Parts of a Computer

A desktop computer set up on a desk, then its tower opened: 12 parts to name.

Parts of a Computer

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Monitor
  2. System unit (tower)
  3. Keyboard
  4. Mouse
  5. Speakers
  6. Motherboard
  7. CPU (processor)
  8. CPU cooler
  9. RAM (memory)
  10. Graphics card
  11. Storage drive (SSD or hard drive)
  12. Power supply (PSU)

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05 by script, from plain geometry: the desk set-up held as a small model and shown in one perspective from the front and a little above, and an ordinary ATX tower from the side with its panel off, the back of the case at the left. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: every part of a keyboard

All 12 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 7 main parts 7

  1. Monitor The display: an output device that shows what the computer is doing.
  2. System unit (tower) The case that holds the motherboard, drives and power supply. It lets cooling air through. A tall one is called a tower.
  3. Keyboard An input device: it sends each key pressed to the computer.
  4. Mouse An input device you move to point and click.
  5. Motherboard The main circuit board. It connects the other parts: the CPU, the RAM, the drives and the cards in its slots.
  6. CPU (processor) The central processing unit, which does most of the computing. It fetches instructions from RAM and carries them out.
  7. RAM (memory) Main memory, which holds the code and data the CPU is using. It forgets them when the power goes off.

The set-up 1

  1. Speakers Output devices that play sound.

Inside the tower 4

  1. CPU cooler A heatsink and fan that sits on the CPU. It carries the CPU's heat away. Some coolers use liquid instead.
  2. Graphics card Draws the picture on the monitor. An expansion card with its own processor.
  3. Storage drive (SSD or hard drive) Keeps files and programs when the power is off. Either a hard drive or a faster solid-state drive (SSD).
  4. Power supply (PSU) Turns mains alternating current into the low direct voltages the parts use. Typically 12, 5 or 3.3 volts.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-27. (1) Wikipedia, Computer hardware, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_hardware : the physical parts of a computer, the CPU, RAM, motherboard, data storage, graphics card and case, with external devices such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard and speakers; the case encloses the motherboard, disk drives and power supply and directs cooling air; most power supplies convert mains AC to DC at 12, 5 or 3.3 volts; the motherboard connects the CPU, RAM, disk drives and the cards in its expansion slots; the CPU fetches instructions from RAM and executes them, cooled by a heatsink and fan or liquid; RAM is volatile; storage on a hard drive or a faster solid-state drive; expansion cards in the motherboard's slots; keyboards and mice as input, displays as output. (2) OpenStax, Introduction to Computer Science, 5.1 Computer Systems Organization, https://openstax.org/books/introduction-computer-science/pages/5-1-computer-systems-organization : hardware such as hard drives, motherboards and processor chips; main memory, random access memory (RAM); the CPU, memory and graphics card joined by a bus; input/output devices such as a keyboard or mouse, and output such as a picture on the screen or sound from a speaker. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-05 by script, from plain geometry: the desk set-up held as a small model and shown in one perspective from the front and a little above, and an ordinary ATX tower from the side with its panel off, the back of the case at the left. Nothing is traced or copied. The arrangement inside the case was checked against the photograph Computer from inside 018.jpg by kallerna, 2007, on Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a desktop computer in two views: the set-up on a desk, then the tower with its side off. Start with the 7 main parts, then the set-up and the inside.

Read the full guide

The four main parts

The four main parts of a desktop computer are the system unit (the tower that holds everything), the monitor, the keyboard and the mouse. The keyboard and mouse are input devices; the monitor and speakers are output devices.

Inside the tower

The motherboard joins everything. The CPU does the computing under its cooler, reading from the RAM; the graphics card draws the picture, the storage drive keeps files with the power off, and the power supply feeds them all.

  • RAM forgets everything when the power goes off; the storage drive keeps it. That is the difference between memory and storage.

Questions and answers

What are the 4 main parts of a computer?

The system unit (the case with the motherboard, CPU, memory and drives inside), the monitor, the keyboard and the mouse.

What is the CPU of a computer?

The central processing unit, the chip that does most of the computing. It fetches instructions from the RAM, carries them out and is kept cool by a heatsink and fan.

What are the parts inside a gaming PC?

The same as any desktop: motherboard, CPU and cooler, RAM, graphics card, storage drive and power supply. A gaming PC usually has a stronger graphics card, which does most of the work in games.

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