Computer hardware comprises the internal components of a personal computer, including the main processor, motherboard, processor, hard disk, random-access memory (RAM), graphic card, sound card and motherboard. The software that is loaded on to the system may also be composed of components such as the windows operating system, communication devices like the serial ports, USB and Bluetooth, a browser, and office applications. There are various hardware components manufactured by different companies. Some of the most common types of hardware components manufactured by companies include motherboards, keyboards, mice, monitors, tower and laptop enclosures, hard drives, portable and desktop PCs, webcams, digital cameras and video recorders, handheld and wireless phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, media players and the gaming devices. In order to enhance the performance and life of computers, software is also developed for the same purpose.
The hardware engineer first analyses the requirements of a particular computer system and then decides the kind of hardware required for it. It is the duty of a hardware engineer to design, develop and create the computer hardware that meets the specified needs of a particular computer system. Hardware designers translate the technical details provided by an application into actual components. These components are then fitted on to a board or a case in a form of external modules.
The physical size and speed of the computer system play a very crucial role in deciding the kind of hardware devices to be installed. It is the duty of the system driver to communicate with the external hardware components and also to tell the operating system what kind of device it is capable of communicating with. A very important function of the driver is to determine which component of the hard drive is to be used for a particular task. The tasks performed by the computer system include starting, switching off, setting the time and date, control of the operating system, input and output devices, printing functions, etc.
There are many different tasks that a computer system performs. The tasks which are the most essential are Disk Defragmentation/ Crane defragmentation, file and Print Server access, memory checking, thread checking, Kernel tasks, networking tasks, video and audio functions, etc. The execution of all these tasks requires a great co-ordination between the operating system, hardware and software. Without any kind of support from any one of the component, the entire system may crash. It is this co-ordination that makes the installation of any new hardware an extremely difficult task.
Hardware is designed in such a way that it can be upgraded or changed as per the latest trends in the technological world. The hardware market is increasing day by day. There is always something new to add to the shelves. All the computer hardware vendors have to keep updating their physical parts so that they remain competitive. Every single component in the computer system is connected to the others via wires and cables.
Every single component of the computer system has to pass through numerous circuits before reaching its final destination. Every component has to suffer heat and pressure during its journey through the system. Some of the electronic components use a flux cored wire while some use non-ferrous wire. As the wire has to withstand these harsh conditions, the wires get damaged quite often. So the manufacturers of the components also incorporate heat sinking and thermal protectors in the hardware circuit boards.