Computer hardware Computer hardware includes the physical parts or components of a computer such as central processing units , monitors , keyboards , computer data storage , graphics cards , sound cards , speakers and motherboards. Software , on the other hand, is instructions that can be stored and run by hardware. The hardware is so called because it is "rigid" or rigid in relation to change or alteration ; Although the soft warehouse is "soft" because it can be easily updated or changed. The "firmware" between software and hardware , which is software that is firmly attached to a particular hardware of a computer system and thus most difficult to change but most stable with respect to interface compatibility.