- (Random Access Memory, or Volatile Memory, is used by the system to store data for processing by a computer's CPU. RAM stores the data in memory cells that are arranged in grids much like the cells are arranged in a spreedsheet, from which data, in the binary form of 1's and 0's can be accessed and transferred at random to the processor for processing by the system's software.
The higher the RAM or more you have in your computer the faster it will process and store information for your CPU to process. As most of you know, when you put more RAM in your computer, it works much faster.
But the thing to be careful of, is in most computers you can put too much. Each computer will only take so much of this RAM. If you put in a stick of RAM, and it is more than your computer can handle, the computer will not read it or use it.
- We all know that a motherboard is a vital part of every computer. But why? What exactly is it, and what does it do? The more you know about computer components, the better your position as a user, which is where we strive to help you.
A motherboard is also known as a main board, system board and logic board. A common abbreviation is ‘mobo'. They can be found in a variety of electrical devices, ranging from a TV to a computer. Generally, they will be referred to as a motherboard or a main board when associated with a complex device such as a computer, which is what we shall look at. Put simply, it is the central circuit board of your computer. All other components and peripherals plug into it, and the job of the motherboard is to relay information between them all. Despite the fact that a better motherboard will not add to the speed of your PC, it is none-the-less important to have one that is both stable and reliable, as its role is vital.
A motherboard houses the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which is the simple software run by a computer when initially turned on. Other components attach directly to it, such as the memory, CPU (Central Processing Unit), graphics card, sound card, hard-drive, disk drives, along with various external ports and peripherals.
There are a lot of motherboards on the market to choose from. The big question is, how do you go about choosing which one is right for you? Different motherboards support different components, and so it is vital you make a number of decisions concerning general system specifications before you can pick the right motherboard.
A hard drive, also known as a hard disk drive or HDD, is a fundamental part of modern computers. The hard drive is where all of your programs and files are stored, so if the drive is damaged for some reason, you will lose everything on your computer.
A hard drive uses similar memory storage technology to cassette tapes and video tapes. You may already know that tapes store information on long, thin strips of tape with a delicate magnetic material on its surface. Likewise, hard drives contain round, mirror-like platters that are covered with that same magnetic recording medium.
The platters inside a hard disk drive are usually made of glass or aluminum. It is the polished magnetic material on the surface that makes the platter appear shiny, like a mirror. A clean, polished surface is critical to the proper functioning of the hard drive — even the smallest spec of dust can cause irreparable damage.
Just as a head inside of your cassette player or VHS player reads the data on the tape, a head inside your hard disk drive reads and writes data to the platters. This head is on an arm that is attached next to the platters, so that it can pivot back and forth over the them.
The average modern hard disk drive has several platters inside of it, stacked one on top of the other, like an Oreo cookie. There is a small gap between each platter, which allows each platter’s head to pass over it. The heads are all on the same arm, which has a separate branch for each head, rather like the tines of a fork turned on its side.
The Heating Element & Fan
control the temperature of the CPU or processor. Without this correctly installed, the CPU would over heat, and possibly explode.
The Element is secured to the board over the CPU typically by arms rather they are screwed in place or clipped.
Your computer can function without the fan depending on how power the CPU is, but cannot function without both. Newer CPU's with there increased power simply will not function. The nice thing about this is if the fan and board are set up correctly, than the board itself will control the fan speed to control the CPU's temperature.
The only problem with having imbedded parts is that they are not as strong.
An imbedded video port with the system could be only 128mb or less, while if you add a video card yourself; you can purchase one much higher. But for most home users having only the 128mb of video ram is more than enough.
High end users or gamers will need much more for their graphics to work with the games they use.
And of course, unless you’re like me, the audio will be enough as well. The jacks will give you 1- audio out for your speakers, 1- microphone jack and 1- input jack if you choose to plug in a separate device to listen to.
Some people will put in an additional card for enhanced audio.
Just like a stereo system for your TV, you can get cards to put in your computer to do 5.1, 7.1 audio. Surround sound and everything else.
Myself I have this feature due to using my computer to view TV and watch movies. Most users will not do this.
The USB plugs on your computer you can use for your flash drives, or to plug in hardware that you purchased. These can be used for almost everything. An extra hard drive, your ipod, printers even Internet if you so choose.
Now, lets go back to the main board inside the computer for a bit.
There are several different brands of boards, so which one is in your computer in unclear. But, they all function pretty much the same.
Today the style of the board in mATX. A standard ATX board, just smaller. Of course they do get much smaller and much larger if you have a very old computer.
The board has several components on it. And everything inside your computer gets plugged into this board.
If you ever take the side off your computer, you will see several things on this board, most of which there is no need for us to get into.
There some parts that are critical to know about, such as the battery.
Every board has a battery on it. If this battery dies, it will need to be replaced for you computer to function.
The battery controls such things as the bios settings. It keeps the things that get your computer started stored on the system so your computer does not have to reset itself each time it starts.This is also a nice feature to have if you are having trouble with the BIOS, you can remove the battery for a few seconds and it will reset itself. However, most computer have what is called a "jumper" for you to do this with.
When the battery dies, I have seen some people junk the computer and buy a new one. Spending $5-900 instead of simply spending $10-20 just to get the battery replaced.
Such is true for many of the parts inside your computer. Every piece can be replaced with either a new piece of hardware, or even a used one. So keep this in mind before you start looking for a new computer.
When replacing or adding parts to your computer, remember to check the piece of hardware already in the computer to make sure you purchase the right piece.
If you’re buying a new hard drive, you will need to know if your computer’s hard drive is IDE or SATA. Even thou the hard drives are basically setup the same, there is a difference.
Here is an IDE hard drive:
Now here is a SATA hard drive: 
You can see the difference in the plug, or the cable that plugs into your hard drive from your computer boards. A lot of newer boards are coming with cables and boards that you can plug both into, but remember when you are replacing your hard drive it is always best to replace it with the same type of hard drive.
The same will hold true when you are replacing the RAM. There are many types of RAM out there. Most computers, when you take the RAM out of the computer there will be a little sticker on it that will tell you what type it is. For example, this computer I am working on uses DDR2, which is a higher end type RAM. More expensive than lower types.
A lot of older computers are using either DDR or just standard SDRam. You cannot mix them. Even some boards will allow you to use either type, but not together.