Computer Hardware, Maintenance, and Storage Flashcards

A collection of flashcards covering foundational computer hardware concepts, ports, motherboards, processors, system diagnostics, and storage technology from Chapters 1 through 5.

ESD strap

A strap worn around the wrist and attached to a computer case, ground mat, or another ground so that ESD is discharged from the body before touching sensitive components inside a computer.

VGA (Video Graphics Array) port

A 15-pin analog video port popular for many years. Also called DB-15, DB15 port, DE15 port, or HD15 port.

Power supply

A box inside the computer case that receives power and converts it for use by the motherboard and other installed devices. Power supplies provide 3.3, 5, and 12 volts DC.

ATX (Advanced Technology Extended)

The most common form factor for desktop computer cases, motherboards, and power supplies; it was introduced by Intel in 1995.

POST diagnostic card

A test card installed in a slot on the motherboard or plugged in to a USB port that is used to discover and report computer errors and conflicts that occur when a computer is first turned on and before the operating system is launched.

SODIMM (small outline DIMM)

A type of memory module for laptop computers that uses DIMM technology. A DDR5 SODIMM has 262 pins, a DDR4 SODIMM has 260 pins, and a DDR3 SODIMM has 204 pins.

Docking station

A device that connects to a laptop computer and provides power to the laptop as well as passthrough power to ports, allowing connection to peripheral devices.

Spudgers

A metal or plastic flat-head wedge used to pry open casings without damaging plastic connectors and cases when disassembling a notebook, tablet, or mobile device.

Chipset

A group of chips on the motherboard that controls the timing and flow of data and instructions to and from the CPU.

Land grid array (LGA)

A socket that has blunt protruding pins in uniform rows that connect with lands or pads on the bottom of the processor.

LGA1700

A CPU socket for Intel processors that uses a land grid array and 1700 pins. The socket works with the 12th, 13th, and 14th generation chipsets and processors.

Socket AM5

A type of LGA socket that supports AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors and works with 600 and 800 series chipsets.

GUID Partition Table (GPT)

A method for partitioning hard drives that allows for drives of any size and up to 128 partitions in Windows, required to use Secure Boot with UEFI firmware.

Secure Boot

A UEFI and OS feature that prevents a system from booting up with drivers or an OS that is not digitally signed and trusted by the motherboard or computer manufacturer.

TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip

A chip on a motherboard that holds an encryption key required at startup to access encrypted data on the hard drive.

BIOS flashback

To recover or update BIOS/UEFI without accessing BIOS/UEFI; often performed by inserting a USB flash drive with the correct BIOS/UEFI file from the manufacturer and then pressing the BIOS Flashback button on the motherboard.

Hyper-Threading

The Intel technology that allows each logical processor within the processor package to handle an individual thread in parallel; other threads are handled by other processors within the package.

Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT)

The AMD technology that allows each logical processor within the processor package to handle an individual thread in parallel; other threads are handled by other processors within the package.

Level 1 cache (L1 cache)

Memory on the processor die used as a cache to improve processor performance.

Static RAM (SRAM)

RAM chips that retain information without the need for refreshing, as long as the computer's power is on; more expensive than traditional DRAM.

Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

The most common type of system memory; it requires refreshing every few milliseconds.

DDR (Double Data Rate) DIMM

A DIMM that uses a type of memory technology that runs at twice the speed of the system clock, has one notch, and uses 184 pins.

Dual channels

A motherboard feature that improves memory performance by providing two 64-bit channels between memory and the chipset.

ECC (error-correcting code)

A chipset feature on a motherboard that checks the integrity of data stored on DIMMs or RIMMs and can correct single-bit errors in a byte.

Modular power supply

A power supply with cables, some or all of which can be detached for a cleaner space inside a computer for better airflow inside the computer case.

Redundant power supply (RPS)

Two power supplies fully capable of supplying the full power requirements of a system, where a seamless transition happens to the other power supply in case of failure.

Event Viewer

A Windows tool (Eventvwr.msc) useful for troubleshooting problems with Windows, applications, and hardware, which displays logs of significant events.

Blue screen of death (BSOD)

A Windows error that occurs in kernel mode, is displayed against a blue or black screen, and causes the system to halt.

Memory Diagnostic Tool

A Windows 10/11 utility (mdsched.exe) used to test memory.

Discolored capacitor

An indicator of a failing motherboard; such capacitors might have bulging heads or crusty corrosion at their base.

NAND flash memory

The type of memory used in SSDs. NAND stands for "Not AND" and refers to the logic used when storing a 1 or 0 in the grid of rows and columns on the memory chip.

Wear leveling

A technique used on a solid-state drive that ensures the logical block addressing does not always address the same physical blocks, distributing write operations more evenly across the device.

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express)

An interface standard used to connect an SSD to the system and that uses the PCI Express x4 interface to communicate with the processor; about five times faster than SATA Revision 3.x.

RAID 0

Using space from two or more physical disks to increase the disk space available for a single volume. Windows calls RAID 0 a striped volume.

RAID 1

A type of drive imaging that duplicates data on one drive to another drive and is used for fault tolerance. Windows calls RAID 1 a mirrored volume.

RAID 5

A technique that stripes data across three or more drives and uses parity checking, so that if one drive fails, the other drives can re-create the data stored on the failed drive.

RAID 6

A technique that stripes data and parity information across four or more drives and doubles parity checking, allowing up to two failed drives before data loss occurs.

BCD (Boot Configuration Data)

A small Windows database that is structured the same as a registry file and contains configuration information about how Windows is started, stored in the \Boot directory.

BD (Blu-ray disc)

An optical disc technology that uses the UDF version 2.5 file system and a blue laser beam, which allows Blu-ray discs to store more data than a DVD.

CFexpress card

A flash memory device that allows for faster data transfer because they are designed using the PCIe 3.0 interface standard; comes in three form factors: A, B, and C.