Key Server Components of a Computer

Motherboard
First, there is the motherboard. The simplest way to think of a motherboard is a circuit board that connects each component of the server. The motherboard, more than any other component, is the heart of the server. Most server users won’t need to know much about the motherboard, except that it determines the amount of RAM, the type of CPU, and the number of hard drives that can connect to the server.
 
Central processing unit (CPU) / processor
The next important component of the server is the central processing unit (CPU). This is also known as a processor. If the motherboard is the heart of the computer, then the processor is its brain.
When it comes to performance, the processor is often the first component that comes to mind.
 
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Memory in the server does not refer to the hard disk drive, but rather to the RAM.
Random access memory, which stands for random access memory, is similar to the brain’s short-term memory. It is critical to the performance of your server and the amount you use it will need to scale with your specific hosting needs. Besides quantity, there are quality differences in RAM. You’ll need to make sure your server is running the latest generation (DDR4 at the moment, though most servers are still DDR3, and that’s okay too). This will get the best performance and bang for your buck.
 
Hard Disk
SATA drives are the standard for hard drives. These devices offer good performance and reliability but have already been superseded by upcoming hard drive technology. You may have heard of it before because it is also making waves in consumer markets. If you are thinking of SSD (Solid State Drives) you are right.
SSD disks are becoming more and more popular. All types of server hosting from dedicated servers to the cloud are starting to be supported or even offered as standard. They offer much faster read and write speeds and their reliability is amazing. If you can get an SSD, you won’t be disappointed as it will be a huge increase in server performance.
 
Network Port
Another vital component is network connectivity. Most servers are connected to a port whose speed can vary and be set by the host. Speeds on these ports can range up to a gigabit connection, but most start at 10Gbps.
 
Power Supply
Finally, there is the power source. You don’t need to know much about the server’s power supply except that it is there, which is what powers all the components in your server.
Optional server components
The server can have some other components as well. One of these components, which is becoming more important is the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).
GPU
GPUs are only used for graphics and gaming interfaces. In fact, the name GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. This means that they had no place in the servers. Most of them are accessed via Terminal or the command line, which means that the integrated graphics (which is on the motherboard) were more than enough.
But now, high-end GPUs are finding their place, for their ability to perform certain calculations much faster than a CPU. Most server users won’t put GPUs in setup for a while, but those dealing with machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data, and predictive analytics might start to see servers offered with GPUs.