Components of a Computer: I computer equipment has evolved a lot since its appearance. Today, it is easy to have a custom PC to mount a video or configure it as a gamer.
But do you know what a computer really is? How does it work?
The super proof gives you some answers so that the components of a computer do not have any secrets for you.
What is a Computer?
Basically, a computer is a machine capable of performing operations and calculations. It is neither more nor less than a calculator. Currently, a computer can be a PC or a Mac, but after all, it is the same!
A computer is physically made up of numerous integrated circuits and many support, extension, and accessory components, which together can perform various tasks very quickly and under the control of a program (software).
It is made up of two essential parts: the hardware, which is its physical structure (electronic circuits, cables, cabinet, keyboard, etc.), and the software, which is its intangible part (programs, data, information, digital signals for internal use, etc.).
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The Important Components of a Computer
The fact that it is programmable enables it to perform a wide variety of tasks, making it a general-purpose machine (unlike, for example, a calculator whose sole purpose is to calculate in a limited way).
Thus, on the basis of input data, you can carry out operations and solve problems in the most diverse fields (administrative, scientific, design, engineering, medicine, communications, music, etc.), including many questions that would not be directly solvable or possible without your intervention.
Simple computers are small enough to integrate with mobile devices. These embedded computers are found in many current devices, such as MP4 players, mobile phones, fighter jets, and everything from toys to industrial robots.
The acronym PC stands for Personal Computer and meets the needs of a user. The user can make it perform and interact with it through devices. It appeared in the early 1980s when IBM released its first PC / XT.
These computers, unlike other microcomputers existing at the time, were composed of standard components, easy to duplicate.
Today, the PC (Apple or Microsoft) is the most used type of computer, although there are also computers for very specific applications, such as computers on board a car, for example.
The External Components of a Computer
Both desktop PCs and laptops are made up of the same thing:
- A screen,
- A keyboard,
- A mouse or Trackpad (or Touchpad) for laptops,
- And above all: a central unit, the heart, and the brain of the computer.
Computer Screen
The screen is part of the computer that will display the content. Thanks to it, the user can interact with the computer. When we type on the keyboard and use the mouse, it is reflected on the screen and the data is displayed.
The screen can vary in size and is calculated in inches from the diagonal. The Best laptop for Pentesting can have a very compact screen: about 10 inches. Fixed computers are at least 15 inches and can be 27 inches or more if the user chooses a television screen.
The resolutions and prices also vary: for a 24-inch screen, for example, the resolution is 1920 pixels by 1080 or high definition. The displays are connected with VGA, DVI or HDMI.
Computer Keyboard
It is used to write text and thus communicate with the computer. Keyboards generally have around a hundred keys: alphabet letters, numbers, accents, and special keys. He is the descendant of the typewriter.
There are several types of the keyboard: wired or wireless, with or without a numeric keypad, with additional functions …
The keyboards vary according to the language: in Spain, we use the QWERTY keyboard (first letters present on the keyboard), as in the United States and in most other countries in the world.
Computer Mouse
With it, you can move the cursor (the arrow) on the screen, point to elements, and select them by clicking.
Today, mice are equipped with a displacement sensor, typically optical or laser. But you might remember the ball mice! Mice can be wired or wireless (in this case, a wireless receiver needs to be connected to a USB port on the computer).
In laptops, the mouse is not mandatory, since they have a touchpad located next to the keyboard that fulfills this function.
The mouse has two buttons to click, double-click or right-click and a scroll wheel to scroll down the web page or word processor.
The Central Unit of the Computer (CPU)
It is the box that contains all the electronic material essential for the operation of the computer. The keyboard, mouse, and screen are connected to it. It is for example in the central unit where a disc / CD-Rom is inserted.
Nowadays, some computers no longer have a central unit itself, but everything is located behind the screen, as in the case of the iMac, or under the keyboard as in all notebook computers.
The central unit contains the processor (the brain), the hard disk (the memory), the Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 2600 (the spine), and the power supply (the heart and the lungs).
Also, take a look at our article on essential computer accessories. Which you can learn in a basic computer course with one of the many Super proof teachers!
The Internal Components of a Computer
The internal Components of a Computer are not visible from the outside, but the computer case must be opened to discover all the electronic components necessary for its operation. Therefore, the components of a computer are not limited to what we see, but are also made up of:
- The processor (Intel processor, AMD processor, Intel Core processor, microprocessor …),
- The internal hard drive (SSD hard drive),
- The motherboard (Asus, Intel, Socket or MSI),
- The power supply,
- RAM memory,
- The graphics card, the sound card, and the network card.
Computer Processor
The processor or CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of the computer. It is in charge of the data exchange between the components (RAM, hard disk, graphic card).
Its main tasks are:
- Read the data in memory,
- Process the data,
- Write data to memory.
The processor does the calculations allowing the user to interact with the computer and display the system on the screen. Today, one processor can reach 3 GHz, and some computers are equipped with multiple processors.
They can process billions of data per second and perform large calculations that allow science and medicine to progress faster. Computing power is processor-based. Who would think that a chip 4 or 5 centimeters long and a few millimeters thick can hold so much power?
The processor is connected to the Motherboard.
