IQ (especially fluid intelligence, measured in abstract reasoning tests) functions like the motherboard plus the maximum processor capacity that the system supports. It is largely genetically determined (high heritability, ~70-80% in adults) and defines the ceiling of raw processing performance that the brain can achieve. A simpler motherboard only accepts processors up to a certain level; similarly, a lower IQ imposes a more restrictive upper limit on the maximum capacity for complex reasoning.
The actual processor you have at any given moment in life is your current effective fluid intelligence. You are born with a basic processor (the initial genetic potential) and, throughout development (especially until the end of adolescence/beginning of adulthood), a natural “upgrade” of this processor occurs until it reaches the limit allowed by the motherboard (peak usually between 20-30 years old). After that, fluid intelligence tends to decline slowly with age, like a processor that loses performance over time.
Neuroplasticity and learning function like the possibility of overclocking, software optimization, and RAM expansion. Even with the same hardware (same IQ), quality education, intense practice, good sleep, nutrition, and rich stimuli can extract much more performance from the processor you have, in addition to increasing effective working memory.
Accumulated knowledge and crystallized intelligence (vocabulary, expertise in specific areas, learned skills) are the storage (HDD/SSD) plus the installed programs. This “disk” can grow virtually without limit throughout life. A person with a lower IQ (simpler motherboard) can, with much study and experience, have a gigantic “HDD” full of specialized knowledge and surpass, in specific tasks, someone with a higher IQ but who is lazy or uncultured.
| Brain component | Computer equivalent | Genetic limit? | Can it improve significantly with effort? |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQ / Fluid intelligence | Motherboard + processor top | Yes, high | Only up to a certain point (peak in young adulthood) |
| Current reasoning performance | Effective processor + overclocking | Partially | Yes, with training, health, and education. |
| Neuroplasticity | Ability to optimize the system | Not directly | Yes, especially during childhood and adolescence. |
| Crystallized knowledge / intelligence | HDD/SSD + installed programs | No | Yes, virtually unlimited throughout life. |
This makes the analogy more technically accurate, avoids common misconceptions, and better reflects what current science knows about intelligence.
Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela Rodrigues MRSB holds a post-PhD in Neuroscience and is an elected member of Sigma Xi – The Scientific Research Honor Society (more than 200 members of Sigma Xi have received the Nobel Prize), as well as being a member of the Society for Neuroscience in the United States, the Royal Society of Biology and The Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom, the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria, and the APA – American Philosophical Association in the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Biology. He is also a Technologist in Anthropology and Philosophy, with several national and international degrees in Neuroscience and Neuropsychology. Dr. Fabiano is a member of prestigious high IQ societies, including Mensa International, Intertel, ISPE High IQ Society, Triple Nine Society, ISI-Society, and HELLIQ Society High IQ. He is the author of more than 300 scientific studies and 30 books. He is currently a visiting professor at PUCRS in Brazil, UNIFRANZ in Bolivia and Santander in Mexico. He also serves as Director of CPAH – Centro de Pesquisa e Análises Heráclito and is the creator of the GIP project, which estimates IQ through the analysis of genetic intelligence. Dr. Fabiano is also a registered journalist, having his name included in the book of records for achieving four records, one of which is for being the greatest creator of characters in the history of the press.