PC Assembly, Expansion, Storage, and Cabling

Vocabulary flashcards covering key hardware concepts and components from the PC assembly notes.

ESD precautions

Safety measures using anti-static wrist straps and mats to prevent electrostatic discharge damage to components.

Anti-static wrist strap

A device worn to ground a person and prevent static electricity from damaging components during handling.

Case standoffs

Anchors that align the motherboard with the case to prevent shorts.

I/O shield

The metal plate that aligns motherboard ports with case openings; proper alignment helps prevent shorts.

24-pin ATX power connector

Main power connector that supplies power to the motherboard.

4/8-pin CPU power connector

Dedicated power connector that provides CPU power separate from the main motherboard power.

PCI Express (PCIe)

Expansion bus for motherboard cards; supports slots of various lane counts (x1, x4, x8, x16).

PCIe slot sizes (x1, x4, x8, x16)

Different lane counts for PCIe slots; x16 is typically used by graphics GPUs.

Graphics Card (GPU)

Adapter card that handles video output and graphical processing.

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Adapter card that provides network connectivity.

Sound Card

Adapter card that processes and outputs audio.

Wi‑Fi Card

Wireless networking adapter card.

Capture Card

Adapter card used to capture video or audio input.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

Magnetic storage drive; cheaper and higher capacity but slower performance.

SSD (SATA)

Solid-state drive using the SATA interface; faster than HDD and commonly 2.5 inches.

SSD NVMe (PCIe)

Very fast solid-state storage using PCIe/NVMe interface; typically 2.5-inch SATA-free or M.2 form factor.

M.2/PCIe NVMe

Compact NVMe SSD form factor that connects directly to the motherboard via an M.2 slot; no data cable required.

Optical Drive (CD/DVD/Blu-ray)

5.25-inch SATA drive for optical media; usage declining in modern builds.

SATA data cable

Cable that connects SATA drives to the motherboard.

M.2 connector

Slot for NVMe SSDs; no separate data cable needed.

Front Panel Connectors

Connects power button, reset switch, and LED indicators from the case to the motherboard.

USB headers

Connects front-panel USB ports to the motherboard.

Audio headers

Connects front-panel audio jacks to the motherboard.

Power-On Self-Test (POST)

Initial startup checks; beeps or diagnostic LEDs indicate hardware status.

BIOS/UEFI

Firmware interface for hardware configuration and boot management.

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

Provides power to all system components; installed inside the case.

Ground yourself

Discharge static electricity before handling components to prevent damage.