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A+ midterm study
Study cards for A+ midterm 1
124
Computer Science
Undergraduate 1
03/07/2010

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Cards

Term
5 job roles that can be catagorized as a pc technician
Definition
pc support
pc service
retail sales associate
bench
help-desk
Term
what job role might not require interacting with a customer
Definition
Bench Technician
Term
Five main characteristics to see in a PC support person
Definition
Positive and helpfull attitude
Listening without interuption
Proper and Polite language
sensitivity to cultural differences
taking ownership of the problem
Term
How many pins does the P1 connector have that use the ATX version 2.2 standard?
Definition
Term
What are the maximum dimensions for a motherboard that use the Micro ATX form factor?
Definition
9.6" x 9.6"
Term
Which form factor is a smaller version of the Micro ATX form factor
Definition
Mini ATX
Term
What is a form factor?
Definition
Standards that describe the size. shape, and major features of components that work together.
Term
What form factor uses a riser card on the edge of the mother board?
Definition
NLX, New Low-profile extended.
Term
Describe BTX form factor
Definition
Balanced Technology Extended, designed by intel for flexability. Focuses on reducing heat. Better support for the motherboard than ATX. Uses 24 Pin Connector. Uses ATX power Supply
Term
What type of Case Form Factor is best for keeping a system cool?
Definition
notebook
Term
What type of computer case is most popular for desktop systems?
Definition
Midsize tower
Term
What is normal voltage for a house in the US?
Definition
110V
Term
In home wiring, hot wires are normally ____ and ground wires in computers are normally _____
Definition
black, black
Term
What is the difference between a transformer and a rectifier, which is found in a pc power supply?
Definition
transformers change voltage in an ac power supply, rectifiers change ac to dc, and a pc power supply functions as both.
Term
What are the 5 voltages that can be produced by an atx or btx power supply? Which is seldom used?
Definition
+3.3V +5V +12V -12V and -5V
-5V is rarely used
Term
What device uses the 12V 6pin Power Connector?
Definition
PCIe x16 video card slot
Term
What Device Uses the 12V 8 pin connector?
Definition
Motherboard, used to supply extra power to the processor.
Term
What is the purpose of the 4pin Auxilary connector on the Motherboard?
Definition
Extra power to the processor
Term
What is the purpose of the 4pin Molex connector?
Definition
Used for IDE drives
Term
How do you determine the wattage capacity needed by a power supple?
Definition
Consider the total wattage requirements of all components inside case as well as usb and firewire devices that draw power.
1. Deduct 10-15% off the peak rating for room temp to calculate for continuous running.
2. Pay particular attention to video card rating
3. Use a power supply rated about 30% higher than you expect to use.
4. Check website of power supply manufacturers for wattage calculator.
5. NEVER USE A DELL MOTHERBOARD WITH A NON-DELL POWER SUPPPLY.
Term
Which one component in a high end gaming computer is likely to draw the most power.
Definition
The video card.
Term
Why is a power supply dangerous even after the power is disconnected?
Definition
Capacators hold a charge even after the power is turned off.
Term
Which tool of a PC support technician is the most important tool to protect against ESD.
Definition
Ground Bracelet
Term
Which permanently damages a component, damage from ESD or damage from EMI?
Definition
ESD
Term
What is a simple way to detect EMI?
Definition
Use inexpensive AM radio, turn dial down to lowest frequencys and listen for static.
Term
what device protects against lightning strikes but not sags or brownouts?
Definition
Surge protector
Term
What device protects against blackouts?
Definition
UPS, Uninteruptible Power Supple
Term
What two measurements are used to rate the capacity of a UPS?
Definition
VA and Watts, VA is usually about 60% higher than watts.
Term
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?
Definition
Joules
Term
WWhy is it important to have an indicator light on a surge suppressor?
Definition
To let you know if it is burnt out or if it is still working.
Term
What are the two main types of Uninteruptible Power Supplies?
Definition
Standby and interactive.
Term
how does a smart UPS differ from one that is not smart?
Definition
Smart UPS can be controlled by software on the computer.
Term
What is the purpose of a POST diagnostics card?
Definition
To help discover and report errors and conflicts that occur at POST
Term
when taking a computer apart, why is it important not to stack boards on top of each other?
Definition
You could dislodge a chip.
Term
When assembling a system, what orderdo you put compnents into the case?
Definition
Power supply, drives, motherboard, and then cards.
Term
What are the five main categories of form factors used for motherboards?
Definition
ATX, MicroATX, FlexATX, BTX, and NLX, from most to least popular.
Term
How many pins does the intel socket B have? What is another name for this socket?
Definition
1336 pins, called LGA1336
Term
How many pins does the AMD socket AM2 have?
Definition
940 Pins, works with DD2 memory.
Term
Which is the better performing intel chipset, the X58 or the P45?
Definition
The X58.
Term
Which part of the chipset connects directly to the processor, the north bridge or the south bridge?
Definition
North Bridge
Term
What are the names of the two technologies used to install multiple video cards in the same system?
Definition
Crossfire and SLI(system link interface)
Term
What are the two different voltages that a PCI slot can provide?
Definition
3.3V and 5V
Term
How does the throughput of the PCI express Version 1.1 compare to PCIe Version 1? How does the PCIe Version 2 compare to Version 1?
Definition
Versions 1 and 1.1 are the same, but Version 2 is double.
Term
What is the maximum wattage that a PCIe version 2.0 expansion card can draw?
Definition
300 Watts
Term
What new type of Power Connector on the motherboard was introduced with PCIe Version 2.0? How much power does this connector provide?
Definition
8pin power supply connector, supplies 150 watts.
Term
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?
Definition
PCI riser card.
Term
what is the purpose of an AGP slot?
Definition
used for video cards, is a dying technology.
Term
Which is faster, PCIe x16 or latest AGP bus?
Definition
PCIe x16
Term
What is the purpose of a CNR slot?
Definition
CNR(communication and Networking Riser) slots are used to accommodate small, inexpensive expansion cards called riser cards, such as modem riser, audio riser, or network riser.
Term
What is the likely color of the PS/2 mouseport on the rear of the computer?
Definition
Green.
Term
What is One Reason to Flash BIOS?
Definition
Motherboard because unstable, some functions are lost, or you want to incorporate some new feature or component
Term
What is the easiest way to obtain the latest software to upgrade the BIOS?
Definition
Download from the motherboard manufacturers website
Term
What can you do if the Power-On password and the Supervisor password to a system has been forgotten?
Definition
Reset using jumpers by moving from slots 1 and 2 to 2 and 3
Term
Where is the boot priority order for devices kept?
Definition
BIOS setup program under BOOT
Term
What is the difference between a hard boot and a soft boot?
Definition
A hard boot takes more time. In a softboot, the initial steps of a hard boot dont happen. A hardboot initializes processors and clears memory. Use power button in back to hardboot, use button in front for softboot.
Term
How is CMOS RAM powered when the system is unplugged?
Definition
The CMOS battery.
Term
Describe how you can access the BIOS startup program.
Definition
Pressing f2 or DEL when told soon boot, see motherboard documentation to be sure.
Term
If a USB on the motherboard is failing, what is one task you can do that might fix the problem?
Definition
Flash the BIOS
Term
Who are the two major manufacturers of processors?
Definition
INTEL and AMD
Term
What are the four system bus frequencies used by current intel processors?
Definition
1600, 1333, 1066, and 800 MHZ
Term
What three sockets are currently used for intel processors in motherboards for desktop systems?
Definition
LGA1336, LGA771, LGA775 and 478 sockets
Term
What is the name of the memory cache that is on the same die as the Processor?
Definition
Level One Cache, L1.
Term
What is the name of the memory cache that is closest to the processor but is not housed on the die?
Definition
Level Two Cache, L2.
Term
What is the name of the Intel technology that allows a processor to handle multiple threads at the same time?
Definition
HYPERTHREADING, for AMD it is HyperTransport.
Term
How many threads can a Quad-Core processor handle at once?
Definition
8.
Term
What is the name of the memory cache that is shared by cores in a multicore processor?
Definition
L3 cache
Term
Which is faster, SRAM or DRAM? Why?
Definition
SRAM. DRAM needs refreshed often and loses data rapidly. SRAM can hold data for as long as power is available.
Term
Which is the first computing technology used by a processor to support repetitive looping whereby a processor recieves an instruction and then applies it to a stream of data that follows?
Definition
MMX (MultiMedia Extensions)
Term
Which computing technology better supports data mining applications?
(SSE1, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4)
Definition
SSE4
Term
Which intel processor family is better performing, the Pentium or the Core?
Definition
The Core Family
Term
Which AMD processsor (turion or phenom) is designed for laptops?
Definition
Turion
Term
What are the two major components of a processor cooler assembly?
Definition
Fan and Heat Sink
Term
How many pins does the CPU fan header on a moatherboard have?
Definition
4 pins
Term
If the power connector from the CPU fan has only three pins, it can still connect to the 4pin header, but what functionality is lost?
Definition
a 4 pin supports Pulse Width Modulation that controlls the fan speed to reduce over all noise, a three pin has the same speed all the time.
Term
What is the major disadvatage of using a Peltier Heat Sink?
Definition
The disadvantage is that the drastic temperature difference from the top to the bottom of the peltier can cause condensation when the computer is turned off.
Term
Name three tools that can be used to rid the inside of the case from dust.
Definition
antistatic vacuum, can of compressed air, and a small portable blower.
Term
Why is it important to insert a processor straight down into a socket?
Definition
Sideways force might cause pins to bend or break.
Term
What are the two common sizes for hard drives?
Definition
2.5" and 3.5"
Term
Why is a solid state drive reffered to as a solid state?
Definition
It has no moving parts
Term
If a magnetic drive has four platters, how many heads does it have?
Definition
8 heads, one above and below each platter.
Term
What is the name of the Vista technology that supports a hybrid drive?
Definition
ReadyDrive
Term
When the OS addresses the sectors on a hard drive as one long list of sequential sectors, what is this technology called?
Definition
LBA(logical Block Addressing)
Term
What are the main two components of the Master Boot Record on the hard drive?
Definition
The master boot program, which loads the OS boot program, and the Partition Table, which contains the description, location, and size of each partition on the drive.
Term
What is the smallest unit of space on a hard drive that can be used to store a file?
Definition
A Cluster
Term
What is a File System?
Definition
A file system is the overall structure an os uses to name, store, and organize files on a drive.
Term
What two files can windows use to format a hard drive? Which system supports the most storage capacity?
Definition
FAT32(File Allocation Table)and NTFS (New Technology File System). NTFS is designed to provide greater security and to support more storage capacity than the FAT32.
Term
Which ATA standard for hard drives first introduced SMART?
Definition
ATA-3.
Term
Which ATA standard is the latest standard that made improvements to PATA?
Definition
2009 SATA-600
Term
a CD drive that uses a PATA connection must follow what standard?
Definition
ATAPI(Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface)
Term
How Many Pins does a PATA cable have? What is the maximum recommended length of a PATA cable?
Definition
40 Pins, 80 wires, 40 for data, 40 for reducing crosstalk. Maximum recommended length is 18"
Term
What transfer mode can transmit data from a device to memory without involving the cpu?
Definition
DMA(Direct Memory Access) does not involve the CPU, PIO(Programmed Input/Output) does.
Term
What term describes the technology that allows you to exchange a hard drive without powering down the system?
Definition
Hot-Swapping, aka Hot-Plugging
Term
Which RAID level mirrors one hard drive with a second hard drive so the data is written to both drives?
Definition
RAID (Redundant array of independant disks) level 1. Disk Duplexing is a variable that uses two hard drive controllers.
Term
Which RAID level stripes data across multiple drives to improve performance and also provides fault tolerance.
Definition
Raid level 5 also called raid volumes,
Term
How many pins does a floppy drive cable have?
Definition
34 pins.
Term
Which file system does a floppy disk use?
Definition
FAT12
Term
How many pins are on a DDR3 DIMM? A DDR2 DIMM?
Definition
240 Pins
Term
how many pins are on a DDR DIMM? A SDRAM DIMM?
Definition
184 and 168
Term
How many notches does a DDR3 DIMM have?
Definition
1 offset notch farther from center than a DDR2.
Term
What was the first type of DIMM that ran synchronized with the system clock?
Definition
Synchronous DRAM, SDRAM
Term
what major improvement did DDR make over SDRAM?
Definition
Twice as fast. Instead of measuring for each beat of the system clock, it measures for each upbeat and downbeat.
Term
When a DiMM has chips on both sides of the module, do the pins on one side of the module work independantly or dependantly to pins on the other side of the module?
Definition
independantly
Term
What prevents a DDR DIMM from being installed in a DDR2 DIMM slot on a motherboard?
Definition
The notches.
Term
Which module, a DDR3 or DDR2 DIMM uses lower voltage?
Definition
DDR3
Term
A DIMM that contains memory chips in two memory banks on the module is said to be ____
Definition
Dual Ranked
Term
Which DIMM gives better performance, single ranked or dual ranked?
Definition
Single Ranked
Term
What type of DIMM supports triple channeling?
Definition
DDR3
Term
If twwo bits of a byte are in error when the byte is read from ECC memory, can ECC detect the error? Can ECC fix it?
Definition
It can detect it but not fix it.
Term
What are the four primary functions of hardware?
Definition
Input, output, processing, and storage.
Term
What are the two main input and two main output devices?
Definition
mouse keyboard monitor printer
Term
What three things do electronic hardware devices need in order to function.
Definition
A way to talk with the cput, software, and electricity.
Term
How many bits are in a byte?
Definition
8
Term
Which component on the motherboard is used primarily for processing?
Definition
CPU
Term
Order ports according to speed, fastest to slowest.
Definition
eSata, Firewire, USB
Term
What type of output does an S/PDIF provide
Definition
sound
Term
Why is an SSD hard drive more reliable under rugged conditions than an IDE?
Definition
No moving parts.
Term
What are two other names for system bus?
Definition
Front side bus, memory bus, host bus
Term
How is the best way to determine if a cable is data or power.
Definition
Data cables are flat, but trace to source.
Term
What is the most common type of memory module?
Definition
DIMM
Term
What is the difference between volatile and non-volatile memory?
Definition
Volatile memory will be erased when the computer shuts down, non volatile wont.
Term
What is a measurement of frequency of a system bus and CPU? Which is faster?
Definition
Measured in megahertz for system, CPU is typically measured in GigaHertz and is faster.
Term
ROM BIOS or firmware chips that can be upgraded without replacing the chips are called?
Definition
FLASH ROM
Term
How many sizes of PCIe slots are currently manufactured for PC's?
Definition
4
Term
From where does CMOS RAM recieve its power when the computer is not turned on?
Definition
CMOS battery
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