Term
| 4-pin motherboard auxiliary connector |
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Definition
| A connector on the motherboard used to provide additional power to the processor other than that provided by the P1 connector. It allows for an additional 12 volts of power. |
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Term
| 8-pin motherboard auxiliary connector |
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Definition
| A connector on the motherboard used to provide additional power to the processor other than that provided by the P1 connector or the earlier 4-pin auxiliary connector. It allows for an additional 12 volts of power. |
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Term
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Definition
| Used by an older ATX power supply and motherboard and provided +3.3 bolts, +5 volts, +12 volts, -12 volts, and an optional and rarely used -5 volts. |
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Term
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Definition
| Used by ATX Version 2.2 power supply and motherboard and provides addtional power for PCI Express slots. |
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Term
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Definition
| Current that cycles back and forth rather than traveling in only one direction. In the USA, the AC voltage from a standard wall outlet is normally between 110 and 115 volts. In Europe, the standard AC voltage from a wall outlet is 220 volts. |
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Term
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Definition
| A measure of Electrical Current |
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Term
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Definition
| Static shielding bags that new computer components are shipped in. |
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Term
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Definition
| Gloves designed to prevent an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) between you and a device, as you it up and handle it. Also called ESD Gloves. |
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Term
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Definition
| A strap you wear around your wrist that is attached to the computer case, ground mat, or another ground so that ESD is discharged from your body before you touch sensitive components inside a computer. Also called Ground Bracelet. |
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Term
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Definition
| Advanced Technology Extended. The most common form factor for PC systems presently in use. Originally introduced by Intel in 1995. ATX motherboards and cases make better use of space and resources than did the earlier AT form factor. |
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Term
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Definition
| An ATX version 2.1 power supply that provides a 12 volt power cord with a 4-pin connector to be used by the auxiliary 4-pin power connector on motherboards used to provide extra power for processors. |
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Term
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Definition
| A system usually has 3 or more round audio ports called sound ports, for a microphone, audio-in, audio-out, and stereo audio-out. Speakers or ear phones plug into the lime green sound port. |
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Term
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Definition
| A type of power connector used by a power cord to provide power to a floppy disk drive. |
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Term
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Definition
| Basic Input/Output System Firmware that can control much of a computers input/output functions, such as communication with the keyboard and the monitor. |
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Term
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Definition
| The program in system BIOS that can change the values in CMOS RAM. Also called CMOS setup. |
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Term
| Central Processing Unit (CPU) |
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Definition
| The component where almost all processing of data and instructions takes place. The CPU receives data input, processed information, and executes instructions. Also called a microprocessor or processor. |
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Term
| Class C Fire Extinguisher |
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Definition
| A fire extinguisher rated to put out electrical fires. |
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Term
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Definition
| The program in system BIOS that can cahange the values in CMOS RAM. Also called BIOS setup. |
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Term
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Definition
| A 15-pin female port that transmits analog video. |
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Term
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Definition
| A computer case that lies flat and sometimes serves double-duty as a monitor stand. |
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Term
| Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) |
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Definition
| A miniature circuit board installed on a motherboard to hold memory. DIMMs can hold up to 16GB of RAM on a single module. |
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Term
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Definition
| Current that travels in only one direction (the type of electricity provided by batteries). Computer power supplies transform AC to low DC. |
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Term
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Definition
| A port that transmits digital video and audio (not analog transmissions) and is slowly replacing VGA and DVI ports on personal computers. |
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Term
| Dual Voltage Selector Switch |
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Definition
| A switch on the back of the computer case where you can switch the input voltage to the power supply to 115 volts in the USA or 220 volts in other countries. |
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Term
| Digital Video Interface (DVI) Port |
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Definition
| A port that transmits digital or analog video. |
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Term
| Electrical Discharge (ESD) |
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Definition
| Another name for static electricity, which can damage chips and destroy motherboards, even though it might not be felt or seen with the naked eye. |
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Term
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Definition
| A port used by a network cable to connect to the wired network. Also called a Network Port. |
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Term
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Definition
| A circuit board inserted into a slot on the motherboard to enhance the capability of the computer. |
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Term
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Definition
| A standard for external drives based on SATA that uses a special external shielded SATA cable up to 2 meters long. eSATA is up to six times fasster than USB or FireWire. |
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Term
| Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) |
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Definition
| A component in a computer or device that can be replaced with a new component without sending the computer or device back to the manufacturer. |
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Term
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Definition
| A port used for high-speed multimedia devices such as camcorders. Also called IEEE 1394 port. |
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Term
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Definition
| Software that is permanently stored in the chip. The BIOS on a motherboard is an example of firmware. |
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Term
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Definition
| A drive that hold either a 5 1/2 inch or 3 1/4 inch floppy disk. Also called Floppy Drive. |
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Term
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Definition
| A drive that hold either a 5 1/2 inch or 3 1/4 inch floppy disk. Also called Floppy Disk Drive. |
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Term
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Definition
| The standards that describe the size, shape, and major features of components so that they work together properly. |
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Term
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Definition
| A strap you wear around your wrist that is attached to the computer case, ground mat, or another ground so that ESD is discharged from your body before you touch sensitive components inside a computer. Also called static strap, ground strap, ESD bracelet. |
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Term
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Definition
| A mat that dissipates ESD and is commonly used by bench technicians will repair and assemble computers at their workbenches or in an assembly line. |
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Term
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Definition
| The main secondary storage device of a computer. Two technologies are currently used by hard drives: Magnetic and solid state. |
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Term
| High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Port |
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Definition
| The latest digital audio and video interface standard. HDMI is currently used on televisions and other home theater equipment. To connect a PC to this equipment that uses HDMI, you can purchase an HDMI to DVI cable. |
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