The most important processing devices inside a compute are as follows:
The CPU is the device which co-ordinates the operation of all the other devices in the system. It can be seen as the brain of the computer, orchestrating the flow of data between storage (RAM and mass storage) and audio and visual outputs (speakers and screen).
What is RAM?
The RAM (also referred to as memory) is a temporary storage mechanism which is designed for high speed read and write access. The CPU will use RAM to store data for currently active programs, but the memory will not perform any significant processing on this data, other than to store and retrieve it. Anything stored in RAM is lost when the machine is turned off.
What is a GPU?
Like the CPU, the GPU could be considered to act like a brain - it performs operations on data and decides whether to store that data or move it on to an output. However, the GPU is solely dedicated to processing data destined to be displayed on the user's screen.
What Does A Sound Card Do?
The sound card has a similarly specific role to the GPU, but is responsible for processing and presenting audio instead.
Network Cards
Originally only present in mainframe computers, modern desktop and laptop machines now come with network cards as standard, reflecting the importance of network connectivity (in particular, Internet connectivity).
The Purpose of Mass-Storage Controllers
This part of the system handles the storage and retrieval of data which is to be stored long-term on a hard-drive or similar device. This subsystem will also have its own specialised CPU and memory to perform these operations.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- Random Access Memory (RAM)
- Graphics card/Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
- Sound card
- Network card
- Mass storage controllers (e.g. S-ATA, SCSI interfaces)
The CPU is the device which co-ordinates the operation of all the other devices in the system. It can be seen as the brain of the computer, orchestrating the flow of data between storage (RAM and mass storage) and audio and visual outputs (speakers and screen).
What is RAM?
The RAM (also referred to as memory) is a temporary storage mechanism which is designed for high speed read and write access. The CPU will use RAM to store data for currently active programs, but the memory will not perform any significant processing on this data, other than to store and retrieve it. Anything stored in RAM is lost when the machine is turned off.
What is a GPU?
Like the CPU, the GPU could be considered to act like a brain - it performs operations on data and decides whether to store that data or move it on to an output. However, the GPU is solely dedicated to processing data destined to be displayed on the user's screen.
What Does A Sound Card Do?
The sound card has a similarly specific role to the GPU, but is responsible for processing and presenting audio instead.
Network Cards
Originally only present in mainframe computers, modern desktop and laptop machines now come with network cards as standard, reflecting the importance of network connectivity (in particular, Internet connectivity).
The Purpose of Mass-Storage Controllers
This part of the system handles the storage and retrieval of data which is to be stored long-term on a hard-drive or similar device. This subsystem will also have its own specialised CPU and memory to perform these operations.
