When we talk about hardware, we aren't talking about anything you could find in Ron Swanson's garage. In fact, we aren't talking about anything Ron Swanson would touch without throwing into a dumpster.

Nope, we aren't talking about your run-of-the-mill circle saws or industrial sanders. Instead, we're talking about the hardware inside a computer. The physical components that make the computer actually function. If you're looking for an example, just check out

• the monitors in front of you.
• the keyboard you type on. 
• the cables connecting everything together.
• the mouse moving your cursor around the screen. 
• the joysticks doing…something, we're sure. Bringing joy. Let's go with that.

Those are all the things you'll see and touch. Underneath the plastic sheeting of your computer, though, you'll find tons of other internal components that all count as—wait for it—hardware.

Let's get one thing straight. Hardware is called hard because it can't be adapted from its one main function without voiding the warranty (and probably a lot of functionality). The way the components fit together and run is exactly the same whether you're using your computer as a calculator or a video editor. You can change the configuration of your computer (if you can pry it open), but that's usually considered re-building the computer entirely.

Oof.

Yeah, that isn't meant to happen unless you absolutely, positively need to upgrade one physical component with another (like replacing a memory card with one with more storage). Otherwise, keep that plastic dust jacket on.

If you decide to take the cover off, you'll see these pieces.

Drive

Sometimes you need to save data inside your computer. A novel concept, we know. On the very rare occasion when you need to save something, you're going to want to have a drive in your computer. That little device stores data for the long-term when it isn’t actively being used by the computer. 

The hard drive, in particular, stores the computer’s operating system, any programs you've loaded on the computer, and some of your data. Your computer might also have optical drives for reading and writing DVDs or CDs.

Microchip

When this name says micro-, it means micro-. When a computer runs, it needs teeny tiny electrical components like transistors, resistors, and capacitors to control the flow of electricity when computing things. All those parts are found in—wait for it—the microchip, which is about the size of a ladybug.

These microscopic, electric circuits are known as integrated circuits (which is often shortened to IC). When a manufacturer makes integrated circuits, they're making a component that can't be separated into the individual components—hence the term "integrated." A microchip is just a mini electronic circuit: a programmable piece of hardware with an integrated circuit baked onto it.

Although they weren’t developed specifically for the computer industry, microchips allowed computers to go from taking up entire buildings (no, really) to fitting in your pocket. With everything integrated into that small space, computer engineers could build things smaller and smaller.

Now the only thing holding us back from making computers smaller is the size of our thumbs.

You'll also find microchips in pacemakers, toilets (to turn off the water if it notices a leak or overflow), and even in the leg of your pet, Mister Fluffypants.

Cables

You know what these are, Shmooper. Any time you want to connect your computer to a power source, you hook up a cable to get that flow of electrons from the power outlet. Cables in general carry something from one device to another, whether it's power or information.

What's that? You aren't using a cable to connect things because you're rebellious (or using WiFi)? That's because you're using radio signals to send information from one device to another. In order to send and receive those signals, though, you need a router plugged into a power source with a cable.

Cables: you can't escape them.

Ports

This is a pretty broad term for any place on the outside of a computer where a cable (or any other device like a jump drive) can be connected. Those external ports are only the holding places for the connecting device, though. Once connected, they need to talk to the computer through the motherboard.

But more on that later.