Computer hardware is one of the key components that form the complete computer system. It consists of the computer software that enables the computer to function. Computer hardware also includes the internal components of a computer, including the main computer case, central processing unit, motherboard, hard drive, random access memory (RAM), processor, optical disc / DVD burner, video card, motherboard drivers and other input devices. These computer hardware parts are available for use in a computer system.
There are two types of computer hardware components. They are known as hardware components and software components. Hardware components include the likes of RAM, CPU, hard disk, video card and sound card. They enable various processes in a computer to run. These processes include those related to operating systems, networking, input devices, control systems, memory management, battery operation and input/output devices.
The computer hardware parts with removable bus slots enable easy installation in the system. This is because they can easily be fitted into the PCI slot on the motherboard of the computer. The bus slots in these computer hardware parts facilitate easy connectivity to the computer hardware parts. The most popular computer hardware parts that come with PCI bus are the Ethernet cable, the parallel port, the serial bus and the USB.
Earlier, computer hardware parts were composed of several components. For example, the mother board, the keyboard, the mouse, the monitor and the processor. The number of these components increased with time. At the same time, the functions of these parts increased as well. Today, computer hardware parts consist of about 400 basic parts, which perform different functions.
The computer hardware parts keyboard and mouse are considered as the elementary parts of the operating system. They enable the users to interact with the computer using a touch-pad or a trackball. On the other hand, the parts keyboard and processor are responsible for executing applications. Their main function is to track the positions of the windows and to control them through keyboard commands and with the help of the mouse.
The other main parts of the electronic device are the monitor and the CPU. The monitor displays the desktop image of the computer and helps in controlling it. Meanwhile, the CPU performs the tasks related to the execution of programs. In addition, the other computer hardware parts such as RAM and the hard drive store the data. They make the system run by making available the required resources. At the same time, they form an integral part of every electronic device.
The computer hardware components also include the optical scanner, the camera, the keyboard and the mouse. These are also known as computer input and output devices. The audio system usually consists of the speakers and the microphone. Besides, the computer also contains the video display system. All these parts together form an integrated circuit (IC).
All the main parts are easily available in the market. They can be bought directly from the manufacturer or they can be obtained through the various channels. However, computer hardware should be chosen carefully according to the needs. For instance, a laptop cannot be fitted with the sound card and the optical scanner at the same time.
When a computer system is designed today, many important input and output (I/O ) components are already present. Therefore, the only thing needed to be added is the I/O chip. A chip is not a physical part of the computer system. It is only a tiny piece of non-volatile memory which stores the data used by the CPU to process instructions.
The computer hardware is divided in to many different components. The most important of them are the CPU (personal computer) and the memory (RAM). According to the usage, the other hardware components can be added. For instance, you can add a keyboard if your desktop computer parts are too small. On the other hand, adding a DVD burner is useless if the CPU has already the capability to burn DVD’s.
If you are looking for additional information on computer components, you should visit some computer hardware websites online. You can also read books about how the CPU works. This will help you understand the different components included in your CPU. However, you must bear in mind that books and online articles only provide basic information. If you want to know more about your PC, it is better if you visit computer shops or authorized dealers who sell genuine PC parts. It is also more cost-efficient than visiting online shops.