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The Components Involved In a PC System

Throughout this blog, I will outline the components involved in building a PC system explaining there various functions and the technical relationship between them. Not only this, but I will explain how to install each component. Then lastly I will also look at various operating systems and their differed purposes.

The Bare Essentials

• CPU
• Heatsink and fan
• RAM (memory)
• Motherboard
• Graphics card
• Monitor
• Hard Drive
• Keyboard
• CD/DVD-Drive
• Case
• IDE cable's (normally with motherboard)
• Power cable (normally with case)

These are the bare essentials in which to build a functional PC system, now I will describe what each of the components contribute to the system.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The CPU or processor is basically the ‘brain’ of a computer, it executes instructions for the system and transports data. It is regarded as the most important element of a computer, as without it there would be no communication between hardware components, and no list of sequenced instructions for the system to follow, and therefore function.

The CPU is located on the motherboard inside a small chip known as a microprocessor. It plugs directly into a CPU socket that is located on the motherboard. Certain motherboards only support certain CPU’s, so when installing/upgrading it is essential to check the manufacturer specifications of both pieces of hardware.

There are two main components of the CPU:

The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) – This performs basic arithmetic and logical operations (calculations).

The Control Unit (CU) – This extracts instructions from memory (RAM), decodes and then executes them. It can interact with the ALU when necessary.



This is a standard CPU Chipset



Modern CPU’s sometimes have a small fan and heat sink that are attached, this is to try to aid heat dissipation to keep the CPU running efficiently. The CPU interacts with the system via the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) which is where it can execute its set language instructions for each component in the system. It receives these instructions from the device driver that is installed in order to allow communication between a device and a computer system. The CPU chipset has a two north and south bridges. The north bridge controller interacts with the Hard disk, and the south bridge performs lower speed tasks like interacting with USB and I/O components.

Heat sink & Fan

A heat sink is a component used in which to transfer heat from within a solid state to an air or liquid state in an attempt to reduce the heat that is being applied directly to the solid component. These are often found on a motherboard attached to a modern CPU to keep it running in a cool and efficient manner. They often come with a fan also, which extracts cool air from outside the computer case and circulates around the PC in an additional attempt to aid cooling.

How to install/upgrade the CPU, heat sink & fan

1.)     Locate the CPU socket that is on the motherboard, it will appear a small square socket with numerous pinholes in it. Lift the safety catch to the side of the socket to allow the CPU to be plugged into it.

2.)     To mount the CPU, align the CPU pins to the CPU pinholes and apply pressure until the CPU clicks into place. Then push the safety catch lever back down to lock the CPU into place.

3.)     Often it is recommended to use some form of thermal compound when installing the CPU, this is applied between the CPU and the heat sink in an effort to reduce the CPU’s temperature. A thermal paste can be used for this, and is available to purchase from most computing stores.

4.)     Before installing a heat sink it is important to check whether or not a cooling fan has to be attached to the heat sink before the heat sink is attached to the CPU, you will be notified of this in the manufacturer booklet. When you’re ready to mount the heat sink, most come with small levers in which to clamp the heat sink directly above the CPU, although some require a screw fitting. You will be instructed of the exact installation procedure in the manufacturer booklet.

5.)     Once your CPU, heat sink and fan are mounted you need to locate the CPU fan header on the motherboard, and connect the heat sink power cable to the header. Again it is essential that you read your manufacturer documentation to ensure the correct fitting.               

6.)     Lastly, you need to configure the BIOS which will detect the type and speed of the newly installed CPU, again check the manufacturer documentation for the exact procedure in which to follow.



This is an example of a heatsink and fan.