Week 2 Re-Review - Components

Question 1

What are some examples of what you’d find in an instruction set?

Answer 1

adding
subtracting
copying data

Question 2

What are the 2 major types of CPU sockets on a motherboard?

Answer 2

1) Pin Grid Array (pins stick out of CPU)
2) Land Grid Array (pins stick out of the motherboard)

Question 3

To run a program, what hardware needs to make a copy of it for which hardware to process it?

Answer 3

the RAM needs to make a copy of the program in order for the CPU to process it

Question 4

What does DRAM stand for?

Answer 4

DRAM = Dynamic Random Access Memory

Question 5

What are DIMM sticks? How are they different?

Answer 5

DIMM = Dual Inline Memory Module

DIMM sticks have a different sizes of pins on them

Question 6

What are DRAM chips?

Answer 6

DRAM chips are the micro capacitors that are used to store bits information

Question 7

What was created after DRAM? Explain what it stands for and what it does

Answer 7

After DRAM, SDRAM was created.
SDRAM = synchronous dynamic random access memory
SDRAM syncs to the computer’s clock speed for faster data processing

Question 8

What is DDR SDRAM?

Answer 8

DDR SDRAM = Double Data Rate SDRAM

Question 9

What is DDR a shortened name for?

Answer 9

for DDR SDRAM

Question 10

How many iterations of DDR are there?

Answer 10

4
DDR 1-4

Question 11

How has DDR outperformed previous RAM creations?

Answer 11

DDR has a faster access speed, uses less power, and able to store more data (larger capacity)

Question 12

What are 4 specific things that motherboards should be compatible with?

Answer 12

CPU
RAM
Graphics Card
PSU

Question 13

What’s the difference between DIMM and DRAM?

Answer 13

DRAM chips are installed on a DIMM unit and connected to the computer

Question 14

What are some examples of DRAM chips?

Answer 14

DDR 1-4

Question 15

How does a motherboard expand a computer’s functionality?

Answer 15

through the use of expansion cards/slots

Question 16

What does the chipset on the motherboard do?

Answer 16

controls how the computer’s components talk to each other

Question 17

What are the 2 chipsets on a motherboard and the difference between them?

Answer 17

1) Northbridge
2) Southbridge

Northbridge handles communication between RAM and video cards
Southbridge handles communication between I/O devices like keyboards, mice, hard drives, USB devices

Question 18

Which chip is sometimes integrated into the CPU?

Answer 18

Northbridge chip is sometimes integrated into the CPU

Question 19

What does PCIe stand for? What is it?

Answer 19

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express

It allows us to connect hardware components to the motherboard that extend the computer’s functionality

Question 20

Simply, what are peripherals?

Answer 20

Peripherals are external devices that we can connect to our computer like keyboards, mice, monitors

Question 21

What’s the difference between a PCIe bus and and PCIe base expansion card?

Answer 21

PCIe bus = a slot
PCIe base expansion card = looks like a smaller circuit board

Question 22

What is form factor?

Answer 22

Form factor is the size of it and how much we can fit onto it

Question 23

What’s the most common form factor for motherboards? What does it stand for?

Answer 23

Most common form factor for motherboards is ATX

Advanced Technology Extended

Question 24

What is an ITX board?

Answer 24

An ITX board is Information Technology Extended

Question 25

How does an ITX board differ from an ATX board?

Answer 25

An ITX board is smaller than an ATX board

Question 26

What’s the smallest unit of data storage?

Answer 26

bit

Question 27

What can a single byte hold?

Answer 27

a number, character, or symbol

Question 28

What data size comes after byte?

Answer 28

KB Kilobyte

Question 29

How do HDD’s read and write information?

Answer 29

Hard drives use a spinning platter and a mechanical arm to read and write data

(RPM = HDD speed)

Question 30

What interface do hard drives commonly use to connect to a computer?

Answer 30

SATA

Serial ATA

Question 31

Simply, describe the most popular ATA drive

Answer 31

It connects the hard drive to the computer using a single cable for data transfers

Question 32

What does hot swappable mean?

Answer 32

It means you can connect a (SATA) hard drive without turning off your computer

Question 33

What interface was created to handle the speed of SSDs that SATA couldn’t?

Answer 33

NVMe

Question 34

How does a NVMe interface connect to a computer?

Answer 34

It connects the hard drive to the computer by installing it as an expansion slot

Question 35

When referring to hardware, what is an interface?

Answer 35

1. device
2. port
3. connection

that interacts with the computer or other hardware device

(SATA, USB, etc)

Question 36

What’s another way to say bit?

Answer 36

binary digit

Question 37

What’s the process a binary nomenclature for data sizes are made?

Answer 37

metric prefix + binary + byte

Question 38

What is amps?

Answer 38

Amps is short for amperage

it’s the amount of electrical current being pulled out of an outlet

Question 39

What is wattage?

Answer 39

wattage is the total amount of volts and amps your device needs

Question 40

What’s the difference between voltage and amperage?

Answer 40

voltage is the pushing of electricity and gives you everything at once
amperage only pulls what it needs

Question 41

What is an alternating current?

Answer 41

Changes directions constantly

Question 42

What does VAC stand for?

Answer 42

Volts of alternating current

Question 43

What’s the common VAC for wall sockets in NA?

Answer 43

110-127 VAC

Question 44

What’s a good starting point when determining the minimum amount of wattage needed for a computer?

Answer 44

Looking at the motherboard, its form factor, the (power of) components and peripherals installed on it, and applications that will be run

Question 45

What controls the amount of power that is delivered to a computer’s internal components? Where is it located?

Answer 45

Voltage regulators embedded in the motherboard

Question 46

Describe the connection used to connect the PSU to the motherboard. What does it look like?

Answer 46

The connection used to connect the PSU to an ATX motherboard is a molex connector with 24 pins with color coded wires

Question 47

3 things to consider when selecting a PSU for a computer?

Answer 47

1. Total wattage needed
2. Compatible with the motherboard
3. Wall socket input voltage

Question 48

What are 5 steps to take to diagnose a failing PSU?

Answer 48

1. Check all cables are connected
2. Check that the PSU external power switch on unit wasn’t messed with
3. Make sure fan is working (overheating can cause PSU failure)
4. Observe computer failures - System startup failures or lockups, memory errors, HDD file system corruption or USB power issues
5. PSU making grinding noises

Question 49

What are some signs that a PSU might be starting to fail?

Answer 49

1. Computer boots up and shuts down slowly
2. Hear rapid, short beeps when trying to boot
3. Computer shuts off randomly, restarts randomly

Question 50

What’s a common clue (sound-wise) that indicates a failing PSU?

Answer 50

a high-pitched, whining or grinding noise coming from the area where the PSU is housed

Question 51

What happens if you don’t replace a failing PSU in time?

Answer 51

It can cause voltage problems and damage your other components (like motherboard, hard drive, etc)