Module 1, Concepts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Hardware is the physical parts of a computer or computer system.
A computer is made up of computer hardware, or many physical components.

Some of the most well known components of computer hardware are:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Monitor (sometimes called a Visual Display Unit or VDU)
  
• Motherboard
• Many smaller components and connectors are mounted together on the motherboard
  
• CPU
• The Central Processing Unit - this is often called 'the heart of the computer'
  
• RAM Memory
• Memory that can often be added to, or 'expanded' (which makes things a little faster)
  
• Expansion cards
• Such as a graphics card or a sound card
  
• Power Supply Unit (usually abbreviated to PSU)
  
• DVD or CD-ROM Drive
• Network card
• For connecting computers together