Computer Hardware Flashcards
What is the CPU ?
Central Processing Unit
The Brain of the computer. Does all the calculations and data processing.
What is RAM ?
Random Access Memory.
Computers short term memory.
Used when you want to store data temporarily. e.g. typing something into a chat or a piece of text in a word processor. This data is stored in RAM
What is the Hard Drive used for ?
Used anytime we want to store data in long term memory.
Holds all of our data including all our music, photos, applications etc
What does the Motherboard do ?
Holds everything in place and lets our components communicate with each other. The foundations.
The body or circulatory system of the computer that connects all the pieces together.
Programs
Instructions that tell the computer what to do.
What do Registers do ?
Give an example
Lets us store the data that our CPU works with at high speeds.
If CPU wants to add two numbers. One number will be stored in register A and another number in Register B. The result of those two numbers will be stored in register C.
Chef analogy = Chefs worktable. A place to cook.
What is the Memory Controller Chip MCC ?
How does it work ?
A bridge between the CPU and RAM. Like a nerve in your brain connecting to your memories.
CPU talks to MCC and asks for Instructions for a certain step in the program.
The MCC finds the instructions for this step in RAM.
Grabs the Data and sends it through the External Data Bus.
What is Cache ?
Memory that is smaller than RAM but lets us store data that we use often and lets us quickly reference it.
RAM is like a fridge. Easy to get into but it takes time to get something out.
Cache is like the stuff we have in our pockets. Stores recently or frequently accessed data.
L1 Cache
Smallest and Fastest cache
CPU’s two most important jobs
Calculating and moving data
Speed of CPU measured in…
Gigahetz G(Hz)
The faster the CPU speed is, the faster we say the computer is
What are the Heat Sink and Cooling fan used for ?
The CPU can get very hot and performance can be impaired. The Heat Sink absorbs some of that heat and the fan moves air around the system.
The rate that the CPU operates at is called…
Clock Speed
The time taken to measure a program instruction is measured in …
Clock Cycles
What is Overclocking ?
The practice of increasing the clock rate of a computer to exceed that certified by the manufacturer.
How is the CPU working speed regulated and synchronized
What is it measured in ?
By a tiny crystal that vibrates at a high number of beats per second.
Measured in Hertz
What is RAM measured in ?
Megahertz MHz
What is the second quickest place from which the CPU can receive data ?
Cache
Fetch Execute Cycle
Fetch - Decode - Execute - Store
1) CPU fetches instructions from memory (RAM) e.g the first part of a program that is loaded into memory that will open up a game.
2) The instructions are decoded within the CPU in the Memory Data Register.
3) Whatever the decoding has revealed, then needs to be executed. Complete the task as instructed.
4) The results are stored in RAM and then move back to step 1.
Integrated Graphic Cards or processors utilize a portion of what instead of dedicated Graphics memory ?
Utilize a portion of a computer systems RAM rather than dedicated graphics memory
Where are Expansion slots found ?
Built on motherboard to match an exact card or chip
Benefits of Solid State Drive (SSD) over Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
3 details
Start up and shut down faster.
Faster to transfer data
No mechanical moving parts inside SSD. It is all Chips inside it.
What type of memory does SSD and USB drives use
NAND Flash Memory
What is Bios responsible for ?
System checks before the machine starts up windows operating system.
responsible for the power on self-test (POST) procedure.
What does POST procedure stand for ?
Power On Self Test procedure
What does DIMM stand for ?
Dual In-line Memory Module
What does PCIe stand for ?
Peripheral Component Interconnect express
Where do we find internal cache memory ?
Inside the CPU
Where are registers found ?
In the CPU
What does the control unit do ?
Sends signals to say the processor is ready to do a certain task.
Where is the quickest location that the CPU can get data from ?
Its internal components e.g. registers, control unit, arithmetic and logic unit.
What does AGP stand for ?
Accelerated Graphics Port
Where would you find Integrated Graphics Card and Processors ?
Integrated into the Motherboard
What does Bios Stand for ?
Basic Input/output System
What are Integrated Graphics Cards not as quick as
PCIe slots
Are Integrated Graphics Card programable ?
Yes
What tracks takes signal from one component to another ? e.g. CPU to Memory
Copper tracks take signal from one component to another e.g. CPU to memory.
What component does the CPU communicate heavily with ?
Communicates heavily with RAM
How many levels of cache are there in a CPU ?
Three different cache levels in a CPU
L1, L2, L3
Where would you find electrical components like transistors, capacitors, microchips ?
The motherboard
Where would you find slots for PCIe DIMM Memory and connections for optical drives, graphics/network/sound cards in expansion slots.
The Motherboard
What is underneath the Motherboard ?
Copper tracks are underneath that make up the System busses.
Where are programs usually stored ?
Usually stored or durable media like Hard Drives.
Where do we send programs before they are processed ?
Why ?
We send them to RAM so that the CPU can process them much faster. Instead of sending the whole cook book, we can just send individual recipes for the cook (CPU) to process.
What happens at each clock tick of the CPU ?
At each tick, an impulse is sent to the CPU causing it to perform one or more actions.
Examples of expansion slots
PCI, AGP, PCIe, Peripheral Component Interconnect/Express
PCIe overtaking PCI. Most commonly a graphics card.
Non volatile firmware used to perform initialization during the booting process
BIOS
What does a socket allow for ?
The installation of a component directly onto the motherboard
PCI and AGP transmission type
Parallel Transmission
PCIe transmission type
Serial Transmission
What does SATA stand for ?
Serial AT Attachment
What does Hot Swappable mean ?
You don’t need to turn your system off to change the hard drive.
What does PATA mean ?
Parallel AT Attachment
A hard drive physical disk is made up of what ? This is where files are stored,
Tracks and Sectors
What is SLC, MLC, TLC ?
Single, Multiple and Triple level cell.
How many bits can be written to each cell.
What does CPU stand for ?
Central Processing Unit
