Computer Hardware Flashcards
What is the CPU and its purpose?
- Fetching instructions from RAM.
- Interpreting instructions.
- Executing them.
- Sending results to relevant components.
What is the CU and its purpose?
Control Unit
- To give orders and instructions to components
What is the ALU and its purpose?
Arithmetic Logic Unit
- Part of the CPU that does integer calculations and logical comparisons
What are CPU registers?
List some characteristics about them
CPU registers are small, high-speed storage locations within the CPU used to store instructions, data, or addresses temporarily during processing.
- Holds a storage address,
- CPU registers are made from SRAM
- The registers in the CPU can be 32-bit or 64-bit
What are CPU cores?
CPU cores are individual processing units within a CPU, capable of executing tasks independently.
- Modern CPUs often have multiple cores (e.g., dual-core, quad-core).
- Each core can handle a separate thread, enabling multitasking.
What is multi-processing?
Multi-processing is the ability of a computer to use multiple processors or CPU cores to execute tasks simultaneously.
What is hyperthreading?
allows a single physical CPU core to act like two logical cores by processing two threads simultaneously.
Does not double performance but provides a noticeable boost for multi-threaded tasks.
What is RAM and what does it store?
Random Access Memory – volatile memory used for temporary data storage while a computer is running.
RAM stores DATA and PROGRAMS, CURRENTLY being used by the computer
What is Latency as regards RAM?
Latency is how much time the memory delays in giving back the data that the CPU asked for.
What is Point-to-point connection?
a direct communication link between two devices or components without any intermediary devices.
What is the FSB? What are its parts?
- Address Bus
- Data bus
- Register bus
- Control Bus
What is Clock Multiplication?
A technique used in CPUs where the internal clock rate is a multiple of the external clock (base clock) provided by the motherboard.
Formula: CPU speed = Base Clock × Multiplier.
What is Overclocking?
The process of increasing a computer component’s clock rate beyond its factory settings to achieve better performance.
How does Overclocking differ from Clock Multiplication?
CPUs always run at speeds which are multiples of the system clock.
However, only when we Increase this ratio to values more than the standard specs of the CPU, are we overclocking it.
List the components on the motherboard in order of fastest to slowest.
- CPU
- Cache
- RAM
- GPU
- SSD
- HDD
What is cloud storage?
- service of storing data on remote servers accessed over the internet
- eg. Google Drive, Dropbox
What is Cache?
What is the fastest type of cache?
- Cache is small, fast memory that stores frequently used data for quick access.
- L1 cache (closest to the CPU).
What is Disk Cache?
List some characteristics
RAM used on a hard drive casing to deliver data to the CPU quicker.
- Disk cache can be stored on the hard disk as well as on general
What is browser cache?
List some characteristics
Website resources stored on local machine
- Every time a website is accessed, a copy of the website is kept in the browser cache on the local hard drive.
- Browser cache are usually private.
- Browser cache stores downloaded files
- Web pages loaded from browser cache loads faster than from a remote web server.
What is web cache? AKA Proxy cache
List some characteristics
Website resources stored on intermediate server
- Web cache are stored on a server of an organisation.
What is SRAM vs DRAM?
On-chip memory
SRAM
- Faster
- Expensive
- Larger
- Better at idle
- Caches, high-performance tasks
DRAM
- Slower
- Cheaper
- Smaller
- Worse at idle, needs refreshing
- Main memory in computers
What is ZIF Socket?
What is SATA?
What is Firmware?
What is ROM?
- ZIF socket → The CPU is connected
- SATA → Connector for storage device cables
- Firmware → Software embedded on hardware to control the hardware
- ROM → Read-Only Memory: non-volatile memory that stores firmware. Holds startup instructions.
What is the function of the motherboard?
Connects all hardware components and allows communication between them.
- Provides places for components to plug in (supports modular design).
- Supplies power to components.
- Facilitates communication through buses.
What components are typically part of the system unit?
- Power supply (transformer)
- Hard drive
- DVD/CD drive
- Motherboard
What are the three types of connections on a motherboard?
- Sockets: For CPUs, hard drives (e.g., SATA sockets), and other components.
- Slots: For expansion cards like RAM (DIMM), network cards, or video cards.
- Ports: External connectors like USB and VGA.
What does ‘hot swapping’ mean?
Replacing hardware (e.g., USB) without shutting down the system.
What is an SSD?
Solid State Drive – storage with no moving parts, faster than HDDs.
Define virtualization in computing.
Creating virtual versions of hardware, such as a virtual machine.
What does RAID stand for?
Redundant Array of Independent Disks – improves storage performance and reliability.
Name examples of expansion slots and the cards they support
- PCI/PCIe slots: Graphics, network, or sound cards.
- AGP slots: Older high-speed video cards.
What is the BIOS, and where is it stored?
- BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is software stored on the BIOS chip, stored on a ROM chip.
- Runs the Power-On Self-Test (POST) to check connected devices and load the OS.
What is RAID?
RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a way of storing the same data in different places on multiple hard disks or solid-state drives (SSDs) to protect data in the case of a drive failure.
