A+ certification - ANSWERSA certification awarded by CompTIA (The Computer Technology Industry Association) that measures a PC technician's knowledge and skills
Power Supply - ANSWERSconverts AC power from the wall outlet into the lower voltages of DC power required to power all components of th...
A+ certification - ANSWERSA certification awarded by CompTIA (The Computer
Technology Industry Association) that measures a PC technician's knowledge and skills
Power Supply - ANSWERSconverts AC power from the wall outlet into the lower
voltages of DC power required to power all components of the computer
Voltage - ANSWERSthe rate at which energy is drawn from a source that produces a
flow of electricity in a circuit
Current - ANSWERSthe flow of electrons through a wire or any conductor
Resistance - ANSWERSan electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
Power - ANSWERSMeasured in Watts; the amount of energy required by a computer
Ohm's Law - ANSWERSthe law that states that resistance is equal to voltage divided by
current
Motherboard - ANSWERSa circuit board that contains all of the computer system's main
components
CPU - ANSWERS(computer science) the part of a computer (a microprocessor chip)
that does most of the data processing
RAM - ANSWERSthe most common computer memory which can be used by programs
to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on
ROM - ANSWERS(computer science) memory whose contents can be accessed and
read but cannot be changed
RISC - ANSWERSREDUCED INSTRUCTION SET COMPUTING-(computer science) a
kind of computer architecture that has a relatively small set of computer instructions that
it can perform
CISC - ANSWERSComplex Instruction Set Computing -(computer science) a kind of
computer architecture that has a large number of instructions hard coded into the CPU
chip
,Overclocking - ANSWERSRunning a processor at a higher frequency than is
recommended by the manufacturer, which can result in an unstable system, but is a
popular thing to do when a computer is used for gaming
Hyper threading - ANSWERSIntel's technology to allow each logical processor within
the processor package to handle an individual thread in parallel with other threads being
handled by other processors within the package.It "tricks the computer into thinking that
there are two CPU
Case fan - ANSWERSA fan inside a computer case used to draw air out of or into the
case
Heat sink - ANSWERSA piece of metal, with cooling fins, that can be attached to or
mounted on an integrated chip (such as the CPU) to dissipate heat
DIP - ANSWERSDual Inline Package-Older computer systems used DIP memory
directly, either soldering it to the motherboard or placing it in sockets that had been
soldered to the motherboard
SIMM - ANSWERSSingle In- Line Memory Module-This 4 letter acronym refers to a
type of memory module form factor used in computers from the early 1980s to the late
1990s. It was available in 30 and 72 pin varieties. It's key limiting factor is that contacts
are redundant on both sides of the module, thus severely limiting the modules density.,
single inline memory module
DIMM - ANSWERS[Dual In-line Memory Module] a small circuit board, capable of
holding several memory chips, that has a 64-bit data path and can be easily connected
to a PC's system board (contrast with SIMM)
RIMM - ANSWERSRambus Inline Memory Module, Industry Standard for RDRAM, 32-
bit bus length. Must be installed in pairs/into all available memory slots
SODIMM - ANSWERSSmall Outline Dual In-Line Memory Module.-SODIMM memory is
a smaller alternative to a DIMM memory module. DIMM memory is Dual in-line memory
module, which are used as a series of dynamic random access memory integrated
circuits
DDR - ANSWERSRAM double data-rate random access memory
SDRAM - ANSWERSSynchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory - employs
special internal registers and clock signals to organize data requests from memory.
Cache - ANSWERS(computer science) RAM memory that is set aside as a specialized
buffer storage that is continually updated
,NIC - ANSWERSNetwork Interface Card; the device that enables a workstation to
connect to the network and communicate with other computers
Adapter Card - ANSWERSa generic term used to describe any card inserted onto the
motherboard of a computer to add functions such as sound and video
AGP - ANSWERSaccelerated graphics port, a type of interface or slot that provides high
speed pathway for advanced graphics
PCI - ANSWERSPCI = peripheral component interconnect: a way in which cards can be
added to a computer to provide specific capabilities. Examples: USB cards, Ethernet
card
PCIE - ANSWERSA 32 - for 64-bit bus standard capable of transferring data up to 4.26
Gbps in full duplex transmission. PCI Express was introduced in 2002 and offers
several advantages over traditional PCI. Its expansion cards can fit into older PCI slots
with some modifications to the motherboard
SCSI - ANSWERSSmall Computer System Interface-interface consisting of a standard
port between a computer and its peripherals that is used in some computers
Parallel Port - ANSWERSA socket at the back of a computer for connecting external
equipment or peripherals, especially printers
Serial Port - ANSWERSA serial port is a general-purpose interface that can be used for
almost any type of device, including modems, and mice
Hard Disk Drive - ANSWERSa device containing a sealed, rigid magnetic disk and
read/write mechanism, usually built directly into the computer's cabinet; uses revolutions
per minute
IDE - ANSWERS(Integrated Drive Electronics) A hardware interface widely used to
connect hard disks, optical discs and tape drives to a PC. Introduced in 1986 with 20MB
of storage, capacities increased a thousandfold in less than two decades. Compared to
the SCSI interface, IDE has been the more economical choice
PATA - ANSWERSParallel ATA) Refers to the original ATA (IDE) technology that uses
a parallel data channel from the controller to the disk drives. After Serial ATA drives
became popular, the PATA term was coined to specifically refer to the parallel drives;
uses 40- and 80-pin connectors
SATA - ANSWERS(Serial ATA) A serial version of the ATA (IDE) interface, which has
been the de facto standard hard disk interface for desktop PCs for more than two
, decades. The original Parallel ATA (PATA) interface was launched in 1986. SATA was
introduced in 2002 at significantly higher speed, transferring data in each direction at
1.5 Gbps
RAID Level - ANSWERSIndicates the number of redundant disks & Type of writing
technique employed
RJ11 - ANSWERStelephone line connector
RJ45 - ANSWERSEthernet connector
FireWire - ANSWERS(IEEE-1394)high-speed serial technology for connecting
peripherals to a computer; particularly popular for multimedia peripherals such as digital
video camcorders and other high-speed devices like hard disk drives and printers; uses
4- and 6-pin connectors
Biometric authentication - ANSWERSuse of some physically unique characteristic (like
fingerprint or iris scan) to authenticate a user
Form Factor - ANSWERSA set of specifications on the size, shape, and configuration of
a computer hardware component such as a case, power supply, or motherboard
Solid State Drive - ANSWERSa hard drive that uses flash memory media instead of
magnetic metal disks to store data; data is accessed faster due to no moving parts, it is
reliable, and power usage is reduced
Optical Drive - ANSWERSa storage device that stores files using removable disks that
reads and writes using a laser, used to store computer or media data. Common formats
include, CD RW, DVD, HD-DVD and Blu-ray
Transistor - ANSWERSControls access to RAM and video card
BTX, ITX, ATX - ANSWERSForm factors for motherboards
Capture Card - ANSWERSEnables things like video signal to be recorded to the
computer hard drive
DVD+-R Disk Storage Capacity - ANSWERS4.7 GB
eSATA - ANSWERSInternal connector that uses 7 pins
Serial Cable - ANSWERSA serial cable is a cable used to transfer information between
two devices using a serial communication protocol (the form of connectors depends on
the particular serial port used)
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