Hardware

Various hardware components power modern computers.

Term Definition
CPU Cental Processing Unit: The "brain" of the computer that controls all other processes.
Fan Literally a fan that circulates cool air through the machine.
GPU Graphical Processing Unit: Renders objects, images, and text on the screen.
HDD Hard Disk Drive: This device provides long-term storage that persists even while the computer is off.
Heat Sink A device that is used to channel excess heat away from computer components (usually the CPU).
RAM Random Access Memory: The "working memory" of the computer, where running programs are stored for quick access by the CPU.