question

Moore's Law

answer

describes the pace at which central processing units (CPUs) improve

question

DRAM

answer

Dynamic Random Access Memory-Most common in personal computers

question

System Evaluation

answer

Tells if system is good enough looks at subsystems

question

APU

answer

Accelerated Processing Unit

question

GPU

answer

Graphics Processing Unit

question

CPU + GPU=

answer

APU

question

Casual User

answer

Uses the computer primarily for internet access Uses some software applications locally like Microsoft office Uses videos and software but does not create

question

Power User

answer

Needs fast, powerful processing Needs fast storage and lots of it Creates videos and software programs

question

Mobile User

answer

Needs a lightweight device Needs a long battery life Is happy to sacrifice some capabilities for less weight

question

CPU

answer

Responsible for processing instructions, preforming calculations, managing the flow of information through your computer

question

System Properties

answer

Shows you type of CPU

question

CPU Composed of two units

answer

Control Unit and Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

question

Control Unit

answer

Coordinates the activities of all the other computer components

question

ALU

answer

Is responsible for preforming all the arithmetic calculations. It also makes logic and comparison decisions such as comparing items to determine if one is Greater than, Less than or Equal to another

question

Steps CPU Preforms:

answer

1) Fetches required piece of data or instructions from RAM 2) Decodes the instruction for the computer to understand 3) Executes instruction 4) Stores the result to RAM before next instruction. The process is called machine cycle

question

CPU Different from others?

answer

Clock speed, whether it has multiple cores, amount of cache memory

question

Clock Speed

answer

Dictates how many instructions the CPU can process each second. Measured in Gigahertz (GHz) or billions of steps per second. The faster the clock speed the more quickly the next instruction is processed. Between 2.1-4 GHz

question

Overclocking

answer

Users push their hardware to preform faster. You run the CPU at faster speed than the manufacturer recommends. More heat and shorter lifetime of the CPU, voids warranty. See in gaming systems.

question

Core

answer

On a CPU contains the parts of the CPU required for processing. Two or more complete processors live on same chip enabling the independent execution of two sets of instructions at the same time.

question

Hyperthreading(2002)

answer

Provides quicker processing of information by enabling a new set of instructions to start executing before the previous set finished. Allows two different programs to be processed at one time but sharing the resources.

question

Intel Core Processors

answer

All Intel core processors have multiple cores and hyperthreading

question

Cache Memory

answer

Is a form of RAM that gets data to the CPU for processing much faster than bringing the data in from the computers RAM

question

3 Levels of Cache

answer

1) Cache is a block of memory built on the CPU Chip itself for storage of data or commands that have just been used. That gets data to the CPU blindingly fast. 2) Is located on the CPU chip but is slightly farther away and so takes some what longer to access than Level 1 cache. It contains more storage area than level 1 cache. 3) Is slower for the CPU to reach but is larger in size than level 2 cache. The more expensive the CPU the more cache memory it will have.

question

CPU Benchmarks

answer

Are measurements used to compare performance between processors cpubenchmark.net

question

CPU Usage

answer

the percentage of time your CPU is working

question

CPU Usage Graph

answer

Records your CPU usage for the past minute. Leave open for full day

question

Activity Monitor

answer

Apple Utility

question

RAM Random Access Memory

answer

Is your computers temporary storage space. (Short term memory) Holds information only when the computer is turned on.

question

RAM

answer

is Volatile Storage

question

ROM

answer

Holds the critical start-up instructions

question

Hard Drive

answer

is the largest non volatile in computer

question

RAM to Hard Drive

answer

Million times faster for CPU to retrieve a peice of data from RAM than Hard Drive

question

DDR3

answer

Double Data Rate 3 used most comes in 1066, 1333, 1600 MHz

question

DDR5

answer

Even faster high performance graphics card

question

Memory Modules/Memory Cards

answer

small circuit boards that hold a series of RAM chips and fit into special slots

question

DIMM

answer

Dual Inline Memory module holds several chips

question

Physical Memory

answer

The amount of RAM actually sitting on memory modules in your computer

question

Resource Monitor and Memory tab

answer

also gives you details on CPU, Disk, and Network

question

Super-Fetch

answer

Monitors the applications you use the most and pre-loads them into system memory so that they'll be ready to be used when you want them.

question

Minimum RAM to Run Windows 8.1

answer

2 gb's

question

Limits to RAM Slots

answer

Check manufacturer's website

question

SSD

answer

Solid-State Drive

question

Hard Drive Storage

answer

is the largest capacity of any storage device

question

What is in the Hard Drive

answer

Composed of several coated round thin plates of metal stacked on a spindle. Each plate is called a platter.

question

Data saved to a platter

answer

A pattern of magnetized spots are created on the iron oxide coating of each platter. When spots are aligned in one direction they represent a 1. When they align the other direction it's 0

question

Bits or Binary Digits

answer

0's and 1's are the smallest pieces of data that computers can understand

question

Access Time

answer

is the time it takes a storage device to locate its stored data and make it available for processing, is faster than optical drive. Measured in Milliseconds (MS) 12-13 ms

question

SSD Solid-state Drive

answer

Uses electronic memory and has no mechanical motor or moving parts. Offers incredibly fast access times. (.1ms)

question

SSD's

answer

also have great advantage when booting up since a mechanical hard drive has to wait for motors to bring plates up to final rotation speed; no noise, very little heat, and very little power. Popular on Ultra-books. Now range up to 2 TB. Very expensive. 128 or 256 GB

question

Optical Drives

answer

are disc drives that use a laser to store or read data

question

Data

answer

is saved to compact disc(CD), Digital Video Disc(DVD), or Blu-ray disc (BD) called optical media within established tracks and sectors. Stores tiny pits. Extremely small (1 micron mil of meter)

question

CD's and DVD's

answer

use red laser

question

Blu-Ray

answer

uses Blue laser and are the fastest optical drive

question

File Formats:

answer

1)Prerecorded discs are read-only (ROM), meaning you can't save any data onto them 2) Recordable(R) formats allow you to write data but only once 3)Rewriteable(RW) discs let you write and rewrite data to them many times.

question

How much storage?

answer

Enough to include OS, Software, Data Files, Personal Files

question

RAID

answer

Redundant array of independent disks- is a set of strategies for using more than one drive in a system RAID 0 and 1 are most popular

question

RAID 0

answer

writes file in half the time speeds across two physical drives. Downside if either disk fail you loose data

question

RAID 1

answer

All data written to one drive is instantly mirrored or written to second drive

question

Video Card/Adapter

answer

is an expansion card that's installed inside the computer system unit to translate binary data into the images you view on your monitor. Ports on card: DVI(LCD), HDMI, Display(Digital monitor or projector)

question

Video Memory

answer

Included on card

question

GDDR3 or 5

answer

Graphics double data rate

question

Minimum Video memory

answer

1GB and for Gamers 2-3GB's

question

GPU Graphics Processing Unit

answer

is a separate processing chip specialized to handle 3-D graphics and image/video processing with incredible efficiency and speed

question

Major Video Chip Set Manufacturers

answer

Nvidia Standard is named SLI AMD is called CrossFire X

question

3-D Sound Card

answer

is better at convincing the ear that sound is omnidirectional (you can't tell which direction it comes from) Not surround sound

question

Surround Sound

answer

is a type of audio processing that makes the listener experience sound as if it were coming from all directions with multiple speakers

question

Current Surround sound standard

answer

Dolby. Many formats available including Dolby Digital EX and Dolby Digital Plus

question

Dolby TrueHD

answer

Is the newest standard. Features HD and lossless technology that no information is lost in compression process

question

LFE

answer

Extremely low-frequency

question

2 things to setup surround sound

answer

1) a set of surround sound speakers and, for the greatest surround-sound experience, 2) a sound card that is Dolby Digital compatible

question

MIDI

answer

is an electronics standard that allows different kinds of electronic instruments to communicate with each other and the computer

question

Registers

answer

are super-high speed memory that the CPU uses to store instructions or intermediate values

question

Working storage space

answer

While the computer is preforming operations such as running programs and sorting data it uses RAM

question

BIOS

answer

is NOT a type of memory

question

Why don't the CPU registers make a good choice for working storage space?

answer

They are too small.

question

Not an advantage of a hard drive over cache and registers

answer

It is faster

question

Hard Drive

answer

Is permanent and holds information even when the power is turned off

question

Compared to cache and registers, RAM

answer

Holds more data

question

The memory device that provides a computer with very large, long-term storage area for storing programs and data even when the computer is off is the _______.

answer

Hard Drive

question

When performing mulitiple tasks at once, you can prevent your computer from slowing down by ____.

answer

Installing additional RAM

question

The processing and memory portions of the CPU ____.

answer

Are combined in a single chip

question

DDR SDRAM

answer

Short for data rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM can achieve nearly twice the bandwidth of its predecessor, SDRAM.

question

WRAM

answer

Short for Windows RAM; a type of RAM developed by Samsung Electronics that supports two ports. This enables a video adapter to fetch the contents of memory for display at the same time that new bytes are being pumped into memory. This results in a much faster display than is possible with conventional single-port RAM.

question

SGRAM

answer

Short for synchronous graphic random access memory; a type of DRAM used increasingly on video adapters and graphics accelerators.

question

What is meant by a cache hit or miss?

answer

A hit occurs when the data that is being sought is already stored in the cache. A miss occurs when the data is not in the cache.

question

Relative to cache memory, what is meant by latency?

answer

The amount of time between a processor request to read the memory and when the data arrives at the processor.

question

What is the biggest drawback to SDD drives?

answer

Price

question

What is not a reason for adding an SSD drive to your computer?

answer

Moderately priced storage

question

Why would you choose an external SSD instead of an internal drive?

answer

No internal bays are available

question

External SSD drives can be connected using _______

answer

a USB port

question

Cloning software

answer

to make an exact replica of your hard drive to transfer your operating system to a solid state drive

question

SSD Drives are more durable than hard Disk drives because they have no ________

answer

Moving parts

question

Solid state drives are virtually silent to operate.

answer

True

question

External SSDs are ______ Internal SSDs.

answer

Slower than

question

All laptops have room for more than one internal drive.

answer

False

question

How many internal drive bays do most laptops currently have?

answer

One

question

In addition to using the Windows Task Manager to determine whether your CPU is running efficiently, you can use it to _______.

answer

End a nonresponsive program

question

What is the key combination run on Windows Task Manager?

answer

Ctrl-Alt-Del

question

To determine which programs are most demanding on your computer, Click the ______.

answer

Processes tab

question

If an application is unresponsive, its status in the Processes tab will be ________.

answer

Not Responding

question

The _______ can help identify whether the processor is adequate for the work being performed.

answer

CPU usage history

question

If your CPU usage is ______ percent or higher, you know that the type of work you are doing is more demanding than the CPU can comfortably maintain.

answer

80

question

Not a Windows Task Manager tab

answer

Programs tab

question

If you download a large to file laptop using your school's WIFI network and you suspect some network slowness, on which tab of the Performance tab would you monitor this?

answer

Wi-Fi

question

On the _______ you find a visual display of memory usage and a history log graph showing how many demands have been made on the system.

answer

Performance tab

question

If a service is not running, its status in the services tab will be _______.

answer

Stopped

question

Slot

answer

is a socket where RAM chips are added

question

Bank

answer

a group of slots

question

When installing RAM, you should ______ to discharge any static electricity.

answer

Touch a metal edge of the computer

question

When you push down on the RAM chips, be sure that _______.

answer

The end clips snap into place to hold the RAM securely

question

What prevents you from installing a RAM chip in the wrong direction?

answer

Notches in the chip

question

Ram slots for the main memory are located on the _____.

answer

Motherboard

question

What should you do if you receive an error message on reboot after installing new RAM Chips?

answer

Remove the new RAM chip and reinsert if.

question

CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are _______ storage devices.

answer

Optical

question

What does a CD/DVD or Blu-ray drive use to read and record data?

answer

Lasers

question

Not a layer on a standard CD

answer

Production

question

On which type of CD is the ink permanently darkened by the laser?

answer

CD-R

question

A Blu-ray disc holds about ____ hours of standard video.

answer

23

question

The plastic substrate in a CD is ____.

answer

Where the data tracks are stamped during production

question

A CD_RW enables data to be written and erased from a CD by _____.

answer

Using a substance that crystalizes when heard and cooled, changing its state

question

What optical disc has the largest storage capacity?

answer

Blu-ray

question

The layer on which labels can be printed or written on a CD-R is the ______.

answer

Protective layer

question

The indentations on a CD are called ______.

answer

Pits

question

Low-level formatting

answer

In this process, concentric circles, each called a track, and pie-shapped wedges, each called a sector, are created in the magnetized surface of each platter, setting up a grid-like pattern that identifies file locations on the hard drive.

question

High-level formatting

answer

establishes the catalog that the computer uses to keep track of where each file is located on the hard drive.

question

Read/Write head

answer

Moves from the outer edge of the spinning platter to the center, as frequently as 50 times per second, to retrieve (read) the hard drive platter.

question

Access time sum of two factors

answer

1) the time it takes for the read/write heads to move over the surface of the disk, moving to the correct track, is called the seek time. 2) Once the read/write head locates the correct track, it may need to wait for the correct sector to spin to the read/write head. This waiting time is called latency or rotational delay.

question

Platter spins

answer

the faster the platters spin (or the faster the rpm) the less time you'll have to wait for your data to be accessed. Currently, most hard drives for home systems spin at 7,200 rpm.

question

Head Crash

answer

a stoppage of the hard drive that often results in data loss.

question

Ensure your system stays reliable

answer

Clear out unnecessary files, install a reliable antivirus package, run spyware and adware removal programs, run the disk defragmenter utility on your hard drive, automate the key utilities.

question

What to do when my systems crashes?

answer

Check that you have enough RAM, system restore, Windows refresh, Microsoft knowledge base, search Google.

question

Dolby Digital 7.1 creates

answer

8-channel surround sound

question

Not a type of video port

answer

USB 3.0

question

When a computer is no longer useful. it can be _____

answer

securely donated, recycled, turned into a sand-like substance.

question

To improve video performance, modern computers have a _____ in addition to the CPU.

answer

GPU

question

The faster data transfer port for computers today is the _____ port.

answer

Thunderbolt

question

Ultrabooks have the fastest optical drives

answer

False

question

SSDs are classified as what type of storage?

answer

nonvolatile

question

When would you want to consider RAID 1 technology?

answer

when you need an instant backup of your work

question

The limit to how much RAM you can add to your system

answer

Depends on the design of the motherboard, the operating system running on your system, the amount of memory each memory card slot supports.

question

SuperFetch is a memory-management technique that

answer

preloads the applications you use most into system memory.

question

7 layer overwrite

answer

fill hard drive seven times over with 1s and 0s

question

AMD Processors

answer

Athlon 11 and phenom x4 are types of CPUs

question

Arithmetic logic unit

answer

in CPU calculations such as add subtract and also greater that equal to

question

Benchmarks

answer

measures used to compare CPU performance between processors

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