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Hardware Survival Skills for the Gates Library Computer Identify the following ports on the back of the tower: Power Keyboard Mouse Monitor Headphone jack Network Interface Card (plug and unplug the network cable) Modem card Slot for cable lock Identify the following components on the front of the tower: Centurion Guard lock Disk Drives Opening the computer case: Take off the side panel from the tower. Put it back on when you are finished. Identify the following components inside the computer: Power supply Motherboard Hard drive Floppy drive DVD-ROM drive Zip Drive Memory (RAM) Data cables Power cables Video card Sound card Network card Centurion Guard card Perform the following tasks inside the computer case:* Remove and replace the hard drive Remove and replace the RAM Remove and put back in an expansion card (for example, the sound or network card) *You should not remove hardware from a computer unless it is necessary to do so. Practice these tasks on a non-working computer. Computer Hardware Glossary BIOS basic input output system Software that contains the instructions to boot, or start, a computer. It is stored in ROM. Bus A collection of wires inside the computer that transmit information from one location to another. CPU central processing unit In a personal computer, the CPU is a microprocessor where most calculations take place. The Pentium III chip is a microprocessor.
Sometimes called a processor. DVD-ROM drive A disk drive that reads and plays DVDs and CDs. Expansion cards A card that is added to the computer to expand the capabilities of a computer. See video card, sound card, and NIC.
Expansion slot A rectangular slot located on the motherboard. Expansion cards fit into expansion slots. Floppy disk drive A disk drive that reads and writes data to floppy disks. Video card A card that enables display capabilities. The monitor plugs into a port on the video card Also called a graphics card. Hard disk drive A permanent storage device located inside the computer case. Jumper A metal bridge, usually inside a plastic case, that closes an electrical circuit. Typically used to change the parameters
of a card.
Motherboard The main circuit board in a computer that everything plugs into. NIC network interface card A card that enables a computer to attach to an existing network. Port An outlet that computer peripherals plug into. Common port types are parallel, serial, and USB. Power supply When plugged into the electrical socket, it supplies the correct power voltage to the computer. RAM random-access memory The memory available to programs. When a computer is said to have a lot of memory, it is able to run multiple programs at
once and at a fast speed.
ROM read-only memory A computer usually contains a small amount of this non-volatile, permanent memory. Once instructions are recorded onto ROM
chips, they cannot be changed. See BIOS. Sound card An expansion card that extends a computer's capability to play sounds and music. Zip drive A disk drive that reads and writes data to Zip disks. For more detailed definitions, use the Computer Dictionary in the Encarta World English Dictionary on the Gates Library Computer
or search the Web for technical terms at www.webopedia.com. |
Documents
| Hardware Survival Skills |
This handout provides a useful glossary and overview of the various hardware components for Gates-granted computers.
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