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Computer Hardware
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It Yourself
erything You Need to Know About Computer Hardware
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By
Tim Fisher
Updated November 18, 2019
387
Computer hardware refers to the physical components that make up a computer system.
There are many different kinds of hardware that can be installed inside, and connected to the
outside, of a computer.
Take a tour inside a desktop computer to learn how all the hardware in a traditional desktop PC
connects together to create the complete computer system like the one you may be using right
now.
Motherboard
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Power Supply
Video Card
Hard Drive (HDD)
Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Optical Drive (e.g., BD/DVD/CD drive)
Card Reader (SD/SDHC, CF, etc.)
Here is some common hardware that you might find connected to the outside of a computer,
although many tablets, laptops, and netbooks integrate some of these items into their housings:
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
Battery Backup (UPS)
Flash Drive
Printer
Speakers
External Hard Drive
Pen Tablet
Here are some less common individual computer hardware devices, either because these pieces
are now usually integrated into other devices or because they've been replaced with newer
technology:
Sound Card
Network Interface Card (NIC)
Expansion Card (Firewire, USB, etc.)
Hard Drive Controller Card
Analog Modem
Scanner
Projector
Floppy Disk Drive
Joystick
Webcam
Microphone
Tape Drive
Zip Drive
The following hardware is referred to as network hardware, and various pieces are often part of a
home or business network:
In addition to all the items listed above, there's more computer hardware called auxiliary
hardware, of which a computer might have none, or several, of some kinds:
Some of the devices listed above are called peripheral devices. A peripheral device is a piece of
hardware (whether internal or external) that isn't actually involved in the computer's main
function. Examples include a monitor, video card, disc drive, and mouse.
Fortunately, at least with desktop computers and some laptop and tablet computers, you can
replace the non-working piece of hardware without having to replace or rebuild the computer
from scratch.
Here are some resources you should check out before you go out and purchase a new hard drive,
replacement RAM sticks, or anything else you think may be going bad:
Memory (RAM)
Hard Drive
Computer Fan
In Microsoft Windows, hardware resources are managed by Device Manager. It's possible that a
"faulty" piece of computer hardware is really just in need of a device driver installation or
update, or for the device to be enabled in Device Manager.
Hardware devices won't work at all if the device is disabled, or may not be running properly if
the wrong driver is installed.
If you decide that some hardware needs replacing or upgrading, find the manufacturer's support
website for warranty information (if it applies to you) or look for identical or upgraded parts that
you can buy directly from them.
See these hardware installation videos for walkthroughs on installing different computer
hardware, like a hard drive, power supply, motherboard, PCI card, and CPU.
Hardware vs Software
A computer system isn't complete unless there's also software, which is different than hardware.
The software is data that's stored electronically, like an operating system or a video editing tool,
which runs on the hardware.
Hardware gets its name due to the fact that it's strict when it comes to modifications, whereas
software is more flexible (i.e., you can easily upgrade or change software).
Firmware is closely related to hardware and software, too. Firmware is used to tie the two
together so that a software program knows how to interface with a piece of hardware.
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