Comptia A Ch.2 Flashcards
ACR (advanced communications riser)
Technology developed by a group of companies including AMD, VIA Technologies, Motorola, and 3Com (now owned by Hewlett Packard). ACR not only supports audio, modem, and networking but also DSL modems. It is found on motherboards and supports AMD processors.
active listening
An effective communication technique used to ensure what the speaker says is accurately received.
AGP (accelerated graphics port)
An extension of the PCI bus (a port) that provides a dedicated communication path between the expansion slot and the processor. AGP is used for video adapters.
AMR (audio/modem riser)
A motherboard connector used for a combination audio and modem adapter. Motherboard manufacturers use AMR as an option to offer a different version of the same motherboard.
APU (accelerated processing unit)
A processor that combines the CPU (central processing unit) with a GPU (graphics processor unit).
back side bus
Connections between a CPU and the L2 cache.
bit
An electrically charged 1 or 0.
bus
Electronic lines that allow 1s and 0s to move from one place to another.
bus speed
The rate at which a computer pathway used for transmitting 1s and 0s operates.
byte
8 bits grouped together as a basic unit.
cache memory
Designed to increase microprocessor operations.
CardBus
An upgraded standard from the 16-bit local bus standard to the PCMCIA that allows 32-bit transfers at up to 33MHz speeds.
chipset
One or more motherboard chips that work in conjunction with the processor to allow certain computer features, such as motherboard memory and capacity.
clock
An electronic component that provides timing signals to all motherboard components. A PC’s clock is normally measured in MHz.
clock speed
The rate at which timing signals are sent to motherboard components (normally measured in MHz).
CNR (Communications Network Riser)
Intel’s design that allows integration of network, sound, and modem functions. It shares space with, is located right beside, or is located between other motherboard expansion slots.
CPU Speed
The rate at which the CPU operates. It is the speed of the front side bus multiplied by the multiplier. Normally measured in MHz or GHz.
CPU throttling
Reducing the clock frequency in order to reduce power consumption.
dual-core
A type of processor that combines two CPUs in a single unit. Note there are now tri-core, quad-core, hexa-core, and even octa-core processors.
ExpressCard
A replacement for PC Card technology that supports advanced serial technologies PCI-Express or USB connectivity through the ExpressCard slot and is used in laptop computers.
external data bus
The electronic lines that allow the microprocessor to communicate with external devices. Also known as external data path or external data lines. See also bus.
form factor
The shape and size (height, width, and depth) of motherboards, adapters, memory chips, power supplies, and so on. Before building or upgrading, make sure the device’s form factor fits the computer case.
FSB (front side bus)
Part of the dual independent bus that connects the CPU to the motherboard components.
gigabyte
Approximately 1 billion bytes of information (exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes); abbreviated GB.
gigahertz
1 billion cycles per second (1GHz). Expresses the speed of a microprocessor.
GPU (graphics processing unit)
A video adapter processor that assists in video communication between the video adapter and the system processor. Also known as video processor, video coprocessor, or video accelerator.
hexa-core
A six-core processor.
hot swapping
Allows adapters to be inserted into a slot or devices to be attached/unattached while the computer is powered.
HT (Hyper-Threading Technology)
A technology created by Intel that is an alternative to using two processors. HT allows a single processor to handle two separate sets of instructions simultaneously.
HyperTransport
AMD’s I/O architecture in which a serial-link design allows devices to communicate in daisy chain fashion without interfering with any other communication. Thus, I/O bottleneck is mitigated.
ICH (I/O controller hub)
A part of the chipset that controls such motherboard components as SATA ports, PCI and PCIe slots, USB ports, audio ports, and integrated network cards. Also known as the south bridge.
internal data bus
The electronic lines inside a microprocessor. See also bus.
kilobyte
Approximately 1,000 bytes of information (exactly 1,024 bytes).
L1 Cache
Fast memory located inside the microprocessor.
L2 Cache
Fast memory located inside the processor.
L3 Cache
Any fast cache memory installed on the motherboard when both L1 and L2 cache are on the processor.
liquid cooling system
An alternative to a fan or sink for processor cooling. Liquid is circulated through the system. Heat from the processor is transferred to the cooler liquid.
MCH (memory controller hub)
A part of a chipset that connects directly to the processor. The MCH controls RAM and video expansion slots. It is also called the north bridge.
megabyte
Approximately 1 million bytes of data (exactly 1,048,576 bytes). Abbreviated as MB.
mini PCI
A 32-bit 33MHz standard used in laptops, docking stations, and printers.
mini PCIe
A 52-bit expansion slot or card used in mobile devices.
north bridge
Describes the connection from the CPU to RAM, the video expansion slot, and to the PCI/PCIe bus.
octa-core
An eight-core processor.
overclocking
Manually changing the front side bus speed and/or multiplier to increase CPU and system speed, but at a cost of increasing the CPU operating temperature.
PC Card
A common local bus architecture used in laptops. Also known as PCMCIA.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
A common 64-bit, 66MHz local bus standard found in today’s computers.
PCI-X
A parallel PCI bus that can operate at 66, 133, 266, 533, and 1066MHz and is backward compatible with the previous versions of the bus but allows for faster speeds.
PCIe
A point-to-point serial bus used for motherboard adapters. Each bit can travel over a lane and each lane allows transfers up to 250MBps with a maximum of 32 lanes (which gives a total of 8GBps transfer rate).
PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association)
A common local bus architecture used in laptops. Also known as PCMCIA.
POST (power-on self-test)
Startup software contained in the BIOS chip that tests individual hardware components.
processor
The central 32- or 64-bit electronic chip that determines the processing power of a computer. Also known as microprocessor or CPU (central processing unit).
quad-core
Four processors on a single motherboard by having either two dual-core CPUs installed on the same motherboard or two dual-core CPUs installed in a single socket.
south bridge
A connection from the processor to parts of the motherboard including the PCI/PCIe (non-video) slots, ports, and other motherboard components. Also called the front side bus.
thread
A unit of programming code that receives a slice of time from Windows so it can run concurrently with other units of code or threads.
throttle management
The ability to control processor speed by slowing the processor down when it is not being used heavily or is running too hot.
virtualization
A process that allows a computer to run multiple operating systems without affecting each other, share hardware, and provide a test environment for software that may not be compatible on a specific platform.
ZIF socket (zero insertion force socket)
A common CPU socket that has a lever that provides easy access for CPU removal.
