Module 03 - Computer Hardware

Static RAM (SRAM)

Volatile - Memory can be recharged less frequently than DRAM, but can be more expensive than DRAM

Cycle

is the smallest unit of time a process can measure. The efficiency of a CPU is measured by instructions per cycle (IPC).

Platform

refers to the software, or operating system, it uses. When buying a computer it is important to consider the computers platform because it is typically easier to transfer files between two computers when they use the same platform. This can be important to consider so that your computer can work easily with the computers you have at work, school, or home.

Which type of a computer can be assembled using a monitor, a keyboard, a CPU, speakers, a printer and a mouse?

A Desktop Computer

Motherboard

A circuit board inside a computer that contains the microprocessor, the computer memory, and other internal devices.

What is the binary system?

A number system with two digits, 0 and 1

Peripheral Device

Also known as an Add-on Device, is a device such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or speakers that can connected to and extend the capability of a computer. Peripheral devices can be used for input, output, or a combination of both.

Webcam

Are cameras built-in to the computers which are primarily used for videoconferencing, chatting, and online gaming. Can buy a wired or wireless webcam if your computer doesn't have one built in.

Power-on Self-Test (POST)

At startup, a sequence that tests all computer components for proper operation.

What determines the speed at which data travels?

Bus Width

Jason takes many photographs on his smartphone while on vacation in Italy. If Jason wants to access these pictures across multiple devices, including his computer, smartphone, and tablet, where should he store them?

Cloud Storage

Desktop Computers

Computer that typically consists of the system unit, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Due to them consisting of multiple separate components, they are not very portable. Can often be more powerful and contain more storage than other mobile equivalents such as laptops and tablets. Hardware components such as the hard drive and RAM can be more easily upgraded.

Which of the following devices is the easiest to upgrade, such as by adding RAM?

Desktop Computers

Types of RAM

Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Static RAM (SRAM), Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and Flash Memory.

GHz

Gigahertz, are the measurement of billions of cycles per second during a processor's clock speed.

Which of these hardware components can you use to store videos?

Hard Drive

What is the recommended solution if a computer performs slowly?

Install additional RAM.

Where on a computer is the operating system generally stored?

Internal Hard Drive

Scanner

Is an Input Device that converts an existing paper image into an electronic file that you can open and work with on your computer.

Plotter

Large-format printer that uses charged wires to produce high-quality drawings for professional applications such as architectural blueprints; plotters draw continuous lines on large rolls of paper.

Clock Speed

Measures the processor's speed at which it can execute instructions. Clock speed can be measured in either megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). Megahertz specifies millions of cycles per second, while gigahertz specifies billions of cycles per second.

Nonvolatile

Memory that does NOT lose its contents when power is removed.

Volatile

Memory that loses its contents when power is removed.

Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)

Nonvolatile - Memory uses magnetic charges to store contents, and can retain its contents in the absence of power

Troubleshooting Slow Performance

Occurs often with Desktop, Laptop, and Tablet devices and is recommended to "Defragment the hard disk" as a solution. If you are experiencing a problem with your computer, you might need to take corrective actions such as restoring the operating system, correcting display problems, or updating device drivers

When considering a computer to purchase, which of the following factors involves the operating system of the computer?

Platform

What printer is commonly used to produce high-quality professional drawings such as architectural blueprints?

Plotter

Which of these is not an input device?

Printer

Multi-core Processors

Processors with multiple cores. Often more expensive because they perform better than processors with few cores.

Which is the most suitable device to use in a classroom or a conference room to deliver presentations?

Projector

If you want to share a document for others to view and edit, which of the following should you do?

Save the document to OneDrive.

Alex needs to email his graduation certificate to a prospective employer. He has only physical copies of the certificate. What device could he use to create an electronic copy of the certificate?

Scanner

What type of hard drive has no moving parts, making it fast and durable?

Solid State Drive (SSD)

What performance specification does 2 GHz refer to?

Speed at which the processor executes instructions

What is the most common type of storage device for transferring files from one computer to another?

USB Flash Drive

Alessandro wants to use his desktop computer to video chat with his mother. What hardware does he need to accomplish this?

Use his webcam and speakers so that he and his mother can both see and hear each other.

Which of the following is classified as input device?

Webcam

Projector

can display output from a computer on a large surface such as a wall or screen.

Plug-and-Play Device

devices that begin functioning properly as soon as you connect them to your computer.

Video Card

is a circuit board that processes image signals.

Processor Core

is a unit on the processor with the circuitry necessary to execute instructions.

Binary Digit (Bit)

is the smallest unit of data a computer can process. Each 0 or 1 is called a bit.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

responsible for performing arithmetic operations.

Virtual Memory

to swap the contents of RAM to and from the hard drive. To temporarily store data on a storage medium until it can be "swapped" into RAM. This storage medium is called a Swap file or Paging file. (IMAGE)

Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

Volatile - Memory needs to be constantly recharged or contents will be erased.

Byte

When 8 bits are grouped together as a unit, they form a byte. Byte can represent a single character on the computer or mobile device.

Surge Suppressor

is a device that prevents power fluctuations from damaging electronic components.

What should you do if a headset plugged into your computer is not working properly?

(Incorrect) Unplug the headset.

Gamepad

(Xbox or PlayStation controller) is held in both hands and controls the movement and actions of players or objects. On gamepads, users press buttons with their thumbs or move sticks in various directions to trigger events.

Printer

creates hard copy output on paper, film, and other media. A printer can be connected to a computer via a cable, a network, or wirelessly. There are various types of printers including: Ink-jet printer, Laser printer, Multifunction device (MFD), Mobile printer, Plotter, and 3-D printer.

Storage Devices

designed to store data and information for extended periods of time. The type and amount of data you want to store will help you determine the most appropriate storage device to use. EX: internal (within the laptop) and external hard drives (what you store your photos on), solid state drives (Hard drives), and optical media (DVD) and USB Flash Drives. (IMAGE)

Device Driver

is a program that controls a device attached to your computer, such as a printer, monitor, or video card.

Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS)

is a short-term battery backup that comes on automatically in case of power loss.

ASCII

is an 8-bit coding scheme, which means that 8 bits are used to represent uppercase and lowercase letters, mathematical operators, and logical operations.

Bus

is an electronic channel that allows the CPU and various devices inside or attached to a computer to communicate.

Solid State Drive (SSD)

is a hard drive without moving parts, and is faster and more durable than magnetic drives. Often are used on mobile devices such as laptops and tablets and come in various physical sizes.

Tablet

is a mobile device that is portable or handheld computing device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, with a screen size of 10.1 inches or smaller. Is a touch-sensitive screen that accepts input from a digital pen, stylus, or your fingertip. Often less powerful that other types of computers, but is easy to transport. Is often not possible to upgrade a tablet; if device cannot keep up with the latest operating systems and apps, it may be necessary to replace the device.

Benchmark

is a test run by a laboratory or other organization to determine processor speed and other performance factors. Benchmarking tests compare similar systems performing identical tasks.

Internal Hard Drive

Most common storage medium, they are installed in the computer you are using. You can't access a file stored on your internal hard drive from another computer unless you copy the file to other computer using an external hard drive (Such as a USB Flash Drive) or sending it electronically.

Hard Drive

common storage medium on a computer; store data magnetically, or they can use solid state storage.

Input Device

communicates instructions and commands to a computer. EX: Keyboard, touchscreen on a mobile phone, a mouse, stylus, scanner, webcam, microphone, and game controller.

Output Device

conveys information from the computer to the user. EX: Display on a mobile device or computer, speakers, headphones, projectors, and printers.

Four Steps of the Machine Cycle

fetching, decoding, executing, and storing. Fetching and decoding instructions are performed by the control unit. Executing and storing instructions are performed by the ALU. (IMAGE)

If you press the key corresponding to letter A on the keyboard, what process is carried out inside the CPU to display the letter on the screen?

'A' is converted to binary code, which the CPU processes. The computer then converts the code back 'A' for display.

Machine Cycle

(or Instruction cycle) Instructions executed by the CPU go through a series of four steps. This cycle includes steps the CPU completes to run programmed instructions, make calculations, and make decisions.

Bus Width

(or word size) determines the speed at which data travels. The wider the bus, the more data that can travel on it.

Jack needs a convenient way to browse the Internet, read emails, and store basic data when he travels. Which of the following would be the best option for him?

He should make sure to bring a tablet.

Manny copied a table from an MS Excel file, closed the file, and then pasted the table in an MS Word document. Where was the table stored after he copied it?

In RAM

Flash Memory

Nonvolatile - Fast type of memory that typically is less expensive than some other types of RAM, and can retain its contents in the absence of power

What devices do not need device drivers to be manually installed, and start to function as soon as they are connected to a computer?

Plug-and-Play Devices

RAM

Random Access Memory. Is memory stored on one or more chips connected to the main circuit board of the computer (also referred to as the motherboard). The storage location that is part of every computer and that temporarily stores open apps and document data while a computer is on. EX: Virtual Memory & Swap file/paging file.

ROM

Read-Only Memory. Is permanently installed on your computer and is attached to the motherboard. The ROM chip contains the BIOS, which tells your computer how to start. EX: BIOS, Power-on Self-Test (POST), and Firmware.

Which type of memory is permanently installed on your computer and attached to the motherboard?

Read-only Memory (ROM)

Form Factor

Refers to the shape and size of the computer. The three main types of computer form factors are desktops, laptops, and tablets.

Firmware

The instructions on the ROM chip.

Text Coding Scheme

When a computer translates a character into bits and bytes. Two popular text coding schemes are ASCII and Unicode.

External Hard Drive

can add storage capacity to your computer, are housed in a separate case, and typically connect to your computer using a USB cable. Similar to internal hard drives, external hard drives can use either magnetic or solid state technology. They can also be transported from one computer to another. EX: USB Flash Drives, and Optical Media.

CPU Process (CPU)

central processing unit (CPU) is a complex integrated circuit consisting of millions of electronic parts and is primarily responsible for converting input (data) into meaningful output (information). Data travels in and out of the CPU through a bus.

Processor Cache

if a processor uses specific data frequently it stores this data next to the processor so that it can easily and quickly be retrieved.

Cloud Storage

involves storing electronic files on the Internet, not on a local computer, a practice called storing data "in the cloud." Enables you to store your files remotely on servers that could be in a different city, state, or part of the world. Only requires an internet connection on a computer or mobile device to access, store, and retrieve files from cloud storage. EX: Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox.

Unicode

is a 16-bit coding scheme that is an extension of ASCII and can support more than 65,000 symbols and characters, including Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and other pictorial characters.

Binary System

is a number system that has two digits, 0 and 1. The digit 0 indicates the absence of an electronic charge, and a 1 indicates the presence of an electronic charge. These electronic charges (or absence thereof), when grouped together, represent data. Each unit of data is a bit, and 8 bits grouped together as a unit, forms a byte.

Control Unit

manages the flow of instructions within the processor

All-in-one Computer

similar to a desktop computer, but the monitor and system unit are housed together. Take up less space and are easier to transport, but can be more expensive because they are difficult to service or upgrade due to the components being housed in a very limited space.

Optical Media

used to distribute installation files for programs and apps, easy to transport. But its use as storage media is declining because saving files to optical media requires special software or capabilities within the operating system, and if the discs get damaged than you might lose the files stored on them. Optical Discs include: CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs (BDs).