2.1: Architecture Overview
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The basic components of a computer include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Primary Storage or Random Access Memory (RAM), Secondary Storage, and Input/Output devices (i.e., screen, keyboard, and mouse), and an interconnection referred to as BUS. The secondary storage may be a Solid-State Drive (SSD), disk drive, or other type of secondary storage media.
A very basic diagram of a computer architecture is as follows:
Programs and data are typically stored on the disk drive. When a program is executed, it must be copied from the disk drive into the RAM memory. The CPU executes the program from RAM. This is similar to storing a term paper on the disk drive, and when writing/editing the term paper, it is copied from the disk drive into memory. When done, the updated version is stored back to the disk drive.