Hardware

The term hardware refers to the physical pieces of machinery that make up your computer, such as the keyboard, monitor, processor, RAM, power supply, hard drives, etc.

Hardware and its cousin software combine to create a functioning computer.

If you have a hardware problem, it usually means that some component of your machine is physically broken and will probably have to be replaced. Hard drives (especially those in laptops) are the most common first points of failure, so make sure to backup your data!

The pieces of a computer

Almost any modern personal computer is made up of the following components:

• Motherboard - connects all of the following devices together, allowing them to talk to one another
• Processor (CPU) - the thinking "brain" of the computer, this does most of the actual thinking
• System memory (RAM) - short-term memory used by currently running programs
• Hard drives (HDD) - long-term memory storage for all your files and other data
• Power Supply (PSU) - Converts the AC power from your wall socket into the DC current that your computer uses.
• Video card - Like a processor reserved just for processing video data. Some computers have this integrated onto the motherboard.
• Optical drives - CD and DVD drives
• Sound and networking devices - sometimes discrete cards, sometimes integrated onto the motherboard.
• Case, fans, cabling, etc.

Excluded from this list are common hardware peripherals such as a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. While usually necessary to actually do anything useful with the thing, they are technically not part of the actual machine.