GO! All in One Computer Concepts and Applications - Chapter 2: Hardware

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining primary computer hardware concepts, system components, memory, communication devices, and storage systems based on Chapter 2.

Hardware

The physical components that make up a computer system.

Peripheral Devices

Hardware components attached to the computer that handle input, output, and storage functions.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The main processor of a computer, consisting of the control unit and the arithmetic logic unit, responsible for executing instructions.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

The component of the CPU that executes arithmetic and logic calculations.

Control Unit

The component of the CPU that coordinates the movement of data through the central processing unit.

Clock Speed

The rate at which a processor executes data cycles, measured in gigahertz ($\text{GHz}$) or billions of cycles per second.

Multi-core Processor

A processor package containing two or more distinct processing units on a single chip.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

A specialized processor located on a video card designed for rendering computer graphics.

Heat Sink and Cooling Fan

Thermal management components installed directly above the CPU to dissipate heat and prevent overheating.

System Unit

The enclosure or case that contains the power supply, motherboard, processor, memory, and drive bays of a computer.

Motherboard

The main printed circuit board inside a computer system that interconnects the CPU, memory, expansion slots, and drive controllers.

Expansion Cards

Circuit boards (such as FireWire, sound, or video cards) inserted into expansion slots on the motherboard to connect peripheral devices.

Data Buses

Conductive wires on the motherboard that carry data back and forth between internal computer components.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

A standardized computer port interface designed for connecting a wide range of peripheral hardware.

Motherboard Ports

Rear and front interface connectors (including video, USB, Ethernet, and audio ports) integrated into the motherboard for external hardware connection.

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)

Nonvolatile read-only memory (ROM) firmware used to start basic operations when powering on a computer.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Volatile temporary storage used by the computer to hold instructions and data currently being processed.

Headset

A peripheral hardware device that integrates headphones and a microphone into a single unit.

Communication Devices

Hardware components that serve as both input and output devices to connect computers to network resources or the Internet.

Network Adapter

A network interface device, such as a wired Ethernet card or wireless adapter, that enables network connectivity.

Modem

A modulator-demodulator device that converts computer data for transmission over telephone or cable lines for Internet access.

Fax Device

A machine that scans printed documents and encodes them into digital signals transmitted over standard telephone lines.

Optical Discs

Laser-read digital storage media including Compact Discs (CD), Digital Versatile Discs (DVD), and Blu-ray discs in read-only (ROM), recordable (+R/-R), or rewritable (+RW/-RW) forms.

Solid-State Storage

Nonmechanical media stored on flash memory chips with no moving parts, used in solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, and memory cards.

Flash Drives and Memory Cards

Portable solid-state flash memory devices; flash drives insert into USB ports, while memory cards (SD, CF, MS, xD) connect through specialized card readers.

Hard Drive

A magnetic secondary storage unit consisting of spinning metal platters and a moving read-write head.