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124 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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A microprocessor with registers, address bus, and a data bus that holds 64 bits of data.
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64-bit processor
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The estimated time for a storage device to locate data on a disk, usually measured in milliseconds.
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Access time
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A desktop computer form factor in which the system unit and touchscreen are integrated into a single unit.
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All-in-one computer
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A Blu-ray disc that can be recorded on one time
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BD-R
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A Blu-Ray disc that can be recorded on multiple times
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BD-RE
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A Blu-ray disc that cannot be modified; usually used to distribute movies.
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BD-ROM
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A set of tests used to measure computer hardware or software performance.
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Benchmarks
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An error condition in which a PC "freezes" and displays a black screen; usually turning the computer off and turning it on again clears the error.
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Blue screen of death
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A high-capacity storage technology that stores up to 25 GB per layer
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Blu-ray
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Electronic circuit components that store an electrical charge; in RAM, a charged capacitor represents an "on" bit, and a discharged one represents an "off" bit.
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capacitors
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A device that can be used to read and record data on solid state storage devices, such as flash memory cards.
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card reader
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An optical storage medium used to store digital information.
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CD
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The format for commercial music CDs, typically recorded by the manufacturer.
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CDDA
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A type of optical disc technology that allows the user to record data once on a disc.
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CD-R
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The read-only data format that is stamped onto a CD, usually by the manufacturer.
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CD-ROM
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A type of optical disc technology that allows the user to write data onto a CD, then change that data much like on a hard disk.
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CD-RW
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A general-purpose microprocessor chip designed to handle a wider array of instructions than a RISC chip.
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CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer)
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The number of bits that determine the range of possible colors that can be assigned to each pixel.
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Color depth (also called bit depth)
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Special high-speed memory providing the CPU rapid access to data that would otherwise be accessed from disk or RAM.
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CPU cache
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An electronic pathway or circuit that connects the electronic components (such as the processor and RAM) on a computer's motherboard.
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Data bus
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The amount of data that a storage device can move from a storage medium to computer memory in one time unit, such as one second.
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Data transfer rate
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A computer that is small enough to fit on a desk and built around a single microprocessor chip.
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Desktop computer
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A printer that creates characters and graphics by striking an inked ribbon with small wires called "pins," generating a fine pattern of dots.
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Dot matrix printer
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The diagonal distance between colored dots on a display screen. Measured in millimeters, it helps to determine the quality of an image displayed on a monitor.
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Dot pitch (dp)
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A DVD that essentially stacks data in two different layers on the disk surface to store 8.5 GB, twice the capacity of a standard DVD.
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Double layer DVD
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Areas within a computer system unit that can accommodate additional storage devices.
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Drive bays
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A printer that prints on both sides of the paper in a single pass
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Duplex printer
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A measurement of how many pages a printer is able to produce per day or month
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Duty cycle
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An optical storage medium similar in appearance and technology to a CD, but with higher storage capacity.
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DVD
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A standard type of plug and connector for computer displace devices.
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DVI
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A type of non-volatile storage typically used in personal computers to store boot and BIOS data.
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EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)
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A standard for high-speed ports, plugs, and connectors typically used to connect external hard drives to computers.
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eSATA
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The segment of the data bus that transports data between RAM and peripheral devices.
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Expansion bus (also called external bus)
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A circuit board that is plugged into a slot on a computer system board to add extra functions, devices, or ports.
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Expansion card
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A socket into which the user plugs a cable from a peripheral device, allowing data to pass between the computer and the peripheral device.
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Expansion port
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A standard for fairly high-speed ports, plugs, and connectors typically used to connect external storage devices, and for transferring data from cameras to computers.
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FireWire
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A socket or "slot" on a PC system designed to hold a circuit board called an expansion card.
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Expansion slot
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A removable magnetic storage medium, typically 3.5" in size, with a capacity of 1.44 MB.
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Floppy disk
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The configuration of a computer's system unit; examples include tower, mini-tower, and cube.
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Form factor
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The data bus that carries signals between the CPU and RAM, disks, or expansion slots.
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Front side bus
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A measure of frequency equivalent to one billion cycles per second.
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Gigahertz (GHz)
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A circuit board inserted into a computer to handle the display of text, graphics, animation, and videos.
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Graphics card (also called a video card or graphics board)
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A microprocessor dedicated to rendering and displaying graphics on personal computers, workstations, and videogame consoles.
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Graphics processing unit (GPU)
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A circuit board in a hard drive that positions the disk and read-write heads to locate data.
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Hard disk controller
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A computer storage device that contains a large-capacity rigid storage surface sealed inside a drive case. Typically used as the primary storage device in personal computers.
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Hard disk drive
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The component of a hard disk drive on which data is stored. It is a flat, rigid disk made of aluminum or glass and coated with a magnetic oxide.
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Hard disk platter
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A standard type of plug and connector for computer display devices.
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HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
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A collision between the read-write head and the surface of the hard disk platter, resulting in damage to some of the data on the disk.
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Head crash
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A personal computer designed for use with mainstream computer applications, such as Web browsing, e-mail, music downloads, and productivity software.
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Home computer system
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The ability of a component, such as a USB flash drive, to connect or disconnect from a computer while it is running.
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Hot-plugging
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A non-impact printer that creates characters or graphics by spraying liquid ink onto paper or other media.
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Ink jet printer
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An input device that looks like a small version of a car's stick shift. Popular with gamers, it moves objects on the screen.
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Joystick
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Non-pitted surface areas on a CD that represent digital data.
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Lands
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A printer that uses laser-based technology, similar to that used by photocopiers, to produce text and graphics.
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Laser printer
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Technology used for flat panel computer screens typically found on notebook computers
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LCD display (liquid crystal display)
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A display device that either uses LEDs to produce an image on the screen, or an LCD display that uses it as backlighting.
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LED display (light-emitting diode display)
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A non-impact printer that creates characters or graphics by spraying liquid ink onto paper or other media.
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Ink jet printer
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A technology for recording data onto disks or tape by magnetizing particles of an oxide-based surface coating.
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Magnetic storage
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An input device that looks like a small version of a car's stick shift. Popular with gamers, it moves objects on the screen.
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Joystick
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A measure of frequency equivalent to one million cycles per second
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Megahertz (MHz)
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Non-pitted surface areas on a CD that represent digital data.
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Lands
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A desktop computer form factor that is smaller than a tower unit.
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Mini case
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A printer that uses laser-based technology, similar to that used by photocopiers, to produce text and graphics.
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Laser printer
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A timing signal that sets the pace for executing instructions in a microprocessor.
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Microprocessor clock
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Technology used for flat panel computer screens typically found on notebook computers
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LCD display (liquid crystal display)
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A display device that either uses LEDs to produce an image on the screen, or an LCD display that uses it as backlighting.
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LED display (light-emitting diode display)
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A technology for recording data onto disks or tape by magnetizing particles of an oxide-based surface coating.
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Magnetic storage
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A measure of frequency equivalent to one million cycles per second
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Megahertz (MHz)
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A desktop computer form factor that is smaller than a tower unit.
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Mini case
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A timing signal that sets the pace for executing instructions in a microprocessor.
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Microprocessor clock
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An input device that allows the user to manipulate objects on the screen by clicking, dragging, and dropping.
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Mouse
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A microprocessor that contains circuitry for more than one processing unit.
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Multi-core processor
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A unit of time representing one billionth of a second.
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Nanosecond
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A scaled-down version of a standard clamshell-style notebook computer, sometimes called a mini-laptop.
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Netbook
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Any electronic component tht does not require a constant supply of power to hold data.
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Non-volatile
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A small, lightweight, portable computer that usually runs on batteries.
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Notebook computer or laptop
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A technology that records data as light and dark spots on a CD, DVD, or other optical media.
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Optical storage
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Forcing a computer component, such as a microprocessor, to run at a higher speed than intended by the manufacturer.
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Overclocking
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The simultaneous use of more than one processor to execute a program.
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Parallel processing
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A component or equipment, such as a printer, that expands a computer's input, output, or storage capacities.
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Peripheral device
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A technology that allows a processor to begin executing an instruction before completing the previous instruction.
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Pipelining
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Spots on a CD that are "burned" onto an optical storage medium to represent digital data.
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Pits
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Short for picture element, the smallest unit in a graphic image. Computer display devices use a matrix of these to display text and graphics.
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Pixels
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The ability of a computer to automatically recognize and adjust the system configuration for a newly added device.
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Plug and Play
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An input device, such as a mouse, trackball, pointing stick, or trackpad, that allows users to manipulate an on-screen pointer and other screen-based graphical controls.
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Pointing device
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Any type of computer, such as a notebook computer, that runs on batteries and is designed to be carried from one location to another; also called a mobile computer.
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Portable computer
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A printer language, developed by Adobe Systems which uses a special set of commands to control page layout, fonts, and graphics.
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PostScript
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A spike in electrical voltage that has the potential to damage electronic equipment such as computers.
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Power surge
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A standard for formatting codes embedded within a document that specify how a printer should format each page.
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Printer Control Language
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The ability of a storage device (such as a disk drive) to go directly to a specific storage location without having to search sequentially from a beginning location.
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Random access
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Computer memory circuitry that holds data, program instructions, and the operating system while the computer is on.
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RAM
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Storage media that can only be read from, but not recorded on.
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Read-only technology
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The mechanism in a disk drive that magnetizes particles on the storage disk surface to write data, or sense the bits that are present to read data.
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Read-write head
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The devices and standards that allow computers to write data permanently on CDs and DVDs, but does not allow that data to be changed once it has been recorded.
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Recordable technology
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In relation to display technology, this is the time it takes for one pixel to change from black to white then back to black.
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Response rate
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The devices and standards that allow users to write data on a storage medium and then changes that data.
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Rewritable technology
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A microprocessor designed for rapid and efficient processing of a small set of simple instructions.
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RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)
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Refers to one or more integrated circuits that contain permanent instructions that the computer uses during the boot process.
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ROM
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A small set of basic input/output system instructions stored in ROM.
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ROM BIOS
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A menu option that appears when Windows is unable to complete the boot sequence; a user can use this to gracefully shut down the computer, then try to reboot it.
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Safe mode
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The density of the grid used to display text or graphics on a display device.
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Screen resolution
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A characteristic of data storage, usually on computer tape, that requires a device to read or write data one record after another, starting at the beginning of the medium.
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Sequential access
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Processing of data one instruction at a time, completing one instruction before beginning another.
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Serial processing
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Data storage device that utilizes erasable, rewritable circuitry.
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Solid state drive
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A technology that records data and stores it in a microscopic grid of cells on a non-volatile, erasable, low-power chip.
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Solid state storage
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The closeness of the particles on a disk surface. As density increases, the particles are packed more tightly together and are usually smaller.
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Storage density
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A mechanical apparatus that records data to and retrieves data from a storage medium.
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Storage device
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The physical material used to store computer data, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, or a CD-ROM.
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Storage medium
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A device that filters out electrical spikes that could damage computer equipment.
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Surge strip
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The case or box that contains the computer's power supply, storage devices, main circuit board, processor, and memory.
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System unit
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A small, portable computer with a touch-sensitive screen that can be used as a writing or drawing pad.
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Tablet computer
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A display device that accepts input from being touched with a stylus or fingertip.
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Touch screen
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A desktop computer form factor that stores the system board and storage device in a tall system unit with detached display and keyboard.
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Tower case
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An input device that looks like an upside down mouse. The user rolls the ball to move the onscreen pointer.
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Trackball
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A touch-sensitive surface on which you slide your fingers to move the on-screen pointer.
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Trackpad
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A battery-backed device designed to provide power to a computer during blackouts, brownouts, or other electrical disruptions.
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UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
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A high-speed bus commonly used for connecting peripheral devices to computers.
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USB (Universal Serial Bus)
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A portable solid state storage device that plugs directly into a computer's USB port.
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USB flash drive
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A device that provides several auxiliary USB ports.
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USB hub
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A screen resolution of 640 x 480
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VGA (Video Graphics Array)
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The angle at which you can clearly see the screen image from the side.
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Viewing angle width
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A computer's use of hard disk storage to simulate RAM
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Virtual memory
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A term that describes data (usually in RAM), which can exist only with a constant supply of power.
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Volatile
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The number of bits that a CPU can manipulate at one time, which is dependent on the size of the registers in the CPU, and the number of data lines in the bus.
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Word size
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