Course 1 Week 2 - The Modern Computer Flashcards
What are ports?
connection points that we can connect devices to that extend the functionality of our computer (monitor, mouse, ethernet port, etc)
What is the short term memory of a computer?
RAM (random access memory)
What is often called the foundation of a computer?
Motherboard, the body of a computer
What is a hard drive?
Holds all of our data, long term memory
What is the power supply?
converts electricity from wall outlet to a format our computer can use
What are programs?
instructions that tell the computer what to do
Where do you store programs on a computer?
typically store programs on durable media like Hard Drives
What is an external data bus? What part of the body?
a row of wire that interconnect the parts of our computer (veins of the body)
What are the different sizes of external data buses?
8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit, 64 bit.
8 bit = 8 wires, 16 bit = 16 wires, etc
What are registers?
component inside CPU that lets you store data (chef’s work table)
Calculations: 1 + 6 = 7
1 = register A
6 = register B
7 = register C
Where are programs copied to for CPU to read?
RAM
Do you send data over the EDB from the RAM?
No, RAM has too much data to send
RAM can hold billions of rows of data
How many lines can you send through an EDB?
1 at a time
What is a memory controller chip? What body part?
Bridge between CPU and RAM (nerve in brain CPU connecting to your memories RAM)
Seeks out address from address bus to deliver data to CPU
What is an address bus?
connects CPU to the MCC, sends location of the data but not data itself to MCC
What is a cache? What does it let us do? Where is it stored?
a small amount of data stored either on hardware or in software
lets us quickly store and access data that we use often or most recently
What’s the fastest way to get data to CPU?
Cache
How many cache levels are there?
3
L1, L2, L3
Which cache level is the smallest and fastest?
Level 1
How does the CPU know when set instructions end and new ones begin? Uses 2 things
CPU uses internal clock and clock wire to keep operations in sync
What are clock wires? Where is it located?
A special wire connected to CPU
sends/receives data through voltage to let CPU know it can start calculations
1 tick = CPU does 1 cycle of operations
What is a clock cycle?
voltage to clock wire
1 “tick” of voltage through wire = 1 cycle
more data = more clock cycles
What is the clock speed of a CPU? (3.4 GHz)
maximum number of clock cycles that it can handle in a certain time period.
More clock speed = more clock cycles (ticks) = more data processed.
What does 3.4 GHz mean?
Clock speed of the CPU, 3.4 billion cycles per second
Doesn’t mean it runs at that speed, only that it can’t exceed that number
What is overclocking?
increases rate of CPU clock cycles in order to increase performance in low end CPUs and complete more tasks
Overclocking simply sets CPU to run at higher clock frequency rate than manufacturer’s original specifications.
How does a cache speed up process of data that’s first accessed that passes through multiple journey points?
holds local copy of most recently accessed data in temporary storage
What is Level 3 cache? Where is the data received from?
largest and slowest. 2x as fast as RAM. 1st cache location to store data received from RAM.
often shared by all cores in a single CPU
What is Level 2 cache?
holds less data than L3, but faster access speed. L2 has copy of recent accessed data not in use by the CPU.
Each core has its own L2 cache
What is Level 1 cache?
fastest and smallest. L1 holds data currently in use by CPU
Each core has its own L1 cache
What is a CPU core?
CPU’s processor
What are the 3 variables to overclock CPU’s frequency?
- base clock frequency (speed), often measured in GHz
- core frequency, calculated by multiplying base frequency x CPU core multipliers
- core voltage, needs to be increased in small increments to meet increasing power demand of CPU
Can you overclock a laptop CPU?
Most no
Can all CPUs be overclocked?
No, check manufacturer’s documentation
What hardware should you double check supports overclocked CPU?
motherboard
Before installing a CPU cooler for overclocking, what things should you do?
Clean inside of computer using compressed air around CPU, fans and intake vents
What are the 4 general steps to overclocking?
- use benchmark software to get baseline of computer performance
- set each CPU core multiplier to value of lowest multiplier using manufacturer’s overclocking software (recommended) or the BIOS. Reboot PC.
- increase each core multiplier by 1
- test each increase for stability
What’s a multiplier? What are some examples?
CPU multiplier (or clock ratio) is a setting that determines the speed of the processor. + base clock speed to calculate the overall frequency of the CPU.
Modifying multiplier examples: Turbo boost, power saving features, etc
(Part of the formula that determines the processor’s speed)
What is an instruction set?
translation book for CPU (add, subtract, copy data)
hard coded into CPU, sets vary by manufacturer but function the same (like car makes and models)
What should you make sure your CPU is compatible with?
motherboard and all hardware
What are the 2 major types of CPU sockets? What’s the difference?
- Land Grid Array (LGA) has pins that come out of motherboard
- Pin Grid Array (PGA) has pins coming out of processor itself
What should you make sure to do after installing CPU?
Install heat sink (keep it cool) like fans, liquid cooling system
What is 32/64 bit?
specifies how much data CPU can efficiently handle
What’s the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit Window versions?
64 bit Window version and applications have more resources such as processing power and memory (64 bit applications access more memory)
When is 64 bit a good choice?
working with large data sets or vids and pics, using add ins with office apps, large animations in PP, files over 2GB on Project
What are 3 reasons to choose 32 bit Windows version?
- 64-bit Windows 10 with ARM-based processor
- 32-bit operating system with an x86 (32-bit) processor
- Less than 4 GB RAM
base frequency (speed) x CPU core multipliers = ?
core frequency
Is RAM data volatile? What is volatile?
Yes
Volatile = power computer off = RAM is cleared
If you have 32GB of RAM, how many programs can you run?
Up to 32GB of programs (programs are copied in the RAM for CPU)
What is an action that uses RAM?
typing on a document
What type of RAM is commonly found in computers?
DRAM
What is DRAM? How does it work?
Dynamic Random-Access Memory
transistor sends bitline-> 1 or 0 sent-> DRAM -> stores each charged or discharged bit in a micro capacitor (chips on RAM, store data)
“Dynamic” because capacitor loses charge so capacitors must be dynamically refreshed periodically
What are DIMM sticks? How are they different?
Dual Inline Memory Module
More modern, have different sizes of pins on them
What is SD RAM? What does it do?
Synchronous D RAM
Synchronized to a system’s clock speed = quicker data processing
When was SD RAM created after?
After DRAM
What is DDR SD RAM? How is it different from SD RAM?
Double Data Rate SD RAM
Faster than earlier SD RAM, needs less power
What is the fastest DDR version available?
DDR5
What to keep in mind when it comes to RAM type and computer compatibility?
compatible motherboard
of pins on RAM must align with motherboard RAM slots
What are 3 functions of the motherboard?
- expands functionality through expansions cards
- routes power from PSU
- central hub for parts to communicate with each other
What is a chipset in a motherboard?
decides how components talk to each other (CPU, RAM, Peripherals)
there are 2 chips hence the chip”set”
What are the chipsets on a motherboard? Which is integrated? What are 2 examples of the 2nd chip?
- Northbridge chip - connects RAM and video cards (some are integrated)
- Southbridge chip - maintains IO controllers (hard drives, usb devices)
What are peripherals and what are some examples?
External devices connect to our computer
mouse, keyboard, monitor
What are expansion slots? What’s the standard slot today?
increase functionality of computer
standard is PCI Express (peripheral component interconnect express)
What does the PCIe bus look like?
the base expansion looks like smaller circuit board, looks like a slot on the motherboard
What are form factors?
motherboard sizes
What is ATX?
Advanced Technology Extended
most common form factor for motherboards, different sizes
What is a hybrid SSD/HDD?
SSD performance for system performance and HDD for basic file storage
What storage unit comes after Kilobyte (KB)?
Megabyte (MB)
1,024 KBs = 1 MB
What storage unit comes after MB?
Gigabyte (GB)
1,024 MBs = 1 GB
How does a HDD read and write information?
a spinning platter and mechanical arm
What is RPM on a HDD?
Revolution Per Minute
the speed the platter rotates that allows you to read and write data
Where is information stored on a SSD?
microchip
Differences between HDD (3 things) and SSD (4 things)?
HDD - prone to damage, affordable, moving parts
SSD - less risky, expensive, data on microchip travels faster than HDD, form factor is slimmer
What is an ATA interface?
Most common interface that Hard Drives use to connect to our system
What is the most popular ATA drive?
Serial ATA or SATA
What is a SATA drive’s 3 properties?
connects hard disk to motherboard using one cable
hot swappable
move data faster, but not up to par with SSD
What does hot swappable mean?
Don’t have to turn off machine to plug it in (like a SATA drive)
What is NVM Express? How is it installed? Benefits?
NVMe abbreviated
Hard Drive interface, installed as expansion slot instead of connected through cable
greater throughput of data and efficiency
What is the decimal nomenclature for data storage? What is its approximation?
base-10 approximation
metric system: kilo, mega, giga, tera, peta, exa, zetta, yotta
What is the binary nomenclature for data storage?
More accurate
prefix: kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, pebi, exbi, zebi, yobi
blends first 2 letters of metric prefix with first 2 letters of word “binary”
(megabyte + binary + byte = mebibyte)
How many values can be stored in a bit?
1
What is stored in 1 byte? What does it translate to?
8 bits of 1s and 0s
translate to symbols or basic instructions
How inaccurate is decimal storage measurements compared to binary?
KB vs KiB = off by -24 bytes or -2.4%
MB: -4.9%
GB: -7.4%
TB: -10%
PB: -12.6%
EB: -15.3%
ZB: -18.1%
YB: -20.9%
What are the 2 types of electricity? How are they different?
- DC - direct current flows in one direction
- AC - alternating current changes directions constantly
What type of current/voltage does a computer use?
DC direct current
What type of current comes out of your outlet from the power company?
AC alternating current
What is a power supply? What does it power? What comes with it?
converts AC from wall outlet into low voltage DC power computer can use
has cables to power motherboard and a power cable
Is it safe to plug your computer components into a wall outlet?
NO, will fry your device
In terms of electricity, what is voltage?
What happens if you have a higher voltage?
It’s the “water pressure” of an electrical outlet, how much being pushed out
Higher voltage = more electrical currents (Amps) pushed out faster
What happens if you plug in a 120V charger into a 220V outlet?
Fries your charger
What happens if you plug in a 220V charger into a 120V outlet?
get electricity slowly, does not fry charger, but can deteriorate performance of the device and cause long term damage
(always use proper voltage for electronics)
What are currents/amperage? (Amps)
The amount of electricity coming out, measured in Amps
What’s the difference between Amps and Voltage?
Voltage pushes electricity out
Amps pull electricity
Amps pull as much electricity needed
Voltage gives you everything
How does a 1A and 2.1A device differ?
Charging a device with 2.1A will be faster bc it’s pulling more current compared to 1A
What is wattage?
Amount of volts and amps that the device needs
(total of push and pull)
What happens if your PSU has too low wattage?
can’t power computer
Does a large PSU overpower computer? How?
No, PSU gives you the amount that your system needs. It reduces voltage delivered to internal components.
Better to have a bigger PSU
What W PSU can you power most basic desktops with?
500W PSU, like for browsing the web
more demanding things = bigger PSU needed
What are some reasons that PSU can fail?
burnouts, power surges, lightning strikes
How do you select a correct PSU?
Check local input voltage
most common voltage inputs are 110-127 VAC for standard wall sockets in North, Central, and some South American countries
What is VAC?
Volts of alternating current
What should you do if you import a computer from another country or are traveling?
- Replace PSU with appropriate voltage unit for country
- Install dual-voltage PSU model with a toggle between VAC (110-120 to 220-240VAC)
- Use a power converter. Plug computer into external power converter that plugs into a normal wall socket (traveling)
What happens if you use a computer that needs 110-120VAC with a w all socket that delivers 220-240VAC?
too much power, internal parts damaged
vice versa, needs 220-240VAC but gets less than that, won’t be enough to power PC
2 ways to know which PSU will be compatible and will fit the motherboard?
- Specifications document for motherboard and form factor provide list of compatible PSU
- Form factor and components embedded in and outside of motherboard will create starting point for min PSU wattage required
(have powerful CPU, multiple CPU, multiple HD, video rendering apps, top tier GPU = more wattage)
What are voltage regulators? Where are they located?
in the motherboard, control amount of power delivered to internal components (like DIMM, motors, chipsets, SIMMS, PCI/AGP cards, etc) all require varied input voltages
Where does the PSU plug into? What are the color coded wires?
adapter on motherboard, has color coded wires that carry different voltage to motherboard or serves as grounding wire
What is the purpose of 24-pins on a standard ATX motherboard adapter?
connects wires, more power
older design was 20-pins
Where do the 8 connections (cables) go from a PSU?
- Floppy disk drive (obsolete)
- Molex universal (optical drives, IDE hard drives)
- SATA drives
- Graphics cards 8-pin, separable for 6-pin
- Graphics cards 6-pin
- Motherboard 8-pin
- Motherboard P4 connector, can be combined to 8-pin mainboard connector 12V
- ATX2 24-pin (divisible 20+4), can also be used for old 20-pin connections
What are the 3 main considerations when selecting a PSU?
- wall socket input voltage standard for country
- number and consumption requirement of internal components
- motherboard model and form factor engineering specifications and requirements
What are some components usually soldered onto a mobile device’s motherboard?
CPU, RAM, storage
What is SOC? What does it do, why do we use it?
System on a Chip
packs CPU, RAM and sometimes storage onto a single chip
this way uses less battery power
What are the 7 common proprietary ports/connectors? ie specific adapter to connect to device
- USB-C
- Lightning adapter
- Mini USB
- Micro-USB
- Mini HDMI
- Micro HDMI
- Mini display port
What is a charge cycle?
1 full charge and discharge of a battery
(limited) lifespan of rechargeable batteries
How to find out how much life is left in a rechargeable battery?
for some devices can compare current cycle count of battery with rate of cycle count for that battery type
What acts as a PSU for a mobile device’s rechargeable battery? How does it do that?
charging circuit makes sure input power is converted to proper output power
What 2 things damages rechargeable batteries?
- Charging/discharging rechargeable batteries when not in safe operating temp range in very cold or very hot environments
- Storing batteries in a hot environment (permanent damage)
Decrease in battery life in cold environment is temporary
Can swell, rupture, catch fire
How do you troubleshoot battery life and device charging? (IT Support)
- Make sure charger, battery, and device are designed to work together
(use power adapter that came with phone, others can damage phone and battery and charge slowly)
- Take device out of its case as it may be generating excess heat when charging
What causes a battery to drain much faster?
Fully charged battery when it’s hot, even not in use, can drain and damage battery
How often to charge a battery?
as much or as little as needed (don’t need to go 100 to 0, 0 to 100)
occasionally drain battery to under 10% and charge fully overnight
What is the ideal comfort zone for a mobile device?
62-72 Farenheit
How should you store a battery/device for longer than 6 months?
charge to 50% every 6 months
What does USB stand for?
Universal Serial Bus devices
Difference between Mb/s and MB?
Mb/s (Mega bit per second) is transfer speed
MB (megabyte) is a unit of data storage
How many Mb/s do you need to transfer 1MB file in 1 second?
8 Mb/s connection speed (megabits)
(1 byte = 8 bits)
another ex: 5MB file transfer needs a speed of 40Mb/s (8 bits x 5)
What are the 3 common USB out now?
USB 2.0 (480 Mb/s speed)
USB 3.0 (5 Gb/s)
USB 3.1 (10 Gb/s)
What happens if you connect a USB 2.0 device into a USB 3.0 port?
won’t get the 3.0 speed but can still use backwards compatible port (old hardware will work with new)
What is backwards compatible?
Older hardware will work with newer hardware
What color are the different USB ports?
USB 2.0 = black
USB 3.0 = blue
USB 3.1 = teal
What does a Type C connector combine? Is it common?
combines display connections and data transfer/power connections
meant to be universal standard peripheral connector
What are 4 newer display peripherals?
- DVI - older, output video only
- HDMI - standard, output both
- Display Port - standard, output both
- USB Type C - outputs both, data transfer and power
What are connectors? What’s an example?
Physical ports
USB connectors, Micro USB, Lightning Port
USB connectors most common, transfer data and power
What happens if you connect a USB 3.0 to a USB 2.0 port?
Transfer speed will only be 480 Mbps (the transfer speed of the 2.0)
Remember Mbps = megabits per second
How are Micro USB, USB-C, and Lightning Port connectors different from older connectors?
What does a Micro USB look like?
they have faster data transfer speeds and carry more power
micro USB has a small half hexagon connector
What does a USB-C connector look like? What is the speed?
newest reversible connector (either end having same build)
carry more power and transfer data at 20 Gbps
small oval connector
What is a USB4? What does it look like?
Uses USB-C cables with Thunderbolt 3 protocol to provide power and transfer data speeds of 40 Gbps
small oval connector
What is a Lightning Port? What does it look like? What is it used for?
similar to USB-C but exclusive to Apple
(flat microchip connector)
used for charging and connecting devices to computers, monitors, cameras, etc
What is POTS? How and what does it transmit? What are 3 examples of its uses?
Plain Old Telephone Service (rectangle, square end)
transmits voice through twisted copper wires (landline, dial up internet, alarm systems)
Communication Connector
What connector is used for POTS?
RJ-11
Register Jack 11
What is DSL? How does it work? What type of connector is it?
Digital Subscriber Line (square end)
connects to high speed networks or the internet through telephone lines and a modem
Communication Connector
What connector is used for DSL, what element does it connect to? What cables is it used with?
RJ-45
connects computer to network elements, mostly used with ethernet cables
What is Cable Internet? What type of connector is it?
Uses cable TV infrastructure and a modem to provide access to high speed internet
Communication Connector
What connector is used with cable modems?
F type connector (hollow circle with prick in the middle)
What are fiber optic cables, in what type of casing? 3 ways they’re used? Who normally uses them?
strands of glass fibers inside insulated casing
send data long distance, higher bandwidth communication, high speed internet service
ISP use these
Communication Connector
What are legacy devices?
Older
What are DB89 connectors used for? What do they look like?
used for older peripherals like keyboard, mice, joysticks
looks like a trapezoid with 9 pins inside, other end has holes for pins
What do Molex connectors provide power to? What are 3 examples?
powers inner drives/devices
connects Hard Drive, Disc Drive (CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-Ray) or a video card
What are Punch Down Blocks, what are 2 things they connect? What are 4 examples of its uses?
a terminal strip used to connect telephone or data lines
quick way to cross connect wiring, change wire, make new connection for a telephone system, or Local Area Network (LAN)
(most common cables, connectors)
Projectors can have dead/stuck pixels, image burn-in like other displays? T or F?
True
What 4 cables are used to connect to a projector? Can display be mirrored or extended like a PC?
- VGA
- DVI
- HDMI
- Display Port
Yes, can be mirrored/extended
What’s a good first step when troubleshooting projection display issues? Especially if display flickers or disappears?
Check if the cable and connector to projector is worn out or damaged (from constant use)
What should you do if your display device defaults to a very low resolution VGA mode on a projector?
Check to see if you need a device driver for your projector on the website for manufacturer
2 ways to troubleshoot a projector that won’t work or shuts itself down?
- Check to see if the projector isn’t overheated (lamp can’t operate, projector shuts down)
- Check if the lamp has burned out
LED lights have fewer issues and longer lifespans
What 4 times would you need to calibrate a projector?
- first installed
- reset
- moved
- image is skewed (keystoned)
What does it mean when an image is keystoned?
Skewed
What is a terminal strip’s main role? What is an example of one?
A device with the main role of enabling connection of panel’s internal/external peripherals
Punch Down Blocks
What function does the POST perform in a computer?
Figures out what hardware is on the computer and makes sure it is running properly
Where are the BIOS settings stored?
CMOS
What function does a driver perform on the computer?
Teaches the CPU how to run an external device
