Additional Hardware

Question 1

Features of motherboard:
what is connected to it?
What takes information from Mother board to another?
What is fixed to it?
What does it offer extra of?
Provides what for hard drives, DVD drives and I/O devices?

Answer 1

The motherboard is the circuit board to which all the components are connected
Buses take the data and information form one part of the motherboard to another
The CPU is fixed into the motherboard
Offers extra expansion slots, such as RAM, USB ports, PCI slots
Provides controllers for hard drives, DVD drives, I/O devices

Question 2

Graphics Processor Unit (GPU)
What is it and what does it help to do and how does it do it?(what does it alter?)
What does it perform to do what?
What can it rapidly manipulate and alter to do what?
What does some now have that games have developed?

Answer 2

A GPU is a specialist microprocessor that helps the processing of 3D graphics +video animation - altering quickly performing calculations + altering memory
Performs calculation - render graphics -> screen
A GPU can rapidly manipulate + alter memory to render 3D images + graphics smoothly whilst playing games or watching movies
Has dedicated cards as games have developed

Question 3

Integrated GPU

Answer 3

Uses the RAM installed on the motherboard
Ok for some low key tasks, such as word processing, watching movies

Question 4

Dedicated GPU

Answer 4

Uses its own memory
Provides a better visual quality
Better for fast moving images such as games
Can use more power and need extra cooling

Question 5

Sound card-
What does it take from where and what does it convert it to?
What else can it convert?
What do motherboards have but what do some users buy?

Answer 5

Takes sound input from a microphone or other analogue source and converts it into a digital form
Can also convert digital sound into analogue form
Some motherboards have on-board sound included but users can also buy a dedicated sound card