Chapter 2: Expansion Cards, Storage Devices, & Power Supplies

RAID 1

Also called mirroring, this RAID array type provides fault tolerance because all the data is written identically to the two drives in the mirrored set. (2)

You are installing a new graphics adapter in a Windows 10 system. Which of the following expansion slots is designed for high-speed, 3D graphics adapters? USB NVMe PCI PCIe

Although technically PCI could be used for graphics adapters, PCIe supports high-speed, 3D graphic video cards. PCIe offers better performance than older graphics adapters. USB can stream video, but it is not used for attachment of internal graphics adapters. NVMe is an SSD communications interface.

Drive interface

An interface and related circuitry designed to connect one of a few possible drive types to a motherboard or adapter card; often manifests as a header on the motherboard.

Detail the process for removing a power supply from a computer chassis.

-Remove the power source from the system. -Ground yourself and the computer to the same source of ground. -Remove the cover from the system. -Locate the power supply. -Follow all wiring harnesses from the power supply to their termini, disconnecting each one. -Remove any obstructions that appear as if they might hinder removal of the power supply. -Locate and remove the machine screws on the outside of the case that are used to secure the power supply. -Pull the power supply out of the case.

HDD form factors

2.5 and 3.5

Hard Drive Speeds

5,400 rpm 7,200 rpm 10,000 rpm 15,000 rpm

NIC

A Network Interface Card is a piece of hardware that allows a computer to connect to a network.

You need to install a new hard drive into a desktop computer. Which of the following is not one of the three major components of a hard disk drive system? Drive interface Disk controller Hard disk Host adapter

A conventional hard disk drive system consists of the hard disk and its often-integrated controller as well as a host adapter to gain access to the rest of the computer system. The drive interface is a common component of the controller and host adapter.

Host Bus Adapter (HBA)

A device that connects a host system such as a computer to a network or storage device.

You install a new NIC for a user, and he asks what it does. Which of the following best characterizes the functions of this device? Multimedia Communications Input/Output Storage

A network interface card (NIC) is used as a communications device. It enables the computer to talk to other computers on a network. It does not provide multimedia, input/output (such as a USB port does), or storage capabilities.

miniSD

A solid state or flash memory card format related to SD cards. MiniSD cards are smaller than SD cards but larger than microSD cards.

MicroSD

A solidstate or flash memory card format related to SD cards. MicroSD cards are smaller than miniSD cards which are smaller than SD cards.

optical storage device types

Blu-ray Disc (BD) drive digital versatile disc (DVD) compact disc (CD)

You are choosing an optical drive format for a client. Which optical disc format supports a data capacity of 25 GB?

Blu-ray discs have a single-sided, single-layer capacity of 25 GB. A double-sided, single-layer DVD can store about 9.4 GB, and a double-sided, double-layer DVD can store about 17.1 GB.

A client is looking for a desktop storage technology that provides the fastest possible data transfers. Which technology should you recommend?

The fastest SSD communications interface is NVMe. SATA 10,000 rpm and 15,000 rpm refer to conventional hard drive spin rates, and conventional hard drives will always be slower than SSDs.

You are choosing a flash standard for a client. They want the smallest flash cards possible. Which standard should you recommend? SD CompactFlash microSD miniSD xD

The smallest of the options is microSD, at 15 mm × 11 mm. Perhaps "micro" gives it away, but that also makes it easy to remember. SD cards are 32 mm × 24 mm. CompactFlash cards are the largest, at 36 mm × 43 mm. MiniSD cards measure 21.5 mm × 20 mm, and xD cards are 20 mm × 25 mm.

RAID 10

a combination of RaID 1 and RaID 0 that requires at least four disks to work as an array of drives and provides the best redundancy and performance.

RAID 5

combines the benefits of both RAID 0 and RAID 1, creating a redundant striped volume set. Sometimes you will hear it called a stripe set with parity

Which of the following best describes the concept of hot-swappable devices? -Power does not need to be turned off before the device is inserted or removed. -The device can be removed with power applied after it is properly stopped in the operating system. -Care must be taken when swapping the device because it can be hot to the touch. -The device can be swapped while still hot, immediately after powering down the system.

Hot-swappable devices can be removed while the power to the system is still on. Warm-swappable devices need to be stopped in the operating system before being removed. The term has nothing to do with the heat level of the device.

Your goal is to build the fastest computer possible. Which of the following hard drive technologies should you choose for the fastest read performance? M.2 PCIe M.2 SATA NVMe PCIe NVMe SATA

M.2 and NVMe are both relatively new SSD options, and both are incredibly fast. NVMe is slightly faster, though. SATA is limited to 600 Mbps transfer speeds, whereas PCIe is not. An NVMe PCIe card can sustain data read rates of about 3,500 Mbps.

SDD form factors

M.2 and SATA

Anatomy of a Hard Drive

Most of today's hard drive systems consist of an integrated controller and disc assembly that communicates to the rest of the system through an external host adapter. The hard disk drives consist of many components that work together, some in a physical sense and others in a magnetic sense, to store data on the disc surfaces for later retrieval

Name the SSD communications interfaces

NVMe, SATA, and PCIe

NVMe

Non-Volatile Memory Express

RAID 0

Striping, where a striped set of equal space from at least two drives creates a larger volume. Data is written across multiple drives, so one drive can be reading or writing while another drive's read-write head is moving. This makes for faster data access. If any one of the drives fails, however, all content is lost. Some form of redundancy or fault tolerance should be used in concert with RAID 0.

CompactFlash

Solid state storage device usually used in digital cameras.

You have a motherboard with integrated video, and the video fails. You install a video add-on card. Which of the following statements are the most accurate? (Choose two.) A)The add-on card will not function properly because of the integrated video. B) The add-on card will function if it is bridged to the integrated video chipset. C) The add-on card will be detected automatically and function properly if it's PCIe. D) For the card to work properly, you might need to disable the integrated video in the BIOS. E) The add-on card will work properly by using the integrated card's video driver.

C, D. Most likely, the new card will be detected and function properly once the computer is booted up. However, the driver will need to be installed. Odds are the new card will be a different model than the integrated card, which will require a new driver. On some systems, you will need to go into the BIOS and disable the integrated adapter. Bridging happens between two PCIe video adapters, not an integrated video chipset.

True or False: Due to the high revolutions at which modern hard drives spin, you must secure an external power source because the internal power supplies do not have the capacity (And Why T or F)

False. Today's hard drives, regardless of their rpm, have standard internal power connections.

You are purchasing a new video card for a desktop computer. For the best performance, which type of video card should you purchase? PCI x16 PCI x128 AGP PCIe x128 PCIe x16

For a video card, the best standard currently available is PCIe, and the widest channel width is x16. There are no PCI x16 or PCI x128 slots, nor is there a PCIe x128 slot. AGP is an older video expansion standard that is now obsolete.

You are installing a new power supply in a desktop computer. Which of the following statements about power supplies is true? a) You must make sure that the voltage selector switch on the back of the power supply is switched to the lower setting if the computer is going to be used in Europe. b) SATA hard drives most often use the same type of power connector that PATA hard drives use. c) Power supplies require a 20-pin to 24-pin motherboard adapter to supply power to ATX-based motherboards. d) Power supplies convert AC input to DC output.

PC power supplies accept alternating current (AC) as input and produce direct current (DC) for the internal components. Europe requires that the voltage selector switch be set at the higher setting. SATA drives most often use a specific power connector that is not compatible with the Molex connector used by PATA drives. ATX motherboards can have a 20- or 24-pin single power connector but an adapter is not always required.

When installing multiple add-on cards of the same type, which type of cards might you need to bridge together to function as a single unit? Video Sound USB eSATA

PCIe video cards may be bridged together, enabling two cards to function as one system. Sound cards and I/O expansion cards such as USB and eSATA cards do not have bridging capabilities.

Of the following voltage pairings, which one accurately represents the input and output, respectively, of power supplies and AC adapters? AC in, AC out DC in, DC out AC in, DC out DC in, AC out

Power supplies and AC adapters use standard wall outlets for an input of AC voltage, which they convert to the DC voltages required by the components to which they supply power.

RAID 0 vs RAID 1

RAID 0 offers the best performance and capacity but no fault tolerance. Conversely, RAID 1 offers fault tolerance but does not offer any capacity of performance benefits. While performance is an important factor, backup admins may prioritize fault tolerance to better protect data

RAID configurations

RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10

You have been asked to configure a RAID 5 system for a client. Which of the following statements about RAID 5 is true? It provides fault tolerance but no performance improvement. It provides performance improvement but no fault tolerance. If multiple drives in the array fail, the data can be saved provided that one drive is still operational. It requires at least three drives to implement.

RAID 5 arrays require a minimum of three hard drives to implement. If one drive fails, the data is fine and the system can still function, albeit slowly. If more than one drive fails, the system will be inoperable. RAID 5 provides both fault tolerance and a performance improvement.

RAID (meaning)

Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks

A client wants to ensure that their server does not lose power if their power supply fails. Which of the following best describes the type of power supply needed in this situation? A power supply that provides twice as much wattage than what is needed to power system components A power supply that provides a voltage output selector A modular power supply A redundant power supply

o protect against a power supply failure, use a redundant power supply, which is basically two PSUs in one unit. More wattage will not help if the power supply fails. There are no voltage output selectors on PSUs. There are voltage input switches on some but that wouldn't help in this case. A modular power supply has removable and attachable cables to support a variety of peripherals.

SD card

secure digital card; ultra small flash memory card designed to provide high-capacity memory in a small size

Optical Storage

storage device that records data by burning microscopic holes in the surface if the disk with a laser