A single board computer is defined by having only one circuit board that makes it up. This means that every component needed for a complete computer, including outputs and inputs, memory, processor and other components are located on this board. This makes for a very compact design.

Single board computers are not commonly used as desktop consumer computers. Those computers are designed so that additional circuit boards can be added via expansion slots. This allows the user to install separate video cards, sound cards and so forth. A single board computer has all of this installed on it as required.

These types of computers are popular in industrial settings and with hobbyists. They were first built in the mid-1970s and have been features of computer technology since.

Today’s single board computers are surprisingly powerful and very flexible. They come in an huge range of different sizes and capacities, which makes them commonly seen in multiple products. The router that carries Internet capability to your computer probably has a single board computer in it. It never needs to be upgraded to serve its current role and is likely expensive enough to make it feasible to dispose of the technology once it is outdated.

There are some single board computers that rival desktop computers in terms of their potentiality. These typically have extra memory sockets or expansion ports included in their designs. At this point, they are only slightly different than a desktop PC, perhaps having fewer expansion capabilities but still having enough to make the computer flexible enough to be used far into the future.