Major and Minor parts of a Computer
AGP slot
(Accelerated Graphics Port) A hardware interface from Intel for connecting a display adapter (graphics card) to a PC.
CMOS Backup Battery
A battery that maintains the time, date, hard disk and other configuration settings in the CMOS memory.
Motherboard
A circuit board that contains all of the computer system's main components.
Case Fan
A cooling fan mounted directly on the case, as opposed to a power supply fan, which is inside the power supply.
Optical Drive
A hardware device that uses lasers or light to read from, and maybe even write to, CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs.
Heat Sink
A piece of metal, with cooling fins, that can be attached to or mounted on an integrated chip (such as the CPU) to dissipate heat.
PCI Slot
Allows components to be directly placed into the Motherboard
IDE Connector
Connects to older hard drive disks and optical drives for data transfer.
HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
Data-recording system using solid disks of magnetic material turning at high speeds to store and retrieve programs and data in a computer.
Expansion Slots/Slots
Electrical connectors on the motherboard
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Memory modules on the motherboard containing microchips used to temporarily hold data and programs while the CPU processes both. Information in RAM is lost when the PC is turned off.
South Bridge
Part of the CPU chipset. It provides the interface to low speed devices and is often called the I/O Controller Hub (ICH). Compare to north bridge.
Power Supply Unit
Provides the electrical power for a PC. Converts standard AC power into various voltages of DC electricity in a PC.
SPDIF
Sony/Philips Digital Interface; digital audio standard for interfacing sound cards or onboard sound hardware to a digital amplifier.
GPU (graphics processing unit)
Specialized processor that helps the CPU by taking over all of the 3-D rendering duties.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The key component of a computer system, which contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute program instructions; the brains of the computer
Acc Fan Headers
Where the fan plugs into the motherboard
Serial Port Connector
a serial communication interface through which information transfers in or out one bit at a time
System Panel Connectors
controls a computer power button, reset button, and LED's
DRAM open slot
dynamic random access memory - stores its information in a cell containing a capacitor and transistor
SATA Raid
helps combine drives into a large single volume with a much better file system, and or allows for a drive to fail and the other to pick up where the other left off
ATX 24 Pin Power
one of the largest connectors inside a computer; it connects a power supply to an ATX style motherboard
1394 header
pin connection found on a computer motherboard that allow additional 1394 and USB connections to be added to the computer
USB Headers
pin connection found on a computer motherboard that allow additional 1394 and USB connections to be added to the computer
CAT5e/CAT6 input
structured cabling for computer networks such as Ethernet over twisted pair
CPU Fan Controller
the management of the rotational speed of an electric fan; balance their cooling capacities and the noise they generate
