When calling someone for tech support, it is helpful to know some basic terminology, so here are some common terms you should know.
CPU: Central Processing Unit. This is the main "chip" or so-called "brains" of the computer. Sometimes the word CPU is used to refer to the computer tower, or box. Motherboard: This is the main circuit board, which various components, including the CPU, memory, and disk drives, and peripheral devices are plugged into. Everything inside the computer box is connected to this board, in some way.Monitor/ Display: What used to be called a computer monitor, is now commonly called a display. When you press the power button on your display, you are not turning off the computer, just the display.
Expansion card: This is a card that goes inside the computer that extends the functionality. Common examples are graphics, or video cards, sound cards, network cards, and wireless network cards.