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Components of a Computer Hardware System

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Computer Hardware Components

This lens will talk about the different computer hardware components that make up the whole computer system. This lens will try to explain in layman's terms each of these components, its uses and functions, that even the non-techy computer owner can understand.

What Is Computer Hardware?

Computer hardware is all that stuff that you can see and touch on your desktop computer. It describes the physical parts of the computer, those things that will break if you throw it out of the window. If you have a laptop computer you probably have the same set of components, only they are housed in a single book-sized portable unit.

Computer enthusiasts (better known as computer geeks) group the internal elements that compose a computer according to function. And they are: output devices, input devices, storage devices, and internal processing components.

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Output Devices

These computer hardware items enable users to get information from the computer. One of the most important function you'd want from your computer is to be able to see and hear what you are currently working on, right? Output devices will make it all possible for you. Monitors will let you see and view your documents, your colored ink jet printer print your sophisticated, colored pie chart, and speakers let you enjoy a hot new downloaded mp3.

Computer Monitors

Computer monitors are visual output devices that display computer-generated images. If you were to open up a computer monitor, you would find complex wiring and circuitry, which aid your computer in generating visual outputs.

Monitors are critical to any kind of computer work, because without them, computer users could not see the work they are performing. As computer multimedia technologies continue to advance, many people now enjoy watching or editing digital videos; sharing funny online animations with their friends, or creating multimedia e-mails with the aid of their monitors.

There are two main types of computer monitors. Some computer monitors generate output with the help of cathode ray tubes. This type of monitor is called the cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor. Some computer users prefer this type because a CRT monitor offers a richly colored display and does not break easily. However, CRT monitors can be bulky and take up a lot of desk real estate, be very heavy to carry, and they require a lot of power to run properly. Moreover, the picture screen can distort, display a "flicker effect," or burn out over time.

The newer types of display units are liquid crystal display(LCD) monitors and plasma screen monitors. LCD and plasma screen styles are much lighter than their older CRT counterparts. LCD models in particular require less power to run. However, these newer models can be more expensive than traditional computer monitors, and may be susceptible to screen pixel burnout. Fortunately, as plasma and LCD monitors become more popular, monitor repair options increase.

Computer Speakers

Computer speakers are also known as multimedia speakers. They are typically packaged with computer systems in small plastic boxes with mediocre sound quality. They usually come in standard audio connection of a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) stereo jack plug often colour-coded lime green, although there are also USB speakers powered by the USB port.

Some computer displays have rather basic speakers built-in. Laptops come with integrated speakers. Due to the tight restriction on space these speakers unavoidably produce low-quality sound.

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Input Devices

These computer hardware components help you to introduce data into your computer. One of the best-known input devices is the computer keyboard. Other input devices include the mouse, the gaming controller, the Web camera, and the microphone.

Computer Keyboards

The computer keyboard along with the its constant companion the mouse is the gateway for computer use. It is the bridge between user and machine. In the early days of the personal computer era, the keyboard was the only means of connection between human and machine.Throughout the years, the keyboard has shifted its role from being the only means of access to being predominantly a device of communication, to input text from academic essays, to e-mails and instant messages, web addresses, or even articles like this one.

The keys of the keyboard have even begun to take on new meanings in the Internet age. A keyboard key can now represent emotions, with various types of "smilies" or "emoticons" used by the lingo savvy user to express that which cannot be seen online. Emoticons or smilies can make a real difference in the meaning of a message and convey that the typist is :-) (happy), :-( (sad), ;-) (joking around with a wink), :-p (joking around by sticking their tongue out), etc.

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Mouse



No, this is not that small rodent running around your kitchen, but this input device is named after that little creature because of its resemblance in looks - the cable that connects the mouse to your computer looks like that mouse's tail.

Storage Devices

Storage devices allow users to store data, including text, pictures, and multimedia files. While some computer storage devices are immediately removable; others cannot be removed unless you take the computer apart. Some well-known removable storage devices include the flash drive, the Zip drive, the floppy disk, and the CD. Other storage devices are built-in to the machine and require more expert knowledge and training to remove. These would include the internal hard disk and the CD/DVD drive.

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Internal Computer Processing Components

These are the complex network of chips, wires, and circuitry that allow your computer to run. Computer scientists study this chorus of internal computer components and external devices that allows users to enjoy a seamless and efficient computing experience.

Chief among them is the motherboard: the panel of circuitry located inside a computer tower or laptop casing. Microprocessor chips and memory storage components connect to the motherboard, allowing the computer to store and process data. These items are cooled by a central processing unit (CPU) fan so that the computer's internal components don't overheat and cause memory failure or data loss. Additional random access memory (RAM) can be added to expand the computer's ability to handle multiple tasks at once.

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Secondary Storage Device

Is a storage medium that holds the data until it is deleted or overwritten.

Hard Drives


A computer's hard disk drive is its "data center"; it is where all of the data a computer contains is stored. It consists of a disk called a "platter" that rotates at high speeds and is magnetically encoded with information. Everything on your computer - your vacation photos, your favorite songs, your home videos - is stored on the hard disk drive, also referred to as simply hard disk or hard drive.

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