Computer Hardware Concepts

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key computer hardware categories, motherboard architecture, CPU specifications, and graphics processing units.

Input Category

Hardware devices that send data into the computer, such as keyboards, mice, scanners, microphones, biometric readers, and sensors.

Output Category

Hardware devices that send data out to the user, such as monitors, printers, speakers, and headphones.

Storage Category

Hardware devices that hold data permanently and survive power off, including HDD, SSD, USB flash drives, and SD cards.

Processing Category

Hardware devices that execute instructions, such as the CPU and GPU.

Communication Category

Hardware devices that send data between devices, such as NIC (network card) and modem.

Input/output devices (I/O)

Devices that perform both input and output functions, such as touchscreens (shows output and accepts input) and game controllers (accepts input and gives haptic vibration output).

Motherboard

The main printed circuit board that connects and allows communication between all the other components of the computer.

Modular design

A design concept meaning components can be added, removed, or upgraded independently without changing the whole board (e.g. swapping RAM or a graphics card).

Expansion cards

Cards that plug into slots on the motherboard to add extra capability, such as a graphics card, sound card, or network card.

Busses

The electrical pathways that carry data between components in a computer (e.g. USB is a common external bus).

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The 'brain' of the computer that fetches, decodes, and executes instructions.

Clock speed

Measured in GHz, it represents how many cycles per second a processor executes, where higher speed indicates faster processing (all else being equal).

Cores

Individual processing units within a CPU where each core can execute a separate stream of instructions (e.g. a quad-core can theoretically do 4 things at once).

Cache memory

Tiny, very fast memory located on the CPU itself sitting between the CPU and RAM; it stores instructions and data the CPU is likely to need next, ordered from L1 (smallest and fastest), then L2, then L3.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

A processor specialised for rendering graphics that is made up of thousands of simple cores.