# Personal computer
|  | A **Personal computer**, often referred to as a PC, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and gaming. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or technician. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers. Primarily in the late 1970s and 1980s, the term home computer was also used. The advent of personal computers and the concurrent Digital Revolution have significantly affected the lives of people in all countries. |
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| | wikipedia:: [Personal computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computer) |
|  | A **Desktop computer** is a personal computer designed for regular use at a stationary location on or near a desk due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuration has a case that houses the power supply, motherboard, disk storage ; a keyboard and mouse for input; and a monitor, speakers, and, often, a printer for output. The case may be oriented horizontally or vertically and placed either underneath, beside, or on top of a desk. |
| | wikipedia:: [Desktop computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computer) |
| | A **Gaming computer**, also known as a gaming PC, is a specialized personal computer designed for playing video games at high standards. Gaming PCs typically differ from mainstream personal computers by using high-performance graphics cards, a high core-count CPU with raw performance and higher-performance RAM. Gaming PCs are also used for other demanding tasks such as video editing. Gamers and computer enthusiasts may choose to overclock their CPUs and GPUs in order to gain extra performance. The added power draw needed to overclock either processing unit often requires additional cooling, usually by air cooling or water cooling. |
| | wikipedia:: [Gaming computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaming_computer) |
|  | In computing, a client is a piece of computer hardware or software that accesses a service made available by a server as part of the client–server model of computer networks. The server is often on another computer system, in which case the client accesses the service by way of a network. |
| | wikipedia:: [Client (computing)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Client_(computing)) |
## Related
- [[Codex/Tech/Making|Maker]]
- [[Raspberry Pi]]
- [[Homelab & Self-hosting]]
- [[Video Games]]
- [[Backup]]
- [[File Sharing]]
- [[Unraid]]
- [[Linux]]
- [[Windows]]
- [[Server (computing)]]
## [[PC Building]]
## [[Computer hardware]]
## Form Factors
[Form factor (design) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_factor_(design))
### Stationary
#### All-in-one
- [[iMac]]
#### Desktop/Tower/Just The box, no screen, monitor, etc.
- Full Tower
- [[ATX]]
- EATX
- Small Tower
- [[MicroATX]]
- SFF/Smaller box/tiny tower/console sized/Mac Mini/NUC/Mini PC
- [[Mini-ITX]]
- [[Nano-ITX]]
- SFF
- [Small form factor (desktop and motherboard) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_form_factor_(desktop_and_motherboard))
- [[Mini PC]]
- [[Next Unit of Computing|NUC]]
- [[Mac Mini]]
- GMKtek
- [GMKtec](https://www.gmktec.com/?spm=..index.header_1.1&spm_prev=..product_d626229a-3228-4e6c-89d5-f5dbd4971953.header_1.1)
- [[Single-board computer]]
- [[Raspberry Pi]]
- [[Stick PC]]
- [[Plug Computer]]
- [[USB Drive]]
### Mobile
- [[Laptop]]
- Laptop-tablet
- where screen detaches to be come tablet and/or flips around and covers the keyboard to be together as a tablet
- nettop
- [[Chromebook]]
- [[Keyboard computer]]
- [[Cyberdeck]]
- [[Tablet computer]]
- [[Phablet]]
- [[Smartphone]]