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Info Tech Ch. 3.3
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Bus | The communication system that allows data to be transferred between the components inside a computer |
Central processing unit (CPU) | The most important part of any modern computer system; it controls the other parts of the computer |
Random access memory (RAM) | The main memory of a computer that can be quickly accessed by the CPU; it is where the computer stores data and instructions that it is actively using |
Motherboard | A large, flat computer component that connects the important components of the computer, such as the CPU, RAM, and the BIOS chip. It also has power and other communications connections |
Power supply | A unit that supplies electricity to the motherboard and other computer components |
Graphics processing unit (GPU) | An additional computer processor that provides graphics processing. It improves performance by relieving the CPU of this duty |
Network interface card (NIC) | A component, sometimes built into and sometimes plugged into the motherboard, that provides network connectivity |
Cooling system | Components, including heat sinks and fans, that keep computer components from overheating |
Electrostatic discharge | An event in which two objects with different charge levels come together resulting in an electrostatic shock |
Fetch-execute cycle | A three-step cycle (fetch, decode, and execute) that processors use to execute instructions |
x86 processors | A family of processors manufactured by Intel and AMD that use a common instruction set (list of commands that the processor can execute) |
Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) processors | A family of processors most often used in smartphones due to its lower power requirements. This is accomplished by reducing the processors' instruction set |
Expansion card | A circuit board that connects to a computer's motherboard, giving it additional power or functionality |
Heat sink | A computer component that attaches to a chip (such as a CPU) that disperses heat and prevents overheating |
Air cooling | A common method of cooling that uses fans to move hot air out of a system |
Water cooling | A liquid-cooled system that places a water-cooled heat exchanger near a heat source. The exchanger removes the heat, reducing the air temperature |
Active-liquid heat sink | A cooling system composed of a liquid heat sink, internal liquid pump, a fan, and a radiator that all actively pump liquid in and out with no help from an outside pumping system |
Immersion cooling | An advanced system of cooling in which liquid coolant is in direct contact with the CPU. It offers a high level of heat transfer that quickly reduces the temperature of the CPU's surface |