1.2 computer components

1.2 computer components

1. Processor

   • make and model
   • Socket type
   • clock speed
   • Host-bus speed/front-side bus speed
   • Cache memory
   • Size

2. motherboard

   • Form factor
   • Processor socket and chipset
   • Slots
   • Connectors

3. Storage

   • Hard drive
     • Electro-mechanical device
     • Uses one or more rotating discs
     • Slower access speeds than SSD's
     • Relies on magnetic storage
     • Can be internal or external
   • Solid state
     • No moving parts
     • Data stored electronically
     • Uses flash memory
     • Faster access speeds
     • Can be internal or external
     • External are more portable
     • Limited read/write cycles
   • Flash drive
     • Micro-portable
     • Lightweight
   • Cloud
     • Storage efficiency
     • Control
     • Scalability
     • Multi-tenancy
     • Performance
     • Access mehtod
     • Manageability
     • cost
   • SAS
     • SAS drives tend to be used for enterprise computing
     • Cables up ti 10 meters in length
     • Power and data provided through the same cable
     • SAS drives have a lower storage capacity than SATA drives
     • Faster and more reliable than SATA drives
   • SATA
     • Data and power cables are separate
     • SATA cables limited to 1 meter in length
     • Tends to be used for desktops, data storage and backups
   • SCSI
     • Uses a single cable
     • Has its own unique controller
     • Fast
     • Can work with different computer types
     • Hard to configure as each device has its own identification
     • More expensive

4. Ports

   • Fibre cable
     • More Flexible
     • Can work using coaxial cable and twisted pair
     • Offers point-to-point, switched and loop interfaces
     • Faster than SCSI
     • Suited for connecting computer services to shared storage devices
   • network
     • Used to connect wired network hardware
     • Uses an RJ-45 connector
   • Firewire
     • Peer-to-Peer
     • More expensive than USB
     • Firewire devices can be powered or unpowered
     • Supports isochronous devices
     • Used for devices working with higher levels of data
   • USB
     • Host-based
     • USB-compliant devices receive power from USB port
     • Used to connect a wide variety of external devices

5. memory

   • Cache
     • Internal and external cache
     • Speeds up access to data and instructions stored in RAM
     • holds frequently requested data and instructions so that they are available to the CPU when required
   • ROM
     • Stores the start-up instructions of the computer
     • Isn't volatile
     • Cannot be changed by program or the user.
   • RAM
     • Fast
     • Volatile
     • Stores the operating system, applications and graphical user interface