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There are many different parts that make up a computer. Some parts are needed in all computers and some are additional parts that you may choose to put on your own computer. Of course each part costs money and so I will let you know what parts are optional and which you absolutely will need.
Each part plays a role in your computer and so a short definition of what the part does is included with each piece. There are different models of every piece of equipment and so if you are on a tight budget you may not wish to purchase the top of the line equipment right away. This is ok though for every piece of equipment on your computer can be replaced at any time.
Depending on what you plan on using your computer for will determine where you will want to put a little more money into parts. If you want a gaming machine then you will want a faster processor, more RAM, and a good Video Card. If you are planning on using your computer for office work you will want to have a larger hard drive, if you have lots of files, and you will want to have enough RAM to access your programs so your hard drive is not working all of the time.
I would recommend purchasing the essential parts first and then deciding what optional parts, if any, you will want. Lets start out with the essential parts of a computer and then I will list a few parts that are optional depending on how you want to use your computer. If you are looking for places to purchase parts for you computer you can check out the Where to Get Parts page.
Case - Used to house the motherboard, power supply, cpu, and other internal components of your computer.
Motherboard - Circuit board that is the main part of your computer.
Power supply- Converts your AC wall outlet power to DC power that your computer will use.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) - Brain of your computer.
CPU Cooling Fan - Cools your CPU.
Random Access Memory chips (RAM) - Used as temporary memory by your computer to improve the speed of many processes.
Video Card - Converts signals to images you can see on your monitor. The better the video card the clearer and sharper the graphics.
Hard Drive - Stores permanent data. The bigger the hard drive the more it can store.
CD Drive (May also be a DVD Drive) - Reads discs. Many programs to be installed on your PC come on compact discs or DVD's.
Monitor - The screen where you can view the data being processed by your computer.
Case Fan - Helps to keep the case cool and keep your computer from overheating.
Keyboard - Allows you to input data into your computer.
Floppy Disk Drive - Comes in either 3.5", 5.25" or a zip drive. Reads and saves data on floppy disks.
DVD Drive - Reads data on DVD's.
Sound Card - Connects to speakers to allow you to hear sounds in programs such as games and movies.
Modem - Allows you to access the internet with your computer.
Extra Disk Drives - An extra disk drive to reduce having to switch disks or to allow copying data from disk to disk without having to use up hard drive space.
Extra Hard Drives - Provides extra space to permanently store data on your computer.
Card Readers - Can read different types of memory cards, such as memory cards used in a camera.
USB Ports - Allows you to hook up hardware with a USB drive.
Printer - Allows you to print out data from your computer onto paper.
Case Lights - An accessory to provide an unique look to your computer.
Extra Case Fans - Provide extra cooling for your computer.
Mouse - Allows you to input data into your computer. Listed as an optional piece of hardware since you do not need the mouse to use all operating systems.