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Hardware Terms
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Hardware | Computer’s physical components Monitor, keyboard, memory, hard drive |
Software | Directs hardware to accomplish a task, Input, processing, storage, output |
Binary number system | Stores and reads two states 0 or 1, On or Off, True or False, etc |
Bit | short for “binary digit”, Smallest unit of computing |
Byte | eight bits, Used for counting, calculation, storage operations |
Motherboard | Largest, most important circuit board Contains the CPU, expansion slots, other device |
Central processing unit (CPU) | Also called: processor, microprocessor Reads input, processes data, writes data to storage |
Chipset | Group of microchips on the motherboard controlling data flow |
Primary storage | Temporary storage used by the processor |
Secondary storage | Enables data to persist after machine turned off |
Hard drives | Main secondary computer storage device |
Optical drives | RW can write to a disk |
Traces | Fine lines on top and bottom of the motherboard’s surface |
Bus | System of pathways, transmission protocols |
Video Card | provides a port for the monitor |
Sound Card | provides ports for speakers and microphones |
Network Card | provides a port for a network cable |
Power supply | Most important electrical component Converts AC voltage external source to DC voltage |
BIOS (basic input/output system) | Data and instructions stored on ROM chips ROM BIOS chips: type of firmware |
CMOS RAM | includes date, time, port configurations Flash ROM ROM chips that can be overwritten |