Comptia A+ Core 1 (220-1201)

USB 2.0

Transfer Rate: 480 Mbps; Maximum Cable Length: 5 meters; Maximum Power Output: 2.5 W

USB 3.1

Transfer Rate: 10 Gbps; Maximum Cable Length: 3 meters; Maximum Power Output: 4.5 W

USB 3.2

Transfer Rate: 20 Gbps; Maximum Cable Length: 3 meters; Maximum Power Output: 4.5 W

USB 4.0

Transfer Rate: 40 Gbps; Maximum Cable Length: 3 m; Maximum Power Output: 4.5 W

HDMI

Video cable; Low resolution support is 1080p and high resolution support is 4K or 8K; Transmits video and audio over same cable; Has regular, mini, and micro version

Display Port (DP)

Video cable; Low resolution support is 1080p and high resolution support is 4K or 8K; Transmits video and audio over same cable; Transfer rate goes up to 80 Gbps; Has full-sized and mini versions

Digital Video Interface (DVI)

Video cable; Supports analog and digital output (depending on the type of cable); Type A supports analog signals, type D supports digital signals, type I supports both; Can count all of the connector pins

Video Graphics Array (VGA)

Video cable; 15-pin analog video interface port; Legacy technology

Thunderbolt

Data, video, power, and storage cable; 1 and 2 versions are backwards compatible with DP and 3 and 4 versions use the USB-C style port connector; Transfer rate up to 40 Gbps; Maximum cable length of 0.5 m; Version 4 supports 8K resolution and Daisy chaining

USB-C

Data, video, and power cable; Supports 4K and 8K resolutions

Lightning

Storage cable; One end is USB cable and the other end is itself; Can transfer data or charge a device; Only used on Apple products (iPhone 5 through 14)

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)

Storage cable; Used to connect storage device to the motherboard inside of a desktop computer; Cannot provide power and data transfer simultaneously (7-pin cable is for data transfer and 15-pin cable is for power); Most current version has a transfer rate of 6 Gbps

External SATA (eSATA)

Storage cable; Used to connect storage device to the motherboard outside of a desktop computer; Cannot provide power and data transfer simultaneously (7-pin cable is for data transfer and 15-pin cable is for power); Most current version has a transfer rate of 6 Gbps; Becoming more obsolete since USB 3.0 & 4.0 are faster than it.

Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)

Storage cable; Legacy parallel bus connector that supports daisy chaining; narrow versions supported up to 7 devices while wide versions supported up to 15; Connects via high-density cable (68-pin cable to carry data) and MOLEX connector (for power) or a Single Connector Attachment (SLA) for both data and power in one (80-pin)

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS)

Storage cable; Primarily used for connecting storage devices to servers and workstations; Transfer rate up to 24 Gbps; Full duplex communication

Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX)

Motherboard form factor; Largest form factor (measures 304 mm x 244 mm); Expansion slots run parallel to the shorter side of the board

Mini-ATX

Motherboard form factor; Has a size of 284mm x 208mm; Rarely used since it has no distinguishing features

Micro-ATX (mATX)

Motherboard form factor; Size of 244mm x 244mm; Only has four expansion slots

Mini-ITX

Motherboard form factor; Has a size of 170mm x 170mm

Land Grid Array (LGA)

CPU socket type; Pins are located on the motherboard itself; Used by Intel processor

Pin Grid Array (PGA)

CPU socket type; Pins are on the CPU and the holes are on the motherboard; Used by AMD processors

Compact Disc (CD)

Optical drive; Holds 650-700 MB of data; Functions by having a infrared light reflect off the disc’s surface

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)

Optical drive; Holds 4.7 or 8.4 GB of data; Uses a red light to read data

Blu-ray Disc (BD)

Optical drive; Stores 25 GB in single-layer and 50 in dual-layer; Data is read using a blue laser

Network Interface Card (NIC)

Networking hardware; Provides a connection to the network via copper cabling, fiber optic cabling, or wirelessly

Hub

Networking hardware; Has between 4 and 48 ports; Can operate at speeds up to 100 Mbps; Collisions frequently occur with this hardware because it can only process one communication at a time; Lack of privacy for anyone connected to it

Switch

Networking hardware; Remembers who is connected to what port; Collisions rarely happen since communications are broadcasted to the intended target only; Privacy is no longer a concern with this hardware since only the intended target receives the data; They are either unmanaged or managed depending on if you are required to make configurations

Wireless Access Point (WAP)

Networking hardware; Allows wireless devices to connect to it to a wired network

Router

Networking hardware; Used to connect different networks together; Uses IP addresses to identify different devices and networks

Patch Panel

Networking hardware; Device that allows cable network jacks to plug into a central area