How can I learn more about computers?

So, you want to learn more about computer architecture...

Well, that subject already has a long history... but it won't be too hard for you to learn the basics, so that you know what to look for when buying a computer.

This site should put you on the right track:

http://www.phy.ornl.gov/csep/ca/node2.html

Basically, there are just a handful of essential parts to a computer, which I can list right now:

The CPU (also known as the processor) - This does the calculations, it is the "brain".

The motherboard - This is the big board that connects everything together. Some motherboards will be more expensive and have extra features... like more USB ports, or better audio equipment. Most motherboards are designed for Intel processors.. but some are for AMD processors... so you have to be sure that the motherboard and the CPU are compatible.

The RAM - Random Access Memory... you see, a computer stores information in two ways... either on the hard drive, or on the RAM. The RAM is the immediate memory, the short-term memory... When the computer is running a program, like Microsoft Office, or your favourite game, the information that it needs to access is copied from the hard drive into the RAM, where it can be referenced quickly. The CPU can grab information from the RAM at lightning speeds, allowing it to create all those pretty fast-moving graphics. Grabbing information from the hard drive is a lot slower. How much RAM do you need? These days, at least 4 Gigabytes. 8 Gigabytes is more than enough for any program currently out there... many mother boards can handle 32GB or even 64 GB of RAM... but that much is totally unnecessary, and will remain unused by any program that currently exists... unless you are planning to build a server for some big corporation or something.

The Hard Drive - This is where information is stored. When a program needs information, it will take it from the hard drive and load it into the RAM. If you want to store lots of games and videos on your computer, then aim to have at least 2 terabytes (2000 Gigabytes) of hard drive storage. These days, it should only cost around $150 for a 2 terabyte hard drive.

The Graphics card - This is a device that is dedicated to processing visual information. The latest games generally require a powerful graphics card. At the moment, a card worth somewhere between $200 and $300 should allow you to run whatever game/program you want to run... if you want to have 3 monitors at once, then you will need to spend more on the Graphics card.

There are other things, like the DVD drive... you will want one of those so you can install an operating system... and of course you need a monitor so you can see stuff... but in basic terms, that's it... The CPU, the motherboard, the RAM, and the Graphics card.

PC games rely on the Graphics Card, the RAM, and the CPU... depending on the game, and how it was designed, it may rely on any one of those things more.

When buying a new PC, my advice is to look at the mid-range items... Don't get the latest gear, it will be outdated in a matter of months... look at whats on offer, and get whatever is at the average price... it will be plenty for your needs, for at least 3-4 years.

Here are some wikipedia pages on the basics, will help you get started

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer

they also have a glossary of terms

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_computer...

here are some guides i found to help you out

http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming/a/Beginn...

http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/119/1195653p1.html

NCIX has a loads of tutorial and guide vids that might help, though some may be a bit technical if your just starting out

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCE36E40EA3...

you can also finds loads of other useful guides on youtube

anadtech has a few guides that may help you pick parts to upgrade

http://www.anandtech.com/tag/guides

PCPER though in my opinion has the best guide on what parts to look for depending on the budget your working with

http://www.pcper.com/hwlb

someone asked a similar question on tomshardware, answer has links to some videos

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1633695/under...

hope this helps get you started, good luck

Check out the stuff at the bottom of this page: http://www.logicalincrements.com/

It contains a lot of useful information on what each component does and what specifications you should look for.

There are many books on basics of computers and you can also search for info on the internet !