Hardware is what connects the computer to the rest of the world. Without it, there would be no computer at all. Computer hardware consists of the various internal parts of a PC, including the hard drive, main computer case, motherboard, processor, optical disc/ DVD burner, hard drive data storage and sound card. In addition, there are external hardware components such as the graphics card and video card. All of these hardware components need to work together in order for the PC to perform computing tasks.
One of the most important pieces of hardware in a computer is the motherboard. The motherboard is the component that connects the PC to all the external devices. The motherboard’s task is to connect the PC to the processing device, such as the hard drive or the graphics card. Without the motherboard, there would be no way for the PC to communicate with the external devices.
Another important piece of hardware in a desktop computer is the power supply. The power supply allows the PC to turn off and on (and switch over to AC power) without manually doing so. Some PCs include an internal power supply that plugs into a normal outlet while others use an external power supply. Either way, the power supply needs to continuously draw power from an electricity source in order to function. This connection is very essential in the modern day PC since most computers are plugged into a power strip that supplies power to the components.
When talking about the physical components of a PC, there are many parts that make up a typical desktop computer. First, the motherboard connects the computer hardware to the rest of the PC. The logic subsystem controls the functioning of the PC and also handles communication between the external devices and the PC. The microcontroller manages the communication between the microprocessors inside the computer. There are other physical components, but those are the two most important.
With a simple definition, we can see that the hardware is anything that has a physical component and software is the program that controls how that component works. For instance, the keyboard controls how you type text on a keyboard. The optical drive stores data files on the optical disc and the CPU is what runs the computer system. All the various hardware components play an important role in the operation of the computing device.
So, why is it so important to understand the relationship between the hardware and software? Well, if one part fails, the whole system will fail. For instance, if the microprocessor fails, the whole system will shut down until the processor is repaired or replaced. In the same way, the keyboard, an optical drive, microprocessor, etc. need to all work properly in order for the computer to run smoothly.