Storage, Memory And Processing Devices Flashcards
Primary storage /main or internal memory
This storage is accessed directly by the CPU and is where the main instructions for the ccomputer’s operations are stored
Main function of a primary storage device
To hold data for a short period of time while the computer is running and power is going to the devices
Secondary/external/auxiliary memory
This type of storage holds dats for the long term. Data stored here can only be removed by deleting it.
Operating system, hardware drivers and data creates by user is stored here
Memory
• it is volatile
• It is fast to access. It is more expensive per GB than storage
Storage
• Non-volatile
• It is slow because magnetic and optical storage works mechanically. Even electronic storage operates at lower speeds than memory
External HDD
• Quite fast and generally reliable
• If an HDD is used often, the mechanical stress can shorten it’s lifespan. External HDD are fragile
External SSD
• Have no moving parts
• More expensive than hard drives and the storage space is limited due to the cost (more space the more expensive)
USB flash drives
• No moving parts, so they are an excellent way to move data around. They can be slow and unreliable
Tapes
• Tape backup is copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge.
Magnetic tape
• Very large storage capacity (180TB), but can be destroyed very easily and can be lost
What is the motherboard made of
A thin piece of rigid, non-conductive material. A thin layer of copper or aluminum foil is printed onto the sheet. These circuits are called traces. They are very narrow and thin and form the connections between the various components housed in the motherboard
Role of the motherboard
• Provides a place for other devices or interfaces to be installed
• Distributes power to the various components
• Act as a communication hub as the components send and receive information through the motherboard
CPU
Carries out the instructions of a computer program
Speed of CPU is measured in gigahertz (GHz)
Core
• Basic computing unit of the CPU
• A single core can run a single program, problem or context
• More cores allow the CPU to multitask
Function of ROM
ROM (Read-Only Memory) stores essential startup instructions on the BIOS chip in the motherboard. Its data is hard to modify and remains intact even when the computer is powered off.
What questions should you ask yourself when buying a computer
• How fast is the CPU in the computer
• How big is the memory
• How much storage capacity does it have
• which operating system does the computer use
Formatting
Is Preparing a disk to store data
Disk scans
Help detect and fix errors in USB flash drives, hard drives and SSD’s
Disk fragmentation
Is when your files on your computers hard drive become scattered, making your computer slower
what does the Windows 10 disk cleanup tool do
Deletes temporary files from the internet
Deletes deleted files and folders in the recycle bin
What is the difference between backing up and archiving data
Backups are kept for a relatively short period of time. Archiving, on the other hand, is the long-term storage of information that will be used in future
Explain how you would manually defragment your disks
Click on the SEARCH icon on the bottom left corner of your screen. Enter DEFRAG and then select DEFRAGMENT AND OPTIMISE DRIVES.
Click on the disk drive you want to optimise.
Click on the OPTIMISE button.
How to format a disk
1.Click on the search icon on the bottom left corner of your screen
- Type in format
- Select create and format hard drive partitions
- This opens the Disk Management dialogue box
- Right click on the disk you want to format and click on Format
- Choose NTFS as the file system and select Default as the Allocation Unit Size
- Click OK to format the drive
