Internal System Components Flashcards
What is a Motherboard? What is a form factor and what are the different types?
- Is a circuit board that interconnects components within a computer and facilitates communication between components.
- Form factor is a size of a motherboard that also determines its compatibility with various components. E.g: Micro-ATX,ATX, Mini-ITX.
What is a CPU? What is an ARM Processor?
- CPU is a microprocessor that extracts instructions from RAM, decodes said instructions into operations and also executes that particular operation. As well as processing data.
- ARM Processor is a type of CPU commonly used in Mobile Devices.
What is the difference between ALU and FPU?
- Arithmetic Logic Unit is a processor unit within a CPU that performs arithmetic and logical operations on Integers.
- Float Point Unit is a processor unit within a CPU that performs float point operations.
What is a 32 Bit Processor and 64 Bit Processor? Why’s it important?
- 32 Bit Processor is a CPU that can handle 32 bits of data at a time and 64 Bit Processor is a CPU that can handle 64 Bits of data at a time.
- It’s important to know whether a 32 or 64 Bit processor is needed as the OS and applications can be either 32 Bit or 64 Bit. 64 Bit can run 32-bit but not vice versa.
What is Clockspeed? What’s the Bus Speed? What’s the unit for both?
- Is a measure of how many instructions a CPU can execute within a second.
- Bus Speed is a measure of quick a CPU can communicate with other components within a computer.
- Unit for Clockspeed and Bus Speed is Hertz; MHz, GHz.
What’s the difference between MultiCore and Hyperthreading?
- Multicore is 2 or more processing units within a CPU that is handles multiple tasks or processes with each core.
- Hyperthreading is a technology or process that enables a single core to act as two logical processors (virtual cores) to ensure that CPU can handle multiple instructions at the same time.
What is a GPU?
Is a processing unit that provides a computer with visuals on the monitor.
What’s the difference between System Memory and Permanent Storage? What’s the difference between HDD + SSD?
- System Memory (RAM) is volatile (temporary) storage that provides CPU with data or instructions for processing. Volatile means that once power for the PC is off; RAM will dump the contents within.
- Permanent Storage such as HDD + SSD is Non-Volatile that stores data, files and applications within a computer permanently after power is off.
- HDD uses magnetic storage to read and write data and SSDs uses flash memory to store everything.
What is a NIC?
- Network Interface Card is a component that provides a computer system connection to a network and is able to transmit data via said network.
- Can be Wired or Wireless depending on the model of NIC.
What is a System Bus? What are 3 different version of a Bus and what do they do?
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- Bus is a set of electrical wires that interconnects components within a motherboard.
3 different types of Buses are:
1. Data Bus: Transmits data to various components within a computer from CPU.
2. Address Bus: Transmits memory addresses/locations between CPU and RAM; memory address is a unique identifier or location in RAM where data can be stored or retrieved.
3. Control Bus: Transmits control signals between components from CPU.
What are 2 ways of cooling a computer system?
- Air Cooling which uses fans to bring in cool air and expel hot air.
- Liquid cooling circulates a coolant to various components within.
What is the difference between BIOS and UEFI?
- BIOS is firmware (software embedded into hardware) that initializes hardware and loads the OS when computer is powered on.
- UEFI is a more modern replacement of BIOS.
