Components
A 15-pin analog video port popular for many years.
Also called DB-15, DB15 port, DE15 port, or HD15 port.
What is a VGA (Video Graphics Array) port
A smaller version of the micro ATX form factor.
What is ITX? Also called mITX, so we'll take that as well.
A processor technology whereby the processor housing contains two or more processor cores that operate at the same frequency but independently of each other.
What is multicore processing?
Digital or printed technical reference manuals that are included with software packages and hardware to provide directions for installation, usage, and troubleshooting. The information extends beyond that given in user manuals.
What is technical documentation?
An electronic storage device with no moving parts that uses memory chips to store data instead of spinning disks (such as those used by magnetic hard drives and optical drives).
What are Solid State Drives (SSDs)?
A port that looks like a large phone jack and is used with twisted-pair cable to connect to a wired network adapter or other hardware device. RJ stands for registered jack.
Also called RJ-45 port or Ethernet port.
What is the RJ-45 port
The paths, or lines, on the motherboard on which data, instructions, and electrical power move from component to component.
What is the bus?
RAM chips that retain information without the need for refreshing, as long as the computer’s power is on; more expensive than traditional DRAM.
What is static RAM (SRAM)?
A Windows error that occurs in kernel mode, is displayed against a blue screen, and causes the system to halt. The error might be caused by problems with devices, device drivers, or a corrupted Windows installation.
Also called a stop error.
What is the blue screen of death, BSOD?
The type of memory used in SSDs.
What is NAND flash memory?
NAND stands for “Not AND” and refers to the logic used when storing a1 or 0 in the grid of rows and columns on the memory chip.
The main board in the computer. The CPU, ROM chips, DIMMs, and interface cards are plugged into it.
Also called the system board.
What is the motherboard?
Running a processor at a higher frequency than that recommended by the manufacturer; can result in an unstable system, but is a popular practice when a computer is used for gaming.
What is overclocking?
Memory that is faster and uses less power thanDDR2; can support quad, triple, or dual channels or function as single DIMMs.
What is DDR3?
A Windows tool (Eventvwr.msc) useful for troubleshooting problems with Windows, applications, and hardware. It displays logs of significant events, such as a hardware or network failure, OS failure, OS error messages, a device or service that has failed to start, and General Protection Faults.
What is Event Viewer?
Several methods of configuring multiple hard drives to store data to increase logical volume size and improve performance or to ensure that if one hard drive fails, the data is still available from another hard drive.
What is RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks)?
A piece of metal with cooling fins that can be attached to or mounted on an integrated chip package (such as the CPU) to dissipate heat.
What is the heat sink?
A motherboard or expansion card slot that connectsto a mini add-on card. The slot uses a PCIe, USB, or SATA interface with the motherboard chipset, and several variations of the slot exist.
Also called a Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) connector.
What is an M.2 connector?
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.
What is ECC (error-correcting code)?
A Windows 10/11 utility that restores many of the Windows files needed for a successful boot.
What is Startup Repair?
Delays in network transmissions that result in slower network performance; measured by the round-trip time it takes for a data packet to travel from source to destination and back to the source.
What is latency?
Firmware that can control much of a computer’s input/output functions, such as communication with the keyboard and the monitor.
What is the BIOS/UEFI?
(1) In computer hardware, a rectangular connector with pins or pads and a mechanism to hold the CPU in place; it is used to connect a CPU to the motherboard. (2) In networking, an established connection between a client and a server, such as the connection between a browser and web server.
What is a socket?
A Windows utility that gathers and displays information about the system.
What is msinfo32.exe?
A Windows 10/11 utility (mdsched.exe) used to test memory.
What is the memory diagnostic tool?
A configuration of two hard drives that hold a single Windows volume to increase the size of the volume.
Sometimes called JBOD (just a bunch of disks).
What is spanning?