Why is all data stored in a computer in binary form?

Binary is the format that the computer “understands,” not a programming language or a human language. All instructions between hardware and software in a computer are reduced to a simple yes or no, a state of on or off.

What are the four primary functions of hardware?

Input, processing, output, and storage

What are the two main input devices and two main output devices?

The two main input devices are the keyboard and the mouse. The two main output devices are the monitor and the printer.

What three things do electronic hardware devices need in order to function?

A method for the CPU to communicate with the device, software to instruct and control the device, and electricity to power the device

How many bits are in a byte?

What is the purpose of an expansion slot on a motherboard?

An expansion slot on a motherboard is used for an expansion card, which enables a device that is not on the motherboard to communicate with the CPU

Which component on the motherboard is used primarily for processing?

The CPU (central processing unit), also called the processor

Name the two main CPU manufacturers

Intel and AMD

Order the following ports according to speed, placing the fastest port first: FireWire, eSATA, USB.

eSATA, FireWire, USB

What are two other names for the system bus?

Possible answers: Memory bus, host bus, front side bus, external bus

What type of output does a S/PDIF port provide?

High quality sound to an audio system

Why is an SSD hard drive more reliable under rugged conditions than an IDE hard drive?

Because the SSD drive has no moving parts

How is the best way to determine if a cable inside a computer is a data cable or a power cable?

Follow the cable from its source to its destination

List three types of ports that are often found coming directly off the motherboard to be used by external devices.

Possible answers: Serial port, parallel port, USB port, network port, FireWire or 1394 port, mouse port, keyboard port, S/PDIF port, sound port, wireless LAN antenna port

What is the purpose of the S/PDIF port?

The S/PDIF port connects to an external home theater audio system, providing digital output and the best signal quality.

What is the most common type of memory module?

What is the difference between volatile and nonvolatile memory?

Volatile memory is temporary and needs a constant electrical charge to hold data. Nonvolatile memory is permanent and holds memory even when electricity is turned off.

Of the two types of storage in a system, which type is generally faster and holds data and instructions while the data is being processed?  Which type of storage is generally slower, but more permanent?

Primary storage, secondary storage

What technology standard provides for up to four devices on a system, including the hard drive as one of those devices? What are two common industry names loosely used to describe this standard?

PATA (parallel ATA), also called EIDE (enhanced integrated drive electronics) or IDE

What is the measurement of frequency of a system bus and CPU? Which is faster, the system bus or the CPU?

Frequency is generally measured in Hz, MHz, or GHz. The CPU is faster than the system bus.

Name three types of buses that are likely to be on a motherboard today

Possible answers: PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect), AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), PCI Express, system bus

A power supply receives 120 volts of ___ power from a wall outlet and converts it to 3.3, 5, and 12 volts of ____ power.

ROM BIOS or firmware chips that can be upgraded without replacing the chips are called ________.

CMOS setup allows a technician to change configuration settings on a motherboard stored in ______.

CMOS RAM

Name three examples of secondary storage devices.

Some possible answers: CD drive, hard drive, floppy drive, DVD drive, Zip drive, Blu-ray drive

A hertz is ________ cycle per second; a megahertz is ________ cycles per second, and a gigahertz is ________ cycles per second.

A hertz is one cycle per second.

A megahertz is one million cycles per second.

A gigahertz is one billion cycles per second.

An AGP slot is normally used for a(n) _______ expansion card.

Video

How many sizes of PCI Express slots are currently manufactured for personal computers?

Four

Name the three purposes the motherboard ROM BIOS serves?

The BIOS is used to manage simple devices (system BIOS), the BIOS is used to start the computer (startup BIOS), and the BIOS is used to change settings on the motherboard (CMOS setup).

From where does CMOS RAM receive its power when the computer is not turned on?

CMOS RAM is powered by a trickle of electricity from a small battery located on the motherboard or computer case.

How many pins does the P1 connector have that uses the ATX Version 2.2 standard?

What are the maximum dimensions for a motherboard that uses the MicroATX form factor?

9.6” x 9.6”

Which form factor is a smaller version of the MicroATX form factor?

FlexATX

Which form factor uses a riser card on the edge of the motherboard?

NLX

How many pins does the main power connector on a BTX motherboard have?

24

Which type of case form factor is best for keeping a system cool?

BTX

Which type of computer case is most popular for desktop systems?

Mid-tower case

What is the normal voltage of house electricity in the U.S.?

110 volts to 120 volts

Hot wires in home wiring are normally colored ____ and ground wires in computers are normally colored _____.

Black, black

What is the difference between a transformer and a rectifier? Which are found in a PC power supply?

A rectifier is a device that converts alternating current to direct current. A transformer is a device that changes the ratio of current to voltage. A computer power supply functions as both

What are the five voltages that can be produced by an ATX or BTX power supply? Which voltage is seldom used?

+5, -5, +12, -12, and +3.3, -5

What device uses the 12V 6-pin power connector?

Video card that uses the PCI Express, Version 1 standard.

What device uses the 12V 8-pin power connector?

Video card that uses the PCI Express, Version 2 standard

What is the purpose of the 4-pin auxiliary connector on a motherboard?

To provide extra voltage for a processor

What is the purpose of the 4-pin Molex connector?

Powers IDE drives

How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by a power supply?

Add up all wattage requirements for all devices that will use the power supply and then add an additional 30%

Which one component in a high-end gaming computer is likely to draw the most power?

Video card

Why is a power supply dangerous even after the power is disconnected?

Capacitors inside a PC power supply create the even flow of current needed by the PC. Capacitors maintain their charge long after current is no longer present, which is why the inside of a power supply can be dangerous even when power is disconnected

Which tool of a PC support technician is the most important tool to protect the system against ESD?

Ground bracelet

Which permanently damages a computer component, damage caused by ESD or damage caused by EMI?

What is a simple way to detect EMI?

On an inexpensive AM radio, turn the tuning dial away from a station into a low-frequency range. With the radio on, you can hear the static produced by EMI. Try putting the radio next to several electronic devices to detect the EMI they emit.

What is an unintended, high-current, closed connection between two points in a circuit called?

A short, or short circuit

What device protects a system against lighting strikes but does not protect against sags and brownouts?

Surge protector

What device protects a system against blackouts?

UPS

What two measurements are used to rate the capacity of a UPS?

VA and watts

What unit of measure is used to describe the amount of work a surge suppressor can do before it stops protecting the circuit from an electrical surge?

Joule

Why is it important to have an indicate light on a surge suppressor?

What are the two main types of uninterruptible power supplies?

Standby and inline

What is the purpose of a POST diagnostic card?

To report errors at POST

How does a smart UPS differ from one that is not smart?

A smart UPS can be controlled by software from a computer to allow additional functionality.

When taking a computer apart, why is it important to not stack boards on top of each other?

You could accidentally dislodge a chip.

When assembling a system, which do you install first, the drives or the motherboard?

List four computer symptoms that indicate a faulty power supply.

Possible answers:

•     The PC sometimes halts during booting. After several tries, it boots successfully.

•     Error codes or beep codes occur during booting, but the errors come and go.

•     The computer stops or hangs for no reason. Sometimes it might even reboot itself.

•     Memory errors appear intermittently.

•     Data is written incorrectly to the hard drive.

•     The keyboard stops working at odd times.

•     The motherboard fails or is damaged.

•     The power supply overheats and becomes hot to the touch.

What are five main categories of form factors used for motherboards?

ATX, MicroATX, FlexATX, BTX, and NLX

How many pins does the Intel Socket B have? What is another name for this socket?

1366 pins, LGA1366

How many pins does the AMD socket AM2 have?

940 pins

Which is a better performing Intel chipset, the X58 or the P45 (also considering cost, total RAM, number of supported CPUs?

P45

Which part of the chipset connects directly to the processor, the North Bridge or the South Bridge?

The North Bridge

What are the names of the two technologies used to install multiple video cards in the same system?

SLI and CrossFire

What are the two different voltages that a PCI slot can provide?

5 volts and 3.3 volts

How does the throughput of PCI Express Version 1.1 compare to PCIe Version 1? How does PCIe Version 2 compare to Version 1?

PCIe Version 1.1 and PCIe Version 1 have the same throughput. PCIe Version 2 doubles the throughput of PCIe Version 1.

What is the maximum wattage that a PCIe Version 2.0 expansion card can draw?

300 watts

What new type of power connector on the motherboard was introduced with PCIe Version 1.0? How much power does this connector provide?

6-pin PCIe connector, 75 watts

What new type of power connector was introduced with PCIe Version 2.0? How much power does this connector provide?

8-pin PCIe connector, 300 watts

If you are installing an expansion card into a case that does not have enough clearance above the motherboard for the card, what device can you use to solve the problem?

A riser card

What is the purpose of an AGP slot?

To hold a video card

Which is faster, a PCI Express x16 bus or the latest AGP bus?

PCI Express x16 is about 4 times faster than the latest AGP bus

What is the purpose of a CNR slot?

To use a small card to access a network

What is the likely color of the PS/2 mouse port on the rear of a computer?

Green

What is one reason to flash BIOS?

To add new features made available by the BIOS manufacturer or to attempt to solve problems with the motherboard

What is the easiest way to obtain the latest software to upgrade BIOS?

Go to the Web site of the BIOS or motherboard manufacturer.

What can you do if the power-on password and the supervisor password to a system have been forgotten?

Use the jumpers on the motherboard to reset the passwords

Where is the boot priority order for devices kept?

In CMOS RAM

What is the difference between a hard boot and a soft boot?

A hard boot begins with powering up the system and BIOS performs POST and then loads the OS. A soft boot begins later in the process; power is not affected and BIOS does not perform POST.

How is CMOS RAM powered when the system is unplugged?

By a coin-cell battery

Describe how you can access the BIOS setup program.

By pressing certain keys (depending on the specific computer and BIOS program) during the boot process

If a USB port on the motherboard is failing, what is one task you can do that might fix the problem?

Go to the motherboard manufacturer web site, download and install updated drivers.

What might the purpose be for a SATA-style power connector on a motherboard?

To provide auxiliary power to PCIe cards