Software that is permanently stored in a chip. The BIOS on a motherboard is an example of firmware.
hertz
Unit of measurement for frequency, calculated in terms of vibrations, or cycles per second. For example, for 16–bit stereo sound, a frequency of 44,000Hz is used. See also megahertz.
hard disk drive
See hard drive.
expansion cards
A circuit board inserted into a slot on the motherboard to enhance the capability of the computer.
expansion slots
A narrow slot on the motherboard where an expansion card can be inserted. Expansion slots connect to a bus on the motherboard.
gigahertz
One thousand MHz, or one billion cycles per second.
flash ROM
ROM that can be reprogrammed or changed without replacing chips.
hardware
The physical components that constitute the computer system, such as the monitor, the keyboard, the motherboard, and the printer.
floppy disk drive
A drive that can hold either a 5 inch or 3 inch floppy disk. Also called floppy drive.
hard drive
The main secondary storage device of a PC. Two technologies are currently used by hard drives: magnetic and solid state. Also called a hard disk drive
