Whether you are planning on buying a new computer or trying to gain a little bit more of an understanding regarding how they work, this article will be your guide to the ins and outs of computers.
There is a lot to learn, so it's important not to get overwhelmed.
Like any subject that has many different aspects, it must be taken in slowly and piece by piece.
This article will provide you with the basic terminology and knowledge that will help you in understanding computers in a different way.
Computers are made up of many different parts.
Perhaps the most central part of the computer is the processor or CPU, which the computer cannot run without.
It sends signals to other parts of the machine that ultimately will determine how fast it is.
Another part of a computer that determines speed is called RAM, or Random Access Memory.
Computer RAM comes in sticks and can easily be installed by just sliding them in either vertically or horizontally, depending on the machine.
The graphics or video card is another important component of the computer.
It gives you a picture and determines how fluid the movement of video is on your machine.
Graphics cards come in a variety of speeds.
These are usually the most important to gamers who depend on high quality graphics cards to run the games that they play on or offline.
Finally, the motherboard is another central part to the computer and without it, your machine cannot function.
Perhaps the most single most expensive part, it is what your hard drive and CD ROM connects to with what is called an IDE or SATA cable, depending on the computer.
Learning more about how computers work and how their various parts are connected will not only help you to understand how they work, but also assist you in doing some of your own repair and avoiding high costs when things go wrong with your machine.