On this page you’ll find the most common abbreviations used in computer hardware along with their meanings. We’ll add more as they come up. Here’s what we have so far:

  1. CPU – Central Processing Unit
  2. GPU – Graphics Processing Unit
  3. RAM – Random Access Memory
  4. ROM – Read-Only Memory
  5. HDD – Hard Disk Drive
  6. SSD – Solid State Drive
  7. MB – Motherboard
  8. PSU – Power Supply Unit
  9. USB – Universal Serial Bus
  10. VGA – Video Graphics Array
  11. DVI – Digital Visual Interface
  12. HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface
  13. SATA – Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
  14. RAID – Redundant Array of Independent Disks
  15. BIOS – Basic Input/Output System
  16. UEFI – Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
  17. PCI – Peripheral Component Interconnect
  18. PCIe – PCI express
  19. DDR – Double Data Rate (commonly followed by a number, as in DDR4, which is a type of RAM)
  20. DIMM – Dual In-line Memory Module
  21. SIMM – Single In-line Memory Module
  22. LED – Light Emitting Diode
  23. LCD – Liquid Crystal Display
  24. OLED – Organic LED
  25. TFT – Thin-Film Transistor (as in TFT LCDs)
  26. FHD – Full High Definition
  27. UHD – Ultra High Definition
  28. NIC – Network Interface Card
  29. LAN – Local Area Network
  30. WAN – Wide Area Network
  31. WLAN – Wireless LAN
  32. USB-C – Universal Serial Bus Type-C
  33. NAS – Network-Attached Storage
  34. PATA – Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment
  35. I/O – Input/Output
  36. GHz – Gigahertz
  37. MHz – Megahertz
  38. kbps – kilobits per second
  39. Mbps – Megabits per second
  40. Gbps – Gigabits per second
  41. IDE – Integrated Drive Electronics (or Integrated Development Environment in software context)
  42. RGB – Red Green Blue (color scheme, especially in gaming and PC lighting)
  43. CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
  44. VRAM – Video Random Access Memory
  45. SODIMM – Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module
  46. ATX – Advanced Technology Extended (a size and form factor for PC motherboards)
  47. mATX or µATX – Micro ATX
  48. ITX – Information Technology eXtended (miniature motherboard form factor)
  49. M.2 – A type of SSD that connects directly to the motherboard
  50. RPM – Revolutions Per Minute (commonly used to describe hard drive speed)
  51. USB-A – Universal Serial Bus Type-A
  52. USB-B – Universal Serial Bus Type-B
  53. API – Application Programming Interface (though more software, it’s relevant in terms of GPU and drivers)
  54. V-Sync – Vertical Synchronization (used in graphics and display settings)
  55. SLI – Scalable Link Interface (NVIDIA’s multi-GPU solution)
  56. CrossFire – AMD’s multi-GPU solution
  57. VR – Virtual Reality
  58. AR – Augmented Reality
  59. IoT – Internet of Things
  60. SoC – System on a Chip
  61. NVM – Non-Volatile Memory
  62. TB – Terabyte
  63. GB – Gigabyte
  64. MB – Megabyte
  65. KB – Kilobyte
  66. NVMe – Non-Volatile Memory express (type of SSD protocol)
  67. PoE – Power over Ethernet
  68. RGB – Red-Green-Blue (relating to display colors or customizable lighting in gaming gear)
  69. VRM – Voltage Regulator Module
  70. PnP – Plug and Play

This list just scratches the surface, as technology is constantly evolving, and new terms and abbreviations emerge frequently.