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Computer Hardware - The Essentials

All computers have essential hardware components and computer hardware can be defined as a combination of physical components that form a computer.

The physical parts of a computer include both input and output devices that include the monitor, CPU, keyboard, motherboard, mouse and printer 

The motherboard which comes with integrated circuitry is the main component that connects the other parts of the computer including the the disk drives  as well as any peripherals connected with expansion slots or ports.

Input devices are those that are used to give the computer data or commands such as the keyboard, mouse, scanner, etc

Next comes the processor which is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a computer.

The term central processing unit is found in a personal computer  in small devices is often called  is the logic of a computer and functions like a human central nervous system, directing signals from one component to another and enabling everything to happen

Memory is the electronic holding place for instructions and data that your computer that can reach quickly and it usually contains the main parts of the operating system and some or all of the application programs and related data that are being used.

Memory is often used as a Random Access Memory which stores the code and data that are being actively accessed by the CPU.

RAM usually comes in the sizes 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, but can be much larger.

 This kind of memory is located on one or more microchips that are physically close to the processor in your computer.

The more RAM you have, the less frequently the computer has to access instructions and data from the more slowly accessed hard disk form of storage.

Memory is also called primary memory.

Storage in computing terms is the holding of data with access by a processor with secondary storage data resides on hard disks, tapes, and other external devices.

Primary storage differs from secondary storage in that it is much faster to access  because of the proximity of the storage to the processor or because of the nature of the storage devices.

 Secondary storage can store much more data as compared to primary storage.

Output devices to which the computer writes data and converts the data into a human readable form. Monitor and printer are output devices.

When using computer hardware, it is important to new hardware to a computer that improves its performance, adds capacity or new features.

For example, a user could perform a hardware upgrade to replace the hard drive to get a boost in performance or increase the amount of files that may be stored.

One can increase the RAM so the computer may run more smoothly and to fully use USB 3.0 devices, or could upgrade for extra  power.

It is important to remember that performing such hardware upgrades may be necessary for older computers to meet a programs system requirements

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