CompTIA ITF+ - IT Fundamentals Study Guide:
FCO-U61 Exam With Complete Solutions
motherboards, processors, and memory - ANSWER What three components are
considered the "trinity" of computers?
Also known as the system board or mainboard. It is the most important
component of the computer because it connects all the other components -
consider it the nervous system of the computer. - ANSWER What is a
motherboard and what is its primary function?
A conductive series of pathways laminated to a nonconductive substrate that
line the bottom of the computer. The motherboard. - ANSWER What is a printed
circuit board? What is an example of one?
At the bottom of the motherboard. - ANSWER Where on the motherboard can
you see all the conductive pathways?
All other components. Some are physically attached directly to the board and
aren't intended to be removed
ex: CPU socket, RAM slots, expansion slots, and a variety of other chips. CPU
and RAM get psychically attached to the motherboard
Other devices, like hard drives and power supplies, are attached via their own
connectors. - ANSWER What components are attached to the PCB? How are
they attached to the PCB and what are a few examples?
Classification for the type of design for the motherboard. Form factors differ in
size and configuration of components on the motherboard and have different
power requirements. For example, AT and ATX are two form factors for
motherboards. - ANSWER What are form factors? How do they differ? What are
two examples of Form Factors?
It is important to know the types of motherboards your case supports before
replacing one since it mounts to the system case. - ANSWER What is important
to know prior prior to replacing your motherboard and why is it important?
They differ in size and configuration of the components on the motherboard.
They also have different power requirements? - ANSWER How do form factors
differ?
,A collection of chips or circuits that perform interface and peripheral functions
for the processor.
The collection of chips provides interfaces for memory, expansion cards, and
onboard peripherals, and it generally dictates how a motherboard will
communicate with the installed peripherals.
Northbridge and Southbridge. - ANSWER What is a chipset? What is an example
of a chipset?
Northbridge and Southbridge - ANSWER What two major groups can the
functions of chipsets be divided into?
Performs one important function: management of high-speed peripheral
communications.
Primarily responsible for communications with integrated video and processor-
to-memory communications. - ANSWER What is the Northbridge Chipset?
Responsible for the providing support to the onboard slower peripherals and
managing their communications with the rest of the computer and the resources
given to them.
If you're thinking about any component other than the CPU, memory and cache,
or integrated video, the Southbridge is in charge. - ANSWER What is the
Southbridge Chipset?
common collection of signal pathways over which related devices communicate
within the computer system. It refers specifically to a data path or the way that
the computer communicates over that path. - ANSWER What is a bus?
Connects all components together. It is consider one of the most important
components of the computer. Also known as system board or mainboard -
ANSWER What is the purpose of the motherboard? What is it also known as?
The set of controller chips that monitors and directs the traffic on the
motherboard between the buses and components. - ANSWER What is a chipset?
Process data. It is the "brain" of any computer. - ANSWER What is the purpose
of the CPU? What part of the human body is it comparable to?
A set of signal pathways that allows information and signals to travel between
components inside or outside a computer. A computer contains three types of
buses: the external bus, the address bus, and the data bus. - ANSWER What is a
bus?
,Fits into the socket on the motherboard. - ANSWER What is the CPU mounted to
the motherboard?
Flat and have several columns and rows of holes or pins arranged in a square.
Two types:
1. Pin Grid Array (PGA) - have holes and the processors have pints that fit into
the holes. Uses a simple lever to mount.
2. Land Grid Array (LGA) - have contacts (often pings) built in to them, which
connect with contacts on the CPU. Has more complex harnessing. - ANSWER
What does CPU sockets look like? What are the two types of CPU sockets?
Temporary data storage; it makes the computer faster - ANSWER What is the
purpose of RAM?
The primary memory used to store currently used data and instructions for the
CPU. - ANSWER What is RAM?
A memory module packaging style that features a
circuit board with independent pins on both sides of the module's card edge.
Memory for desktops comes on circuit boards.
Same thing but for laptops. They are usually smaller. - ANSWER What are
DIMMs? What are SODIMMs?
A storage area for frequently used data and instructions. It is a fast form of
memory, and it improves system performance by predicting what the CPPU will
ask for next and prefetching this information before being asked. - ANSWER
What is cache memory?
cache memory - ANSWER What can motherboard designers add to speed up
systems?
These are small plastic slots, usually from 1 to 6 inches long. These slots are
used to install the various devices in the computer to expand its capabilities.
Some expansion devices that might be installed in these slots include video,
network, sound, and disk interface cards. - ANSWER What are expansion slots?
A popular expansion slot architecture type. They are easily recognized because
they are around 3 inches long and classically white. - ANSWER What are the PCI
slots? What do they look like?
An expansion slot designed to meet the need for
increased graphics performance. Now outdated. - ANSWER What are AGP
Expansion Slots?
, A high-performance serial local-bus slot architecture that replaces the need for
AGP and PCI slots. PCIe support combining the resources of multiple adapters
for higher performance. It is the most common expansion slot architecture on
the motherboard.
PCIe has the advantage of being faster than AGP while maintaining the flexibility
of PCI. Perfect for gamers.
x2, x4, x8, x16, and x32. x1, x4, and x16 is most common. - ANSWER What are
PCI Express slots? What are the advantages of PCIe? What are the speeds for
PCIe? What is most common?
Long-term data storage.
1. IDE
2. ATA
3. SATA - ANSWER What is the purpose of a hard drive? What are 3 types of hard
drive standard connectors?
A nickname for the original ATA standard, now
known as parallel ATA (PATA) since the advent of serial ATA (SATA). - ANSWER
What is an Integrated Drive Electronics?
The new name for the IDE hard drive standard, since the invention of
Serial ATA (SATA). - ANSWER What is a Parallel ATA?
The latest version of the standard that specifies IDE (PATA) but that
uses only a single serial pathway for communication instead of multiple parallel
pathways
as PATA uses. - ANSWER What is a Serial ATA?
IDE, SATA, PATA - ANSWER What are the different types of hard drive standard
connectors?
The name given to any software that is encoded in hardware, usually a read-only
memory (ROM) chip, and can be run without extra instructions from the
operating
system. An example of firmware is the BIOS. - ANSWER What is Firmware? What
is an example?
The basic input/output system.
It is the firmware that boots the system and initiates the memory and hard drive
to allow the OS to start. It is the second most important chip on the
motherboard. - ANSWER What is BIOS?
FCO-U61 Exam With Complete Solutions
motherboards, processors, and memory - ANSWER What three components are
considered the "trinity" of computers?
Also known as the system board or mainboard. It is the most important
component of the computer because it connects all the other components -
consider it the nervous system of the computer. - ANSWER What is a
motherboard and what is its primary function?
A conductive series of pathways laminated to a nonconductive substrate that
line the bottom of the computer. The motherboard. - ANSWER What is a printed
circuit board? What is an example of one?
At the bottom of the motherboard. - ANSWER Where on the motherboard can
you see all the conductive pathways?
All other components. Some are physically attached directly to the board and
aren't intended to be removed
ex: CPU socket, RAM slots, expansion slots, and a variety of other chips. CPU
and RAM get psychically attached to the motherboard
Other devices, like hard drives and power supplies, are attached via their own
connectors. - ANSWER What components are attached to the PCB? How are
they attached to the PCB and what are a few examples?
Classification for the type of design for the motherboard. Form factors differ in
size and configuration of components on the motherboard and have different
power requirements. For example, AT and ATX are two form factors for
motherboards. - ANSWER What are form factors? How do they differ? What are
two examples of Form Factors?
It is important to know the types of motherboards your case supports before
replacing one since it mounts to the system case. - ANSWER What is important
to know prior prior to replacing your motherboard and why is it important?
They differ in size and configuration of the components on the motherboard.
They also have different power requirements? - ANSWER How do form factors
differ?
,A collection of chips or circuits that perform interface and peripheral functions
for the processor.
The collection of chips provides interfaces for memory, expansion cards, and
onboard peripherals, and it generally dictates how a motherboard will
communicate with the installed peripherals.
Northbridge and Southbridge. - ANSWER What is a chipset? What is an example
of a chipset?
Northbridge and Southbridge - ANSWER What two major groups can the
functions of chipsets be divided into?
Performs one important function: management of high-speed peripheral
communications.
Primarily responsible for communications with integrated video and processor-
to-memory communications. - ANSWER What is the Northbridge Chipset?
Responsible for the providing support to the onboard slower peripherals and
managing their communications with the rest of the computer and the resources
given to them.
If you're thinking about any component other than the CPU, memory and cache,
or integrated video, the Southbridge is in charge. - ANSWER What is the
Southbridge Chipset?
common collection of signal pathways over which related devices communicate
within the computer system. It refers specifically to a data path or the way that
the computer communicates over that path. - ANSWER What is a bus?
Connects all components together. It is consider one of the most important
components of the computer. Also known as system board or mainboard -
ANSWER What is the purpose of the motherboard? What is it also known as?
The set of controller chips that monitors and directs the traffic on the
motherboard between the buses and components. - ANSWER What is a chipset?
Process data. It is the "brain" of any computer. - ANSWER What is the purpose
of the CPU? What part of the human body is it comparable to?
A set of signal pathways that allows information and signals to travel between
components inside or outside a computer. A computer contains three types of
buses: the external bus, the address bus, and the data bus. - ANSWER What is a
bus?
,Fits into the socket on the motherboard. - ANSWER What is the CPU mounted to
the motherboard?
Flat and have several columns and rows of holes or pins arranged in a square.
Two types:
1. Pin Grid Array (PGA) - have holes and the processors have pints that fit into
the holes. Uses a simple lever to mount.
2. Land Grid Array (LGA) - have contacts (often pings) built in to them, which
connect with contacts on the CPU. Has more complex harnessing. - ANSWER
What does CPU sockets look like? What are the two types of CPU sockets?
Temporary data storage; it makes the computer faster - ANSWER What is the
purpose of RAM?
The primary memory used to store currently used data and instructions for the
CPU. - ANSWER What is RAM?
A memory module packaging style that features a
circuit board with independent pins on both sides of the module's card edge.
Memory for desktops comes on circuit boards.
Same thing but for laptops. They are usually smaller. - ANSWER What are
DIMMs? What are SODIMMs?
A storage area for frequently used data and instructions. It is a fast form of
memory, and it improves system performance by predicting what the CPPU will
ask for next and prefetching this information before being asked. - ANSWER
What is cache memory?
cache memory - ANSWER What can motherboard designers add to speed up
systems?
These are small plastic slots, usually from 1 to 6 inches long. These slots are
used to install the various devices in the computer to expand its capabilities.
Some expansion devices that might be installed in these slots include video,
network, sound, and disk interface cards. - ANSWER What are expansion slots?
A popular expansion slot architecture type. They are easily recognized because
they are around 3 inches long and classically white. - ANSWER What are the PCI
slots? What do they look like?
An expansion slot designed to meet the need for
increased graphics performance. Now outdated. - ANSWER What are AGP
Expansion Slots?
, A high-performance serial local-bus slot architecture that replaces the need for
AGP and PCI slots. PCIe support combining the resources of multiple adapters
for higher performance. It is the most common expansion slot architecture on
the motherboard.
PCIe has the advantage of being faster than AGP while maintaining the flexibility
of PCI. Perfect for gamers.
x2, x4, x8, x16, and x32. x1, x4, and x16 is most common. - ANSWER What are
PCI Express slots? What are the advantages of PCIe? What are the speeds for
PCIe? What is most common?
Long-term data storage.
1. IDE
2. ATA
3. SATA - ANSWER What is the purpose of a hard drive? What are 3 types of hard
drive standard connectors?
A nickname for the original ATA standard, now
known as parallel ATA (PATA) since the advent of serial ATA (SATA). - ANSWER
What is an Integrated Drive Electronics?
The new name for the IDE hard drive standard, since the invention of
Serial ATA (SATA). - ANSWER What is a Parallel ATA?
The latest version of the standard that specifies IDE (PATA) but that
uses only a single serial pathway for communication instead of multiple parallel
pathways
as PATA uses. - ANSWER What is a Serial ATA?
IDE, SATA, PATA - ANSWER What are the different types of hard drive standard
connectors?
The name given to any software that is encoded in hardware, usually a read-only
memory (ROM) chip, and can be run without extra instructions from the
operating
system. An example of firmware is the BIOS. - ANSWER What is Firmware? What
is an example?
The basic input/output system.
It is the firmware that boots the system and initiates the memory and hard drive
to allow the OS to start. It is the second most important chip on the
motherboard. - ANSWER What is BIOS?
