Computer Components Definitions
BIOS
A basic input/output system (BIOS) is a preinstalled program used during startup on Windows-based computers. The CPU initially accesses the BIOS, after which the operating system is loaded.
Power Supply
A power supply is a component that supplies power to at least one electric load. Typically, it converts one type of electrical power to another, but it may also convert a a different form of energy - such as solar, mechanical, or chemical - into electrical energy.
Central Processing Unit
The central processing unit (CPU) is the unit which performs most of the processing inside a computer. To control instructions and data flow to and from other parts of the computer, the CPU relies heavily on a chipset, which is a group of microchips located on the motherboard.
Exabyte
An exabyte (EB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 1 billion gigabytes (GB), 1,000 petabytes (PB) or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes (B).
expansion card
An expansion card is an electronic card/board that is used to add extra functionality to a computer. It is inserted into an expansion slot on the motherboard of a computer. Expansion cards contain edge connectors that are used to create an electronic link between motherboard and card, thus enabling these two to communicate.
expansion card slot
An expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard that is used to insert an expansion card (or circuit board), which provides additional features to a computer such as video, sound, advanced graphics, Ethernet or memory.
hard drive
An internal hard drive is the primary storage device located inside a computer system. It usually contains pre-installed software applications, the operating system and other files. Most desktop computers have several internal hard drives, allowing them to provide greater data storage. On the other hand, laptop computers can only accommodate one internal hard drive, forcing the user to add an external storage device to store data that exceeds the laptop's internal capacity.
Gigabyte
Gigabyte (GB or GByte) is a data measurement unit for digital computer or media storage. One GB equals one billion (1,000,000,000) bytes or one-thousand (1,000) megabytes (MB).
Battery
A battery is a device that produces electrons through electrochemical reactions, and contains positive (+) and negative (-) terminals. A battery consists of one or more electrochemical cells, which transform stored chemical energy directly into electrical energy. When an external load connects to a battery, electrons cross from the negative to the positive terminal, creating an electrical current. This current may power a motor, a light bulb, a clock, a computer, a cellphone, and other electronic devices or equipment. Battery flow speed is determined by the battery's internal resistance and outside load.
heat sink with cooling fan
A heat sink and fan (HSF) is an active cooling solution used to cool down integrated circuits in computer systems, commonly the central processing unit (CPU). As the name suggests, it is composed of a passive cooling unit (the heat sink) and a fan. The heat sink is usually made from a high-temperature conductive material such as aluminum and copper, and the fan is a DC brushless fan, which is the standard used for computer systems.
Kilobyte
A kilobyte (KB) is a multiple unit used for binary data. Although "kilo" generally refers to 1,000, in computer science, one kilobyte often refers to 1,024 (2^10) bytes. It may also be used to refer to 1,000 bytes depending on the context. This measure is often used to describe memory capacity and disk storage.
motherboard
A motherboard is a computer's main circuit board, and it includes the following attached to a fixed planar surface: Input/output ports Peripheral connections PCI expansion slots Bus and power connectors Heat sinks and mounting points for fans and major components, including the central processing unit (CPU) and optional coprocessors Supporting chipset for CPU, bus and external components BIOS Memory sockets for RAM, ROM and cache Interconnecting circuitry
Petabyte
A petabyte (PB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 1,024 terabytes or 1,000,000,000,000,000 bytes.
Terabyte
A terabyte (TB) is a unit of digital information storage used to denote the size of data. It is equivalent to 1,000 gigabytes, or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, using the SI standard.
Megabyte
Megabyte (MB) is a data measurement unit applied to digital computer or media storage. One MB equals one million (106 or 1,000,000) bytes. The International System of Units (SI) defines the mega prefix as a 10 multiplier or one million (1,000,000) bits. The binary mega prefix is 1,048,576 bits or 1,024 Kb. The SI and binary differential is approximately 4.86 percent.