1.4 processing and storage hardware

Troubleshooting

A process that combines knowledge, experience, and intuition to quickly solve a variety of problems.

Optical Drive

A storage device that uses light instead of magnetism to store information. This include CD-ROM, DVD, and Blu-ray devices

External Hard Disk Drives

An HDD that can be connected as a peripheral to a computer.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

An additional computer processor that provides graphics processing, providing better performance by relieving the CPU of this duty

Flash Storage

A compact, portable storage device that uses special memory chips to store data. Flash storage devices can be removed from a power source and its contents will remain intact.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A component, sometimes built into and sometimes plugged into the motherboard, that provides wired or wireless (or both) network connectivity.

Solid State Devices (SSD)

A device with similar capacity to an HDD that uses flash storage instead of magnetic disks to store data. SSDs are much faster and more durable than hard disk drives but usually are more expensive.

x86 Processors

A family of processors manufactured by Intl and AMD that use a common instruction set, or list of commands that the processor can execute

Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) Processors

A family of processors most often used in smartphones due to its lower power requirements. This is accomplished by reducing the processors' instruction set.

Motherboard

A large, flat computer component that connects the important components of the computer, such as the CPU, RAM, and the BIOS chip. It also has power and other communications connections

Cooling System

Heat sinks and fans that keep computer components, especially the CPU, from overheating

Power Supply

The component of a computer that supplies the right amount and form of electricity to the motherboard and other computer components.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The main memory of a computer that can be quickly accessed by the CPU and where the computer stores data and instructions that it is actively using.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

The most common type of long-term storage that uses thick, magnetic disks encased in a protective housing to store data.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The most important part of any modern computer system that controls the other parts of the computer