Installing and Configuring PC Components Flashcards
What conductors should you keep away from equipment?
Metal
Liquid
What are the effects of electrical shock?
Muscle spasms Burns Paralysis Cardiac arrest Collateral injuries Death by electrocution
What is a fuse?
A circuit breaker designed to protect the device and users of the device from faulty wiring or supply of power (overcurrent protection).
Definition of equipment grounding?
A safe path for electrical current to flow away in the event that a device or cable is faulty.
What is ESD?
Electrostatic discharge (ESD): A situation that occurs when electrons rush from one statically charged body to another with an unequal charge, following the path of least resistance.
What causes ESD?
Caused by excessive static electricity.
At what voltage can equipment be damaged.
Equipment can be damaged by as little as 100V.
Give all ESD generators
Synthetic clothing.
Low humidity.
Cooler temperatures
What is self grounding?
The act of touching a grounded object before touching electronic equipment.
What equipment can you use to self-ground?
Using ESD wrist or leg strap.
Use the grounding plug or clip to attach to a ground point.
Using ESD service mats or smocks.
Using antistatic bags.
Give all system case types for computers
Desktop Case
System case/chassis
Tower case
Explain what a desktop case is.
A computing device designed to be placed on or near a user’s desk.
Explain what a system case/chassis is.
A plastic and metal box that houses components such as the motherboard, CPU, memory, adapter cards, disk drives, and power supply unit.
Explain what a tower case is.
A desktop computer designed to sit vertically on a surface, so that it is taller than it is wide.
Give all tower case options.
Full tower
Mid-tower
Mini tower
Slimline
What is an SFF case?
SFF case: (small form factor) A case for motherboards and connectors that is designed to take up less space.
What is an all-in-one unit?
A desktop computer in which all the computer components, except the keyboard and mouse, are contained within the monitor case.
Explain what a cover is.
The removable portion of the system case that allows access to the motherboard and internal components
Explain what a front panel is.
The portion of the system case that provides access to removable media drives, power switch, and LEDs to indicate driver operation.
Explain what a rear panel is.
The portion of the system case with cut-out slots aligned with the position of adapter card slots.
Explain what an adapter card is.
The Circuit board providing additional functionality to the computer system.
Explain what a blanking plate is.
Metal strips that cover unused adapter slots in the case so that proper airflow is maintained within the system case.
What is FRU?
Field replaceable unit (FRU): An adapter or other component that can be replaced by a technician on-site. Most PC and laptop components are FRUs, whereas the components of smartphones are not.
Give all the guidelines for PC disassembly
Back up all data stored on the internal drive(s).
Create a clean work environment where you can work comfortably.
Gather all necessary tools and equipment.
Notepad and pen
Digital camera
Make sure that all devices are powered off and unplugged from the building power before disconnecting them.
Take anti-static precautions.
Place static-sensitive components (CPUs and RAM) in anti-static bags.
Definition of Motherboard
Motherboard: Provides the basic foundation for all of the computer’s hardware, including the processor, RAM, firmware, and expansion cards. Also referred to as mobo, system board, or main board.
Characteristics of Motherboard
Motherboard type dictates the speed and upgrade capabilities.
Standoffs hold the motherboard in place within the system case.
Brass or plastic.
Description of ATX
Developed in 1995 to replace the legacy AT form factor.
12 by 9.6 inches, 305 by 244 mm.
Up to seven expansion slots.
Description of Micro-ATX
9.6 inches (244 mm) square.
Up to four expansion slots.
Description of Mini-ITX
Used in SFF PCs.
6.7 inches (170 mm) square.
One expansion slot.
Description of Other ITX-based form factors
Smaller than mini-ITX.
Used for embedded systems and portable computers.
Describe Motherboard Connector Types
The base set of connectors for CPU, memory, disk drives, peripherals, etc. Type and number depend on the motherboard model.
Description of CPU Sockets
Socket type depends on CPU manufacturer. Usually a square socket near the memory banks. Often covered by a heatsink and fan.
Definition of RAM
Random-access memory (RAM): The principal storage space for computer data and program instructions. Volatile memory loses data when there is no power.
Give all RAM characteristics
Volatile memory.
Normally packaged as DIMMs.
Definition of Chipset
Chipset: Provides communications between different components by implementing various controllers.
Describe the Chipset and Memory Architecture
Controller types:
System memory.
I/O.
Integrated video, sound, and network interfaces.
Chipsets are not upgradeable.
CPU/memory link determines performance.
Northbridge/Southbridge is legacy architecture.
Different architectures are now used, including on-die controllers.
Definition of CMOS
Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS): A type of integrated circuit with a wide range of applications, including static RAM (for firmware and flash memory) and imaging sensors.
Give a description of CMOS
Holds basic configuration information.
Stores system firmware setup program settings.
Definition CMOS battery
CMOS battery: Battery that powers the chipset that keeps track of date and time for the system. Also referred to as RTC battery or clock battery.
Give a description of the CMOS battery
Normally last 5 to 10 years.
Powers the RTC, which keeps track
of the system date and time.
Definition of Bus
Bus: Connections between components on the motherboard and peripheral devices attached to the computer.
Definition of Traces
Traces: Wires etched onto the motherboard to provide electrical pathways.
Give all the characteristics of Bus Architecture
Carries electronic signal along the motherboard.
Information being processed (data) and information about where data is located (address).
Power to components.
Timing signals for synchronizing data transfer.
Usually refers to the expansion bus.
Definition of Local Bus
Local bus: The internal bus that links components directly to the processor, resulting in the highest possible data speed as required by components such as the video display.
Definition of Expansion bus
Expansion bus: The external bus that allows additional components to be connected to the computer.
Give a full description of Internal and External Buses
The internal bus connects core components.
The external bus connects peripherals.
Peripherals can be internal or external, too.
The bus can extend beyond the system case, but not always.
Definition of Expansion Slot
Expansion slot: Connection slots on the motherboard in which adapter cards can be installed to extend the range of functions the computer can perform.
What are the characteristics of an expansion slot
Multi-bus design allows different expansion slots on a motherboard.
Support for older technologies.
Definition of Riser Card
Riser card: A space-saving feature of some motherboards that puts the PC’s expansion slots on a separate board installed at right angles to the main board, allowing system components to fit within a slimline case.
What are the characteristics of a riser card
Expansion slots parallel to the motherboard.
Saves space.
Definition of System Clock
System clock: The computer’s timing mechanism synchronizes the operation of all parts of the computer and provides the basic timing signal for the CPU.
Give all the System Clock and Bus Speed characteristics
Clock speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).
The clock generator initiates a timing signal.
Clock multipliers adjust the timing signal for different buses.
Definition of PCI Bus
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus: Introduced in 1995, it connects the CPU, memory, and peripherals. It supports bus mastering, IRQ steering, and PnP. 32-bit works at 33 MHz. 64-bit works at 66 MHz.
