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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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System Unit
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case that contains electronic components of the computer used to process data, they come in different shapes and sizes
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Motherboard (System Board)
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main circuit board of system unit
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Chip
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small piece of semiconducting material (usually silicon) on which integrated circuits are etched
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CPU (central processing unit)
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interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer
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Multi-Core Processor
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a chip with 2 or more separate processor cores
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Control Unit
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component of the processor that directs and coordinates most of the options in the computer
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ALU (arithmetic logic unit)
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another component of the processor, performs arithmetic, comparison, and other comparisons
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System Clock
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small quartz crystal unit, controls timing of all computer operations
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Clock Speed
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pace of system clock, measured by number of ticks/second. (GHz, or one billion ticks/second)
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Binary System
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number system that has just two unique digits, zero and one, called bits
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Bit (Binary Digit)
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the smallest unit of data the computer can process
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Byte (Eight bits)
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provides enough different combinations of zeros and ones to represent 256 individual characters
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Memory
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consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor, data needed by those instructions, and the results of processing that data
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Volatile Memory
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loses its contents when computer's power is turned off
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Nonvolatile Memory
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Doesn't lose its contents when computer's power is turned off
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RAM Memory (Random Access Memory, Main Memory)
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consists of memory chips that can be read from and written to by the processor and other devices
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ROM Memory (Read-Only Memory)
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memory chips storing permanent data and instructions, can't be modified (nonvolatile)
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Memory Module
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small circuit board that usually holds RAM chips
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Memory Slot
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On the motherboard, holds memory modules
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Cache
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helps improve computer's processing times
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L1 Cache
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built directly in process chip, usually has very small capacity, ranging from 8KB to 128KB
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L2 Cache
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slightly slower than L1 cache, but has much larger capacity (64KB to 16MB)
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Flash Memory
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type of nonvolatile memory that can be erased electronically and rewritten
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CMOS
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provides high speeds, consumers little power, uses battery power to retain info. even when computer is off
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Access Time
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the amount of time it takes the processor to read data, instructions, and information from memory
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Nanosecond (ns)
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one billionth of a second
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Expansion Slot
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socket on the motherboard that can hold an adapter card
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Adapter Card (Expansion Card)
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a circuit board that enhances functions of a component of the system unit and/or provides connections to peripherals
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Peripheral
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a device that connects to the system unit and is controlled by the processor in the computer
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Video Card (Graphics Card)
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converts computer output into a video signal that travels through a cable to the monitor, which displays an image on the screen
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Sound Card
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enhances the sound-generating capabilities of a computer by allowing sound to be input through a microphone and output through external speakers or headphones
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Hub
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devices for connecting computers in a network
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Memory Card
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a removable flash memory device, usually no bigger than 1.5" in height or width, that you insert and remove from a slot in a pc, game console, mobile device, or card reader/writer
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Port
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the point at which a peripheral attaches to or communicates with a system unit so that the peripheral can send data to or receive info. from the computer
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USB Port (Universal Serial Bus Port)
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can connect up to 127 different peripherals with a single connector, computers usually have 6 to 8 on their front or back
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FireWire Port
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similar to USB port in that it can connect many types of devices, and transfer quickly, allows you to connect up to 63 devices
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SCSI (Scuzzy) Port
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special high-speed parallel port, allows you to attach SCSI peripherals like disk drives and printers
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Port Replicator
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External device that provides connections to peripherals through ports built into the device
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Docking Station
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external device that attaches to a mobile computer or device contains a power connection and provides connections to peripherals, usually also includes slots for memory cards, optical disc drives, and other devices
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Bus
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electrical channel that allows the various devices both in and attached to system unit to communicate with each other
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System Bus (Front Side Bus, FSB)
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part of the motherboard and connects the processor to main memory
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Backside Bus (BSB)
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connects the processor to the cache
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Expansion Bus
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allows the processor to communicate with peripherals
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Bay
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opening inside the system unit in which you can install additional equipment
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Drive Bay
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rectangular opening that typically holds disk drives
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Power Supply
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component of the system unit that converts the wall outlet AC power into DC power
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