Student 3 page 1: Lw Merit Hardware cmpnents Extensin cards Descriptin, Hw purpse determines cnnectins Extensin cards extend the capacity f the mtherbard by allwing a circuit bard r card t cnnect t it via a slt r cnnectin. PCIe, AGP and PCI are the cmmn types f cnnectins yu will find n a mtherbard with PCIe the fastest and PCI the slwest. PCIe x16 is used fr Graphics cards. A PCI might be used fr extra USB prts. Memry Descriptin, Hw purpse determines cnnectins Cmputer memry r RAM cmes in sticks that cnsist f a central bard r stick with several memry chips all attached t it. RAM is faster fr the cmputer t access than a hard disk drive, but smaller and vlatile. Each new versin (r generatin) f RAM is trying t imprve n the last versin t imprve the data transfer rate and size f data transferred s that less reads t the hard drive are needed and s the speed f the cmputer is nt slwed. CRT and LCD Mnitrs Descriptin, Hw purpse determines cnnectins Mnitrs shw the user infrmatin frm the cmputer and the prgrams running n it. CRT mnitrs have a cathde ray tube in them making them very thick. LCD mnitrs are much less thick and use less pwer. Mnitrs receive the infrmatin t shw the user via a cnnectin t the cmputers graphics card. Depending n what yu will be using yur mnitr fr and if it has inbuilt speakers r a micrphne there will be ne r mre f these cnnectins. VGA is at the lwest end f the scale as it is an analg cnnectr. DVI is a digital cnnectr and has display and pwer management advantages ver VGA. HDMI is a digital cnnectr that can take an audi signal as well as its vide signal. It is als able t take data in bth directins unlike the ther tw cnnectins. Speakers (at least ne additinal utput device) Descriptin, Hw purpse determines cnnectins The speakers utput sunds t the user, they can be built int the case, mnitr r as a separate peripheral. But they must plug int a sund card, cnnectins are either a 3.5mm audi jack r a USB cnnectin. Audi quality ver a 3.5mm jack vs a USB cnnectin is similar enugh that the main reasn t have ne srt ver the ther is that USB lets yu pwer speakers as well. As the fllwing are sftware (r the cmputer case) there are n further cnnectins t talk abut the purpse f Typical cnnectins and data flw
Cnnectin between the cmpnents n the left hand side and thse n the right with the typical cnnectins the flw and sizes f data shwn in arrws DDR2 400 1066 MT/s Mtherbard DDR3 800 2133 MT/s Stick f RAM (DIMM) DDR4 2133 4266 MT/s Vide card VGA 585Mbit/s Mnitr Mtherbard DVI 3.96Gbit/s HDMI 10.2Gbit/s Sund card 3.5mm Jack 32 640 Kbit/s Mnitr speakers Mtherbard USB 32 kbps 6 Mbps Speakers Headphnes Data rates fund using 5.1 and 7.1 surrund sund as a guide
Explained Key characteristics that limit interperability Extensin cards Extensin cards interperability is all abut the cnnectin. PCIe x16, PCI x1, AGP, etc all have a certain speed, pwer and size (inside the case) trade ffs. PCIe x16 is used fr Graphics cards, a PCI might be used fr extra USB prts. Because PCIe is a larger faster cnnectin and USB desn t need that srt f grunt whereas a graphics card des. Printer Printers are peripherals and s it is the cnnectins that limit interperability. A printer cnnects t a cmputer thrugh a USB cnnectin, althugh an Ethernet r Wi Fi cnnectin is cmmn in business situatins. USB is a cmmn cnnectin n a cmputer and the nly issue with it is the distance yu can have yur printer frm yur cmputer. Ethernet can let the printer be further away, but yu need t have a spare Ethernet prt. Wi Fi allws yu t have the printer anywhere within signal f the cmputer/wi Fi transmitter but is slwer than either f the ther tw cnnectin types. Malware/Virus checker As with any sftware a virus checker prgram will be designed t run n a particular perating system and architecture (32 bit / 64 bit) ften this is wrked ut by a setup file that dwnlads the apprpriate files based n infrmatin given t it by yur cmputer. Or it is listed n the CD r website that a certain versin f the prgram is fr Windws 86 (32 bit) r Windws 64 (64 bit). Different perating systems and architectures have different ways f transferring, string and retrieving infrmatin and a prgram that desn t match these will nt wrk. Kind f like trying t use a metric wrench n an imperial nut. Installatin r replacement The fllwing are the prcedures and prtcls yu shuld take t install r replace cmpnents r sftware. It is imprtant t fllw these steps as they nt nly help yu t successfully install r replace cmpnents but prtect yurself and ther cmpnents frm damage Hard disk drive Unplug cmputer frm pwer surces
Open the case Either wear an anti static strap r keep tuching the case fr the fllwing steps T replace Unplug all the cables between the Hard disk drive and any ther cmpnents If necessary yu may need t remve ther cmpnents t make rm t pull the Hard disk drive ut (e.g. ther Hard disk drives) Unscrew any screws hlding the Hard disk drive in place Remve it Put the new Hard disk drive in place T install Put the new Hard disk drive in place Screw it in Cnnect all cables back again Clse case Plug in and turn n pwer CD/DVD drive Unplug cmputer frm pwer surces Open the case Either wear an anti static strap r keep tuching the case fr the fllwing steps T replace Unplug all the cables between the CD/DVD drive and any ther cmpnents If necessary yu may need t remve ther cmpnents t make rm t pull the CD/DVD drive ut (e.g. Hard disk drive) Unscrew any screws hlding the CD/DVD drive in place Remve it Put the new CD/DVD drive in place T install Put the new PSU in place Screw it in Cnnect all cables back again Clse case Plug in and turn n pwer Flash drive Flash drives/usb sticks are essentially plug n play s installatin and replacement are the same Make sure yur Flash drives cnnectr matches up t the plug yu are trying t cnnect it t (if it desn t fit rtate 180 and try again) If the cmputer is nt already turned n turn it n nw If an apprpriate driver fr the Flash drive is nt already available the cmputer will dwnlad it frm the drive nw Yu will nw find the drive available in yur My cmputer system flder NB: when remving yur drive if yu are wrried abut lsing unsaved files yu shuld use the safely remve hardware icn in the system tray. It will tell yu if any prgrams are still using files n the Flash drive Device drivers
Many cmmn device drivers cme as part f yur perating system and d nt need t be installed. Hwever, sme new hardware will need yu t dwnlad a new driver fr it frm the internet r ff a CD that came with the device. Fllw any setup instructins t install the device driver Restart yur cmputer with the device plugged in