CGS 2060 Midterm (Hardware Section)
Processor
2 main components are the ALU and the Control Unit
Infrared (IR)
A TV remote uses these wave lengths
Port
A point (hole or slot) in a computer, designed to accept a specific connector
Single-Core Processor
A processor comprised of one control and one ALU
Graphic Processor (GPU)
A separate processor (computer) in your computer that enhances your video
Native Resolution
Actual number of pixels in a monitor
Storage Devices
Allow for the retention of data when your computer is shutdown
Color Depth
Amount of data that defines each color in a pixcel
Processor Speed
Bus width + clock speed
Unicode
Coding scheme using 16 bits to represent a character
GPU
Computer inside your computer that creates images
MIDI
Connecting digital music devices to computers
Buses
Data flows between different parts of the computer via
FireWire
Developed for apple computers specifically
Desktop
Devices with separate system unit and a large footprint
Memory
Electronic (solid state) and has no moving parts
Hertz
Equal to one cycle per second
Machine Cycle
Fetch, Decode, Execute, and Store
Dell Desktop Computer
Has a traditional hard drive (magnetic)
Video Card
If you buy a new computer game that emphasizes graphics, or new photo/video editing software for your desktop computer you may want to purchase this kind of card
Cache
In addition to RAM, modern processors temporarily keep frequently used data here
Thumb Drives (USB/Flash Drives)
Inexpensive and reliable; popular storage devices
SSD
Is more expensive than a traditional hard drive
Bluetooth
Its radio waves pass through walls or desktops; very popular
Intel
Largest chip designing and manufacturing company in the world
L1 Cache
Located on the processor itself
Megahertz
MHz; 1 million cycles per second
Screen Size
Measured by diagonal distance between the upper right and lower left corners of the screen
Screen Size
Measured by the diagonal of the monitor
USB
Most common connector that connects peripherals (printers, monitors, and storage devices to a computer)
Clock Speed/ Clock Rate
Number of instructions the CPU can process per second; speed at which the processor performs the operations required to run a digital device and instructions executed by the digital device.
2-4 gigahertz
Personal CPU clock speed range
WIFI
Protocol for wireless networks
Overclocking
Running the processor faster than recommended by the manufacturer; can increase performance and speed, but will void the manufacturer warranty
WiMaxx
Short-range wireless transmission protocol
Tablet Computer
Smaller hard drive than the average desktop computer
Pixcel
Smallest element of an image
Bit
Smallest unit of data a computer can process (0 or 1)
HDMI
Standard port for video and audio input into TVs
ROM (Read Only Memory)
Storage that retains data and information when the power has been turned off.
Word Size
The maximum number of bits per instruction that a CPU can process during 1 machine cycle
Gigabytes
Typical SSD capacities for tablet computers or smartphones are measured in this
Graphics
Visual image output that a computer creates
RAM
data and programs that the device is currently using are accessible by the processor
All-in-one Computer
power of the desktop combined with a clean, neat, look; popular with business and less popular with gamers because of the lack of expandability
ROM
the instructions needed to boot-up the computer (BIOS) are stored here
