary malfunction or permanent failure if overheated include
integrated circuits such as CPUs, chipset, graphics cards, and hard disk drives.

Jorge Núñez 8-913-1478