What is the term used to describe the tangible or physical parts of a computer system?
Computer hardware (usually simply called hardware when a computing context is concerned) is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system. Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer, such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard,computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard, and so on, all of which are physical objects that are tangible. In contrast, software is
instructions that can be stored and run by hardware. Show
Von Neumann architectureVon Neumann architecture scheme.The template for all modern computers is the Von Neumann architecture, detailed in a 1945 paper by Hungarian mathematician John von Neumann. This describes a design architecture for an electronic digital computer with subdivisions of a processing unit consisting of an arithmetic logic unit and processor registers, a control unit containing an instruction register and program counter, a memory to store both data and instructions, external mass storage, and input and output mechanisms.[3] The meaning of the term has evolved to mean a stored-program computer in which an instruction fetch and a data operation cannot occur at the same time because they share a common bus. This is referred to as the Von Neumann bottleneck and often limits the performance of the system. SalesFor the third consecutive year, U.S. business-to-business channel sales (sales through distributors and commercial resellers) increased, ending 2013 up nearly 6 percent at $61.7 billion. The impressive growth was the fastest sales increase since the end of the recession. Sales growth accelerated in the second half of the year peaking in fourth quarter with a 6.9 percent increase over the fourth quarter of 2012. Different systemsThere are a number of different types of computer system in use today. Personal computerHardware of a modern personal computer: 1. Monitor 2.Motherboard 3.CPU 4. RAM 5.Expansion cards6. Power supply 7.Optical disc drive8. Hard disk drive9. Keyboard 10.Mouse.Inside a custom-built computer: power supply at the bottom has its own cooling fan. The personal computer, also known as the PC, is one of the most common types of computer due to its versatility and relatively low price. Laptops are generally very similar, although may use lower-power or reduced size components. CaseThe computer case is a plastic or metal enclosure that houses most of the components. Those found on desktop computers are usually small enough to fit under a desk, however in recent years more compact designs have become more common place, such as the all-in-one style designs from Apple, namely the iMac. Though a case can basically be big or small, what matters more is which form factor of motherboard it’s designed for. Laptops are computers that usually come in a clamshell form factor, again however in more recent years deviations from this form factor have started to emerge such as laptops that have a detachable screen that become tablet computers in their own right. Power supplyA power supply unit (PSU) converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. Laptops are capable of running from a built-in battery, normally for a period of hours. Mainboard The motherboard is the main component of a computer. It is a large
rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the other parts of the computer including the CPU, the RAM, the disk drives(CD, DVD, hard disk, or any others) as well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots.
Expansion cardsAn expansion card in computing is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard or backplane to add functionality to a computer system via the expansion bus. Expansions cards can be used to obtain or expand on features not offered by the motherboard. Storage devicesComputer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The price of solid-state drives (SSD), which store data on flash memory, has dropped a lot in recent years, making them a better choice than ever to add to a computer to make booting up and accessing files faster.
Input and output peripheralsInput and output devices are typically housed externally to the main computer chassis. The following are either standard or very common to many computer systems.
Mainframe computerAn IBM System z9 mainframe.A mainframe computer is a much larger computer that typically fills a room and may cost many hundreds or thousands of times as much as a personal computer. They are designed to perform large numbers of calculations for governments and large enterprises. Departmental computingIn the 1960s and 1970s more and more departments started to use cheaper and dedicated systems for specific purposes like process control and laboratory automation. Supercomputer A supercomputer is superficially similar to a mainframe, but is instead intended for extremely demanding computational tasks. As of November 2013, the fastest supercomputer in the world is the Tianhe-2, in Guangzhou, China. Hardware upgradeWhen using computer hardware, an upgrade means adding 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 with a SSD to get a boost in performance or increase the amount of files that may be stored. Also, the user could increase the RAM so the computer may run more smoothly. The user could add a USB 3.0 expansion card in order to fully use USB 3.0 devices. Performing such hardware upgrades may be necessary for older computers to meet a programs' system requirements. Licenses and AttributionsWhat is the tangible part of computer system?Hardware refers to the physical, tangible computer equipment and devices, which provide support for major functions such as input, processing (internal storage, computation and control), output, secondary storage (for data and programs), and communication.
What is the physical and tangible components of a computer?Computer Graphics
Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of a computer, i.e. the components that can be seen and touched. Input devices − keyboard, mouse, etc. Output devices − printer, monitor, etc. Secondary storage devices − Hard disk, CD, DVD, etc.
What are the physical parts of a computer system called?The physical components of a computer system is hardware. It is a collection of physical parts of a computer system. This includes a computer case, monitor, keyboard, and a mouse.
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