Hardware(theory)

• Motherboard


  • Main circuit board in a computer system that all main components are attached to
  • Distributes power and allows for communication between various hardware components connected to it

  
• Power Supply Unit (PSU)


  • Physical internal component that supplies power to the computer
  • Converts AC current to DC current that the different components can use

  
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD)


  • Secondary Memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Stores information magnetically
  • Has moving parts that is slower than SSD
• Solid State Drive (SSD)


  • Secondary memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Utilizes flash memory technology to store data electronically
  • Has no moving parts, is therefore faster than HDD

  
• M.2 (SSD)


  • Secondary memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Utilizes flash memory technology to store data electronically
  • Has no moving parts, is therefore faster than HDD
  • Normally used in mobile devices
• Random Access Memory (RAM)


  • Primary memory
  • Temporary storage
  • Volatile – looses information on the chip when computer is switched off
  • All applications, data, and operating system is loaded into RAM for computer to work

  
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)


  • Referred to as the "brain" of the computer
  • In essence a very fast calculator that processes all instructions that control data flow inside a computer
  • Consist of 2 parts : Control Unit + Arithmetic Logic Unit
  • Control Unit takes instructions from the data contain in RAM and executes them
  • ALU performs the mathematics and logical functions of the instructions
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)


  • Number of physical cores on the chip
  • Speed of the processor

  
• Read Only Memory (ROM)


  • Permanent storage onboard a motherboard
  • A microchip containing information and instructions for the BIOS (basic input / output systems)
  • Non-volatile = does not loose information when power is switched off

  
• CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor)


  • A chip on the motherboard, powered by a small battery, which stores the basic input/output systems (BIOS) settings such as date, time and certain hardware settings

  
• BIOS (Basic input/output systems)


  • Pre-installed program accessed upon start-up, before operating system is loaded
  • Resides on a ROM chip on motherboard
  • Purpose is to do a check of the hardware as well as any devices connected to it and confirm everything is in working order. Then it loads the operating system into the computers RAM

  
• Graphics Card


  • A card connected to motherboard responsible for processing and output of graphical data
  • Removes stress of processing from RAM since it has its own GPU (Graphical processing unit) and RAM
  • The better the GPU and the more RAM it has the higher the quality graphics it produces

  
• CPU fan


  • Fan that cools down the heatsink that is on top of the CPU chip

  
• Heatsink


  • A zinc alloy made to draw the heat away form the CPU as it heats up
  • Consists of fins that dissipate the heat coming from the CPU
  • Placed directly over the CPU
  • Works in conjunction with the CPU fan to cool down the CPU even more

  
• NIC (Network Interface Card)


  • Sometimes called an "Ethernet" card
  • Connects the computer to a physical network with ethernet or UTP cables through a RJ-45 connector
• Sound Card


  • A physical expansion card that extends the sound capabilities of a computer system by providing output and input features as part of the motherboard
• Optical drive (CD ROM)


  • A special drive slot housing a laser component that is able to read data stored on an optical disc like a CD or DVD
  • Information stored on optical discs are store with light
• Motherboard


  Main circuit board in a computer system that all main components are attached to<|>It distributes power and allows for communication between various hardware components connected to it

  
• Power Supply Unit (PSU)


  Physical internal component that supplies power to the computer<|>It converts AC current to DC current that the different components can use

  
• Hard Disk Drive (HDD)


  • Secondary Memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Stores information magnetically
  • Has moving parts that is slower than SSD
• Solid State Drive (SSD)

  • Secondary memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Utilizes flash memory technology to store data electronically
  • Has no moving parts, is therefore faster than HDD
• M.2 (SSD)


  • Secondary memory
  • Permanent storage medium
  • Non-volatile
  • Utilizes flash memory technology to store data electronically
  • Has no moving parts, is therefore faster than HDD
  • Normally used in mobile devices
• Random Access Memory (RAM)

  • Primary memory
  • Temporary storage
  • Volatile – looses information on the chip when computer is switched off
  • All applications, data, and operating system is loaded into RAM for computer to work

  
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)

  Referred to as the "brain" of the computer<|>In essence a very fast calculator that processes all instructions that control data flow inside a computer<|>Consist of 2 parts : Control Unit + Arithmetic Logic Unit<|>Control Unit takes instructions from the data contain in RAM and executes them<|>ALU performs the mathematics and logical functions of the instructions
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)


  • Number of physical cores on the chip (2 = dual core or 4 = quad core)
  • Speed of the processor (measured in GigaHertz (GHz), a hertz is a single rotation in a second, GigaHertz is a billion rotations in a single second)

  
• Read Only Memory (ROM)


  Permanent storage onboard a motherboard<|>A microchip containing information and instructions for the BIOS (basic input / output systems)<|>Non-volatile = does not loose information when power is switched off

  
• CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor)


  A chip on the motherboard, powered by a small battery, which stores the basic input/output systems (BIOS) settings such as date, time and certain hardware settings

  
• BIOS (Basic input/output systems)

  Pre-installed program accessed upon start-up, before operating system is loaded<|>Resides on a ROM chip on motherboard<|>Purpose is to do a check of the hardware as well as any devices connected to it and confirm everything is in working order. Then it loads the operating system into the computers RAM

  
• Graphics Card


  • A card connected to motherboard responsible for processing and output of graphical data
  • Removes stress of processing from RAM since it has its own GPU (Graphical processing unit) and RAM
  • The better the GPU and the more RAM it has the higher the quality graphics it produces

  
• CPU fan


  Fan that cools down the heatsink that is on top of the CPU chip

  
• Heatsink


  A zinc alloy made to draw the heat away form the CPU as it heats up<|>Consists of fins that dissipate the heat coming from the CPU<|>Placed directly over the CPU<|>Works in conjunction with the CPU fan to cool down the CPU even more

  
• NIC (Network Interface Card)

  Sometimes called an "Ethernet" card<|>Connects the computer to a physical network with ethernet or UTP cables through a RJ-45 connector
• Sound Card


  A physical expansion card that extends the sound capabilities of a computer system by providing output and input features as part of the motherboard
• Optical drive (CD ROM)


  A special drive slot housing a laser component that is able to read data stored on an optical disc like a CD or DVD<|>Information stored on optical discs are store with light