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Welcome students, I look forward to working with you this semester, check this site frequently for updates and assignments.
~ JON ~
| Chapter 3 Notes |
| Chapter 4 Notes |
| Chapter 5 Notes |
| Chapter 6 Notes |
| Chapter 7 Notes |
| Chapter 8 Notes |
| Chapter 9 Notes |
| Port Identification |
~ IST ~
Chapter 6
Evaluating Your System:
Understanding and Assessing Hardware
To buy or upgrade?
Things to consider:
Moores Law
Manufacturer Intel, predicts that the number of transistors inside a CPU will increase so fast that CPU capacity will double every 18 months.
Cost of upgrading vs. buying
Time installing software and files
Needs and wants
Evaluating your system:
CPU
Expensive to replace
Check Motherboard compatibility
Some CPUs are optimized to process multimedia instructions
Intel CPUs called Core Duo processors
Use less power than dual processors
Increase multitasking performance
Machine cycle:
Speed:
MHz
GHz
RAM
Random access memory (RAM):
Temporary storage (memory)
Volatile
Memory modules:
SIMM
DIMM
RIMM
Types of RAM:
SRAM
DRAM
SDRAM
Storage devices
Types of storage devices:
Hard drive
Storage capacity up to 500 GB
Access time is measured in milliseconds
Data transfer rate is measured in megabits or megabytes per second
Floppy disk:
Capacity 1.44 MB
Zip disk:
Capacity 100 MB to 750 MB
CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW:
Capacity 700 MB to 9.4 GB
Flash drive:
Capacity 32 MB to 1 GB
Flash memory Card:
Up to 4 GB
Nonvolatile storage
Video output
Two components:
Video card (adapter)
Process binary data into images
Contain memory known as video RAM (VRAM)
Control the number of colors a monitor can display (bit depth)
Standard VGA
4 bits
16 colors
True color (SVGA)
24 bits
16 million colors
Monitor
Types:
CRT or LCD
Size:
15, 17, 19, or 21 inch
Resolution:
Increasing resolution allows more to be displayed
Sound systems
Process digital data into sounds
3D sound cards
Surround sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Speakers:
Amplified
Not amplified
Subwoofer
Surround sound
Computer ports
Ports are used to connect peripheral devices to the computer
Serial Port
Transfers data one bit at a time; 56Kbps
Parallel
Transfers eight bits of data simultaneously; 12 Mbps
FireWire
Transfer rate of 400 Mbps; Digital cameras
Newer FireWire 800 is fastest
Available only on the Apple Mac
Ethernet
Transfer rate of 100 Mbps; connects computers to networks
IrDA
Transfer rate of 4 Mbps; Uses infrared light waves
Things to consider:
Devices you want to use
Ports needed for the devices
System reliability
Performance:
Slow
Freezes
Crashes
Upkeep and maintenance:
System tools:
Disk defragmenter
Disk cleanup
Unnecessary files
Control panel:
Add/remove programs
Display
System
Device manager
If problems persist:
Reinstall the operating system
Upgrade the operating system to the latest version