Computing Overview

Question 1

BIOS

Answer 1

Basic Input Output System. The fundamental firmware that initiates when the PC is powered on.

Question 2

CMOS

Answer 2

Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. Where the BIOS is stored and backed up with a battery. Generally 128-512 bytes of content.

Question 3

TPM

Answer 3

Trusted Platform Module. A security feature on the motherboard that manages cryptographic functions.

Question 4

ATX

Answer 4

Advanced Technology Extended.

Question 5

PCI

What’s the bus width and throughput?

Answer 5

Peripheral Component Interconnect.

Bus width:
32-bit and 64-bit

Throughput:

• 133 MB/s (32-bit @ 33MHz)
• 266 MB/s (32-bit @ 66MHz or 64-bit @ 33MHz)
• 533 MB/s (64-bit @ 66MHz)

Question 6

CNR

Answer 6

Communications and Networking Riser. Created to provide the option to add additional network cards or additional modems into the PC.

Question 7

AGP

What’s the throughput?

Answer 7

Accelerated Graphics Port.

AGP 1x = 266MB/s
AGP 2x = 522MB/s
AGP 4x = 1.07GB/s
AGP 8x = 2.1GB/s

Question 8

PCI-X

What’s the throughput?

Answer 8

PCI eXtended

1,064MB/s

Question 9

What does the x16 in PCIe x16 mean?

Answer 9

The amount of full-duplex PCI Express lanes between the Northbridge and the memory slot.

Question 10

What is the typical throughput for the various versions of PCIe?

Answer 10

v1. x = 250MB/s
v2. x = 500MB/s
v3. 0 = 1GB/s
v4. 0 = 2GB/s

Question 11

SIMM

Answer 11

Single In-line Memory Module.

Electrical contacts are the same on both sides.

30 pin and 27 pin.

Question 12

RIMM

Answer 12

Rambus Inline Memory Module.

16-bit = 184 pins
32-bit = 232 pins

Required every memory slot must be filled. For 16-bit modules the empty slots required Continuity RIMM (C-RIMM) and for 32-bit modules require a Continuity and Termination RIMM (CT-RIMM

Question 13

DIMM

Answer 13

Dual In-line Memory Modules.

Electrical contacts are different on each side.

64 bit data width

SDRAM = 168 pins
DDR = 184 pins
DDR2/DDR3 = 240 pins

Question 14

SO-DIMM

Answer 14

Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module.

72-pin, 100-pin, 144-pin, 200-pin, 204-pin.

Question 15

DIP

Answer 15

Dual In-line Package CPU type.

Question 16

SECC

Answer 16

Single Edge Contact Certridge.

Question 17

PGA

Answer 17

Pin Grid Array.

Question 18

ZIF Socket

Answer 18

Zero Insertion Force socket.

Question 19

LGA

Answer 19

Land Grid Array.

Pins are on motherboard.

Question 20

Northbridge

Answer 20

AKA Memory Control Hub. Connects the CPU to memory and high-speed graphics card.

Question 21

Southbridge

Answer 21

Manages connections such as PCI slots, USB, Ethernet, IDE, Onboard graphics controllers, BIOS, etc.

Question 22

Different types of ROMs

Answer 22

Read-only memory. Cannot be changed or erased.

PROM: Programmable ROM - Write once.

EPROM: Erasable PROM - Write/Erase/Write again

EEPROM: Electrically Erasable PROM - Flash memory.

Question 23

SRAM

Answer 23

Static RAM. Very fast, big and expensive memory.

Used often in processor cashes like L1, L2, L3.

No refreshing, but still volatile.

Question 24

DRAM

Answer 24

Dynamic RAM.

Needs constant refreshing, without it, the data in the memory disappears.

Question 25

SDRAM

Answer 25

Synchronous Dynamic RAM. Synchronous with the common system clock. Ex: 133MHz clock = PC133

Question 26

RDRAM

Answer 26

Rambus Dynamic RAM. Relatively more expensive than SDRAM because of the Ramus and Intel partnership.

Question 27

DDR-SDRAM

Answer 27

Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM. To figure out the peak data rate, multiply the memory bus clock rate by 16. Ex: 1,600MB/s = PC-1600

Question 28

DDR2

Answer 28

Enhanced electrical interface, buffers, off-chip drivers. To figure out the peak data rate, multiply the memory bus clock rate by 32. Ex: 3,200MB/s = PC2-3200

Question 29

DDR3

Answer 29

Twice the data rate of DDR2 with larger chip capacities. To figure out the peak data rate, multiply the memory bus clock rate by 64. Ex: 6,400MB/s = PC2-6400

Question 30

CAS

Answer 30

Column Address Strobe/Select. The delay between the time that the memory controller requests some data from RAM and the moment the data is available on the memory module's output pins. In SDRAM, the CL is specified in clock cycles.

Question 31

CL

Answer 31

CAS Latency. Clock cycles between a memory request sent and data received. The lower the CL number, the fewer clock cycles and faster the data transfer.

Question 32

ECC

Answer 32

Error Correcting Code memory. Memory that detects and corrects errors.

Question 33

Parity Memory

Answer 33

Memory that checks itself for errors utilizing a parity bit, but cannot correct the error and won't always detect the error.

Question 34

MBR

Answer 34

Master Boot Record. The first sector of a hard drive (usually only 512 bytes). Contrains: Table of primary partitions, disk signatures, directions for starting the operating system.

Question 35

USB

Answer 35

Universal Serial Bus.

Question 36

FireWire

Answer 36

AKA IEEE 1394, i.LINK or Lynx. Connects up to 63 devices. FireWire 400 aka Alpha Mode or IEEE 1394a = 100, 200, 400 Mbit/s half-duplex. FireWire 800 aka Beta Mode or IEEE 1394b = 800 Mbit/s full-duplex.

Question 37

SATA

Answer 37

Serial Advanced Technology Interface (internal)

Question 38

eSATA

Answer 38

External Serial Advanced Technology Interface

Question 39

PATA

Answer 39

Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment Used to be IDE = Integrated Drive Electronics. 2nd Generation, EIDE Enhanced IDE. 16MB/s - 133MB/s Connected with 40-wire or 80-wire motherboard connectors.

Question 40

ATAPI

Answer 40

ATA Packet Interface. A PATA connection for other drives such as CD drives.

Question 41

Master Drive

Answer 41

Device 0 Closest to the motherboard with the 40 cable connector, furthest from the motherboard with the 80 cable connector.

Question 42

Slave Drive

Answer 42

Device 1 Closest to the motherboard with the 80 cable connector, furthest from the motherboard with the 40 cable connector.