Computer Terms
Terms
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- clock speed
- The speed or frequency expressed in MHz, that controls activity on the motherboard and is generated by a crystal or oscillator located somewhere on the motherboard.
- CMOS Setup
- The chip on the motherboard that holds configuration information about the system, such as date and time, on which CPU, hard drives or floppy drives are installed. Also called CMOS or CMOS RAM. The chip is powered by a battery when the PC is turned off.
- PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)
- A bus common on Pentium computers that runs at speeds of up to 33MHz or 66MHz with a 32-bit-wide or 64-bit-wide data path.
- bus
- The paths or lines on the motherboard on which data, instructions and electrical power move from component to component.
- CPU (Central Processing Unit
- Also called a microprocessor or processor. The heart and brain of the computer which receives data input, processes information and executes instructions.
- NIC (Network Interface Card)
- An expansion card that plugs into a computer's motherboard and provides a port on the back of the card to connect a PC to a network. Also called a network adapter.
- RAM (Random Access Memory)
- Memory modules on the motherboard used to temporarily hold data and programs while the CPU processes both. Information lost when the PC is turned off.
- heat sink
- A piece of metal with cooling fins that can be attached to or mounted on an integrated chip (such as the CPU) to dissipate heat.
- flash ROM
- ROM that can be reprogrammed or changed without replacing chips.
- motherboard
- The main board in the computer also called the system board. The CPU, ROM chips, SIMMs, DIMMs, RIMMs and interface cards are plugged into the motherboard.
- CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
- One of two types of technologies used to manufacture microchips. CMOS chips require less electricity and hold data longer after the electricity is turned off.
- Data bus
- The lines on the system bus that CPU uses to send and receive data.
- BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
- basic instructions that can control much of a computer's input/output functions, such as communications with the floppy drive and the monitor. Also called ROM BIOS.
- byte
- A collection of 8 bits that is equivalent to a single character. When referring to system memory, an additional error-checking bit might be added, making the total 9 bits.
- gigahertz (GHz)
- One thousand MHz or one billion cycles per second.
- hardware
- The physical components that constitute the computer system such as the monitor, the keyboard, the motherboard and the printer.
- POST (Power-On Self Test)
- A self-diagnostic program used to perform a single test of the CPU, RAM and various I/O devices. The POST is performed by startup BIOS when the computer is first turned on and is stored in ROM-BIOS.
- operating system (OS)
- Software that controls the function of a computer. It controls how system resources are used and provides a user interface, a way of managing hardware and software and ways to work with files.
- chip set
- A group of chips on the motherboard that controls the timing and flow of data and instructions to and from the CPU.
- serial port
- A male 9-pin or 25-pin port on a computer system used by slower I/O devices such as a mouse or modem. Data travels serially, one bit at a time through the port.
- bit (binary digit)
- An 0 or 1 used by the binary number system.
- RJ-45 connector
- A connector used with twisted-pair cable that connects the cable to the NIC (Network Interface Card).
- video card
- An interface card installed in the computer to control visual output on a monitor. Also called display adapter.
- megahertz (MHz)
- One million Hz or one million cycles per second.
- expansion card
- A circuit board inserted into a slot on the motherboard to enhance the capability of the computer.