Inside The Computer

Front 1

Motherboard

Back 1

serves as a foundation for many of the other elements inside the computer. It's a large printed circuit board. The motherboard provides the connections and sockets that let other components communicate with each other.

Front 2

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Back 2

The computer brain is a microprocessor called the _______ or a chip containing millions of tiny transistors. It's job is to perform the calculations necessary to make the computer work -- the transistors in it manipulate the data. You can think of a it as the decision maker.

Front 3

Read-only Memory (ROM)

Back 3

Computers can read data stored in this but cannot write anymore data on to it. 1 of 2 memory storage types.

Front 4

Random access Memory (RAM)

Back 4

Computers can read from and write to this memory storage type. 1 of 2 memory storage types.

Front 5

Stateless

Back 5

That is what computers would be without memory

Front 6

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

Back 6

A chip that works closely with the CPU. It is a specific kind of ROM. If you think of the CPU as the brain of the computer, then you might consider this to be the spine. It's job is to handle interactions between the software running on a computer and the machine's hardware components.

Front 7

"Computer Brains"

Back 7

The motherboard, CPU, ROM, RAM and BIOS

Front 8

Power Supply

Back 8

This component provides a supply of electricity throughout the rest of the computer. When you plug your computer into this component, electricity flows from the cord into a shielded box containing a transformer

Front 9

Transformer

Back 9

This component's job is to convert the incoming electricity into the proper voltage for each part of the machine that needs electricity. If you're using a laptop, some of that power goes to the laptop's battery to charge it. When unplugged, a laptop has to rely on the charge inside the battery for its power needs.

Front 10

Drives

Back 10

The part in a computer are the devices that let you store and recall data and applications

Front 11

The Hard Drive

Back 11

either a series of thin platters that store information using magnetic recordings or a solid state flash hard drive with no moving parts. In either case, it allows you to store information and applications directly to your computer.

Front 12

Media Storage Devices

Back 12

CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or floppy disk drives

Front 13

Modems

Back 13

are machines that let computers communicate with other computing systems.

Front 14

Wireless Cards

Back 14

are radio transceivers that can send and receive data through a specific frequency of radio waves

Front 15

Sound and graphics cards

Back 15

They give the computer the ability to display graphics or play sounds and music

Front 16

Cooling Systems

Back 16

Includes heat sinks and fans.

Front 17

"Computer Guts"

Back 17

Power supplies and batteries
Drives
Modems and Wi-Fi cards
Sound and graphics cards
Cooling systems