This is a typical desktop computer. It has various buttons and ports on the front and
back of the computer case. We’re going to go over some of the most common ones, which
you’ll find on most desktop computers. Let’s start with the front of the case.
Most desktop computers have the power button on the front, although some all-in-one computers
put it on the back, behind the screen. Your computer will probably have an optical
disc drive, also known as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. This has either a tray or a slot where
you can insert a CD, DVD, or even a Blu-ray disc, if it's a newer computer.
If you have blank CD-R or DVD-R discs, you can write – or burn – data onto them.
For convenience, your computer may have audio ports and USB ports on the front. That makes
it easier to plug in your phone, headphones, or USB flash drive.
You can also find audio and USB ports on the back of the computer. You’ll usually
have several USB ports so that you can plug in all of the peripherals that you need.
The power socket is also found on the back, and this is where you'll connect the power cord.
To connect your computer to the internet,
you can use an Ethernet cable to connect your Ethernet port to your modem or router.
This port looks a lot like a telephone port, but it's a little bit wider.
You’ll use your computer’s monitor port to connect the monitor. There are many different
types of monitor ports. This computer has a VGA port, but your computer
may have a different kind, such as DVI or HDMI.
Expansion slots allow you to upgrade your computer by adding expansion cards. For example,
you can add a graphics card to get better gaming performance.
Many computers use PS/2 ports to connect the mouse and keyboard. The mouse port is usually
green, and the keyboard port is usually purple. If you have a USB mouse and keyboard, then
you won't need to use these ports. Finally, some computers have a serial port
and a parallel port for connecting to older peripherals such as printers. But today most
devices use the USB ports instead. So those are the main types of buttons and
ports that you’ll find on a desktop computer. Your computer may have the ports in different
places, and it may even have a different type of port, but chances are,
most of these basic parts are there.