When you think about hardware you are actually thinking about the parts of the computer that are tangible. So by hardware we mean the monitor, motherboard, CPU, RAM memory, video card, audio card, power supply, CD/DVD drive, hard disk, network card, keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner and other peripheral devices and expansion cards.

The monitor is and external display device which connects to the computer via a cable to a port on the video card. The port can be VGA or DVI. The monitor is the computer's way to communicate with the user, displaying result based on the user's instructions. Monitors can be based either on the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) technology or the newer Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology.

The motherboard is a rectangular circuitry board that acts as a connector between the rest of the parts inside the computer case, like the CPU (Central Processing Unit), the disk drives (hard disk, CD, DVD and others), the RAM (Random Access Memory), the power supply and the various peripherals that connect to the ports and expansion cards.

The CPU or the processor is designed to carry out the various instructions received from the rest of the computer parts. It is considered to be the "brain" of the computer.

The RAM Memory comes in the form of integrated circuits that allow data to be stored and than retrieved regardless of the time it was deposited.  In other words the stored data can be retrieved randomly. RAM Memory is considered volatile (keeps data only as long as it is powered).

The video card (graphics card) is an expansion card that converts binary data from the processors into graphic data and outputs it through a cable to the monitor. The result is that images appear on the computer monitor. The video card is an output expansion card.

The audio card (sound card) is an expansion card similar to the video card. It converts audio signal received through a microphone into binary data and sends it to the CPU, and the binary data received from the CPU it converts into sound which is heard through speakers.

The power supply unit supplies electric power to the rest of the computer. It converts alternative current (AC) into low voltage direct current (DC) that the computer hardware component can use(with the exception of the computer monitor which takes it's own power separately from the rest of the computer hardware).

The CD drive is designed to be able to read from and/or write (burn) on compact discs (CDs). The DVD drive is similar to the CD-ROM drive, except it uses DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks or Digital Video Discs) as well as CDs. The CD and and the DVD are optical discs storage media formats. The CD/DVD drives can be ROM (Read Only Memory) which means that they can only read discs, RW which means that they can read and write on discs and also erase data on CDs/DVDs that support it.

The hard disk drive is a nonvolatile storage device (remembers data stored on it even when it is not powered) that stores the data that the user has direct access to. This includes the Operating System and programs installed files as well as other kinds of data (programs installation kits, music and video files, images etc.).

The network card can be either integrated on the motherboard or separate and provides access to the Internet or various computer networks. It has a unique MAC Address also called physical address. Network cards use Ethernet technology to provide access within Local Area Networks (LANs).

The keyboard is an external input device that is used by the computer user to sent various instructions to the computer. The mouse is also an external device that is used to further improve the user's access and management of the computer's resources and perform tasks.

The printer is an external device used to print text files or images. The scanner is used to input information into the computer by scanning different objects. Basically it creates an image which it sends to the computer. It can be visualized on the monitor with the help of certain programs capable of opening images.

Among the peripherals most commonly encountered are the computer speakers / headphones which play sounds with the help of the audio card, the microphone which you can use to input sounds into the computer and the webcam that is used to input video images into the computer.

We use computers on a daily basis, at home, at work or while traveling to access the Internet, play computer games, watch movies and so much more. Yet, most of the times if not ever, we never give a second thought to just what our computer is made off. You know it contains hardware components but what exactly they are, how are they called or what is their function within our personal computer are usually questions without answers or with vague ones. I'm going to be talking bellow above about the hardware components for a personal computer that are essential to it:

1. The PC Monitor is the device on which you visualize movies, games, and programs like word editors and Internet browsers. Older models featured a Cathode Ray Tube (hence the name CRT) with controls housed in a plastic case. Their diagonal ranged from 13 to 21 inches. Today LCD monitors have flooded the market, providing wide screen image display and smaller weight compared to their older counterparts, the CRT computer monitors. Most monitors feature controls used to adjust contrast and brightness while others have options to move the image left, right, up or down. CRT monitors also have a degauss option which can be used when the image isn't displayed correctly.

When it comes to picture quality we basically speak of resolution and refresh rate. Resolution is measured in pixels and is connected with how well our monitor displays images. Refresh rate refers to how often your image quality gets refresh. The recommended quality is usually 60 Hz, but since there are so many types of monitors it is best to consult the monitor's manual for the right value. Bear in mind that using a different value other the one recommended in your manual can damage your monitor.

2. The motherboard is the board that contains the CPU, the memory, BIOS, CMOS, Video devices, sound devices, storage devices, chipsets, etc. together with the connectors and logic circuits that tie all parts of your PC together. Together with the wiring in your computer it resembles to the network of veins in your body.

3. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is considered by some to be a computer inside another computer. This isn't to far from the truth since the processor manages the huge number of instructions given to him by the other computer hardware components similar to how the computer manages the instructions you give it by using external input devices like the keyboard and mouse.

4. The "hard drive" is a storage device with one or more metal disks (called platters), arranged on a spindle, one above the other; with a read/write head (often on an arm that can be moved to a specific point on the recording surfaces. This read/write machine can probably be called the first true 'robot'. Hard drive units are sealed hermetically to keep out dust. Even the smallest particle of dust can damage the platters so it's recommended you don't open them. The most recent hard drives can have up to 1.5 Terra Bytes.

5. The video card is an essential part of any computer. It provides your computer to play video files, computer games and other things. Without a video card to convert the binary code from the CPU and transmit in a graphic way to your monitor you wouldn't be able to watch anything. In some cases the video card can be integrated on the motherboard.

6. The sound card is very much like the video card, with the small difference that instead of converting CPU binary code and send it to your monitor it uses a different type of conversion allowing you to hear sounds in your computer speakers.

7. Over the years the CD-ROM drive and the DVD-ROM have proven to be essential to a personal computer. Information transfer had at its heart this hardware component. In recent years, with the development of the Internet, flash drives and portable hard drives, CD and DVD-ROMs have started to register a slow decline from the information transfer market. They will still be around for some years to come since they are the backbone of the music and movies commercialization.

8. As a last entry to the list of computer hardware components I'll add a duo of hardware parts, namely the keyboard and the mouse without which you couldn't control you computer. That is until technologies similar to the touch screen will appear on the market, but this will undoubtedly take some time.

A decade or two ago no one could have imagined that technology will have advanced this far. Or that PC games will have advanced so mush as to strain even the newest video cards and processors available on the market. Any decent gamer knows that the requirements needed for pc games keep getting higher putting to the test both the gamers PC as well as his budget as he tries to improve his existing computer or replace it with a newer and better qualified one that can keep up with the latest and the future games as much as possible.

Having a PC computer capable of keeping up with the high requirements of PC games begins with having your graphics card driver updated to the latest version available. This can be done by visiting the manufacturer's website. Failing to do so can put a serious dent in the performance of your computer when running a game.

When thinking about a computer suited for gaming 3 things pop into mind: processor, RAM and graphics card. These represent the core of any gaming computer.

1. Processors are the "heart" of any computer so you have to make sure that it is strong enough to bear the strain of the games you are going to run on your computer. When it comes to processors one can only think of dual core or quad core processors from one of the two leading companies Intel and AMD equipped with high cloaking.

2.If the processor is the heart for a gaming computer than the graphics card is the "soul" since unless you have a top of the line graphics card your gaming experiences will be more gaming nightmares. For a graphics card you can only look at the leading companies of Nvidia and ATI that have proven more than capable to provide a great experience when playing games.

3. It's best to have your RAM to at least 2 Gb, otherwise your game might seem a bit sluggish. If you are planning to use Windows Vista or Windows 7 you might want to think of at least 3 Gb.

After getting the core elements of a good gaming experience it's time to buy the rest of the hardware and peripheral components:

4. Time to buy a good ventilated case to house all these computer gaming hardware components since they are quite expensive and they need to be well protected. Together with the case you also need to buy a high wattage power source strong enough to provide juice for your hardware components as well as fans so that the motherboard, video cards and hard disk units are kept as cool as possible.

5. For hard disks drives you have to consider just how much you plan to install on your computer since most games require a certain amount of disk space to be free even after installing them.

6. In order to hear the sound in your games you will also need a good surround sound card with a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker system. And if you want to be selfish and keep the gaming experience a personal one (meaning you don't want to disturb your neighbors or family members) consider buying a pair a good pair of headphones or even the 5.1 surround headphones.

7. You can't have a computer without a monitor capable of showing those fine details that your video card is capable of so you will definitely need a wide screen LCD monitor to watch your games close up and personal.

8. Time to get that special keyboard as well as mouse specially created for dedicated gamers that have all those extra keys to help you have a better control of that car in a turn or that character when he ducks behind cover.

9. For those who prefer a more console like approach to games a steering wheel and joysticks

10. If you are planning to play games online with other people you will also require a network card capable of sending and receiving data at very high speeds.

11. Don't forget about that microphone to better communicate with your team members as well as a web cam to have a more visual communication with your gaming partner.

With so many computer gaming hardware components it may prove too much for those gamers that perhaps are not so interested in building their own personal gaming computer to decide what exactly to choose. To help them companies have come up with a way to have them make fewer choices. They put on the market gaming computers which unlike general purpose computers have been specifically designed to handle pc games. Gaming Computers have appeared based on this very idea: to provide the best experience for gamers worldwide. These Desktop Computers have been build with the very idea to be able to play the newest and the most system resources demanding games available on the market.

Is it possible to change my computer hardware without reactivating vista? This is the question that many PC users ask when they want to change or upgrade their computer hardware. The answer would be yes and no since it depends on what exactly you want to change, if it's more than one component, as well as what kind of operating system you have installed.

The first thing you need to know or, to be more exact, to find out is if what type of Vista is installed on your machine: the retail version or just an OEM version (Original Equipment Manufacturer). With the OEM version, your operating system is tied to the motherboard it was installed on and therefore you can't change with a different one except if it was damaged and even so only with the exact model of the motherboard you previously had. Reactivation is still required after replacing the motherboard, but for both operations it is best to contact the original manufacturer. Otherwise you will be required to buy a new copy of Vista. Reactivation is also required if you make major changes to your personal computer. Just like Windows XP Windows Vista has a build-in algorithm which determines if the hardware changes made to your system are significant enough. Though different the algorithm used monitors the changes and the impact they have up to a predetermined limit set by Microsoft. For example, making changes like replacing your hard disk with a new one and adding more RAM to your system will definitely reach the maximum tolerance of changes. However making only one such change, like a new hard disk, will not require of you to reactivate Vista on your personal computer.

For the retail versions of Vista the cases in which you don't need to reactivate Vista are pretty much the same. You can change your hardware but you need to be careful not to reach that predetermined limit set by Microsoft. I you want to make some "major transplants" on your computer but don't want to be bothered with the reactivation of your operating system you could try to make them one by one. This however can take a very long time since you need to make long pauses before you install a new hardware part. In any case, with the retail version of Vista you can reactivate your version of Vista even in the event that you change your motherboard.

Making a hardware change on your computer while running Vista as your main operating system can really be a problem since Vista new algorithm for detecting hardware changes has proven to be very unpredictable up to the point that it becomes annoying. The algorithm in Vista uses a voting system to determine tolerance. When installing it Vista creates a hardware hash that is similar to a photograph. Each of the hardware characteristics recorded occupies about 10% of that photograph, with the exception of the network card which is about 30%. If, when making changes to your computer, you change to many parts at one time, meaning more than 30% Windows Vista considers that it has been installed on a new computer.

Certain changes that Microsoft has deemed as being common like a new hard disk, adding RAM to your computer, upgrading your CD-ROM device  or upgrading the video card on your system will most likely not cause the need for a reactivation. However making more than 2 or 3 hardware changes at one time will most likely require a reactivation. Changing your motherboard is considered a major change in the computer's "photograph" taken by Vista when it is being installed and therefore it will always require a reactivation of the operating system.

Despite the obvious annoyances that the Windows Vista operating system has in regards to the new hardware system it is possible to change your computer hardware without reactivating vista as long as the changes you make don't  have a to big of an impact on the initial "photograph" of your system.

Everyone has troubles with the personal computer hardware from time to time and troubles appear, according to the world wide famous Murphy laws, when we are standing low on budget. When this happens we all can get really angry but I can assure you that these days you do not have any reasons for doing that because of the apparition of the cheap computer hardware on the market. This future scene business is on a never-ending expansion and that is exactly why the producers who manufacture various computer parts have to do their best to continue selling their goods as quick as possible and keeping the money maker job on the right tracks. So considering this situation, the only clever thing to do is to make offers that are reasonable along the whole market.

This way you could find cheap computer hardware by just taking a walk in your neighborhood or, if you are not in the mood for promenade and if you feel cozy and warm sitting in a chair in front of your desk, you should think about surfing the internet on various profiled web pages for offers that may suits your desires and your budget.


When you sign up for searching cheap computer hardware on the Internet, the most important thing you need to do is not to search only on a single web page. Try not to stop on the first virtual shop that you may find interesting in prices or offers and proceed in your search until you find the best there is on the market. If you stick on the first product that meets your requirements you will never know what offers may other manufacturer put on the sales and so you may lose a good opportunity to make some savings regarding your money.

If you seek for cheap computer hardware, make sure you tip the scales well. You should always have in mind that cheap hardware does not mean poor quality hardware. Do not get ripped off by every person who tells you that his product is the best, the fastest and the newest on the market. Maybe you don't need those kinds of components and for sure you do not want to lose all your money on something you eventually do not even know why you buy it.


Another advice for you is to search on the Internet for the product you decide to purchase. Look sharp for anything that you consider may help you into choosing the product you want. If the product presents a lack of specifications, search them on a different web page. A good idea is to consult a forum. There you may find people like you or who are willing to help you in your eventual dilemmas. Read their advices and their problems with the products you may want to purchase.

So if you want to upgrade your personal computer and you do not have the money to buy something new and pricy, consider cheap computer hardware. You'll find plenty on the mighty Internet.