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A personal computer
Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....
 is made up of computer hardware, multiple physical components onto which can be loaded into a multitude of software that perform the functions of the computer.

gh a PC comes in many different form factors, a typical personal computer
Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....
 consists of a case
Computer case

A computer case is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer. It has also been erroneously called the CPU, however this is an entirely different component....
 or chassis in a tower shape (desktop) and the following parts:

motherboard is the "body" of the computer, through which all other components interface.






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Personal Computer, Exploded 5
A personal computer
Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....
 is made up of computer hardware, multiple physical components onto which can be loaded into a multitude of software that perform the functions of the computer.

Typical PC hardware

Though a PC comes in many different form factors, a typical personal computer
Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....
 consists of a case
Computer case

A computer case is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer. It has also been erroneously called the CPU, however this is an entirely different component....
 or chassis in a tower shape (desktop) and the following parts:

Motherboard

The motherboard is the "body" of the computer, through which all other components interface. Components directly attached to the motherboard include:
  • The central processing unit
    Central processing unit

    A central processing unit is an electronic circuit that can execute computer programs. This broad definition can easily be applied to many early computers that existed long before the term "CPU" ever came into widespread usage....
     (    CPU) performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer. It is usually cooled
    Computer cooling

    Computer cooling is the process of removing heat from computer components.A computer system's components produce large amounts of heat during operation, including integrated circuits such as Central processing units, chipset and Video card, along with Hard disk drive....
     by a heat sink and fan.
  • The chipset
    Chipset

    A chipset or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product....
     mediates communication between the CPU and the other components of the system, including main memory.
  • RAM
    Ram

    Ram, ram, or RAM as a non-acronymic wordAs a non-acronymic word Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to:...
     is the system's main memory or primary storage, and holds data and instructions for running applications
    Application software

    Application software is any tool that functions and is operated by means of a computer, with the purpose of supporting or improving the software user 's work....
     and the operating system
    Operating system

    An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
    .
  • The BIOS
    BIOS

    In computing, the Basic Input/Output System , also known as the System BIOS, is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface for IBM PC Compatible computers....
     includes boot firmware
    Firmware

    Firmware is a term sometimes used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs that internally control various electronic devices. Typical examples range from end user products such as remote controls or calculators, via computer parts and devices like harddisks, keyboard s, TFT screens or memory cards, all the way to scientific instr...
     and power management. The basic input and output tasks from which it gets its name are now handled by operating system
    Operating system

    An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
     drivers.
  • Internal Buses
    Computer bus

    In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data between computer components inside a computer or between computers. Each bus defines its set of connectors to physically plug devices, cards or cables together....
     connect the CPU to various internal components and to expansion cards for graphics and sound.
    • Current
      • The northbridge
        Northbridge

        Northbridge or North Bridge may refer to:...
         memory controller, for RAM and PCI Express
        • PCI Express
          PCI Express

          Peripheral Component Interconnect Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI Local Bus, PCI-X, and Accelerated Graphics Port standards....
          , for graphics cards
      • PCI
        Peripheral Component Interconnect

        The PCI Local Bus , or Conventional PCI, is a computer bus for attaching computer hardware in a computer. These devices can take either the form of an integrated circuit fitted onto the motherboard itself, called a planar device in the PCI specification or an expansion card that fits into a socket....
        , for other expansion cards
      • SATA
        Sata

        Sata is a traditional dish from the Malaysian state of Terengganu, consisting of spiced fish meat wrapped in banana leaves and cooked on a grill....
        , for disk drives
    • Obsolete
      • ATA
        ATA

        ATA may stand for:...
         (superseded by SATA)
      • AGP
        Accelerated Graphics Port

        The Accelerated Graphics Port is a high-speed point-to-point channel for attaching a :Category:Graphics cards to a computer's motherboard, primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics....
         (superseded by PCI Express)
      • VLB
        VESA Local Bus

        The VESA Local Bus was mostly used in personal computers. VESA Local Bus worked alongside the Industry Standard Architecture bus; it acted as a high-speed conduit for memory-mapped I/O and Direct memory access, while the ISA bus handled interrupts and port-mapped I/O....
         VESA Local Bus (superseded by AGP)
      • ISA
        Industry Standard Architecture

        Industry Standard Architecture was a computer bus standard for IBM compatible computers....
         (expansion card slot format obsolete in PCs, but still used in industrial computers)
  • External Bus Controllers support ports for external peripherals. These ports may be controlled directly by the southbridge
    Southbridge

    Southbridge may refer to:Settlements* Southbridge, Massachusetts* Southbridge, New Zealand* Southbridge, Virginia* South Bridge, Edinburgh...
     I/O controller or based on expansion cards attached to the motherboard through the PCI bus.
    • USB
      Universal Serial Bus

      In information technology, Universal Serial Bus is a Serial communications computer bus standard to electrical connector devices to a host computer....
    • FireWire
      FireWire

      The IEEE 1394 interface is a serial communications interface standard for high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data transfer, frequently used by personal computers, as well as in digital audio, digital video, automotive, and aeronautics applications....
    • eSATA


Power supply


Includes power cord, switch, and cooling fan. Supplies power at appropriate voltages to the motherboard and internal disk drives.

Video display controller


Produces the output for the visual display unit. This will either be built into the motherboard or attached in its own separate slot (PCI, PCI-E, PCI-E 2.0, or AGP), in the form of a graphics card.

Removable media devices


  • CD (compact disc) - the most common type of removable media, suitable for music and data.
    • CD-ROM Drive
      CD-ROM

      CD-ROM is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains Computer data storage accessible to, but not writable by, a computer. While the Compact Disc format was originally designed for music storage and playback, the 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of Binary file....
       - a device used for reading data from a CD.
    • CD Writer - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a CD.
  • DVD
    DVD

    DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
     (digital versatile disc) - a popular type of removable media that is the same dimensions as a CD but stores up to 12 times as much information. It is the most common way of transferring digital video, and is popular for data storage.
    • DVD-ROM Drive - a device used for reading data from a DVD.
    • DVD Writer
      DVD

      DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
        - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a DVD.
    • DVD-RAM Drive
      DVD-RAM

      DVD-RAM is a disc specification presented in 1996 by the DVD Forum, which specifies rewritable DVD-RAM media and the appropriate DVD writers. DVD-RAM media have been used in computers as well as camcorders and personal video recorders since 1998....
       - a device used for rapid writing and reading of data from a special type of DVD.
  • Blu-ray Disc
    Blu-ray Disc

    Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc data storage device medium. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs....
     - a high-density optical disc format for data and high-definition video. Can store 70 times as much information as a CD.
    • BD-ROM Drive - a device used for reading data from a Blu-ray disc.
    • BD Writer - a device used for both reading and writing data to and from a Blu-ray disc.
  • HD DVD
    HD DVD

    HD DVD is a discontinued high-density optical media optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.HD DVD was supported principally by Toshiba, and was envisaged to be the successor to the standard DVD format....
     - a discontinued competitor to the Blu-ray format.
  • Floppy disk
    Floppy disk

    A floppy disk is a data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangle plastic shell....
     - an outdated storage device consisting of a thin disk of a flexible magnetic storage medium. Used today mainly for loading RAID drivers.
  • Zip drive
    Zip drive

    The Zip drive is a medium-capacity removable disk storage system, introduced by Iomega in late 1994. Originally, Zip disks had a capacity of 100 megabyte, but later versions increased this to first 250 MB and then 750 MB....
     - an outdated medium-capacity removable disk storage system, first introduced by Iomega in 1994.
  • USB flash drive
    USB flash drive

    A USB flash drive consists of a Flash memory#NAND memories-type flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, much smaller than a floppy disk , and most USB flash drives weigh less than an ounce ....
     - a flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB interface, typically small, lightweight, removable, and rewritable. Capacities vary, from hundreds of megabytes (in the same ballpark as CDs) to tens of gigabytes (surpassing, at great expense, Blu-ray discs).
  • Tape drive
    Tape drive

    A tape drive, which is also known as a streamer, is a computer hardware that reads and writes data stored on a magnetic tape data storage....
     - a device that reads and writes data on a magnetic tape, used for long term storage and backups.


Internal storage


Hardware that keeps data inside the computer for later use and remains persistent even when the computer has no power.

  • Hard disk
    Hard disk

    A hard disk drive , commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating hard disk platters with magnetic surfaces....
     - for medium-term storage of data.
  • Solid-state drive
    Solid-state drive

    A solid-state drive is a data storage device that uses Solid-state Computer storage to store persistent data. An SSD emulates a hard disk drive interface, thus easily replacing it in most applications....
     - a device similar to hard disk, but containing no moving parts and stores data in a digital format.
  • RAID array controller
    Disk array controller

    A disk array controller is a device which manages the physical disk drives and presents them to the computer as Logical Unit Number. It almost always implements RAID#Hardware RAID RAID, thus it is sometimes referred to as RAID controller....
     - a device to manage several hard disks, to achieve performance or reliability improvement in what is called a RAID array.


Sound card


Enables the computer to output sound to audio devices, as well as accept input from a microphone
Microphone

A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
. Most modern computers have sound cards built-in to the motherboard, though it is common for a user to install a separate sound card as an upgrade. Most sound cards, either built-in or added, have surround sound capabilities.

Networking


Connects the computer to the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
 and/or other computers.

  • Modem
    Modem

    Modem is a peripheral device that modulation an analog carrier wave Signal to encode digital information, and also demodulation such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information....
     - for dial-up connections or sending digital faxes. (outdated)
  • Network card
    Network card

    A network card, network adapter, network interface controller , network interface card, or LAN adapter is a computer hardware component designed to allow computers to communicate over a computer network....
     - for DSL/Cable internet, and/or connecting to other computers, using the Ethernet cord.
  • Direct Cable Connection
    Direct cable connection

    Direct Cable Connection , is a feature of Microsoft Windows that allows a computer to transfer and share computer file with another computer, via a connection using either the serial port, parallel port or the IrDA port of each computer....
     - Use of a null modem
    Null modem

    Null modem is a communication method to connect two data terminal equipments directly using a RS-232 serial cable. The RS-232 standard is asymmetrical as to the definitions of the two ends of the communications link so it assumes that one end is a DTE and the other is a Data circuit-terminating equipment e.g....
    , connecting two computers together using their serial ports or a Laplink Cable
    Laplink

    Laplink Gold is software used for data transfer and remote control between two or more computers. It can use Serial communications, Parallel port, Dial-up networking, and Ethernet connections....
    , connecting two computers together with their parallel ports.


Other peripherals


In addition, hardware devices can include external components of a computer system. The following are either standard or very common.

Includes various input
Input device

An input device is any peripheral used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system . Input and output devices make up the hardware interface between a computer as a or 6DOF controller....
 and output
Output device

An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an information processing system to the outside world....
 devices, usually external to the computer system.

Input

  • Text
    Character (computing)

    In computer and machine-based telecommunications terminology, a character is a unit of information that roughly corresponds to a grapheme, grapheme-like unit, or symbol, such as in an alphabet or syllabary in the written language form of a natural language....
     input devices
    • Keyboard
      Keyboard (computing)

      In computing, a keyboard is an input device, partially modeled after the Typewriter#Keyboard layout, which uses an arrangement of buttons or Push-button, which act as mechanical levers or electronic switches....
       - a device to input text and characters by depressing buttons (referred to as keys), similar to a typewriter. The most common English-language key layout is the QWERTY
      QWERTY

      QWERTY is the most used modern-day keyboard layout on English-language computer keyboard and typewriter keyboards. It takes its name from the first six Graphemes seen in the far left of the keyboard's top row of letters....
       layout.
  • Pointing device
    Pointing device

    A pointing device is an input interface that allows a user to input spatial data to a computer. Computer-aided design systems and graphical user interfaces allow the user to control and provide data to the computer using physical Mouse gesture ? point, click, and drag ? for example, by moving a hand-held Mouse across the surface of the...
    s
    • Mouse
      Mouse (computing)

      In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting dimension motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons....
       - a pointing device that detects two dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface.
    • Optical Mouse - a newer technology that uses lasers, or more commonly LEDs to track the surface under the mouse to determine motion of the mouse, to be translated into mouse movements on the screen.
    • Trackball
      Trackball

      A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball housed in a socket containing sensors to detect rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down computer mouse with an exposed protruding ball....
       - a pointing device consisting of an exposed protruding ball housed in a socket that detects rotation about two axes.


  • Gaming
    Computer and video games

    A video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a display device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster graphics display device....
     devices
    • Joystick
      Joystick

      A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer....
       - a general control device that consists of a handheld stick that pivots around one end, to detect angles in two or three dimensions.
    • Gamepad
      Gamepad

      A gamepad, also called joypad or control pad, is a type of game controller held in the hand, where the digits are used to provide input....
       - a general handheld game controller that relies on the digits (especially thumbs) to provide input.
    • Game controller
      Game controller

      A game controller is an input device used to control a video game. A controller is typically connected to a video game console or a personal computer....
       - a specific type of controller specialized for certain gaming purposes.
  • Image
    Image

    An image is an artifact, usually two-dimensional , that has a similar appearance to some subject —usually a physical object or a person....
    , Video
    Video

    Video is the technology of electronics Videography, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing Scene in motion....
     input devices
    • Image scanner
      Image scanner

      In computing, a scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Common examples found in offices are variations of the desktop scanner where the document is placed on a glass window for scanning....
       - a device that provides input by analyzing images, printed text, handwriting, or an object.
    • Webcam
      Webcam

      File:Logitech E2500 webcam.jpgWebcams are video capture connected to computer or computer network, often using Universal Serial Bus or, if they connect to networks, ethernet or Wi-Fi....
       - a low resolution video camera used to provide visual input that can be easily transferred over the internet.
  • Audio input devices
    • Microphone
      Microphone

      A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or?more recently?mic, is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal....
       - an acoustic sensor that provides input by converting sound into electrical signals.


Output

  • Image
    Image

    An image is an artifact, usually two-dimensional , that has a similar appearance to some subject —usually a physical object or a person....
    , Video
    Video

    Video is the technology of electronics Videography, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing Scene in motion....
     output devices
    • Printer
      Computer printer

      File:Lexmark X5100 Series.jpgIn computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces a hard copy of documents stored in computer file form, usually on physical print media such as paper or Transparency ....
    • Monitor
      Computer display

      A visual display unit, often called simply a monitor or display, is a piece of electrical equipment which displays images generated from the video output of devices such as computers, without producing a permanent record....
  • Audio output devices
    • Speakers
      Computer speaker

      Computer speakers, or multimedia speakers, are external speakers, commonly equipped with a low-power internal amplifier. The standard audio connection is a 3.5mm stereo jack plug often colour-coded lime green for computer sound cards....
    • Headset
      Headphones

      Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, with a way of holding them close to a user's ears and a means of connecting them to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio or CD player....


See also

  • Computer architecture
    Computer architecture

    Computer architecture in computer engineering is the conceptual design and fundamental operational structure of a computer system. It is a blueprint and functional description of requirements and design implementations for the various parts of a computer, focusing largely on the way by which the central processing unit performs internally an...
  • Digital circuit
    Digital circuit

    Digital electronics are electronics systems that use digital signals. Digital electronics are representations of Boolean algebra and are used in computers, mobile phones, and other consumer products....
  • Green computing
    Green computing

    Green computing is the study and practice of using computing resources efficiently. The primary objective of such a program is to account for the triple bottom line, an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success....
  • History of computing hardware
    History of computing hardware

    The history of computing hardware encompasses computer hardware, its Computer architecture, and its impact on Computer software.The elements of computing hardware have undergone significant improvement over their history....
  • Origins of computer terms
    List of computer term etymologies

    This is a list of the origins of computer-related terms or terms used in the computing world . It relates to both computer hardware and computer software....
  • Open hardware
  • Optical computer
    Optical computer

    An optical computer is a computer that uses light instead of electricity to manipulate, store and transmit data. Photons have fundamentally different physical properties than electrons, and researchers have attempted to make use of these properties, mostly using the basic principles of optics, to produce computers with performance and/or cap...
  • DNA computing
    DNA computing

    DNA computing is a form of computing which uses DNA, biochemistry and molecular biology, instead of the traditional silicon-based computer technology....
  • Legacy system
    Legacy system

    A legacy system is an old computer system or application program that continues to be used, typically because it still functions for the users' needs, even though newer technology is available....
  • E-waste
    Electronic waste

    Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is a loose category of surplus, obsolete, broken, or discarded electrical or electronic devices....


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