Since the creation of the first computer in the 1800’s, computer systems have continually evolved and its components have become smaller and smaller until it was small enough to fit in everyone’s households. The first personal computer was introduced back in 1975. Since then, its components have improved and have become more powerful over the years.
A personal computer can be one of the most advanced piece of technology in one’s household. Comprised of different components, one might ask: which one is the most important? To answer this, we first need to look at each major component and discuss the roles they fulfill.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The central processing unit is the “brain” of the computer. Every single input and operation that you do with your computer is processed in it. It selects the instructions, processes them, and delivers an output. Most computers today have “dual-core” or “quad-core” processors. Dual-core referring to two CPUs and quad-core having four. The more cores you have, the faster the time your computer takes to process and complete tasks requested by the user.
Hard Drives
The hard drives are where all your pictures, video, documents, programs are stored. It permanently stores data on your computer, meaning the files stored would not disappear everytime you shut down and boot your computer. Hard drives can be internal or external.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Random access memory is a high speed storage where your computer and its programs can temporarily store common data that programs constantly use. Unlike the hard drives that store data permanently, RAM disposes data stored in it when you turn off your computer. The more memory your RAM can store, the more programs you can run simultaneously. That’s why most people prefer computers with bigger RAM as RAM size is a huge factor when it comes to computer speed.
Graphics Card
A computer’s graphics card translates binary data from the CPU and turns it into a picture that you can see. These translations can be really mathematically intensive which can put an amount of strain on the CPU. It is primarily used for 3D applications and is constantly evolving to provide hyper-realistic graphics. Graphics cards of today have become so powerful that they can even simulate real-time ray tracing as shown in these RTX 2080 graphics cards.
Motherboard
The motherboard, also sometimes referred to as the logic board, is where all the parts of the computer are connected. The base of a motherboard is made up of a very firm sheet of non-conductive material. Traces, which are thin layers of copper or aluminum foil are printed on this sheet. In addition to this, a motherboard also contains sockets and slots for other components to be connected to.
Verdict
With everything mentioned above taken into consideration, the answer to the question about which is the most important component is quite simple: All of them. Each of the components of a computer all have important roles that depend on each other where if one is absent, the others would not function properly. Simply put, they need each other to work and that is why each one of them is as important as the others.