Computer components Flashcards
CPU
- known as processor or microprocessor
- in charge of executing a sequence of stored instructions called a program
- mobile phones, dvd players and washing machines have a CPU
Motherboard
- circuit board which connects CPU to memory and all other hardware
- CPU sits on the motherboard
- buses = circuits on motherboard which connect CPU to other componenets
- bus transfers instructions and data around the system
Give examples of storage
hard drive, solid state drive, flash drive, internal drive, removable drive, Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), portable and cloud
Hard drive
- component of computer responsible for storing data, files and OS
- saves items as you create your documents
- software and files allow you to easily use and interact with your computer
Solid State Drive
- mass storage device
- supports reading and writing of data
- maintains data in a permanent state without power
- no moving parts
- uses flash memory
Flash Drive
- holds a variety of amounts of data such as 2GB or more
- external way of organising files
- transfers large amounts of data to another device
Internal Drive
- 2 ports; 1 for data and 1 for power
- port uses either a SATA or ATA interface, which connects to the computer’s hard drive, allowing communication with the motherboard
- power port connected by a cable which carries the power the hard drive needs from computer’s power supply
Removable Drive
- spins, reads and writes a removable medium such as CD, DVD, hard disk or floppy disk
- portable
- drivers have high storage capacities and are often used to back up computers or serve as a network drive
Serial-Attached SCSI (SAS)
- method used in accessing computer peripheral devices which operates a serial means of digital data transfer over thin cables
- accesses mass storage devices
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
- set of parallel interface standards developed by the ANSI for connecting printers, disk drives scanners and other peripherals to computers
Portable
- back up files on a computer to retain files if the computer ever stops working
Cloud
- service model where data is preserved, managed, backed up remotely and made accessible to users over a network
Give examples of ports
USB, fire wire, SATA, network an fibre channel
USB (Universal Serial Bus)
allows USB devices to be connected to each other with and transfer digital data over USB cables
- provide electric power though the cable to devices which need it
Fire Wire
- method of transferring information between digital devices, typically audio and video equipment
SATA (Serial AT Attachment)
- standard hardware interface for connecting hard drives, solid state drives and CD/DVD drives to a computer
Network
- application software made serving as a communication endpoint which is used by the Transport Layer protocols of Internet Protocol suite
Fibre Channel
- hardware pathway into and out of a node which performs data communications over an FC link.
- transmits data between computer devices at rates of up to 4 Gbps
- connects computer serves to shared storage devices
Give examples of memory
RAM, ROM and Cache
RAM
fast,
impermanent memory,
programs, apps and data are stored here (e.g. OS, apps and GUI)
ROM
can’t be altered by either a program or user,
maintains memory without power,
stores instructions for computer to start up when it’s off
Cache
place to store something temporarily,
stores program instructions which are often re-referenced by software during the process,
fast access to these instructions rises overall spreed of the software program
Give examples of expansion cards
sound, network, graphics, storage controller and fibre channel
Sound
- creates sound on a computer which can be heard through either speakers or headphones
- enhances the listening experience, so it’s mainly used by people who desire higher quality sound than those of motherboards
Network
- acts as an interface between a computer and a network cable
- prepares, sends and controls data on a network
- converts data coming from the cable into bytes so it can be read by the computer’s CPU
Graphics
- sort of display adapter or video card set up in most computing devices to show graphical data with high clarity, colour, definition and whole appearance
- delivers high quality visual display by processing and executing graphical data with advanced graphical techniques, de
Storage controller
- installed in a computer’s PCI slot and is joined with the motherboard
- gives extra features to the motherboard in controlling all the connected internal and external devices
Fibre channel
- transmits data between computer devices at data rates of up to 4Gbps
- connects computer servers to shared storage devices
