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- AuthorYuanxin (Amy) Yang Alcocer
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Paul is a GIS professor at Vancouver Island U, has a PhD from U of British Columbia, and has taught stats and programming for 15 years.
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Learn about the peripheral devices of a computer, better known as computer peripherals. Discover the types of peripherals and the uses with examples of each.Updated: 11/21/2023
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the peripherals of a computer?
Peripherals of a computer are those devices that connect to the core computer to give it more power and ability. Printers, speakers, and microphones are examples of computer peripherals.
What are four peripheral devices?
Peripheral devices are those devices that connect to the core computing unit. Four examples of peripheral devices are monitors, mice, keyboards, and printers.
Table of Contents
- What Are the Peripheral Devices of a Computer?
- Connecting Peripheral Devices
- Lesson Summary
Computers are used to accomplish many tasks. A basic desktop computer desktop includes the computing unit plus a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Add even more peripherals to the computer, and the computer will be able to do that many more tasks. But, what are computer peripherals? A computer peripheral, technically speaking, is any device that connects to the computing unit but is not part of the core architecture of the computing unit. The core computing unit consists of the central processing unit (CPU), motherboard, and power supply. The case that surrounds these elements are also considered part of the core computing unit. So anything that is connected to these elements is considered a peripheral.
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The following is a list of computer peripherals.
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Monitor
- RAM
- DVD-ROM
- Microphone
- Webcam
- Printer
All of these are peripherals because they all are extra accessories that connect with the main computing unit to provide extra power and abilities. RAM, for example, gives the computer more room to process more operations more quickly.
Computer Devices & Computer Peripherals
The term computer technically refers to just the core computing unit consisting of the motherboard, power supply, and CPU. But in common language, the term computer can also mean the core computing unit along with all the peripherals. Peripherals are detachable and can be replaced. For example, the hard drive is a peripheral that is detachable and replaceable. When a hard drive gets old, it can be replaced with another hard drive. Replacing the hard drive does not change the core computing unit. The central processing unit, the brain of the computer, does not change.
Changing the CPU, however, alters the brain of the computer, so to speak. It essentially changes the computer to a different one. Peripherals, on the other hand, do not change the brains of the computer.
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The type of computer peripherals and their uses determines the category of the peripheral. The three categories are the following.
- Input devices
- Output devices
- Input/output and storage devices
These categories are based on the direction of data flow. Some peripherals send data to the computer, while other peripherals receive data from the computer. Other peripherals can do both; they can both send and receive data from the computer. Detailed information about each category is discussed in the following sections.
Input Devices
Input devices are devices that send information to the computer. They do not receive information from the computer. Input devices are one-way devices. A mouse is an input device because it sends information to the computer. A mouse is used to tell the computer which way to move the cursor. A microphone is another peripheral that is an input device. The microphone sends audio data to the computer.
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Neither the mouse nor the microphone receives data from the computer. The computer does not move the mouse, nor does it use the microphone as a speaker. Input devices are strictly one-way devices.
Another example of an input device is a keyboard. The keyboard sends text data to the computer, but the computer does not send text data to the keyboard. Scanners, too, are also input devices because they send copying information to the computer. The computer does not send data to the scanner. The scanner does not print data from the computer. It only sends copied information to the computer for processing. Webcams are also input devices that send video information to the computer. Again, the computer does not send video information to the webcam.
An easy way to remember this is to think of input as putting something in to the computer. So input device means putting data in the computer.
Output Devices
An output device is a device that receives information from the core computing unit but does not send information to the computer. A speaker is an output device because the computer sends sound information to the speaker, but the speaker does not send sound information to the computer.
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Standard monitors are output devices as well since their job is to display graphical information from the computer. Standard monitors do not send information to the computer. Touchscreen monitors are not strict output devices. Other examples of output devices are the following.
- Printers
- Headphones
- Braille readers
All of these produce data from the computer and do not send information to the computer. An easy way to remember this is to think of the computer sending out data. So output device means the computer is sending data out.
Input/Output and Storage Devices
Before touchscreens were introduced and fancier copiers with scanners came about, this third category was strictly for storage devices. Now it includes those devices that double as both an input device as well as an output device. For example, a touchscreen monitor is both an input and an output device. The touchscreen monitor displays data sent from the computer while sending location information to the computer via the touchscreen functionality.
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Storage devices also serve this dual purpose. Storage devices send information to the computer as well as receive information from the computer. The computer sends data to the storage device when saving files. The storage device can send information to the computer when the computer browses the storage device and opens files from it.
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Computer peripherals connect to the core computing unit in a variety of ways. They can be hardwired to the computer via ports on the motherboard itself, such as a hard drive and a video card. In addition to ports on the motherboard, other ports on the computer that peripherals can connect to are USB ports, HDMI ports, DVI ports, VGA ports, and Ethernet ports.
Peripherals can also be connected wirelessly. Some computers are on a WiFi network through a router. A peripheral on the same WiFI network can then connect to the computer through the network. Another way for peripherals to connect wirelessly to a computer is via Bluetooth.
Some peripherals have a variety of ways to connect to a computer. A printer, for example, can connect to a computer via a hardwired USB connection or wirelessly through a WiFi connection or Bluetooth. Hard drives typically connect hardwired through a port on the motherboard. There are external hard drives that connect via a USB connection.
Some peripherals connect to the computer from inside the case, while other peripherals connect to the computer outside the case. Peripherals that go inside the case are internal peripherals, while peripherals that go outside the computer case are external peripherals.
One important note is that a peripheral does not mean it is an extra accessory that is not needed for the computer to be functional. For example, a mouse, monitor, and keyboard are peripherals, but they are crucial for communicating with the computer. Without a mouse or keyboard, it is impossible to tell the computer what tasks to perform. Without a monitor, it is impossible for the computer to show results.
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In review, a computer peripheral, technically speaking, is any device that connects to the computing unit but is not part of the core architecture of the computing unit. The three categories of peripherals are input devices, output devices, and storage devices that include dual input/output devices. Input devices are devices that send information to the computer. An output device is a device that receives information from the core computing unit but does not send information to the computer.
Examples of input devices include keyboards, mice, microphones, and scanners. Examples of output devices include monitors, printers, speakers, and Braille readers. Examples of storage and input/output devices include hard drives and touchscreen monitors. Some peripherals are extra accessories that are not needed for the computer to be functional. Some peripherals, though, are needed for the computer to function, such as a mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
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Video Transcript
Definition
Say you just bought a new computer and, with excitement, you unpack it and set it all up. The first thing you want to do is print out some photographs of the last family party. So it's time to head back to the store to buy a printer. A printer is known as a peripheral device.
A computer peripheral is a device that is connected to a computer but is not part of the core computer architecture. The core elements of a computer are the central processing unit, power supply, motherboard and the computer case that contains those three components. Technically speaking, everything else is considered a peripheral device. However, this is a somewhat narrow view, since various other elements are required for a computer to actually function, such as a hard drive and random-access memory (or RAM).
Most people use the term peripheral more loosely to refer to a device external to the computer case. You connect the device to the computer to expand the functionality of the system. For example, consider a printer. Once the printer is connected to a computer, you can print out documents. Another way to look at peripheral devices is that they are dependent on the computer system. For example, most printers can't do much on their own, and they only become functional when connected to a computer system.
Types of Peripheral Devices
There are many different peripheral devices, but they fall into three general categories:
- Input devices, such as a mouse and a keyboard
- Output devices, such as a monitor and a printer
- Storage devices, such as a hard drive or flash drive
Some devices fall into more than one category. Consider a CD-ROM drive; you can use it to read data or music (input), and you can use it to write data to a CD (output).
Peripheral devices can be external or internal. For example, a printer is an external device that you connect using a cable, while an optical disc drive is typically located inside the computer case. Internal peripheral devices are also referred to as integrated peripherals. When most people refer to peripherals, they typically mean external ones.
The concept of what exactly is 'peripheral' is therefore somewhat fluid. For a desktop computer, a keyboard and a monitor are considered peripherals - you can easily connect and disconnect them and replace them if needed. For a laptop computer, these components are built into the computer system and can't be easily removed.
The term 'peripheral' also does not mean it is not essential for the function of the computer. Some devices, such as a printer, can be disconnected and the computer will keep on working just fine. However, remove the monitor of a desktop computer and it becomes pretty much useless.
Examples of Peripheral Devices
Here you can see a typical desktop computer system with a number of common peripheral devices. The central processing unit (#2), motherboard (#8) and power supply are the core computer system. Expansion slots (#4) on the motherboard make it possible to connect internal peripherals, such as a video card or sound card (not shown). Other internal peripherals shown are a hard disk drive (#7) and an optical disc drive (#6). External input peripherals are a scanner (#1), display monitor (#10), keyboard (#13) and mouse (#14). External output peripherals are a set of speakers (#9) and a printer (#16). Note that labels 11 and 12 in the figure refer to software and are not peripherals.
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There are many other examples of peripherals, such as a microphone, web camera, headphones, external hard drive and flash drive. Most computer users have at least several of these peripheral devices.
How Peripherals Are Connected
Internal peripherals are directly connected to the motherboard using one of the different types of slots on the motherboard.
External devices can be connected using a wired connection or a wireless connection. As the name suggests, a wired connection uses a cable that needs to be plugged into the computer using a connector. The most widely used connector is a Universal Serial Bus (or USB) connection, but several other types are used depending on the specific computer system and the type of peripheral.
A wireless connection does not require a cable. The most widely used wireless connections are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Bluetooth is good for very short distances, so peripherals such as a wireless mouse and keyboard typically use a Bluetooth connection. Wi-Fi is good for longer distances. If you have set up a wireless network in your home or office, you may be able to print wirelessly to a printer if it is also connected to the network.
Lesson Summary
Computer peripherals expand the functionality of your computer. Some are essential for the computer to properly function, such as a monitor and a keyboard. Others serve a more specialized purpose but allow you to do a lot more with your computer.
Learning Outcomes
Now that you are finished with this lesson you should be able to:
- Recall the three categories of peripheral devices
- Give examples of external and internal peripheral devices
- Name some peripheral devices
- Explain how peripheral devices can be connected to a computer
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