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Computers are a very confusing subject to many people.  You have categories of people ranging from computer genius’ to computer literate to first-time-users and computing novices.  I’m here writing this blog article today to try and clear up the jargon used with desktop PCs & laptops to help you to be confident with your choice in computer, understand how your computer works and to eventually help you to purchase a computer.

I will start with each component in a computer and write a small description of what they are there for.  I will not list EVERY component, nor will I write exactly what they do but I will give you a good idea to help you to understand computers / Desktop PCs / Laptops just that bit more.
 

Case:

The computer case or shell is the basis of any computer unit.  Inside, is where the internal components sit to be connected to each other and guarded from dust and anything else potentially dangerous.  Cases come in many different shapes, sizes and styles.  Many cases are plain, some are big, some small, some thin, some wide, some cases, usually bought by online gamers and flashy technical people contain colourful neon lights inside the case and have glass side windows to show off the interior components being lit up by the neon lights.
 

Power Supply:

Some computer cases will come with a power supply pre-installed inside them, but most do not. As a result, it is necessary to get a power supply that works with your components and has sufficient power. Newer features such as modular cabling and efficiency ratings are also something to consider.  Remember, not all power supplies work with all motherboards and components, so it is best to ask a professional or anyone who definitely knows what they are doing.
 

Motherboard:

The motherboard is the backbone of the system. It determines the type of components that can be used with the system and the number of internal peripherals the system can support. It will directly impact the processor used and total amount of memory that can be supported. The motherboard is basically the large coloured board that sits up usually against the inside wall of the case and has all of the other components clipped into it.  They often come in different colours and again, depending on manufacturer, some are not compatible with other components especially components of different brands.

Processor:

The brain of the computer system. The processor tells the computer what is going on and handles any processes requested byt the user such as opening a software program, or running a virus scan etc.  The selection of processors used to be fairly simple but now, processors are sold with hundreds of different names and the jargon can be hard to understand.  You will probably heard of Dual Core, Quad Core, Pentium, Athlon etc etc.
 

Heat sink:

If the processor was purchased via the retail packaging, it will include the manufacturer heat sink. But for those who purchased an OEM processor, it will also be necessary to have a CPU cooler. Without it, your CPU will quickly burn itself out. Make sure that any heat sink you use is properly rated for your processor as well because again, not all are compatible with different branded CPU’s.
 

Memory:

Without memory, the computer will not be able to function. The CPU needs it to store the code to tell it how to properly process data. You will need to know the type that your motherboard uses and also determine how much as it directly impacts performance.  As a general rule, the more memory ( and this is not storage and hard-drive memory), the faster the computer and the more processes it can handle at any one given time.
  

Hard Drive:

The Hard Drive is the primary method of storage in all desktop computer systems.  They come in many different sizes running from very small 20 gigabytes all the way up to 20 Terabytes which is more than I could ever even think of using!  Hard drives come in a 3.5″ format and you will probably read this figure more times than just on this blog when it comes to looking at different drives.
  

CD/DVD Drive:

Optical drives are the component used to install 99% of all software now on a computer system. Without one, it will be hard to even get an operating system installed. Most drives these days are DVD burners that can also playback and record CDs as well.  Pretty much ALL computers you buy nowerdays come with these installed already.  They are inexpensive and a definite necessity!
  

Floppy Disk Drive: (Optional)

Once the primary means of removable storage and installing software, floppies have all but vanished from desktop computers. They still have their uses at times, but are no longer required. They are generally very small and have limited storage space.  They are rendered almost obsolete these days due to CDs/DVDs and removable storage such as USB pens etc.
  

Video / Graphics Card:

Unless the motherboard comes with a video connector, it will be necessary to install a video card into the computer system. Most graphics cards use the new PCI Express interface, but you may still find some motherboards that still use the older AGP interface that is rapidly being discontinued.  When buying a computer for gaming or entertainment purposes, it is recommended to buy one with a good, high specification graphics card.  As a rule, the higher the memory on the card, the higher the standard of graphics and the better the picture.
  

Sound Card: (Optional)

Most motherboards now feature some form of built-in sound controller on them. As a result, sound cards are not required unless you want higher fidelity computer audio or less reliance upon the CPU to assist with the computer audio. Using a computer when requiring high quality sound such as for music production or again gaming purposes, sound cards are easily upgradable and you can now buy external sound cards that often plug straight into USB slots.

Network Card: (Optional)

Ethernet has become such common media for networking computers, that this should be a standard feature on all motherboards. Some motherboards even feature wireless network adapters built in. If your motherboard does not have an Ethernet connector, it may be necessary to install a PCI Ethernet board or maybe a 802.11 wireless card.

Modem (Optional)

Broadband has become more and more popular, but there are still a number of people who can only get connected to the net through a dial-up modem. Be sure to get a PCI based card as few motherboards now feature any of the old ISA clots.
 

USB Slots (Universal Serial Bus)

USB slots come as standard in pretty much all common, modern PC systems now.  They are a fast, updated way of connecting removable storage and media to your computer and also a great and fast way of transferring and moving files about.  USB is allot like Firewire but can be faster and is more common.  Firewire is found on some older computers but is again, like many older features, becoming almost obsolete.

  
I realise the above guide is all about the hardware and there are a few components missing.  Please remember that hardware is not the only thing to think about as you also need software of various kinds.  Firstly, your operating system.  An operating system is what your computer runs on.  Examples of these are Microsoft Windows, Apple’s MAC and various Freeware such as Linux.  After operating systems, you must think about software to suit your purposes such as office software and definitely, anti-virus software.  Many of these cost money but there are plenty of Freeware alternatives if you search around a bit.

I hope this article has cleared things up abit for you and I hope you now understand the basic jargon on a desktop PC / Computer.  If you have any questions or would just like a general chat about anything you do not understand and would like to know, please email us on  enquiries@4heroes.co.uk

Our Next article will be about choosing which computer is right for you and buying a computer.