💾 Hardware Basics
Understand the physical components that power computers and servers — RAM, storage, CPUs and more.
🧠 Memory & Storage
Q1What is RAM and what does it do?Beginner▼
RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer's short-term memory. It temporarily stores data that the CPU is actively using — running programs, open browser tabs, files being edited.
RAM is extremely fast but volatile — all data is lost when the power is off. It's measured in gigabytes (GB).
- 4GB — basic tasks, light browsing
- 8GB — comfortable for everyday use
- 16GB — good for developers, gaming
- 32GB+ — video editing, VMs, heavy workloads
💡 More RAM lets you run more programs simultaneously without slowdown. But RAM is not storage — files are not saved in RAM.
Q2What is the difference between SSD and HDD?Beginner▼
Both are storage devices (where files are permanently saved), but they work very differently:
- HDD (Hard Disk Drive) — Uses spinning magnetic platters. Cheaper per GB, larger capacities available. Slower (100–150 MB/s read). Moving parts = can fail from drops.
- SSD (Solid State Drive) — Uses flash memory chips (no moving parts). Much faster (500–7000 MB/s). More expensive. More durable. Uses less power.
💡 SSDs make a dramatic difference to boot times and overall system responsiveness. If you can only upgrade one thing on an old computer, make it an SSD. Web servers with SSDs serve pages significantly faster.
Q3What does a CPU do?Beginner▼
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the brain of the computer. It executes instructions from programs — performing calculations, logic operations, controlling other hardware components.
Key CPU specs:
- Cores — More cores = more tasks in parallel (e.g. quad-core = 4 simultaneous tasks)
- Clock speed — GHz rating = how many cycles per second (higher = faster per core)
- Cache — Tiny ultra-fast memory built into the CPU for frequently accessed data
⚠️ For a web server hosting static files, CPU is rarely the bottleneck. Network speed and disk I/O matter more. CPU matters most for dynamic content generation.