1.1 Laptop Hardware

Question 1

SSD

Answer 1

Solid State Drive

• All memory, no moving parts.
• Silent, fast access time, less latency
• 2.5 inch and 1.8 inch form factors

Question 2

SSHD

Answer 2

Solid State Hybrid Drive
Solid-state hybrid drive
• Flash memory and hard drive storage
• SSD caches the hard drive data

Question 3

Magnetic Disk

Answer 3

Traditional spinning drive platters

Question 4

Laptop Memory

Answer 4

SO-DIMM
• Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module

Micro-DIMM
• Micro-Dual In-line Memory Module

Memory used in laptops and mobile devices.

Question 5

Video Cards

Answer 5

• Often built into the processor
• Not upgradable
• Sometimes part of the system board
• Again, not upgradable
• Some laptops have upgradable video cards
• Not the slimline models

Question 6

LCD

Answer 6

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
• Light and high-resolution
• Very, very fragile - Get a good case!
• Resolutions are fixed
• Changes to native resolution may look
blurry or not as crisp

Question 7

Laptop power – AC adapters

Answer 7

• Auto-switching or fixed input
• Converts AC to DC
• Input voltage - 110 volts / 220 volts
• DC jack on the laptop
• Specific to the power supply type

Question 8

Laptop power - batteries

Answer 8

• Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
• Common in consumer electronics
• No “memory effect”
• Charging the battery diminishes capacity

Question 9

Replacing Laptop Storage

Answer 9

• Can be very modular
• Two screws and the drive slides out
• All internal
• Open a cover on the back
• Open the entire laptop

Question 10

Smart card reader

Answer 10

• Integrated card reader
• Built into the laptop
• External reader
• USB connected

Question 11

Optical drive

Answer 11

Too large for today’s portable devices
• Becoming difficult to find
• Often removable
• Replace with other media
• Read and write CD-RW/CD-ROM and DVD-RW/DVDROM
• In a portable device

Question 12

Laptop frame

Answer 12

• Plastic
• Lightweight, mobile
• Durable, difficult to break
• Inexpensive, cost-effective
• Metal
• More durable than plastic
• Can be more difficult to repair

Question 13

Speaker

Answer 13

Self-contained - Portable audio
• Not the highest quality - Very small
• Often stereo (L/R) - May include a subwoofer!

Question 14

System board

Answer 14

• Proprietary
• Built to fit
• Replacement isn’t easy
• Swap the entire board
• Most components are on the system board

Question 15

CPU

Answer 15

• Designed for mobility
• Power management
• Integrated features
• Memory controller, video controller
• Not very upgradable
• Replaceable, but not upgradeable
• Often slower than desktops
• Size and heat are disadvantages