The Three Mojor Component Of Computer And How They work

The hard disk is the  computer’s long-term memory. All program and file data is stored on the Hard Disk. A normal PC’s Hard Disk has from 2-16GB (Billion Bytes) of memory storage space.
The hard disk is made of a number of a flat rotating discs covered on one or both sides with some magnetic material. The hard disk can hold a lot of information, but cannot upload or save very quickly. RAM (see right) and the hard disk work together. When you open a program it loads from the hard disk into RAM. When you save a file, it saves on the hard disk from RAM. When your computer is making noise, it is usually the hard drive. It is cost effective to upgrade your hard drive.

RAM is the computer’s short term or working memory. RAM can store data needed by the Processor. It can get data from the hard drive or from the Processor, itself. A normal PC has between 32-128MB of RAM. RAM is a Microchip designed to store and send data. RAM can upload or save data very quickly, but cannot hold as much information as the hard drive. RAM also needs electricity to function. When you turn off the computer RAM is wiped clean. The Processor gets most of its data from RAM. RAM also stores pre-processed data that the CPU may need at a later time. More RAM gives the processor more data to work with. With small amounts of RAM, the processor has access to less data. When RAM is low the slower hard drive must continually feed data to RAM, slowing the computer. Upgrading RAM is sometimes dramatically effective, and makes good economic sense versus buying a new computer.

The Processor, or CPU, is the computer’s “brain”. The Processor does calculations, orders data,
and instructs components to do things. Processor speeds are measured in Hz (Hertz), a unit of
measurement that measures cycles of electricity. A newer processor would be rated at 300-500 MHz (million hertz). The processor is a microchip. The speed of a processor is dependent on many things, including its rated speed and it’s ability to receive information quickly from RAM.A graphics or sound card is basically a separate microprocessor with it’s own RAM. A graphic card handles all the computations needed for 3-D graphics and frees the main processor to do other
tasks. Upgrading the processor is usually difficult, with marginal returns. By the time you need
a new processor, you probably need more hard disk and RAM space, too, making a processor upgrade the least upgradeable item.