Hardware is a comprehensive term for all of the physical parts of a computer, as distinguished from the data it contains or operates on, and software that provides instructions for the hardware to accomplish tasks. The boundary between hardware and software is connected. credit: third party image reference A computer contains the following parts Motherboard: which holds the CPU, main memory and other parts, and had slots for expansion cards. Power supply: A case that holds a transformer, voltage control and fan. Storage controllers, of IDE, SCSI or other type, that control hard disk, floppy disk, CD-ROM and other drivers, the controllers sit directly on the motherboard (on-board) or on expansion cards. credit: third party image reference Graphics controller that produce the output for the monitor Interface controllers (parallel, serial, USB, Fire wire) to connect the computer to external peripheral devices such as printers or scanners.