Hardware & Software (AQA GCSE Computer Science)

• A computer system is made up of hardware and software, working together they make a computer operate
• One without the other is rendered useless, for example, a screen with nothing to output

What is hardware?

• Hardware is the physical components of a computer system that you can touch
• Examples of hardware include:
  • CPU
  • RAM
  • Storage devices
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse

What is software?

• Software is the programs that control the hardware, they live on the computer system but cannot be physically touched
• Example of software include:
  • Operating system
  • Applications (apps)
  • Utility software