- PC SYSTEMS -

The below pages take you to a description of the major hardware components in your system.  Getting familiar with them can turn on a few lights about what you have, and what you may want to add or upgrade.

The most important hardware component in your system (above) is your motherboard (with your CPU).  As `Microsoft' is to software, `Intel' is to CPU/motherboard hardware.  However, there is no 'Bill Gates' behind the Intel empire (in fact, I don't know who started or presently runs the company).  Fact of the matter is, however, that Intel is (and has been for a long time) the leading edge in the production of Central Processing Units (CPU's) - and a lot of other stuff.  Intel, however, is not the only player in the game, and to find out more about the competition, go to CPU's.

I designed the below desktop computer layout a lot of years ago - but the basic hardware elements of a PC haven't changed since it's birth in 1980.  The only major differences in the computer itself are that most of the base units (case plus internal components) are now towers instead of desktops, and they all come with a CD player instead of a 5 1/4" floppy drive.