Chapter 1 - Core Hardware Components Flashcards
1.3, 1.5, 2.3, 2.5
Computer
an electronic device that manipulates information or data. It has the ability to input, process, output, and store data.
Hardware
refers to the physical elements of a computer. (Infrastructure =?)
Software
instructions that tell a computer what to do. (Logical = Software)
Peripheral Devices
an auxiliary device that connects to and works with a computer and is used to put information into and get information out of the computer
Input
when the computer receives data from a user through a peripheral device that connects to and works with a computer
Output
when the computer displays, plays or distributes data to a user through a peripheral device that connects to and works with a computer
Processing
manipulation of data by a computer’s processor
Storage
a process through which data is retained for future use. Data retention can be either temporary or permanent.
bit (b)
small unit of digital information
Byte (B)
a unit of measurement that contains eight (8) bits, or a series of eight (8) zeros and ones.
- 1 Byte = 8 bits
- value can range from 0 to 255
Data at Rest
data that is housed physically on a storage drive in a digital format.
(Measures in bits/bytes)
Precision Measurement
binary measurement system
222222222*2 = 1024
Data in Use
data that is currently being processed or acted upon by a system’s processor
(measured in hertz)
Hertz (Hz)
a unit of frequency equivalent to one cycle per second
- megahertz (MHz)
- gigahertz (GHz)
Motherboard
the main circuit board in a computing device that connects and allows communication between all the other computing components
- Backbone, foundation, or heart of a computing device
- all other comments must be compatible with this
- also referred to as a “system board”
Firmware
a type of software program or set of instructions programmed into electronic devices and provides the most basic control of a hardware component
- More permanent than general-purpose software
- Initiates device boot-up
- Control input and output operations
BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
firmware that is stored on a computer’s motherboard that provides the fundamental instructions and settings necessary for the computer to start up, initialize hardware components, and establish communication between the hardware and the operating systems
- Configure data and time
- view information/specs related to most hardware in your system
- Enable or disable hardware
- Enable virtualization (VT-X)
- Change the boot order of your system)
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
firmware that is stored on a modern computer’s motherboard that provides the fundamental instructions and settings necessary for the computer to start up, initialize hardware components, and establish communication between the hardware and the operating system
- uses a graphical user interface (GUI)
- offer more features
- better security
RAM (Random Access Memory)
a form of computer memory that stores working data or programs currently in use by the computer.
- the type of memory used for the system memory.
- more capacity to hold and process large programs and files, as well as enhance system performance
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
the primary component of a computer responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations.
- Acts as the brain of a computer
- executes a program, which is a sequence of stored instructions
ARM (Advanced RISC Machine)
a family of CPUs based on the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architecture
- used most commonly in mobile phones and tablets
Internal Storage
the storage drives within a computing device that are designed to store digital data
- Provides long-term storage
- Often used to store a computer’s operating system
- Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or Solid State Drives (SDD)
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
a specialized processor designed to rapidly process and render graphics, images, and videos
- great for gaming devices
- both internal and external GPUs available
Heatsink
a metal structure that absorbs and disperses heat generated by electronic components such as CPUs or GPUs it helps prevent overheating by provide a large area for heat dissipation
- fans (affordable/limitations)
- liquid cooling (expensive/more efficient)
NIC (Network Interface Card)
a computer hardware component that allows a computer to connect to a network or other computing device and acts as a communication link enabling the transfer of data
- utilize an transmitter and receiver
Wired NICs
use physical cables such as ethernet cable to establish a network connection
- generally offer faster and more reliable data throughput rates
Wireless NICs
utilize wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC or even cellular to connect to a network without the need for physical cables
Volatile Storage
a type of storage that requires a continuous power supply to retain data
- RAM, used as a temp storage option
Non-volatile Storage
a type of storage that retains data even when power is lost or the system is turned off
- HDD & SDD, more permanent storage
Computer Cases
provide protection and support for internal components
- durable, easy to service, and enough room for expansion
- size and layout is called form factor
Local Device Storage
encompasses hardware components used to store data on a computer device locally, as opposed to remotely or on another device.
- RAM
- Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
- Solid State Drives (SSD)
- Optical Drives
- Flash Drives
Local Network Storage
refers to the various types of storage systems that are accessible over a local area network connection, allowing multiple devices to share and access stored data
- File Servers
- Network Attached Storage (NAS)
Cloud Storage
refers to the practice of storing and managing data on remote servers accessed over the internet.
- It involves using the infrastructure of a cloud service provider, which maintains large-scale data centers to store and protect the data of individuals and organization
- remote access to files and data over the internet, typically through third-party service providers
-requires an internet connection for accessing files and data - offers scalability, redundancy, and the ability to access files and data from anywhere with an internet connection
Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
a type of local device storage where digital data is stored magnetically on a spinning disk
- Low cost
- Moving parts increase failure rate
- Slower than solid state drive (SSD)
- measured in RPM (Revolutions per minute; 5,400 rpm, 7,200 rpm)
Solid State Drive (SSD)
a type of local device storage where digital data is stored on non-volatile flash memory chips
- Faster than hard disk drive (HDD)
- No moving parts
- Silent operation
Optical Drive
a type of local device storage where digital data is stored optically on a spinning disk
- Compact Disc (CD); max storage: 700 MB
- Digital Versatile Discs (DVD); max storage 17 GB
- Blu-Ray Disc (BD); max storage 128GB
Flash Drive (aka Thumb drive or USB)
a type of portable storage device where digital data is stored on non-volatile flash memory chips
- same storage technology as an SSD
- Local device storage designed to be portable
- memory cards is considered an form factor of flash drives
PSU (Power Supply Unit)
converts AC power from the wall socket into DC
- Alternating current (AC)
- Direct Current (DC)
**Must provide enough power for the installed components and future additions
32-bit vs. 64-bit
wider the bus, the more data that can be process per unit of time
- these CPU architectures are found in laptops, workstations and servers
- 32-bit aka x86; capable of addressing 4 GB of RAM
- 64-bit aka x64; capable of addressing 128+ GB or RAM while supporting 32 bit process
Bus
allow data to travel among the various components
Overclocking
a technique used to make a processor work at a faster speed than its original specification
Throttling
a technique used to decrease the speed of your processor
File Server
a type of local network storage in which a general computing device provides centralized storage and file-sharing capabilities to multiple users on a network
- sharing and storing files with other computing devices on a local network
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
a type of local network storage in which a dedicated computing device provides centralized storage and file-sharing capabilities to multiple user on a network
- commonly used in home networks small businesses and environments where a simple file sharing solution is preferred
Read
retrieving information from a storage device, and bringing it into the computer’s system memory for processing
- aka access or retrieve
- driver output operation
Write
storing or updating information on a storage device, allowing you to modify existing data or add new data
Transfer Rate (data rate)
at which data can be read from or written to a storage drive per second
IOP (Input/Output Operations per second)
a performance metric the measures the number of read and write operations a storage device can handle in one second
-IOPS = Transfer Rate / Average Operation Size
Average Operation Size
the amount of data read from or written to the storage device in a single operation and is typically measured in bytes t
Active Methods (Cooling System Method)
- fans
- liquid (Nitrogen, helium, water, oil)
- heat pipes or vapor chambers
- Phase-change
Passive Methods (Cooling System Method)
- air
- peltier
- undervolting
Component Cooling (Cooling System Method)
- Memory cooling
- Hard Drive cooling
- Chipset cooling
RAM Types
- DRAM (Dynamix RAM)
- SRAM (Static RAM)
- SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)
- DDR SDRAM
- DDR 2 SDRAM
- DDR 3 SDRAM
- DDR 4 SDRAM
RAM Form Factors
- DIMMs (PCs)
- SODIMMS (Laptops)
Expansion & Adapters
increase the functionality of a computer by adding controllers for specific devices or by replacing malfunctioning ports on the motherboard
- range from advanced graphical processing units or GPU to a wireless network interface card
- Video cards
- Sound cards
- Network cards
- WNIC cards
Units of Measuring Storage
- bit (b) 0 or 1
- Bytes (B) 8 bits
- Kilobytes (KB) 1,000 bytes
- Megabytes (MB) 1,000,000 bytes
- Gigabytes (GB) 1,000,000,000 bytes
- Terabytes (TB) 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
- Petabytes (PB) 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
- Exabyte (EB) 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
POST (Power On Self Test)
checks to see that all the hardware in the computer is operating correctly
- any issues with hardware components the POST will issue an error message or a beep code
CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor)
is the chip that stores all the configuration data of the BIOS
- requires constant power from the CMOS battery to save the information
- or data can be saved in nonvolatile memory which does not need power to retain settings
BIOS Boot Order
the predetermined sequence the system follows in order to understand what device to boot up first, second, then so on until the list is done
- Operating systems could start (boot) from optical media, hard drives or flash drives
Thermal Compound
aka thermal paste, is a material applied between the CPU and the heatsink to combat overheating.
- reducing the CPU temperature by several degrees
Liquid Cooling
is an advanced cooling solution, using a liquid coolant to transfer heat away from the CPU and other components
- can be quicker
- requires more maintenance
- more expensive than case fans
- requires specific equipment to be installed
Buses
allow data to travel among the various components
KB (Kilobyte)
- 1 KB = 1024 bytes
MB (Megabyte)
- 1 MB = 1024 Kilobytes
- 1 MB is one million bytes of information.
MB (Megabyte)
- 1 MB = 1024 Kilobytes
- 1 MB is one million bytes of information.
TB (Terabyte)
- 1 TB = 1024 Gigabytes
Kbps (kilobits per second)
- 1 kbps = 100 bits per second
- Found in slow network links or in public spaces like a train
Mbps (megabits per second)
- 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bits per second
- Found in home networks and wireless networks.
Tbps (Terabit per second)
- 1 Tbps = 1,000,000,000 bits per second
- Many modern networks and PC bus standards support Gbps.
MHz (Megahertz)
- 1 million HZ
- Often seen on older PC bus interfaces.
GHz (gigahertz)
- 1 billion HZ
- Often used with fiber optic networks / Newer computer CPUs run at gigahertz speeds.
