Core Hardware Components Vocabulary Flashcards
(52 cards)
The most important part of any modern computer system that controls the other parts of the computer.
Central Processing Unit (CPU):
If a component is modular and can be replaced, you will sometimes hear it referred to as a what!
Field Replaceable Unit (FRU)
The main memory of a computer that can be quickly accessed by the CPU and where the computer stores data and instructions that it is actively using.
Random Access Memory (RAM):
A large, flat computer component that connects the important components of the computer, such as the CPU, RAM and the BIOS chip. It also has power and other communications connections.
Motherboard:
Motherboards are classified by their design.
Form Factor
Baby-AT, ATX, Micro ATX, Mini-ATX, Mini-ITX, Nano-ITX, Pico-ITX, Mobile-ITX, and Neo-ITX.
8 Types of form factors.
Which is just a set of signal pathways connecting the CPU and main memory.
Front side bus
If present, is a set of signal pathways between the CPU and any external cache memory.
Back side bus
Is a common collection of signal pathways over which related devices communicate within the computer system?
Bus
The component of a computer that supplies the right amount and form of electricity to the motherboard and other computer components.
Power Supply:
An additional computer processor that provides graphics processing, providing better performance by relieving the CPU of this duty.
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU):
A component, sometimes built into and sometimes plugged into the motherboard, that provides wired or wireless (or both) network connectivity.
Network Interface Card (NIC):
A storage device that uses light instead of magnetism to store information. This include CD-ROM, DVD, and blue ray devices.
Optical Drive:
A compact, portable storage device that uses special memory chips to store data. Devices can be removed from a power source and its contents will remain intact.
Flash Storage:
A device with similar capacity to an HDD that uses flash storage instead of magnetic disks to store data.
Solid State Devices (SSD)
An HIDD that can be connected as a peripheral to a computer.
External Hard Disk Drives
A family of processors manufactured by Intl and AMD that use a common instruction set, or list of commands that the processor can execute.
X86 Processors:
A family of processors most often used in smartphones due to its lower power requirements. This is accomplished by reducing the processors’ instructions set.
Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) Processors:
A process that combines knowledge, experience, and intuition to quickly solve a variety of problems.
Troubleshooting
It is usually the component that has either a large fan attached to the central processing unit.
Heat Sink
The most visible parts of any motherboard, these are small plastic slots, usually form 1 to 6 inches long and approximately ½ inch wide.
Expansion slots
Between the CPU and RAM. Cache is a fast form of memory, and it improves system performance by predicting what the CPU will ask for next and prefetching this information before being asked.
Cache Memory
The long-term storage device that plugs into the motherboard.
Hard Drive
Is the name given to any software that is encoded in hardware, usually a read-only memory (ROM) chip, and can be run without extra instructions from the operating system?
Firmware
