Computer Component Label Drop

About this interactive

Open a desktop computer and the parts are not labelled. What tells you which is which is shape, position and what each one is connected to — so knowing that RAM is volatile working memory is only half of it; you also have to recognise the row of thin modules clipped in beside the processor. This activity asks for that second half. Each question names a job — executes program instructions, keeps files when the power is off, converts wall AC into regulated DC — and you click the part that does it. The processor sits under the finned heat sink and its fan, because it produces more heat than anything else on the board. The memory modules stand in slots right beside it, because the shorter that path is the faster the processor is fed. The drive is bolted into a cage at the front, away from the heat. The power supply is a sealed box in the corner with a fan grille and a bundle of cables running to the board. The expansion card lies across the lower slots with its own fans and a bracket of display sockets facing out the back. Everything else plugs into the motherboard, which is why clicking bare board is a different answer from clicking the parts standing on it. Half the questions ask by function and half by a practical symptom — a machine that stalls with many applications open, a machine that is out of disk room, a machine that does nothing at all when the button is pressed — because that is the form the question takes when a real computer is in front of you. Each run draws a fresh selection from the pool.

What you'll learn

Locate the CPU, RAM, storage drive, GPU, power supply and motherboard inside a desktop computer, and name the function each one performs in the system.

Aligned to

CompTIA Tech+

2.3 Explain the purpose of common internal computing components.

CompTIA A+ Core 1

3.4 Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards.

3.2 Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM.

Cisco CCST IT

2.4 Identify, install and upgrade various components in a desktop computer

Key terms

Central Processing Unit: The primary processor chip in a computer that executes instructions from programs by performing arithmetic, logic, control, and input/output operations. CPU speed and core count directly affect system performance.
Random Access Memory: Volatile memory that temporarily stores data and program instructions the CPU is actively using, allowing fast read and write access from any memory location. RAM contents are lost when power is removed, unlike persistent storage.
Hard Disk Drive: A traditional storage device that uses rotating magnetic platters and read/write heads to store and retrieve data persistently. HDDs offer high-capacity storage at lower cost per gigabyte than SSDs, but with slower speeds and moving mechanical parts.
Graphics Processing Unit: A specialized processor designed to accelerate rendering of images, video, and graphics by performing many parallel calculations simultaneously. GPUs are also widely used for machine learning and general-purpose parallel computing workloads.
Power Supply Unit: A hardware component that converts AC power from a wall outlet into regulated DC voltages required by internal computer components such as the motherboard, CPU, drives, and expansion cards. PSU wattage and efficiency ratings determine what components a system can support.
Motherboard: The main printed circuit board of a computer that physically connects and enables communication between the CPU, RAM, storage devices, expansion cards, and other peripherals through buses and chipsets.

About TechKnowSurge

TechKnowSurge builds IT and cybersecurity professionals through hands-on, concept-first training built around real understanding — not memorization. Free interactive tools, structured programs, and 25+ years of real-world experience, all in one place.

Explore free tools and programs →