Hardware: CPU, RAM & Storage

Hardware means the physical parts of a computer: the things you can touch, such as the screen, the keyboard and the parts inside the box. Software means the programs that run on that hardware. You will meet software in Types of Software.

In this lesson you will learn the three parts that decide how fast and useful a computer feels: the CPU, the RAM and the storage. You will also learn how to find out what is inside your own computer, which is very useful when you buy a new one or ask someone for help.

The parts inside the box

Open a desktop cabinet (only with the power switched off and unplugged) and you will see these main parts. A laptop has the same parts, just packed tightly together.

The CPU: the cook

The CPU (Central Processing Unit), also called the processor, does the actual work. Every click, every calculation and every video frame passes through it.

Two numbers describe a CPU:

• Cores: a core is one worker inside the CPU. A 4-core CPU can work on four jobs at the same time. Most computers sold today have several cores.
• Speed, measured in GHz (gigahertz): roughly how many steps each core can take per second. A higher number is faster when other things are equal.

Common CPU makers are Intel (Core and Core Ultra), AMD (Ryzen), Qualcomm (Snapdragon chips in some Windows laptops) and Apple (M-series chips in Macs). The model name, such as "Core i5" or "Ryzen 5", tells you the level: a higher number in the same family is usually more powerful.

RAM: the kitchen counter

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the computer's short-term working space. When you open an app, Windows copies it from storage into RAM, because the CPU can read RAM far faster than storage.

Think of a kitchen. The CPU is the cook. RAM is the counter where the cook keeps the things needed right now. Storage is the store room where everything else is kept. A bigger counter means the cook can work on more dishes without running to the store room.

RAM has one important property: it is volatile. That means it forgets everything when the power goes off. If the electricity cuts out before you save a letter, the unsaved part is lost, because it was only in RAM. This is why you should save your work often with Ctrl + S.

Today, 8 GB of RAM is common in budget laptops and 16 GB in mid-range ones. More RAM lets you keep more apps and browser tabs open without the computer slowing down.

Storage: the store room

Storage keeps your files, photos and apps permanently, even with the power off. There are two main kinds inside computers:

For a computer you use every day, an SSD makes the biggest difference to how fast it feels. HDDs are still used for cheap, large backup drives.

Other storage you will use:

• Pen drive (USB flash drive): small, portable, for carrying files.
• Memory card: used in phones and cameras.
• External drive: a larger SSD or HDD in a box, connected by USB, for backups.
• Cloud storage: space on a company's servers over the internet, such as Google Drive or OneDrive. See Cloud Storage.

Check what is inside your computer

You do not need to open the box. Windows can tell you.

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Click System, then scroll down and click About.
3. Under Device specifications, read Processor (CPU) and Installed RAM.
4. For storage, go back to System and click Storage.

You can also ask from Terminal (right-click Start and choose Terminal). This line shows the CPU name and number of cores:

Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name, NumberOfCores

Name                                      NumberOfCores
----                                      -------------
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-10210U CPU @ 1.60GHz             4

This one shows how much RAM is installed. The / 1GB part converts the answer from bytes into gigabytes:

(Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem).TotalPhysicalMemory / 1GB

15.8085823059082

This laptop has 16 GB of RAM. Windows shows a little less than 16 because a small part is kept aside for the graphics and other hardware.

Finally, this line shows whether your storage is an SSD or an HDD:

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType

FriendlyName               MediaType
------------               ---------
SAMSUNG MZVLQ256HAJD-000H1 SSD

Your results will show your own parts.

What Windows 11 needs

Microsoft lists these minimum requirements for Windows 11:

These are minimums. A computer that only just meets them will work but may feel slow. When Kabir in Pune buys a laptop for college, an SSD and at least 8 GB of RAM will matter more to him than the colour of the lid.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up RAM and storage. RAM is short-term working space; storage keeps files permanently.
• Not saving work. Unsaved work lives only in RAM and disappears in a power cut.
• Filling storage to the top. When the drive is almost full, Windows slows down and updates fail. Keep some space free.
• Blocking the air vents. A laptop on a soft bed or pillow cannot cool itself and slows down to protect the CPU.

Key points

• Hardware is the physical parts; software is the programs.
• The CPU carries out instructions; cores and GHz describe its power.
• RAM is fast, temporary working space and is cleared when the power goes off.
• Storage (SSD or HDD) keeps files permanently; SSDs are much faster.
• Settings > System > About shows your processor and installed RAM.

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object FriendlyName, MediaType, Size