Hardware (p 1-22) Flashcards
Name 3 purposes of the motherboard
1) Provides structure for other hardware
2) Connects the hardware
3) Provides power to the hardware
What is the funtion of:
1) BIOS (Basic In/Out system)
2) CPU (Central Process Unit)
3) GPU (Graphics Process Unit)
4) RAM (Random Access Mem)
5) VRAM (Video RAM)
6) ROM (Read-Only Mem)
BIOS:
Stored on ROM. Ensures computer strarts up correctly
CPU:
Collects, decodes and executes (processes) the instructions from every application
GPU:
Processes all visual intructions of applications
RAM:
Stores all CPU instructions so the CPU can access it at high speeds
VRAM:
Stores image data that the computer displays
ROM:
Stores the motherboard operating software (BIOS)
Name 3 differences between storage and RAM
1) Ram is much faster
2) Ram is more expensive
3) Ram is volitile
Name 3 advantages of a modular design
1) Remove or replce aby component at any time
2) Build a computer for any specific purpose
3) Repair individual broken parts
What is the purpose of expansion slots?
It allows you to add extra features like:
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- Better sound
What is a bus?
A communication system transferring data between components within or between computers
What is the difference between a bus and a point-to-point connector?
A bus allows multiple simultanious connections between components
A point-to-point connector’s connection is isolated between the two components only
Name the function of each individual bus:
1) Control bus
2) Data bus
3) Address bus
4) Power bus
Control bus:
Used by the CPU to send signals to the different parts of the computer system
Data bus:
Transfers data among different components
Address bus:
Provides physical address of data for data bus
Power bus:
Provides energy to components
Draw a flow/transfer of data diagram
(See page 8 in textbook)
What is caching?
Technique used by computers to store frequently used data in a faster form of memory
Name and explain 3 froms of caching
CPU cache:
CPU is much faster than RAM and RAM canot provide data fast enough. CPUs have small amounts of cache memory built in and does not have to wait for data to come through busses.
Disk cache:
RAM built into HDD or SSD. Stores data being sent from disk for a short period of time.
Web cache:
HDD stores images and pages from www. Load images from computer rather than internet.
Sort from fastest to slowest:
Storage, Cache, Internet, RAM
Cache, RAM, Storage, Internet
List 3 differences between ROM and RAM
1) ROM cannot be changed under normal operations
2) RAM loses contents when in loses power
3) RAM is much faster
List 3 differences and 2 similarities between HDD and SSD
Differences:
1) HDD uses magnetic tech while SSD uses electrical tech
2) HDD is mechanical
3) SSDs are faster and more expensive
Similarities:
1) Permanent storage
2) Cahnged by user at any time
