1. Hardware Flashcards
What is the primary function of the CPU?
Executes instructions from programs by performing basic arithmetic, logic, control, and I/O operations.
What is the difference between DDR3 and DDR4 RAM?
DDR4 has faster transfer rates, lower voltage requirements (1.2V compared to 1.5V for DDR3), and higher memory capacities.
What is the function of the BIOS/UEFI?
Initializes hardware during the boot process and provides runtime services for operating systems.
What are the common form factors for motherboards?
ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
What is RAID 5?
A RAID configuration that uses striping with parity, requiring at least three drives. It provides fault tolerance.
What is the difference between SATA and NVMe drives?
SATA drives use the SATA interface and are slower, while NVMe drives use the PCIe interface and provide much faster data transfer rates.
What is the purpose of a heat sink?
Dissipates heat from components such as the CPU or GPU to prevent overheating.
What is the difference between a power supply’s 80 PLUS certifications?
Indicates the efficiency of the power supply, with tiers such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.
What is the function of the CMOS battery on a motherboard?
Powers the CMOS chip to retain BIOS/UEFI settings when the computer is powered off.
What are the three main types of optical drives?
CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray.
What is the primary use of ECC RAM?
Error-Correcting Code RAM is used in servers and workstations to detect and correct memory errors.
What does a GPU do?
Processes graphics rendering for displays, used in gaming, video editing, and 3D modeling.
What is the difference between an inkjet and a laser printer?
Inkjet printers use liquid ink for higher-quality images, while laser printers use toner for faster and more cost-effective printing.
What is the function of thermal paste?
Improves heat transfer between a CPU/GPU and its heat sink.
What are the common USB standards and their speeds?
USB 2.0 (480 Mbps), USB 3.0 (5 Gbps), USB 3.1 (10 Gbps), USB 3.2 (20 Gbps).
What is the difference between a hot-swappable and non-hot-swappable device?
Hot-swappable devices can be replaced or connected without shutting down the system, like USB drives or some RAID disks.
What does the term “form factor” mean for power supplies?
Refers to the physical dimensions and compatibility of the power supply, such as ATX or SFX.
What is the purpose of a POST card?
Diagnoses and displays error codes during the Power-On Self-Test process.
What are the differences between LCD, LED, and OLED displays?
LCD uses a liquid crystal layer, LED is an LCD with LED backlighting, and OLED uses organic compounds that emit light directly.
What is the maximum length of a standard Ethernet cable for reliable operation?
100 meters (328 feet) for Cat5e and Cat6 cables.
What is the difference between passive and active cooling?
Passive cooling uses heat sinks without moving parts, while active cooling includes fans or liquid cooling systems.
What is a crossover cable used for?
Directly connects two network devices without a switch or hub.
What is the purpose of a jumper on a motherboard?
Configures hardware settings, such as clearing the CMOS or setting the drive as master/slave.
What is an example of a hardware diagnostic tool?
MemTest86 for memory testing or CrystalDiskInfo for checking hard drive health.
What is the function of a KVM switch?
A device that allows multiple computers to share a single keyboard, video monitor, and mouse, enabling easy switching between systems.
What is the difference between a hard drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD)?
HDDs use spinning disks to read and write data, while SSDs use flash memory, offering faster data access speeds and no moving parts.
What is the purpose of a motherboard chipset?
Manages data flow between the processor, memory, and other peripherals.
What is the difference between a DVI and HDMI port?
DVI transmits video signals, while HDMI transmits both video and audio.
What is the purpose of RAID 0?
Stripes data across multiple drives for increased performance, but does not provide fault tolerance.
What does a PSU (Power Supply Unit) do?
Converts electrical power from a wall outlet into the proper voltage and current to power the internal components of a computer.
What is the difference between an SSD and an M.2 drive?
SSD refers to a storage device using flash memory, while M.2 refers to the form factor of the drive (smaller and faster than traditional SATA SSDs).
What is the function of a network card (NIC)?
Allows a computer to connect to a network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
What are the benefits of using a liquid cooling system over traditional air cooling?
Provides better cooling for high-performance systems, reduces noise, and allows for more efficient heat dissipation.
What does the term “overclocking” mean?
Increasing the clock speed of a processor or GPU to improve performance beyond factory settings.
What is the purpose of a surge protector?
Protects electronic devices from power surges caused by lightning or electrical faults.
What are the common causes of overheating in a computer?
Insufficient cooling, dust buildup, poor airflow, or high ambient temperature.
What is the role of the chipset in a laptop?
Manages communication between the CPU, memory, and other peripherals in a laptop system.
What is the function of the power supply fan?
Helps cool the power supply unit (PSU) and prevent overheating.
What is the primary function of an optical drive?
Reads and writes data to optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
What is a GPU’s role in gaming?
Renders images and video frames for real-time display during gameplay.
What is a sound card used for?
Handles audio processing for output to speakers or input from microphones.
What is the role of a computer’s voltage regulator?
Ensures that components like the CPU receive stable voltage to operate correctly.
What is the difference between a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port?
USB 3.0 provides faster data transfer speeds (up to 5 Gbps) compared to USB 2.0 (480 Mbps).
What is the purpose of a RAID 10 configuration?
Combines the benefits of RAID 1 and RAID 0 by mirroring and striping data, providing both redundancy and performance.
What is the difference between an HDD and an SDD in terms of durability?
SSDs have no moving parts, making them more durable and resistant to physical shock compared to HDDs.
What is the purpose of a bus in a computer?
Transfers data between different components such as the CPU, memory, and storage.
What is the difference between a modem and a router?
A modem connects to the internet, while a router manages the local network and directs data to multiple devices.
What does a heat sink do for a GPU?
Dissipates heat from the GPU to prevent overheating and maintain performance.
What is the difference between an HDMI port and a DisplayPort?
HDMI is commonly used for audio and video, while DisplayPort is used primarily for video and offers higher resolutions and refresh rates.
What is a solid-state drive (SSD) made of?
Flash memory chips and a controller that manages data access and storage.
What is a Wi-Fi card used for in a computer?
Provides wireless connectivity to a local network or the internet.
What is the difference between a hybrid hard drive (HHD) and an SSD?
An HHD combines the large storage capacity of an HDD with the speed of an SSD’s flash memory.
What is the difference between a PCIe and PCI expansion slot?
PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is faster and supports higher data transfer rates compared to the older PCI slots.
What is the purpose of a 24-pin power connector on a motherboard?
Provides the primary power to the motherboard, including the CPU, memory, and other peripherals.
What is a USB hub used for?
Expands the number of USB ports available on a computer or device.
What is the role of the Northbridge chip on a motherboard?
Connects the CPU to high-speed components like RAM and graphics cards, typically responsible for faster data transfer.
What is the role of the Southbridge chip on a motherboard?
Manages slower peripheral connections like USB, SATA, and PCI slots.
What is the purpose of a display adapter?
Converts the digital signal from the computer into a video signal to be displayed on the monitor.
What is an M.2 slot used for?
Used to install high-speed storage devices (like SSDs) or expansion cards.
What is the primary function of a power supply unit (PSU)?
Converts electrical power from an outlet into usable power for the internal components of a computer.
What is the difference between a solid-state drive (SSD) and a traditional hard disk drive (HDD)?
SSDs use flash memory for storage and are faster, while HDDs use spinning disks and are slower.
What is a fan controller used for?
Allows users to adjust the speed of case fans to control airflow and system cooling.
What is a ribbon cable?
A flat, flexible cable that connects internal components like hard drives to motherboards in older systems.
What is the purpose of an I/O shield in a computer case?
Protects the motherboard from dust and prevents electrical shorts, while also allowing proper placement of input/output ports.
What is the function of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)?
Provides backup power in case of power outages, protecting against data loss and hardware damage.
What is a TPM (Trusted Platform Module)?
A hardware-based security feature that stores cryptographic keys for secure encryption and authentication.
What is the difference between a 3.5mm jack and an optical audio out?
A 3.5mm jack carries analog audio signals, while optical audio out carries digital audio signals.
What is the purpose of a virtual machine (VM)?
Allows running multiple operating systems on a single physical machine, useful for testing and development.
What is a heatsink thermal compound?
A substance applied between a CPU/GPU and its heatsink to improve heat transfer.
What is the difference between an integrated graphics card and a discrete graphics card?
Integrated graphics are built into the motherboard or CPU, while discrete cards are separate components that provide superior performance.
What is a form factor in the context of a computer case?
Refers to the size, shape, and layout of the case, ensuring compatibility with the motherboard and other components.
What is the function of a cache memory?
A small, high-speed memory that stores frequently accessed data to improve overall system performance.
What is the purpose of a sound card?
Processes audio signals and allows output to speakers or headphones, often improving sound quality over onboard audio.
What is a NAS (Network Attached Storage)?
A dedicated storage device connected to a network that allows data sharing and backup across multiple devices.
What is a GPU and how does it improve gaming performance?
A Graphics Processing Unit handles complex graphical calculations and rendering, improving performance in video games and multimedia applications.
What is the purpose of a RAID controller?
Manages the configuration of hard drives in RAID setups to optimize performance and data redundancy.
What is the difference between VGA and HDMI ports?
VGA is an analog video output, while HDMI is a digital connection that supports both audio and video.
What does an M.2 NVMe drive offer over a SATA SSD?
M.2 NVMe drives provide faster data transfer speeds due to utilizing the PCIe interface compared to the SATA interface used by SSDs.
What does the term “latency” refer to in storage devices?
The time it takes for the device to respond to a read or write request. Lower latency means faster access times.
What is the function of a wireless card in a laptop?
Provides Wi-Fi connectivity to a laptop for internet access and networking.
What is the difference between a desktop and mobile processor?
Mobile processors are designed for laptops, consuming less power and generating less heat, while desktop processors typically have higher performance.
What is a display panel’s refresh rate?
The number of times per second the display refreshes its image, measured in Hertz (Hz). A higher refresh rate provides smoother motion in video.
What does the term “DDR” stand for in memory types?
Double Data Rate, a technology that allows data to be transferred on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal, improving performance.
What is a network switch used for?
A device that connects devices on a network and forwards data between them based on MAC addresses.
What is the purpose of an SSD’s TRIM command?
Helps maintain the performance of an SSD by allowing the operating system to inform the drive of deleted data, which is then marked for reuse.
What is the purpose of a computer case fan?
Improves airflow within the case to keep internal components cool and prevent overheating.
What is the difference between a laptop and desktop power supply?
A desktop PSU is larger and delivers more power, while a laptop PSU is smaller and designed for portability.
What is the primary function of a chipset in a motherboard?
It controls communication between the CPU, memory, and peripherals, such as storage and USB devices.
What is the function of a PCIe slot on a motherboard?
A high-speed slot used for installing expansion cards like graphics cards, network cards, and storage controllers.
What is a CPU cooler used for?
To dissipate heat generated by the CPU and prevent overheating, ensuring stable operation.
What is the difference between an S-ATA and P-ATA drive?
S-ATA (Serial ATA) is a newer interface with faster data transfer speeds, while P-ATA (Parallel ATA) is an older interface with slower speeds.
What is the function of an Ethernet cable?
Provides wired network connectivity between computers, routers, and other network devices.
What is the role of a computer’s input/output ports?
Allow connection of external devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, and monitors to the computer.
What is the purpose of a RAID 1 configuration?
Mirrors data across two drives for redundancy, ensuring data protection in case of drive failure.
What is a solid-state drive’s (SSD) TRIM command?
A command that helps optimize the performance of an SSD by notifying it of deleted data, allowing space to be reclaimed and written to more efficiently.
What is the function of a network interface card (NIC)?
Provides a computer with the capability to connect to a network using either Ethernet or wireless protocols.
What is the difference between 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives?
2.5-inch drives are smaller and typically used in laptops, while 3.5-inch drives are larger and commonly used in desktops.
What is a PCI slot used for?
A slot on the motherboard that allows expansion cards, such as graphics, sound, or network cards, to be installed.
What is the difference between a touchpad and a mouse?
A touchpad is a pointing device on laptops that uses touch gestures, while a mouse is a separate external device with buttons and a scroll wheel.
What does the term “voltage” refer to in computer power supplies?
The electrical potential difference provided by the PSU to power internal components, typically 12V, 5V, and 3.3V.
