How computers work pt.1

The CPU, or central processing unit, is the left side of the brain for the computer. It controls what the computer does and it solves problems. The CPU is so similar to a brain, that it seems like each CPU has a different IQ. Currently, the two main CPU models are AMD’s Ryzen and Intel’s CORE processors. Each model of CPU works and performs differently. Another element that plays into the way that the models perform differently is the way the CPU silicon is manufactured.

Then there is the motherboard. The motherboard is like the nervous system of the computer. It sends and receives information to and from the CPU (the brain) to the rest of the computer. Nerves in the body do the same thing; they allow the brain to send and receive signals. The Motherboard connects the CPU, RAM, GPU, the storage, and PSU.

So what are all of these components connected to the motherboard doing? Well the RAM, or Random Access Memory, does exactly what it sounds like it does. It is memory that needs to be accessed randomly. This is almost exactly like a human's short term memory. Both hold information to be accessed at any time and overtime, they lose that information.

The storage acts like the long term memory for the computer. It stores information for the computer to access at a later time. Storage comes in 2 forms. There are spinning disk mechanical hard drives, then there are SSDs or Solid State Drives. Mechanical hard drives write information on to disks inside the hard drive itself. Mechanical hard drives are older and slower. An SSD stores information on flash memory(same as USB flash drives). This allows SSDs to read and write information much faster than mechanical hard drives.