CompTIA A+ 1101 - 3.0 Hardware Flashcards
(110 cards)
RAM
Random Access Memory
Principle storage space for computer data and program instructions. Volatile memory that loses data when there is no power.
(This is because it needs to constantly be refreshed 1000 times every second to remain available)
DIMM
Dual Inline Memory Module
Standard RAM sticks that come in a variety of DDR formats.
Chipset
Provides communication between different components in a system by implementing various controllers:
Basic I/O
System Memory
Integrated Video, Network & Sound Interfaces
CMOS / RTC
Small battery that powers the chipset and keeps track of date & time.
Removing this will reset the BIOS settings to default
Bus
Connections between components on
the motherboard and peripheral devices attached to the computer.
Traces
Wiring etched into the motherboard to provide electrical pathways.
Bus Architecture
Carries electronic signals on the motherboard.
Moves Information being processed (Data) and information on where data is (Address).
Provides power to components and timing signals to synchronize data transfer.
Local Bus (Frontside Bus)
The Internal bus that links core components directly to the CPU resulting in high data transfer speeds.
Ideal for RAM and Video Transfer etc.
Expansion Bus
External bus that is connected to the frontside bus. A variety of different cards can be added to the system this way via the PCI / PCI-E slots. (Wireless, GPU)
Expansion Slots
Slots of various sizes in which cards can be installed.
Modern systems have PCI-E 1x, 4x, 8x and 16x
Riser Card
An expansion card that can be installed into some slimline form factor systems, allowing cards to the installed horizontally to the motherboard to save on space.
Often used in Servers and other compact systems.
System Clock
The computer’s timing mechanism that synchronizes the operation of all parts of the computer and provides the basic timing signal for the CPU.
Keeps tempo - Internal Metronome - The Drummer of the PC
Mhz = 1 Million Cycles per second
Ghz = 1 Billion Cycles per second
PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Obsolete. Would utilize the Southbridge (Before Chipsets) via a 32 bit or 64 bit Parallel transfer method.
Parallel Transmission
-> -> -> -> ->
-> -> -> -> ->
-> -> -> -> ->
-> -> -> -> ->
Serial Transmission
-> -> -> -> ->
<- <- <- <- <-
-> -> -> -> ->
<- <- <- <- <-
PCI-E
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
Replaced PCI.
Serial Transmission using point to point highways to connect Input/Output Controller and Devices.
Bits (Mbps, Gbps)
Active Data (Downloading, Uploading etc)
Bytes (MB, GB, TB)
Static Data (Storage, File Size etc)
PCI-E Versions
PCIe 2 - 500 Mbps Speed
PCIe 2.1 - Power Draw Upgrade to 150w & Additional 150w with Connector
PCIe 3 - 1Gbps Speed
PCIe 4 - 2 Gbps Speed
PCIe 5 - 4 Gbps Speed
Storage Bus
A special type of of expansion bus dedicated to communicating with storage devices
IDE (Parallel ATA)
Obsolete Storage Transmission Method
Would use a 40-pin Ribbon Cable for Data, and a Molex connector for power.
SATA
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA)
Modern Data Transmission for Storage Devices.
Uses a 7-pin connector and power cable.
Only a single drive can be connected to one SATA port.
SCSI
A set of (ANSI) standard electronic interfaces that allow computers to communicate with peripheral hardware such as disk drives, tape drives, CD-ROM etc
M.2
Small Form Factor SSD
Connects into the motherboard directly via M.2 slot, and allows up to 8Gbps of transfer speed from drive to RAM
