CompTIA ITF+ Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Resource for Complete Exam Success!

The component of a computer that is primarily responsible for storing data permanently is the hard drive. The hard drive is a non-volatile storage device, meaning it retains data even when the power is turned off. This characteristic allows it to store an operating system, applications, and user files over long periods.

In contrast, random access memory (RAM) is a volatile memory type that temporarily holds data and instructions that the CPU needs while a computer is running. When the computer is powered down, any data stored in RAM is lost. The central processing unit (CPU) is the main processing unit that executes instructions, but it does not store data permanently. The motherboard is the main circuit board that connects all the components of a computer, but it does not serve as a storage device itself.

Thus, the hard drive is the correct answer as it specifically provides permanent data storage in a computer system.