CompTIA A+

Question 1

Firmware

Answer 1

A chip with code embedded in it so that the same code is run every time it gets electricity.

Question 2

msinfo

Answer 2

System information utility.

Will tell you the current BIOS version.

Question 3

BIOS

Answer 3

Firmware that tell the computer what to do every time it gets turned on. Stores the hardware configurations in the CMOS so that all the hardware can work together.

Question 4

CMOS

Answer 4

Where the BIOS stores the hardware configuration. Backed up by the CMOS battery.

Question 5

Standard desktop motherboards:

Answer 5

• Standard-ATX
• Micro-ATX
• Mini-ATX
• Nano-ATX
• Pico-ATX

Standard and Micro are the most common. Mini, Nano, and Pico are used for smaller, specific-purpose systems.

Question 6

ATX

Answer 6

Advanced Technology Extended.

Used to have the 20-pin connector, now 24-pin. Optional I/O backplate.

Question 7

Micro-ATX

Answer 7

Smaller, limited expansion slots. Backward compatible with cases that were designed for the ATX.

Question 8

ITX

Answer 8

By VIA Technology, 2001. Much smaller, less expansion slots. Standard power connector, uses less power.

The Mini-ITX uses the same mounting points as the ATX and Micro-ATX, so you could use the same case.

Question 9

Bus clock speed

Answer 9

How much data is passing by every second. An expansion bus get its own clock instead of having to run at the same speed as the motherboard/CPU.

Clock speed doesn’t necessarily equal data transfer rate as you could send different amounts of data per clock cycle.

Question 10

Northbridge

Answer 10

The memory controller hub. Connects the high-speed communication and the graphics.

Question 11

Southbridge

Answer 11

The I/O controller hub.

Question 12

PCI

Answer 12

Peripheral Component Interconnect, 1994.

32-bit and 64-bit versions. The notches designate the size of the card and the required voltage.

Question 13

Mini-PCI

Answer 13

Smaller PCI for laptops.

Question 14

PCI-X

Answer 14

PCI Extended.
Designed for server that needed higher bandwidth. 4x the clock speed for higher-speed network and storage. 1,064 MB/s capacity.

Question 15

PCIe

Answer 15

PCI Express.
Newer, more common. Uses unidirectional serial communication lanes (instead of the traditional parallel bus). This allows buses of different speeds to work together without forcing them all to run at the speed of the slowest bus. Each lane, one there and one back, connects to the Northbridge.

1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 full-duplex lanes.

Question 16

Versions of PCIe

Answer 16

• v1.x: 250 MB/s
• v2.x: 500 MB/s
• v3.0: 1GB/s (rare)
• v4.0: 2 GB/s (coming soon)

Question 17

CNR

Answer 17

Communications and Networking Riser. Legacy.

For network cards and modems.

Question 18

AGP

Answer 18

Accelerated Graphics Port.

Designed for video during the gap between PCI and PCIe. Now, video uses PCIe.

Question 19

Versions of AGP

Answer 19

• AGP 1.0 at 3.3V
     -AGP 1x (266 MB/s)
     -AGP 2x (522 MB/s)
• AGP 2.0 at 1.5V
     -AGP 4x (1.07 GB/s)
• AGP 3.0 at 0.8V
     -AGP 8x (2.1 GB/s)

Question 20

SIMM

Answer 20

Single Inline Memory Module. Legacy.

The electrical contacts are the same on both sides. 30 pin and 72 pin.

Question 21

RIMM

Answer 21

Rambus Inline Memory Module.

On older computer. The one with the big silver heat spreader thingy.