Chapter 1: Introduction To The Personal Computer Flashcards
Explain IT industry certifications. Describe a computer system. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of cases and power supplies. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of internal components. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of ports and cables. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of input devices. Identify the names, purposes, and characteristics of output devices. Explain system resources and their purposes.
Define Information Technology?
Information Technology is the design, development, implementation, support, and management of computer hardware and software applications.
Describe a computer system.
A computer system consists of hardware and software components. (i.e. storage drive, o.s., programs, monitor, cables, etc…)
Who developed the A+ certification program?
Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
What is the latest edition of the + certification?
2009 Edition
What 2 exams are needed to be A+ qualified (Code number and name)?
CompTIA A+ Essentials, exam code 220-701; and CompTIA A+ Practical Application, exam code 220-702
Describe the A+ Essentials qualification.
CompTIA A+ Essentials measures the necessary competencies of an entry-level IT professional with at least 500 hours of hands-on experience in the lab or field. It tests for the fundamentals of computer technology, networking and security, as well as the communication skills and professionalism now required of all entry-level IT professionals
Describe the A+ Practical Application qualification.
CompTIA A+ Practical Application is an extension of the knowledge and skills identified in CompTIA A+ Essentials, with more of a hands-on orientation focused on scenarios in which troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems
What are the 5 modules that make up the EUCIP International certification.
M1: PC Hardware, M2: Operating Systems, M3: Local Area Network and Network Services, M4: Expert Network Use, M5: IT Security
What is the computer case used for?
The computer case provides protection and support for the internal components of the computer.
Why do all computers need a power supply?
To convert AC to DC
How is the shape of the computer case determined?
The shape of the computer case is determined by the motherboard and other internal components
Why would a user invest in an over-sized case?
To allocate room for future component additions
How much power should the power supply provide?
The power supply should provide enough power for the components currently installed and additional future components
What is the size and layout of the case called?
The size and layout is called form factor
Name some examples of form factors.
Examples of form factors: Desktop and tower
What role does a computer case play in cooling the internal components?
The case helps cool by ducting or forcing air to flow through the components that need to be cooled
What are the main factors for selecting a computer case?
The main factors for selecting computer cases are: the size of the motherboard, the number of external or internal drive locations aka bays, and available space
How are the internal computer components protected by the case from static electricity?
The case protects the internal components from static electricity by having the internal components grounded to the case
What can cause a power supply to fail?
Significant fluctuations in power can cause a power supply to fail
What is a UPS?
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
How does a UPS protect a computer?
A UPS protects a computer by providing power via battery if the primary source should the primary source of power (outlet) fail
How does a UPS provide power?
The UPS provides power with an inverter
How does the UPS battery provide power to the computer?
The UPS converts DC to AC
Most connectors today are _____connectors.
Keyed
Keyed connectors are designed to be inserted in only ___ direction.
One
Describe a Molex connector.
Keyed, used to connect to an optical drive or a hard drive (from power supply)
Describe a Berg connector.
Keyed, used to connect to a floppy drive and is smaller than a Molex connector (from power supply)
Describe a 20-pin or 24-pin connector.
Slotted, used to connect to the mother board (24-pin two rows of 12 pins, 20-pin two rows of 10 pins, and from power supply)
Describe a 4-pin to 8-pin connector.
Axillary, to motherboard (two rows of 2 to 4 pins, same shape as main power connector but smaller, and provides power to all areas of the motherboard)
What 2 connector types do older power supplies use?
P8 and P9
Why are the old P8 and P9 connectors not used?
They are unkeyed and can be installed backwards
What should you never do to any connector or component?
Never force any connector or component
What are the four basic units of electricity?
Voltage (V), Current (I), Power (P), Resistance (R)
What is voltage?
Voltage is a measure of the force required to push electrons through a circuit
What is voltage measured in?
Volts (V)
What is current?
Current is a measure of the amount of electrons going through a circuit
What is current measured in?
Amperes or Amps (A)
What is power?
Power is the rate of work being performed
What is power measured in?
Watts (W)
What is resistance?
Resistance is the opposition to the flow of current in a circuit
What is resistance measured in?
Ohms (R)
Solve for V.
V=IR
Solve for I.
I=V/R
Solve for R.
R=V/I
Solve for P.
P=VI
What can increase power?
Increasing current or voltage
What power supply range do computers typically use?
250W to 650W
What is the small switch located on the back of the power supply called?
Voltage selector switch
What settings does the Voltage selector switch have?
110V/115V or 220V/230V
What is the motherboard?
The main printed circuit board containing the buses or electrical pathways.
What are motherboards also known as?
System board, backplane, or main board
What does the motherboard accommodate?
CPU, RAM, expansion slots, heat sink/fan assembly, BIOS chip, chipset, and embedded wire, sockets, internal and external connectors, and various ports
What was to most common old form factor (motherboard)?
AT
Why was the AT form factor replaced (motherboard)?
The AT was too cumbersome
What are the most common motherboard form factors?
ATX and BTX
Why would some ATX motherboards be incompatible with standard ATX cases?
The ATX motherboard would have a proprietary form factor
What is a chipset?
Collection of integrated circuits that controls how system hardware interacts with the CPU and motherboard
What determines what CPU can be installed in a motherboard?
The socket or slot
How are most chipsets divided?
Northbridge and Southbridge
In general, what does the Northbridge control?
Access to RAM, video card, and the speeds at which the CPU can communicate with them
What is sometimes integrated with the Northbridge?
The video card
In general, what does the Southbridge control?
Allows the CPU to communicate with the hard drives, sound card, USB ports, and other I/O ports
What is the CPU considered?
The brains
Most calculations take place in the ___.
CPU
In terms of computing power, what is the most important element?
CPU
Name two common CPU manufactures.
Intel and AMD
What is the most common architecture CPUs are built around?
Pin Grid Array (PGA)
PGA CPUs are usually inserted with ____.
Zero Insertion Force (ZIF)
What is a program?
Sequence of stored instructions
How does a CPU execute a program?
It processes each piece of data as directed by the program and the instruction set (The first step is executed while the rest are stored in a cache memory while waiting to be processed)
What are the two major CPU instruction sets?
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) or Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)
Describe RISC.
Architecture that uses a small set of instructions and executes them very rapidly
Describe CISC
Architecture that uses a broad set of instructions resulting in fewer steps per operation
What is hyperthreading?
Executing multiple pieces of code per pipeline simultaneously increasing performance (i.e. makes a single core perform like a dual core)
How is the power of a CPU measured?
Speed and amount of data it can process by cycles per second
What decides the amount of data the CPU can process at one time?
Processor data bus
The wider the processor data bus width the _________ the processor is.
More powerful
What do current processors have as a data bus?
32-bit or 64-bit
What is overclocking?
Making a processor work at a speed faster than its original specification (not reliable and can damage)
What is throttling?
Making a processor run at less than the rated speed (conserves power or produces less heat)
What are the most common multi core processors?
Single, dual, triple, and quad
Which multi core has one deactivated?
Triple core
What two devices cool computer components?
Heat sink and fan
What system do extremely fast CPUs and GPUs use to manage heat?
Water cooling system
Definition of ROM?
Read-Only Memory
Where is the ROM chip located?
Motherboard
What is ROM sometimes incorrectly referred to as?
Firmware
Definition of RAM?
Random Access Memory
What type of memory is RAM?
Volatile memory
Definition of a DIP chip?
Dual Inline Package Chip
How was RAM installed on early computers?
Individual DIP chips were soldered onto the motherboard
Why did it become necessary for RAM to be manufactured on it’s own special module?
The old solder method was too difficult to install and often became loose on the motherboard
What does the speed of memory have a direct impact on?
How much data a processor can process
Faster memory ________ the performance of the processor.
improves
As the processor speed increases, so should ______________.
memory speed
