Computer peripherals help you use your device more effectively. But what are these devices? Peripheral units are not part of the core computer architecture, but they connect to the computing units and can be used to perform multiple tasks. There are many different types of computer peripheral devices, and these can be divided into the following five core categories:

Input devices
These devices help you to input data into a computer.

Output devices
These devices allow you to review the output and include the printer, monitor, headphones, and speaker.

Storage peripheral devices
These devices help store data, such as a thumb drive, SSD, HDD, and memory card.

Internal peripheral devices
These devices are connected to the motherboard, such as a memory module and video card.

External peripheral devices
A webcam is a part of this category.

Now let us elaborate on a few of these computer peripherals:

Mouse
The computer mouse is a hand-held peripheral device with at least three buttons and a scroll wheel to enter commands into the computer. The mouse controls the cursor movements on the computer screen and allows you to move and select folders, files, texts, and icons on a computer. The mouse needs to be put on a flat or hard surface that needs to be smooth, and you can use it to control the movement of the cursor on the screen.

Keyboard
This primary and significant input device allows you to input text and other commands into the computer. It can be thought of as a basic computer peripheral that allows you to communicate with the computer. A keyboard consists of various keys for alphabets, numbers, and special characters. Some functions of the keyboard can also be controlled through the keyboard, such as brightness and volume.

Monitor
Monitors are also known as video display terminals or video display units. These computer peripherals are used to display images, text, videos, and other graphic information generated by the computer. Different types of video screens are used in computers.

Printer
A printer is a hardware output device that is used to print documents, also known as generating a hard copy. This document may be of any kind, such as a text file, image, or combination. The printer has a cartridge or a ribbon containing ink and a print head that helps capture the image on the paper. Printers are also used to print documents from the internet.

Graphic Processing Unit
These computer peripherals are also known by other names such as video controller, display adapter, video board, and video adapter. This PC component connects to the computer’s motherboard. Such a unit improves and enhances the picture quality on display. The device comes with a cooling system, processor, and memory to store text and pictures without relying on the system’s memory.

Speakers
Speakers are used for audio outputs from the computer, and they are of two types: wireless and wired, wherein the wireless speakers connect without wire with the help of Bluetooth or IR. Wired speakers connect with the help of wires or cables. Speakers are available in different quality, colors, and shapes, and some are also equipped with built-in subwoofers for boosted sound quality.

Microphone
A microphone or mic is an input computer peripheral used to convert sound waves into electric waves. The microphone can be used for voice recognition, voice recording, enabling online chatting, computer gaming, and many more. It is either in-built or usually attached to the laptop or computer via a wire or a cable.

Network adapter
This device is also known as a network interface card. The hardware component on the computer is used to connect various networking devices such as servers and computers for data sharing over a network. It offers various functionalities such as I/O interrupt support, data transmission, and direct memory access.

Modem
A modem is a composite computer peripheral that helps in modulating and demodulating the signal. It acts as a bridge between the computer and the internet line. It helps maintain a dedicated connection with the internet service provider and ensures you get the internet connection for your home or office.

Joystick
A joystick is used to control graphic and gaming applications. The utility of the joystick is to manage the machine or character in the computer program.

The abovementioned computer peripherals are only the basic ones. Many brands have come up with high-end peripherals for those in video editing and streaming professions. Check out gaming sub-brands of top computer manufacturers to know more.