Apr 05 2012, 04:26 PM
Computer terms:
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Data Terms:
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Network Terms:
coming soon.
- CPU: Central Processing Unit
The CPU is the "brain" of the computer, it processes instructions and links software and hardware together.
- PSU: Power Supply Unit
The PSU is the power supply for the computer, it handles power distribution to the main board (mother board) and the various other peripherals on the computer.
- Main Board / Mother Board
This is the central hub for all of the components of the computer, it links everything together with the CPU, PSU, BIOS, RAM, etc.
- ROM: Read Only Memory
This is a type of memory that can only be read from but not written to (although they can actually be written to it just has to be done in a special way). ROM does not need power to retain its data.
- RAM: Random Access Memory
This is a type of memory that can be read from and written to, the main use of RAM in a computer is to store program and OS data and instructions to reduce load times. Without RAM everything would have to be read straight from the drive which is bottle necked by the seek time of the drive, RAM has an extremely low seek time if any. Most forms of RAM require power to retain their data, the kind used as "memory" in a computer for instance. Some forms do not require power but operate at slower speeds such as flash media.
- BIOS: Basic Input/Output System
The BIOS are what runs when your computer first turns on, the BIOS are stored in a ROM chip on the Main Board and fed directly to the CPU to initialize all the components of the main board, spin up the HDD and begin reading from the "boot sector" of the HDD. Once the boot sector has been found then processing is handed over and the BIOS stand by not really doing much.
- HDD: Hard Disk Drive
The HDD is your hard drive. Presently HDDs come in 2 types, SSD and Platter. A platter drive uses spinning disks (usually ceramic, glass or plastic) coated in a special metalic chemical designed to hold a very small magnetic field. Platter drives have a high seek time compared to flash media because the disk has to physically spin to the correct location and position the read head in the correct place to read the magnetic bit. The alternative is SSD, typically flash media, which has a very low seek time because the data is stored electronically in a special type of persistent RAM, ram that retains it's data after loss of power. SSD media doesn't really have a seek time because the data is stored in an addressable array and pulled straight out of that address. Other delays in accessing media include Read time, Write time.
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Data Terms:
- Bit
The smallest amount of data that can be stored. A bit is either 1 or 0, on or off
- Nibble
4 bits
- Byte/Octet
8 Bits
- WORD
2 Bytes, 16 bits
- DWORD
2 WORDs, 4 Bytes, 32 Bits
- QWORD
2 DWORDs, 4 WORDs, 8 Bytes, 64 Bits
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Network Terms:
coming soon.
