1.1 Hardware

Question 1

Bus

Answer 1

Set of electrical paths etched on a motherboard, used to transfer data between parts
E.g. Expansion card and RAM

Question 2

Caching

Answer 2

Method used to compensate for loss of efficiency which occurs when faster components try to communicate with slower components

Question 3

CMOS

Answer 3

Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor

Type of memory storing BIOS settings that can be changed. Kept alive with a little battery.

Question 4

CPU

Answer 4

Central Processing Unit

Handles all processing, can contain multiple cores and plugs into ZIF socket

Question 5

CPU cache

Answer 5

Special type of high speed memory built into the CPU to maximize productivity

Question 6

DIMM

Answer 6

Dual Inline Memory Module

Rectangular electronic boards containing banks of RAM. Inserted into DIMM slots to upgrade computer

Question 7

Disk cache

Answer 7

Certain amount of high speed memory on every hard drive. Used to cache data from slower disk to speed up subsequent calls

Question 8

EEPROM

Answer 8

Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory

Type of ROM that can be erased and flashed with new data electronically

Question 9

Expansion slots

Answer 9

Slots on motherboard for plugging in additional circuitry to extend the computer

Question 10

External connectors

Answer 10

Situated at the back

Examples: USB ports, VGA port, RJ45 port

Question 11

FireWire

Answer 11

Transfer data faster than USB. Used for large file transfer

Question 12

Firmware

Answer 12

Software hard-coded into chip used to control basic operations of a device

Question 13

Flashing the ROM

Answer 13

Process by which ROM is formatted and new contents placed on it

Question 14

GPU

Answer 14

Graphics Processing Unit

Dedicated graphics processor on graphics card for extra processing power

Question 15

Hardware Interrupt

Answer 15

Dedicated communication channel allowing a device to contact the CPU that it needs its attention

Question 16

Machine Cycle

Answer 16

Steps taken to execute instruction:
 1⃣ Fetch instructions and data from RAM
 2⃣ Decode instructions
 3⃣ Encode instructions
 4⃣ Transfer data back to RAM

Question 17

Modular Design

Answer 17

Design philosophy incorporating a variety of separate components make maintenance and upgrading easy

Question 18

Motherboard

Answer 18

Large circuit board that provides power and connects components

Question 19

Plug-and-Play (PnP)

Answer 19

Technology automating the configuration process of a device before it can be used

Question 20

Point-to-Point connections

Answer 20

Dedicated connection between two components

Examples: RAM and CPU

Question 21

POST

Answer 21

Power On Self Test

Startup check that checks whether essential hardware is working

Question 22

RAM

Answer 22

Random Access Memory

Temporary, volatile storage area for all running applications and data

Question 23

ROM

Answer 23

Read Only Memory

Permanent memory associated with firmware. Found in ROM chip. Holds startup instructions (BIOS)

Question 24

SATA connectors

Answer 24

Connectors on motherboard for attaching storage devices

Question 25

Storage

Answer 25

Stores data and programs permanently

Question 26

System Clock

Answer 26

Small quartz crystal that pulses at regular intervals measure in GHz. Coordinates activities

Question 27

Thunderbolt

Answer 27

Super fast connection supporting simultaneous connections

Question 28

USB

Answer 28

Universal Serial Bus

Most widely used port to attach devices to computer

Question 29

Video card/graphics card

Answer 29

Hardware dedicated to generating graphics. Either onboard or card plugged in PCIe slot

Question 30

Web caching

Answer 30

Storing recently visited web pages on the hard drive so they load faster the next time

Question 31

ZIF Socket

Answer 31

Zero Insertion Force

Type of socket for connecting CPU

Question 32

BIOS

Answer 32

Basic Input Output System
Essential startup instructions of a computer, in ROM chip on the motherboard. Represents the lowest level of programming in firmware