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How to Tell What Hardware Is in Your Computer

Battery terms - CD terms - Floppy drive definitions - Hard drive terms - Keyboard terms - Memory terms - Modem terms - Motherboard terms - Mouse terms - Network terms - CPU terms - Scanner terms - Sound terms - Tape drive terms - Video terms Top 10 hardware terms CPU

Keyboard
Motherboard
Function key
Storage device
Input device
Hard drive
Computer
CPU
Hardware
Mouse

Number

2-in-1
3D Printer
4K
4K resolution
5ESS switch
8K
8K resolution
16-bit
32-bit
64-bit
701
702

A Computer inkjet printer

A20
A-B Box
Accelerator
Accessories
Accessory
Access point
Access time
Accounting machine
Acoustic coupler
Adapter
Adapter card
ADC
Add-on
Address
Address space
ADSI
AGP
Alarm
Alligator clip
All-in-One computer
Altair
AM
Amazon Echo
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Amiga
AMOLED
Analog signal
Analytical engine
Antikythera mechanism
Antistatic mat
Antistatic spray
APIC
APM
Apple earbuds
Apple silicon
Apple TV
Apple watch
Architecture
Arc Mouse
Arduino
Arduino Duemilanove
AS/400
ASIC
ASPI
AT
Atanasoff-Berry Computer
Atari ST
ATX
Augmented reality
AUI
Auxiliary connector
Auxiliary device
Axis

B Bluetooth ExpressCard

Back
Backbone
Backplane
Back-side bus
Backward compatibility
Bank
Barcode
Barebone
Bare metal
Base station
Bay
BeagleBoard
Bernoulli drive
Bezel
Big iron
Biological computing
BIOS
BIOS shadow
Blackberry Playbook
Black box
Black screen
Blank slot cover
Block diagram
Bluetooth ExpressCard
Booklet
Boot device
Boot disk
Boot menu
Boot sequence
Braille display
Braille reader
BRI
Bridge
Brown box
Built-in
Bunny suit
Burn
Burn in
Bus
BYOD

C Heat sink computer component

Cable
Cabling
Cache
Caddy
Calibration
Card
CardBus
Card punch
Card reader
Case
Case badge
Case fan
CATV
CCD
CDSL
CDTV
Centaur Technology
Centrino
Centronics mode
Characteristic
Chassis
Chip
Chipset
Chromebit
Chromebook
Chromebox
CIM
CISC
Classification
Clean room
Clone
Cluster
CMOS
CNR
Coaxial Cable
Cold boot
Cold swap
Color-coded
Colossus
Commodore
Communication device
CompactFlash
Compatible
Component
Computed axial lithography
Computer
Computer art
Computer case
Computer family
Computer fan
Computer form factor
Computer laws
Computometer
Concept mapping
Configuration
Connection
Connectivity
Connector
Console
Control
Cooler pad
CPU
CRC
Crippleware
CRT
CrystalMark
CSIRAC
CUDA
Custom-built PC
Custom silicon
Cyber clean
Cycle

D Dispose

D2D
DAC
DASD
Data carrier
Data channel
Data flow
Data signal
Data sink
Data stream
DDR
Dead
Dead halt
Decode
Dedicated
Default drive
Degauss
Degausser
Depress
Desiccant
Desktop computer
Device
Device dependant
Device driver
Device name
Dhrystone
Diagnostic program
Diagnostics
Difference engine
Digital
Digital camera
Digital line
Digital wallet
DIMM
Diode
Dip switch
Direct connection
Disable
Disassembly
Discard
Disk drive
DisplayPort
Dispose
Distortion
Divx
DLNA
DMA
DMI
DOA
Dock
Docking station
Dongle
Dot pitch
Downsizing
DRAM
Drive
Drive bay
Drive letter
Driver
Driver CD
Drobo
Drone
Drop in
Drop out
DRQ
Dry run
DSL filter
DSS
DTE
Dual channel controller
DualShock
Dumb
Dust
DUT
DVD
DVI
DVR
Dynabook

E EOL

ECC
Echoplex
ECU
Edge connector
EDI
EDP
EDSAC
EDVAC
Efika
EGPU
EHCI
EIDE
E ink
Eject
Electron gun
Embedded
Emulator
Encoder
End of life
ENIAC
Enigma machine
Enquiry character
Enumerator
EOL
EOM
E-reader
Error control
eSATA
ESD
Essential Home
Ethernet
ETX
E-waste
Expansion
Expansion card
Expansion slot cover
ExpressCard
External
External cache
External graphics card
Eye tracker

F

Facebook Portal
Failover
Fail-safe system
Fail-soft system
Failure
Fan
Faraday bag
Faraday cage
Faraday shield
Fast SCSI
Fault
Fax
Fax machine
FCC ID
Feeder cable
Female connector
Fetch
FHD
Fiber optic cable
FIFO
File allocation unit
Firewall
Firewire
Firmware
Flagship
Flash BIOS
Flash drive
Flash memory
Floppy disk
Footprint
Form factor
Forward compatibility
FPGA
FPU
Front panel
FRU
FSB
Full duplex
Full-duplex transmission
Function key

G

Gadget
Galaxy Tab
Galaxy Z Fold 2
Gateway
Gearhead
Gender
Gender changer
General-purpose computer
Generation
Gimbal
Google Cardboard
Google Glass
Google silicon
Google Tensor
GPS
GPU
Graffiti
Graphics tablet
Grosch's law
Group 3 protocol
Group 4 protocol
Gyroscope

H HDMI cable

HACMP
Half duplex
Half-duplex transmission
Hamming code
Handheld
Hands-free
Handwriting recognition
Hard card
Hard drive
Hard error
Hard reset
Hardware
Hardware acceleration
Hardware conflict
Hardware key
Hardware monitor
Hardwired
HCI
HDD
HDMI
HDTV
Head clean
Headphones
Heat gun
Heat sink
HFC
HID
High dynamic range
Home computer
Host adapter
Hot docking
Hot plugging
Hot swappable
Housing
HP 200A
HSF
HTC Vive
HTPC
Hub
Hwmonitor
Hybrid
Hypervisor

I Integrated Circuit or IC

IBM 5100
IBM compatible
IC
IDE
Immediate access
Indicator
Infrared
Initialization
Initiator
Input
Input device
Input/output channel
Input/output device
Input/output processor
Insert
Instruction
Insulation
INTA
Integrated
Integrated circuit
Interactive
Interface
Internal
Internal interrupt
Interrupt
Intertec Superbrain
I/O address
IOPS
iPad
IPB
iPhone
iPod
IPOS
IPS display
IrDA
IRQ
ISA

J

Jack
Jacquard Loom
Java Card
JavaStation
Jaz drive
Joystick
Jump
Jumper

K

Keyboard
Killer poke
Kindle
Kinect
KVM switch

L

L2 cache
L3 cache
Laptop
Laser
Lazy write
LCD
Leapfrog test
LED
Legacy
LIFO
Light guide
Light gun
Lightning
Light pen
Lightwave system
LILO
Line
Line analyzer
Line driver
Line frequency
Line level
Link time
Liquid cooling
Logic
Logical
Logical partition
Logic circuit
Long-haul
Loopback
Loop configuration
LPAR
LRC
Luggable computer

M Sony Memory Sticks

M.2
MAC address
Machine error
Machine-readable
magicJack
Magnetic
Magnetic card
Magnetic card reader
MagSafe
Mainframe
Male connector
Manchester Baby
Manchester Mark 1
Mark parity
Matrix code
Matte
MCA
Mechanical
Media
Meltdown and Spectre
Memory
Memory module
Memory stick
Mickey
Microarchitecture
Microcomputer
Microcontroller
Microphone
Microsoft Signature Edition PC
Microsoft Surface
Minicomputer
MMU
Mode
Model number
Modem
Modularity
Molex connector
Monitor
Moore's law
Motherboard
Moto Z
Mouse
MP3 player
MSN TV
MSX
MTBF
Multiphase cooling
Multipoint

N

Nanocomputer
Nanotechnology
NAS
NDAS
Negation
Nest Thermostat
Netbook
Nettop
Network Direct Attached Storage
NEWCARD
NIC
Nintendo DS
Nintendo Switch
NMI
Node
Non-interactive
Non-volatile memory
Nook
No-parity
Nor
Northbridge
Notebook computer
NUC
Null cycle
Nvidia shield
NVMe
NVRAM

O

Object computer
Oculus Rift
Off
Off-the-shelf
OHCI
OLED
OLPC
OMR
On
On-hook
Online
Online state
Open
Open architecture
Open system
Optane memory
Optical
Optical communications
Optical drive
Optimize
OSD
OTP
Output
Output device
Output stream
Overclock
Overheat

P Peripheral

P1
PaaS
Paddle
PalmPilot
Palmtop computer
Panic
Parallel
Parallel access
Parallel computer
Parallel execution
Parallel interface
Parallel port
Parallel transmission
Parity bit
Partition
Part number
Pascaline
Passive-matrix display
PC
P-Cable
PCB
PC Card
PC Card slot
PCI
PCI Express
PCMCIA
PCPartPicker
PDA
PDP
Pen computer
Pen drive
Peopleware
Peripheral
Phablet
Phantom
Phases
Phone
Photocopier
Photosensor
Physical
PID
Pin
Pin-compatible
Ping pong buffer
Pixelbook
Platform
PlayStation
Playstation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PLCC
PLED
Plug
Plug and play
PN
Polling
Polling cycle
Port 80 display
Portable computer
Port bar
Port expander
POST
Postprocessor
Power bank
Power cycle
Power supply
PPGA
PRAM
Prebuilt computer
Preprocessor
Printer
Processing device
Processor
Programmable ROM programmer
Project Ara
PROM
Propagation delay
Prototype
PS2
PS3
PS4
PSP
Punch card
Punch tape
Push button
PXI

Q

QAM
Q-Cable
QHD
Qi
QLED
QPI Frequency
QR Code
QSXGA
Quad-core
Quadroplex
QXGA

R Raspberry Pi

Radiation
RAM
Random-access file
Raspberry Pi
RDRAM
Read
Read error
Reboot
Recovery time
Redundancy
Register capacity
Relay
Remote
Remote communication
Remote terminal
Repeater
Reseat
Reset
Reset button
Resource
Restore button
Rev
Rewrite
RFID
RF shield
RG-6
Rig
Right to repair
Ring
RISC
Riser board
Robot
Robustness
Rocker switch
Roku
ROM
ROM cartridge
RO Terminal
Router
RRD
RS-232
RS-422
RS-423
RS-449
RS-485
Rugged PC
Runs on
RXD

S Single Point of Failure


Samsung Family Hub
Samsung Gear
SAN
SAS
SATA
Satellite computer
SBus
Scalable architecture
Scanner
SCC
Screw
Scroll wheel
SCSI
SCSI bus
SCSI cable
SCSI chain
SCSI device
SCSI port
SD
SDRAM
Seated
Sector
Segment
Semacode
Sensor
Serial
Serial communications
Serial console
Serial device
Serial number
Serial port
Server
Service Tag
Set-top box
SFF
Shuffle
SHV connector
SIGINT
Silicon chip
SIM card
Simple transmission
Single Point of Failure
Slate PC
Slimline model
Small-Scale Experimental Machine
Smart cable
Smart card
Smart dust
Smart glasses
Smart home
Smartphone
Smart TV
Smartwatch
Solid-state device
Sound card
Southbridge
Speakers
Specialized computer
Special-purpose computer
Specification
Splash screen
SSD
SSD mounting bracket
SSEM
Stabilizer
Standalone
Standby
Standing desk
Starlink
Static
Stick computer
Storage device
Stress test
Stylus
Subnotebook computer
Supercomputer
SuperDisk
Superscalar
Surface Book
Surface Duo
Surface Pen
Surface Studio
Surge protector
Switch
Sync
Synchronization
Synchronous transmission
SYS 64738
System diskette
System failure
System requirements
System unit

T Temperature gun monitoring computer CPU

Tablet
Tape drive
TDP
Telephone
Television
Temperature
Temp gun
Terminate
Tesla Dojo
Thermal sensors
Thumbscrew
Thunderbolt
Tile
TiVo
Tools
Touch
Touchpad
Touch screen
Tower
Trackball
Transcoding
Transfer time
Transistor
Transmission
Turbo button
TV
TV tuner card
Tweak
Typeball
Type Cover
Typewriter

U

UART
UART overrun
UDMA
UHCI
UHD
ULSI
Ultrabook
Ultra-light computer
Ultra SCSI
Ultraviolet
Unbundled
Undock
Unibus
UNIVAC
Universal machine
Unknown device
UPC
Upcycle
Upgrade
UPnP
UPS
Uptime
USB
USB drive

V

V.28
Vacuum tube
Vanilla
VCR
VDU
Vega
Vendor ID
Vertical mouse
VGA
VHF
VHS
VIA
Video card
Videodisk
Viiv
Virtual device
Virtualization
Vitesse-Bus
VL Bus
Voice-grade channel
Volatile memory
Volume
VR
VRAM
VSAM
VT-100

W

Ware
Warm swap
Waymo
WDM
Wearable
Webcam
Wetware
WFM
Wheel of reincarnation
White box
WHQL
Wibree
Wii
Windows Mixed Reality
Windows Touch
Wing
Wintel
Wireless charging
Workaround
Workstation
WQHD
WQXGA
Write
Write mode

X

X86
Xbox
Xbox 360
XJACK
XT

Y

Yoke

Z

Z1
Zap
ZIF socket
Zip drive
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How to Tell What Hardware Is in Your Computer

Source: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/hardware.htm