COMPUTER MAINTENANCE SKILLS

APCS1204

Course Description

This course is designed to equip the candidates for becoming an Entry Level L1,
Desktop Support, Service Engineer, Customer Support Engineer, FM Engineer,
Hardware Engineer and IT Support Specialist in End User Computing environment.
Candidates will learn about Desktop and Laptop Computer Hardware Technology like
Motherboard, Hard Disk, Memory Processors, Assembling, Computer Peripherals Like
Printers & Scanners.
Windows 10/11 Operating system, Understanding the latest Technologies.
Troubleshooting all kind of Hardware and OS related issues.
Through this course, candidates shall also gain the knowledge to take the
International Certification example like CompTIA A+ Certification Core 1 (220-1001).

452 semester
 Motherboard
Memory Processors Hard Disk Drive
Computer Peripherals
Windows 10/11

CompTIA A + Core 1 (220-1001).

452 semester

Course Main Objective

Understanding Computers Architecture

Know computer hardware component such as Motherboard, Processor , RAM and
storage
Understanding Computer Assembling
Install and configure user operating system such as Windows10/11 or Linux
Understanding User Account Management and local security policies

452 semester
 Processor Motherboard
RAM

Linux Windows10/11

452 semester

Course Contents

Week Class Lab.

Orientation and introduction to Computer
1 Orientation and introduction
HW
2
Motherboards, Bios/UEFI
3 Taking a Computer Apart and Putting It Back
4 Supporting Processors and Upgrading Together
5 Memory
6 (MID-TERM Exam)
Supporting the Power System and Windows Customer Service
7
Troubleshooting Computer
Supporting Hard Drives and Other
8
Storage Devices Installing Windows
9
Supporting I/O Devices
10 Lab Final Exam
452 semester
 Assessment Tasks for Students

Percentage of
Week Total
# Assessment task*
Due Assessment
Score
1 Quiz 1 (H.Ws) 2-9 10%
2 Quiz 2 (Lab activities) 2-9 10%
4 Midterm 6 20%
5 Labs(Lab Final Exam) 9 20%
6 Final exam 12 40%
452 semester

452 semester
 LECTURE 1
INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTER HARDWARE

Hardware & Software

Hardware
All of the electronic and mechanical equipment in a computer is called the hardware. Examples include:
Motherboard
Hard disk
RAM
Power supply
Processor
Case
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse

452 semester
 Hardware & Software

Software
The term software is used to describe computer programs that perform a task or tasks
on a computer system. Software can be grouped as follows:
System software - Operating System etc.
Utility programs - Antivirus etc.
Applications Software - Word, SolidWorks etc.

452 semester

Topics to be Discussed

System Unit and Motherboard

Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Primary Memory
Secondary Memory
Input / Output Devices
Expansion Cards

452 semester
The System Unit (Case or Chassis)

The main PC box that houses the various elements:

motherboard, which contains all the main components, such as the CPU and primary
memory.
Hard disks, the floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD drives etc.
Also contains Power Supply.
System units come in two basic forms:
The Tower
Tower
The Desktop
Desktop

452 semester

The Components of A Computer

System Unit
Box-like case containing electronic components
used to process data.
Processor, Memory, Adapter Cards, Ports, Power
Supply

452 semester
The System Board (Motherboard)

Mainboard or system board - the main

circuit board for the computer system.
All device in the computer system will
either be part of the motherboard or
connected to it.

452 semester

The System Board (Motherboard)

Is the main circuit board

Provides electrical connections/
communication channels to components
ponents
It contains the following:
CPU
Primary Memory (RAM and ROM)
Buses
Expansion Slots (Sockets)
Ports

452 semester
6

.1

.2

.3

.4

.5

.6

.7

.8

452 semester

ALU
I/O

452 semester
452 semester

CPU

452 semester
 452 semester

66

452 semester
 Lecture 2
All About
Motherboards

Objectives

Describe and contrast various types and features of motherboards

Configure a motherboard using BIOS/UEFI firmware
Maintain a motherboard by updating drivers and firmware, using jumpers to clear
BIOS/UEFI settings, and replacing the CMOS battery
Select, install, and replace a desktop motherboard or laptop system board

452 semester
Motherboard Types and Features (1 of 2)

Motherboard
Most complicated computer component
One of the first items to consider when building
a computer

Consider the following when purchasing a

motherboard:
Form factor
Processor socket and chipset
Expansion slots
Other connectors, slots, and ports

452 semester

Motherboard Types and Features (2 of 2)

Figure 2-1 The Asus Prime Z370-P

gaming motherboard uses the ATX
form factor and LGA1151 8th
generation process socket

452 semester
Motherboard Form Factors (1 of 5)

Motherboard form factor determines

motherboard size and features that make
it compatible with power supplies and
cases
Most popular:
ATX, microATX, and Mini-ITX Mini-ITX microATX ATX
Mini-ITX is smaller than microATX and is also microATX Mini-ITX
known as mITX mITX
The following slides show examples of
form factors and comparisons of sizes and
hole positions of several form factors

452 semester

Motherboard Form Factors (2 of 5)

Figure 2-2 The Intel desktop

motherboard DH676D uses the mATX
form factor and has the processor,
cooler, and memory modules installed

452 semester
Motherboard Form Factors (3 of 5)

Figure 2-3 A Mini-ITX

motherboard

452 semester

Motherboard Form Factors (4 of 5)

Form Factor Motherboard Size Description

ATX, full size Up to 12 x 9.6 (305mm x 244mm) A popular form factor that
has had many revisions and
variations

microATX (mATX) Up to 9.6 x 9.6 (244mm x 244mm) A smaller version of ATX

Mini-ITX (mITX and Up to 6.7 x 6.7 (170mm x 170mm) A small form factor (SFF)
ITX) board used in low-end
computers and home
theater systems

452 semester
Motherboard Form Factors (5 of 5)

Figure 2-4 Sizes and hole

positions for the ATX,
microATX, and Mini-ITX
motherboards

452 semester

Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (1 of 8)

A chipset is a set of chips on the

motherboard that works closely with the
processor to control the memory, buses on
the motherboard, and some peripherals
Must be compatible with the processor it serves

A socket is rectangular with pins or pads

to connect the processor to the
motherboard
Zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets are ZIF
used to lift the processor up and out of
the socket, using levers
Two major chipset and processor
manufacturers:
Intel AMD
AMD

452 semester
Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (2 of 8)

Intel Chipsets: Intel

Alder Lake Alder Lake
Comet Lake
Comet Lake
Rocket Lake
Rocket Lake
Coffee Lake
Coffee Lake
Kaby Lake
Skylake
Kaby Lake
Broadwell and Haswell Skylake
Broadwell and Haswell
Since the release of the 2nd generation of
Intel Core family of processors: Intel Core
You can know which generation a processor fits
in by the four digits in the model number
Example: Core i5-6200U processor is a 6th
generation processor
Core i5-6200U

452 semester

Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (3 of 8)

Figure 2-5 The 8th generation

LGA1151 socket with the cover
removed and load plate lifted,
ready to receive the processor

452 semester
Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (4 of 8)

Sockets for Intel Processors

Current Intel sockets for desktop Intel
computers:
LGA1151
LGA1150
LGA1151
LGA1155 LGA1150
LGA1155
Intel sockets used in servers and high-
performance workstations: Intel
LGA2066
LGA2011
LGA2066
LGA1366
LGA2011
LGA1366

452 semester

Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (5 of 8)

Figure 2-6 The 7th and 6th

generation LGA1151 open socket
and the bottom of an Intel
processor

452 semester
Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (6 of 8)

Figure 2-8 The LGA1366 socket with

the socket cover removed and the load
plate lifted ready to receive a
processor

452 semester

Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (7 of 8)

AMD Chipsets and Sockets AMD

Current AMD chipset and socket AMD
categories for personal computers:
TR4 (Threadripper 4) socket uses the AMD TR4 (Threadripper 4)
X399 chipset AMD X399
AM4 chipset family and AM4 socket is used AM4 AM4
with AMD Ryzen and Athlon processors Athlon AMD Ryzen
AM3+ and AM3 are PGA sockets used with PGA AM3 AM3+
AMD Piledriver and Bulldozer processors
Bulldozer AMD Piledriver
FM2+ is an older PGA socket used with
AMD Athlon, Steamroller, and Excavator PGA FM2+
processors and A-series chipsets Excavator Steamroller AMD Athlon
A

452 semester
Intel and AMD Chipsets and Processor Sockets (8 of 8)

Match a Processor to the Socket and

Motherboard
You must pay close attention to the actual
model number of the processor to know which
socket it requires and which motherboards can
support it

To match a processor to a motherboard

and socket:
Look at the motherboard manufacturer s
website or user guide for a list of processors the
motherboard supports AMD Intel
You can also search the Intel or AMD website
for the exact processor to make sure the socket
it uses is the same as the socket on the
motherboard

452 semester

Buses and Expansion Slots (1 of 8)

Fine lines found on both the top and the

bottom of a motherboard are sometimes
called traces
Traces are circuits or paths that enable data,
instructions, timing signals, and power to move
from component to component on the board

Bus:
System of pathways used for communication
and the protocol and methods used for
transmission
A protocol is a set of rules and standards that
any two entities use for communication

452 semester
Buses and Expansion Slots (2 of 8)

Figure 2-10 On the bottom of the

motherboard, you can see the bus
lines terminating at the processor
socket

452 semester

Buses and Expansion Slots (3 of 8)

PCI Express PCI Express

PCIe currently comes in four different slot sizes PCIe
called PCI Express x1, x4, x8, and x16 x16 x8 x4 PCI Express x1
The number after the x refers to the number x
of lanes available for data
PCIe x4
Example: PCIe x4 contains 4 lanes
PCIe x16 slot is used by graphics cards that
PCIe x16
require large throughput
To provide extra wattage required for cards that
require large throughput:
The card may have one, two, or three connectors
to connect the card to the extra power

452 semester
Buses and Expansion Slots (4 of 8)

Figure 2-11 Three types of

expansion slots: PCIe x1,
PCIe x16, and conventional
PCI

452 semester

Buses and Expansion Slots (5 of 8)

Figure 2-12 PCIe documentation

for one motherboard

452 semester
Buses and Expansion Slots (6 of 8)

Figure 2-14 Auxiliary power

connectors to support PCIe

452 semester

Buses and Expansion Slots (7 of 8)

PCI PCI
Conventional PCI slots and buses are slower PCI
than those of PCIe
PCIe
Slots are slightly taller than PCIe slots
Transmits 32 data bits in parallel and operates
PCIe
at about 500 Mbps
Used for all types of add-on cards

Riser Cards Used to Extend the Slots

A low-profile or slimline case may not give you
enough room to install an expansion card
standing up in a slot
A riser card installs in the slot and provides
another slot at a right angle
Riser cards come for all types of PCI and PCIe
slots
PCI Riser
PCIe

452 semester
Buses and Expansion Slots (8 of 8)

Figure 2-15 The PCI riser card

provides a slot for an expansion
card installed parallel to the
motherboard

452 semester

Onboard Ports and Connectors (1 of 9)

Onboard ports (integrated components)

Ports coming directly off the motherboard
May include USB, PS/2 mouse and keyboard,
video, sound, network, and eSATA ports PS/2 USB

I/O shield eSATA

Plate installed in computer case providing holes
for I/O ports

Internal connectors
USB, M.2, SATA, and IDE connectors

IDE SATA M.2 USB

452 semester
Onboard Ports and Connectors (2 of 9)

Figure 2-16 A motherboard

provides ports for common I/O
devices

452 semester

Onboard Ports and Connectors (3 of 9)

Figure 2-17 The I/O shield fits the

motherboard ports to the
computer case

452 semester
Onboard Ports and Connectors (4 of 9)

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology SATA

Attachment or Serial ATA) Serial ATA
An interface standard used mostly by storage devices
Current versions of SATA:
SATA
SATA Express (SATAe)
SATA3 SATA Express (SATAe)
SATA2 SATA3
SATA2
M.2
Formerly known as the Next Generation Form Factor M.2
(NGFF)
Uses the PCIe, USB, or SATA interface to connect a
mini add-on card NGFF
Commonly used by wireless cards and solid-state SATA USB PCIe
drives (SSDs)

SSD

452 semester

Onboard Ports and Connectors (5 of 9)

Figure 2-20 An M.2 slot and three

possible screw positions to secure
a card to the motherboard

452 semester
Onboard Ports and Connectors (6 of 9)

Figure 2-21 An M.2 slot is

keyed with a notch to hold an
M.2 card with a B key or M key
edge connector

452 semester

Onboard Ports and Connectors (7 of 9)

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) IDE

standard
Used to interface storage devices with the
motherboard IDE
IDE connector has 40 pins
USB
USB USB
USB header is used to connect a cable from a USB
motherboard to USB ports on the front of the
computer case

452 semester
Onboard Ports and Connectors (8 of 9)

Figure 2-22 An IDE

connector and cable

452 semester

Onboard Ports and Connectors (9 of 9)

Figure 2-23 Two USB headers are

used to connect the motherboard
to USB ports on the front of the
computer case

452 semester
Using BIOS/UEFI Setup to Configure a Motherboard (1 of 2)

Firmware on the motherboard is used to:

Enable or disable a connector, port, or component
Control the frequency and other features of the CPU
Manage security features
Control what happens when the computer first boots
Monitor and log various activities of the board

Motherboards made after 2012 use BIOS/UEFI

firmware
BIOS / UEFI
Prior to 2012, motherboards used BIOS firmware
BIOS
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
improves on BIOS but includes BIOS for backward
compatibility with older devices UEFI
BIOS BIOS

452 semester

Using BIOS/UEFI Setup to Configure a Motherboard (2 of 2)

Facts about UEFI: UEFI:

Microsoft requires UEFI in order for a Microsoft UEFI
system to be certified for Windows 10/8 Windows 10/8
UEFI is required for hard drives larger than UEFI
2 TB
UEFI offers Secure boot, which prevents UEFI
a system from booting up with drivers that
is not digitally signed and trusted by the
motherboard or computer manufacturer
For backward compatibility, UEFI can boot
from an MBR hard drive and provide a UEFI
BIOS boot through its Compatibility MBR
Support Module (CSM) feature CSM BIOS

452 semester
Accessing the BIOS/UEFI Setup Program

Access the BIOS/UEFI setup program by BIOS / UEFI

pressing a key or combination of keys during
the boot process
For most motherboards, you press F12, F2,
or Del during the boot
F12
See documentation for your motherboard
or watch the screen near the beginning of Del F2
the boot
Setup screen appears with menus and Help
features

452 semester

Viewing and Monitoring Information (1 of 2)

Figure 2-26 A BIOS/UEFI

setup screen showing a list
of drives installed on the
system

452 semester
Viewing and Monitoring Information (2 of 2)

Figure 2-27 Information about the

system is reported when you first
access BIOS/UEFI setup

452 semester

Changing Boot Options (1 of 5)

In the BIOS/UEFI setup boot menu, you can set the BIOS / UEFI
order in which the system tries to boot from certain
devices
Called the boot priority order or boot sequence

Boot Priority Order:

Examples where you might need to change the boot priority
order: USB Linux
Some distributions of Linux can be installed on a USB flash
USB
drive, so you can boot the OS from this drive when you put
the USB device first in the boot priority order BIOS DVD
When installing an OS on a hard drive, you might want DVD / UEFI
BIOS/UEFI to first boot from a DVD to install from a setup
PCI LAN:
DVD
PXE EFI Network
If you are installing an OS from a server, put the PCI LAN: EFI Boot to LAN
Network option at the top of the boot priority and enable PXE
Boot to LAN Windows DVD
Boot from the Windows setup DVD to troubleshoot a computer
that will not start

452 semester
Changing Boot Options (2 of 5)

Manage Secure Boot:

Secure boot was invented to help prevent
malware from launching before the OS and anti-
malware software are launched
Secure boot works only when the boot mode is
UEFI (and not CSM) and the OS supports it
Supported by Windows 10/8 and several
CSM UEFI
distributions on Linux
Linux Windows 10/8
Secure boot holds digital signatures, encryption
keys, and drivers in databases stored in flash
memory on the motherboard and/or the hard
drive
When enabled, it checks each driver, the OS,
and applications before UEFI launches these
programs to verify it is signed and identified in
the Secure boot databases UEFI

452 semester

Changing Boot Options (3 of 5)

Figure 2-30 Manage Secure

boot on the Security screen
of BIOS/UEFI setup

452 semester
Changing Boot Options (4 of 5)

Manage CSM and UEFI Boot: UEFI Boot: CSM

The Boot screen allows you to select UEFI mode UEFI
of CSM (Compatibility Support Module) mode
CSM
UEFI mode is required for Secure boot to be
enabled UEFI
Use CSM for backward compatibility with older CSM
BIOS devices and drivers and MBR hard drives BIOS
MBR

452 semester

Changing Boot Options (5 of 5)

Figure 2-31 Use CSM to boot a

legacy BIOS system or disable it to
implement UEFI Secure boot

452 semester
Configuring Onboard Devices (1 of 2)

You can enable or disable some onboard

devices using BIOS/UEFI setup BIOS / UEFI
For example: network ports, USB ports, or video
USB
ports

What you can configure on your system

depends on the onboard devices the
motherboard offers

Overclocking:
Running a processor, memory, motherboard, or
video card at a higher speed than the manufacturer
recommends
Some motherboards and processors allow
overclocking, but it is not a recommended best
practice

452 semester

Configuring Onboard Devices (2 of 2)

Figure 2-32 Enable and

disable onboard devices

452 semester
Configuring Security Features (1 of 5)

Other security features besides Secure

boot:
Power-on passwords
Drive password protection
TPM chip (Trusted Platform Module)
Drive encryption TPM

452 semester

Configuring Security Features (2 of 5)

Power-On Passwords:
Power-on passwords are assigned in BIOS /
BIOS/UEFI setup to prevent unauthorized UEFI
access to the computer and/or BIOS/UEFI BIOS / UEFI
setup utility
Depending on the motherboard, it may be
possible to set a supervisor and user
password
How to set passwords varies depending on
motherboard and BIOS BIOS

452 semester
Configuring Security Features (3 of 5)

Figure 2-33 Set

supervisor and user
passwords in BIOS/UEFI
setup to help lock down a
computer

452 semester

Configuring Security Features (4 of 5)

Drive Password Protection:

Some motherboards allow you to set a
password in order to access the hard
drive
Does not encrypt all the data on the
drive but encrypts only a few
organizational sectors

452 semester
Configuring Security Features (5 of 5)

The TPM Chip and Hard Drive Encryption: TPM

Many motherboards contain a chip called the
TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip
The BitLocker Encryption tool in Windows TPM
10/8/7 works with this chip
BitLocker
An encryption key (startup key) is kept on the
chip Windows 10/8/7
Assures that a drive cannot be used in another
computer
Can be used with other encryption software that
may be installed on the hard drive other than
BitLocker
If the motherboard fails and is replaced, you ll
need a backup copy of the startup key to access BitLocker
data on the hard drive

452 semester

BIOS Support for Virtualization

Virtualization is when one

physical computer uses software to
create multiple virtual computers
A virtual machine (VM) simulates the
hardware of a physical computer
VM
Each VM works like a physical computer
and is assigned virtual devices such as
virtual motherboard and virtual hard drive
Virtualization must be enabled in
BIOS/UEFI setup

BIOS / UEFI

452 semester
Exiting the BIOS/UEFI Setup Menus (2 of 2)

When you finish with BIOS/UEFI setup, an BIOS / UEFI

exit screen gives you various options, such
as:
Saving your changes and exiting
Discarding your changes and exiting

Some offer the option to Load Optimized

Defaults
This option can sometimes solve a problem
when a user has made several inappropriate
changes to the BIOS/UEFI settings or you are
attempting to recover from an error created BIOS / UEFI
while updating the firmware

452 semester

Exiting the BIOS/UEFI Setup Menus (2 of 2)

Figure 2-34 The BIOS/UEFI

Utility Exit Screen

452 semester
Updating Motherboard Drivers and BIOS/UEFI

When a motherboard is causing problems

or you want to use a new OS or hardware
device:
You might need to update the motherboard
drivers or update the BIOS/UEFI firmware

Both skills are covered next

BIOS / UEFI

452 semester

Installing or Updating Motherboard Drivers (1 of 2)

Device drivers are small programs that allow

software to interact with certain hardware

The CD or DVD that comes with the motherboard DVD

contains a user guide and drivers for its onboard
components

After installing a motherboard, you can install the

drivers from CD or DVD and later update them by DVD
downloading updates from the motherboard
manufacturer s website
Sometimes updates are included in updates to Windows
Windows

Be sure to get the correct drivers for the OS

edition and type (example: Windows 10 64-bit) Windows 10 64
you are using with the board

452 semester
Installing or Updating Motherboard Drivers (2 of 2)

Figure 2-36 Download drivers,

utilities, BIOS/UEFI updates,
documentation, and other help
software from the motherboard
manufacturer s website

452 semester

Updating Firmware (1 of 2)

The process of upgrading or refreshing the

programming and data stored on the
firmware chip is called updating firmware, Flashing BIOS / UEFI
flashing BIOS/UEFI, or flashing BIOS
Flashing BIOS
Reasons to flash the BIOS/UEFI:
The system hangs at odd times or during boot
Flashing BIOS / UEFI
Some motherboard functions have stopped working
or are causing problems
You get errors when trying to install a new OS or
hardware device
You want to incorporate some new features or a
new component on the board

452 semester
Updating Firmware (2 of 2)

To flash BIOS/UEFI, always follow the BIOS / UEFI

directions found in the user guide for your
motherboard

Motherboards can use one or more of these BIOS / UEFI

methods: USB
Download and update from within BIOS/UEFI setup BIOS / UEFI
Update from a USB flash drive using BIOS/UEFI setup BIOS / UEFI
Run an express BIOS/UEFI update

Cautions to be aware of when updating BIOS / UEFI

BIOS/UEFI firmware:
Don t update firmware without a good reason
Back up first
Select the correct update file
Don t interrupt the update

452 semester

Using Jumpers to Clear BIOS/UEFI Settings (1 of 3)

A jumper is two small posts or metal pins jumper

that stick up off the motherboard that is
used to hold configuration information
Open jumper has no cover and a closed jumper jumper jumper
has a cover on the two pins

Jumpers can be used to clear a forgotten

supervisor or power-on password jumper

If flashing BIOS/UEFI fails, a jumper can

be set to undo the update BIOS / UEFI

452 semester
Using Jumpers to Clear BIOS/UEFI Settings (2 of 3)

Figure 2-37 A 6-pin jumper group on a circuit

board: (a) has no jumpers set to on, (b) has a
cover parked on one pin, and (c) is configured
with one jumper setting turned on

452 semester

Using Jumpers to Clear BIOS/UEFI Settings (3 of 3)

Figure 2-39 BIOS configuration

jumper settings

452 semester
Replacing the CMOS Battery

CMOS (complementary metal-oxide CMOS

semiconductor) is a method of manufacturing
microchips CMOS
CMOS RAM is a small amount of memory stored
on the motherboard that retains data even when
the computer is turned off
It is charged by a nearby lithium coin-cell battery
CMOS
To replace the CMOS battery:
Choose correct replacement battery (must be an exact
match to the original or the manufacturer s
recommendation)
Power down system, unplug it, press power button to
drain the power, remove case cover ESD
Use ESD strap, remove old battery using a flat-head
screwdriver, pop new battery into place

452 semester

Installing or Replacing a Motherboard

A motherboard is considered a field

replaceable unit
A technician needs to know how to:
Select an appropriate motherboard
Install or replace one in a desktop or laptop
computer

452 semester
How to Select A Desktop Motherboard (1 of 2)

Three approaches to selecting a motherboard:

Select the board that provides the most room for
expansion
So you can upgrade and exchange components and add
devices easily
Select the board that best suits the needs of the
computer s current configuration
Select a motherboard that meets your present needs
with moderate room for expansion

Ask the following questions when selecting a

motherboard:
How is the motherboard to be used?
AMD Intel
What form factor does the motherboard use?
Which brand (Intel or AMD) and model processors
does the board support? Which chipset does it use?
Which processors does it support?
Which type and speed of memory does the board
support?
452 semester

How to Select A Desktop Motherboard (2 of 2)

Ask the following questions when selecting

a motherboard (continued):
What are the embedded expansion slots,
internal and external connectors, and devices on
the board?
Does the board fit the case you plan to use?
What are the price and the warranty on the
board? Does the board get good reviews?
How extensive and user friendly is the
documentation and how helpful is the
manufacturer website?
What warranty and how much support does the
manufacturer supply for the board?

452 semester
Chapter Summary (1 of 3)

The motherboard is the most complicated of all components

inside the computer

The most popular form factors are ATX, microATX, and Mini-
Mini-ITX microATX ATX
ITX

The chipset embedded on the motherboard determines what

kind of processor and memory the board can support

When matching a motherboard to a processor, use only

processors the motherboard manufacturer recommends for
the board

Components that are built into the motherboard are called

onboard components
Other components can be attached to the system in some other way,
such as an expansion card, internal connector, or external port
IDE
A 40-pin IDE connector on a motherboard was designed to IDE
use older IDE storage devices and is seldom seen on modern
motherboards

452 semester

Chapter Summary (2 of 3)

The firmware that controls current motherboards is a combination

of the older BIOS and the newer UEFI UEFI BIOS

UEFI supports the GPT partitioning system for hard drives, which GPT UEFI
supports hard drives larger than 1 TB

Booting using UEFI mode is required to use Windows Secure boot UEFI
Windows
Motherboard settings that can be configured using BIOS/UEFI
setup include changing the boot priority order, managing Secure BIOS
boot options, selecting UEFI mode or CSM mode, enabling or / UEFI
disabling onboard devices, overclocking the CPU, and managing CSM UEFI
power-on passwords

Secure boot uses databases to verify that hardware drivers are

digitally signed by their manufacturers

Update motherboard firmware when a component on the board is

causing problems or you want to incorporate a new feature or
component on the board

452 semester
Chapter Summary (3 of 3)

When flashing BIOS/UEFI, don t update Flashing BIOS / UEFI

firmware without a good reason, backup
firmware before you update it, be certain to
select the correct update file, and make sure
the update process is not interrupted
Jumpers on the motherboard may be used
to clear BIOS/UEFI settings, restoring them
to factory defaults jumpers
BIOS / UEFI
When selecting a motherboard, pay
attention to the form factor, chipset,
expansion slots and memory slots used, and
the processors supported
For laptops, it s usually more cost effective
to replace the laptop than to replace a failed
system board

452 semester

452 semester
 Chapter 3
SUPPORTING PROCESSORS
AND UPGRADING MEMORY

Objectives

Compare characteristics and features of AMD Intel

Intel and AMD processors used for
personal computers

Select, install, and upgrade a processor

Compare the different kinds of physical

memory and how they work

Upgrade memory

452 semester
Outlines

Types and Characteristics of Processors

Intel Processors
AMD Processors
Selecting and Installing a Processor AMD
Installing a Processor and Cooler Assembly
Replacing the Processor in a Laptop
Memory Technologies
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies
How to Upgrade Memory SO-DIMM DIMM
How Much Memory Do I Need and How Much is
Currently Installed?
What Type of Memory is Already Installed?
How Many and What Kind of Modules Can Fit on my
Motherboard?
How Do I Select and Purchase the Right Memory
Modules?
How Do I Install the New Modules?
How to Upgrade Memory on a Laptop
Chapter Summary
452 semester

Types and Characteristics of Processors (1 of 3)

Processor
Installed on motherboard and determines
system computing power

Two major processor manufacturers

AMD Intel
Intel and AMD

Features affecting processor performance

and compatibility with motherboards
1. Processor speed .1
2. Socket and chipset the processor can use .2
3. Multiprocessing abilities .3
Multiprocessing
Multithreading
Multicore processing
Dual processors

452 semester
Types and Characteristics of Processors (2 of 3)
(continued)
4. Memory cache .4
5. Memory features on the motherboard that the
processor can support .5
6. Support for virtualization
7. Integrated graphics .6
8. Overclocking .7
.8
Today s processor architectures fall into two
categories
1. Hybrid processors known as x86-64
processors .1
Can handle a 32-bit OS or a 64-bit OS x86-64
2. 64-bit processors known as x64 processors
or IA64 IA64 x64 .2
Require a 64-bit OS and can handle 32-bit
applications only by simulating 32-bit processing

452 semester

Types and Characteristics of Processors (3 of 3)

Figure 3-1 This quad-core

processor has four cores and each
core can handle two threads

452 semester
Intel Processors (1 of 2)

Current families of processors for desktops and

laptops include:
1. Intel Core processors
Intel Core .1
Core i9 and Core i7 are made for high-
Core i7 Core i9
end desktops and laptops
Core i5 is well suited for mainstream Core i5
desktops and laptops
Core i3 is an entry-level processor for Core i3
desktops and laptops
2. Pentium processors .2
Designed for entry-level desktops and
laptops .3
3. Atom processors
Made for low-end desktops, notebooks,
and laptops .4
4. Celeron processors
Made for low-end netbooks and laptops
452 semester

Intel Processors (2 of 2)

Some Intel mobile processors are Intel

packaged in the Centrino processor Centrino
technology Intel
The Intel processor, chipset, and wireless
network adapter are all interconnected as a
unit Intel

Intel dominates the market for servers Core i5 Core i7 Core i9

with highly stable and powerful Core i3
processors Xeon Xeon Intel
Models of the Core i9, Core i7, Core i5, and Itanium Ph
Core i3 processors are designed for server use
For high-end servers, Intel offers the ,
, and processors

452 semester
AMD Processors

Processors by AMD are popular in the AMD

and Intel
They are generally than
comparable Intel processors AMD
Ryzen Pro Ryzen .1
Current AMD processor families include: A-Series Pro A-Series Ryzen Threadripper
1. For desktops, the Ryzen, Ryzen Pro, Ryzen FX
Threadripper, A-Series, A-Series Pro, and FX A- Ryzen Pro Ryzen .2
2. For laptops, the Ryzen, Ryzen Pro, A- A-Series Pro Series
Series, and A-Series Pro Opteron EPYC .3
3. For servers, the EPYC and Opteron

452 semester

Selecting and Installing a Processor

A hardware technician is sometimes

called on to:
Assemble a computer from parts
Exchange a faulty processor
Add a processor
Upgrade an existing processor

In each situation, it is necessary to know

how to:
Match a processor to the system
Install a processor on the motherboard

452 semester
Selecting a Processor to Match System Needs (1 of 2)

First requirement:
Select a processor that the motherboard is designed to support

Next:
Select the best processor meeting general system requirements and
user needs

Processor features to consider:

Use the highest-performing processor the board supports
Understand the processor s ability to multitask
Balance the performance and power of the CPU with that of the
entire system
Read reviews of the processors you are considering and look for
reviews that include comparison benchmarks of several processors

When processors and coolers are boxed together, the

cooler heat sink might have thermal compound already
applied to the bottom

452 semester

Selecting a Processor to Match System Needs (2 of 2)

Figure 3-2 Thermal compound

is already applied to the bottom
of this cooler that was
purchased boxed with the
processor

452 semester
Memory Technologies (1 of 2)

Random access memory (RAM): RAM

Temporarily holds data and instructions used
by CPU

Dynamic RAM (DRAM): DRAM

Loses its data rapidly, and the memory
controller must refresh it several thousand
times a second

Variations of DRAM DRAM

1. DIMM dual inline memory module DIMM .1
Used by desktops
2. SO-DIMM (small outline DIMM) are SO-DIMM .2
used on laptops and microDIMMs are used microDIMM
on subnotebook computers

452 semester

Memory Technologies (2 of 2)

Figure 3-16 Evolving memory

technologies result in many details
and options

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (1 of 14)

The D in DIMM stands for dual DIMM D

Named for the independent pins on both sides of the module s
edge connector
DIMM
All DIMMs have a 64-bit data path
SIMM (single inline memory module) is an older technology that
SIM
has pins on only one side
DDR (Double Data Rate) DIMM DIMM DIM DDR
Twice as fast as earlier DIMMs when it was invented
DDR2 SDRAM DDR (DDR2 SDRAM)
Faster than DDR and uses less power
DDR2 (DDR3 SDRAM)
DDR3 SDRAM
Faster than DDR2 and uses less power DDR3 DDR2
DDR2 and DDR3 use 240 pins
Not compatible: use different notches DDR3 DDR4
DDR4 is faster and uses less power than DDR3
Uses 288 pins and has a single notch in the edge
connector

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (2 of 14)

Factors that affect capacity, features, and DIMMS

performance of DIMMS:
Number of channels they use DIMM
How much RAM is on one DIMM
Speed
Error-checking abilities
Buffering

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (3 of 14)

Single, Dual, Triple, and Quad Channels

Early single channel DIMMs: : DIMM
Memory controller is accessed one DIMM at a time DIMM
Dual channels:
Memory controller communicates with two DIMMs at :
the same time and doubles speed of memory access
DIMM
Triple channel motherboards can access three
DIMMs at once
Quad channel motherboards can access four DIMMs DIMM
at the same time
DDR, DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4 DIMMs use dual DIMM
channels
DDR3 DIMMs can also use triple channels
DDR4 DDR3 DDR2 DDR
DDR3 and DDR4 can use quad channels
DDR3 DIMM
DDR4 DDR3

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (4 of 14)

For dual, triple, or quad channels to work: :

The motherboard and the DIMM must support the
DIMM
technology
Motherboard manufacturer typically color-codes
DIMM slots to show you how to configure dual, triple, DIMM
or quad channeling
Setting up dual channeling:
:
Pair of DIMMs in a channel must be equally matched
in size, speed, and features DIMMs
Use same manufacturer (recommendation)

Setting up triple-channeling:
Three DIMM slots populated with three matching
DDR3 DIMMs :

DDR3 DIMM DIMM

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (5 of 14)

Figure 3-17 Using dual channels, the

memory controller can read from two
DIMMs at the same time

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (6 of 14)

Figure 3-18 Matching pairs of DIMMs

installed in four DIMM slots that support
dual channeling

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (7 of 14)

Figure 3-19 Three identical DDR3 DIMMs

installed in a triple-channel configuration

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (8 of 14)

Expect a motherboard that uses quad

channeling to have eight memory slots
The eight DIMM slots support four channels; DIMM
each channel has two slots
The processor can address four slots or four
channels at the same time
To know which of the eight slots to
populate for optimum performance, see
the motherboard user manual

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (9 of 14)

Figure 3-20 The Gigabyte AMD X399

Gaming motherboard has eight DIMM DDR4
slots and supports quad channeling

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (10 of 14)

DIMM Speeds are measured in MHz and PC DIMM

PC rating
PC
PC rating is a measure of the total
bandwidth of data moving between the
module and the CPU DDR4 DIMM:
To calculate the PC rating for a DDR4 DIMM
DIMM:
Multiply the speed by 8 bytes because a DIMM
has an 8-byte or 64-bit data path DDR4 DIMM
Example: a DDR4 DIMM that runs at 3,000 MHz
bandwidth or transfer rate is 3,000 x 8 24,000
MB/second PC4 24000
(expressed as a PC rating of PC4 24000)
A DDR4 PC rating is labeled PC4
PC4 DDR4

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (11 of 14)

Error Checking and Parity

Error-correcting code (ECC):
ECC
Detects and corrects error in a
single bit
Can detect errors in 2 bits
but cannot correct it
Application: ECC makes 64-bit DIMM 64 ECC
DIMM a 72-bit module

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (12 of 14)

Figure 3-21 Server memory uses ECC for

fault tolerance

452 semester
DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (13 of 14)

Buffered and Registered DIMMS DIMMS

Buffers and registers hold data and amplify a signal
before data is written
Can increase memory performance in servers
Registered DIMM (RDIMM)
(RDIMM) DIMM
Uses registers
Unbuffered DIMM
No buffers or register support
DIMM
CAS (column access strobe) Latency is a way of
measuring access timing CAS Latency
Refers to number of clock cycles it takes to write or
read a column or row of data off a memory module
Lower values are better than higher values

452 semester

DIMM and SO-DIMM Technologies (14 of 14)

Types of Memory Used in Laptops

Today s laptops use DDR4, DDR3L, DDR3, or DDR4
DDR2 SO-DIMM memory DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR3 DDR3L
Only use the type of memory the laptop is
designed to support
The number of pins and the position of the
SO-DIMM
notches on a SO-DIMM keep you from
inserting the wrong module in a memory slot

452 semester
How to Upgrade Memory (1 of 2)

To upgrade memory means to add more

RAM to a computer
Adding more RAM might solve:
:
Slow performance
Applications refusing to load
An unstable system
Windows Insufficient memory error message Windows

452 semester

How to Upgrade Memory (2 of 2)

Questions to ask when adding more

memory to your computer: :
How much RAM do I need and how much is
currently installed?
What type of memory is currently installed?
How many and what kind of modules can I fit
on my motherboard?
How do I select and purchase the right
modules for my upgrade?
How do I physically install the new modules?

452 semester
How Much Memory Do I Need and How Much is Currently Installed?

When deciding how much memory the :

system can support:
Consider the limitations of the motherboard,
processor, and operating system :
Limitations when considering the OS: Windows 10/8/7
Windows 10/8/7 require at least 1 GB for a 32-
bit installation and 2 GB for a 64-bit
installation
Windows 10 Pro
For 64-bit installations, Windows 10 Pro can Windows 8 Pro
support up to 2 TB of memory, Windows 8 Pro
Windows 7 Pro
can support up to 512 GB, and Windows 7 Pro
can support up to 192 GB
A 32-bit Windows 10/8/7 installation can Windows 10/8/7 32
support no more than 4 GB of memory

452 semester

What Type of Memory is Already Installed? (1 of 3)

1. Open the case and look at memory slots .1

How many slots do you have?
How many are filled?
Review module imprint
2. Examine the motherboard for the .2
imprinted manufacturer and model
3. Read motherboard documentation
.3
See if the board supports dual, triple, or quad
channels
4. If you still have not identified the module
type: : .4
Take the motherboard and old memory modules
to a good computer parts store for confirmation

452 semester
What Type of Memory is Already Installed? (2 of 3)

Figure 3-21 Use the label on this

DIMM to identify its features

452 semester

What Type of Memory is Already Installed? (3 of 3)

Figure 3-22 Look for the manufacturer

and model of a motherboard imprinted
somewhere on the board

452 semester
How Many and What Kind of Modules Can Fit on my
Motherboard? (1 of 3)

Read motherboard documentation

Indicates how much memory the motherboard can physically
hold
DIMM
DIMM modules
DIMMs can be installed as single modules
DIMM
To support dual channeling: :
Install matching DIMMs in each channel for best DIMM
performance
Motherboard using DDR3 triple-channel DIMMs DIMM DDR3
Use three matching DIMMs in the three blue slots
DIMM
If fourth slot populated, board reverts to single
channeling
Dual channeling: :
Install two matching DIMMs in two blue slots farthest DIMM
from processor
Leave other two slots empty
For one installed DIMM:
: DIMM
Place it in the blue slot farthest position from processor

452 semester

How Many and What Kind of Modules Can Fit on my

Motherboard? (2 of 3)

Motherboard using DDR3 triple-channel DDR3

DIMMs (continued) ( DIMM
Serial Presence Detect (SPD):
(SPD):
DIMM technology that declares module s size,
speed, voltage, and data path width to system DIMM
BIOS at startup BIOS
Today s memory always supports SPD SPD

452 semester
How Many and What Kind of Modules Can Fit on my
Motherboard? (3 of 3)

Figure 3-23 Four DDR3 slots on a

motherboard

452 semester

How Do I Select and Purchase the Right Memory Modules?

Compromises if the exact match is not :

available:
Mixing unbuffered memory with buffered or
registered memory will not work
Match memory module manufacturer, if
possible
In a pinch, try using memory from two different
manufacturers
:
If mixing memory speeds:
All modules perform at slowest speed

Use a web site to research your purchase

Look for search utility matching modules to
your motherboard

452 semester
Chapter Summary (1 of 3)

The most important component on the motherboard is the

processor, or CPU
Processors are rated by their processor speed, lithography,
the socket and chipset they use, multiprocessing features,
memory cache, memory features supported, virtualization,
integrated graphics, overclocking, and processor
architecture (ALUs)
The core of a processor has two arithmetic logic units Intel
(ALUs)
Celeron Atom Pentium Core
The current families of Intel processors for desktops
include Core, Pentium, Atom, and Celeron
AMD
A-Series Ryzen Threadripper Ryzen Pro Ryzen
The current AMD desktop and laptop processor families are
FX A-Series Pro
Ryzen, Ryzen Pro, Ryzen Threadripper, A-Series, A-Series
Pro, and FX
Select a processor that the motherboard supports

452 semester

Chapter Summary (2 of 3)

When installing a processor, always follow the

directions in the motherboard user guide and be
careful to protect the board and processor against
ESD
Always apply thermal compound between the
processor and cooler assembly to help draw heat SO- DIMMs DRAM
from the processor DIMMs
DRAM is presented on DIMMs for desktop computers
and SO-DIMMs for laptops DDR4 DIMM
DDR2 DIMM DDR3
Types of current DIMMs are DDR4, which have 288
pins, and DDR3 and DDR2 DIMMs, which have 240 DIMM
pins
Matching DIMMs can work together in dual channels, DIMM
triple channels, and quad channels so that the
memory controller can access more than one DIMM PC DIMM
at a time
DIMM speeds are measured in MHz or PC rating ECC
The memory controller card can check memory for
errors and possibly correct them using ECC
452 semester
Chapter Summary (3 of 3)

Buffers and registers are used to hold data and

amplify a data signal
CAS Latency (CL) measures access time to memory
CAS Latency (CL)
Today s laptops use DDR4, DDR3L, DDR3, or DDR2
DDR3L DDR4
SO-DIMMs
DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR3
When upgrading memory, use the type, size, and
speed the motherboard supports and match new
modules to those already installed
When upgrading components on a laptop, including
memory, use components that are the same brand
as the laptop, or use only components
recommended by the laptop s manufacturer

452 semester

452 semester
 Chapter 4
SUPPORTING THE POWER SYSTEM
AND TROUBLESHOOTING
COMPUTERS

Objectives

Describe the methods and devices for

keeping a system cool
Select a power supply to meet the power
needs of a system

452 semester
Cooling Methods and Devices

If the processor, motherboard, memory modules,

expansion cards, and other components overheat:
The system can get unstable and components
can fail or be damaged
Devices used to cool a system:
CPU and case fans
Coolers
Heat sinks
Liquid cooling systems
General rules to cool the inside of a computer case:
Keeping the case closed
Cleaning the inside of the computer
Moving the computer

452 semester

Processor Coolers, Fans, and Heat Sinks (1 of 3)

Computer systems use a cooling assembly designed for

a specific processor to keep temperatures below the
processor maximum temperature
Good processor coolers maintain a temperature of:
90-110 degrees F (32-43 degrees C)
Cooler: sits on top of processor
Consists of a fan and heat sink
Heat sink: uses fins that draw heat away from processor
Fan: blows drawn heat away from CPU unit
Is made of aluminum, copper or combination of both
Is bracketed to motherboard using a wire or plastic clip
and thermal compound is placed between the bottom of
the cooler heat sink and the top of the processor
Gets power by using a 4-pin fan header on the
motherboard

452 semester
Processor Coolers, Fans, and Heat Sinks (2 of 3)

Figure 4-1 A cooler sits on top of

a processor to help keep it cool

452 semester

Processor Coolers, Fans, and Heat Sinks (3 of 3)

Figure 4-3 A cooler fan gets its power from

a 4-pin PWM header on the motherboard

452 semester
Case Fans, Other Fans, and Heat Sinks (1 of 3)

To prevent overheating, you can also install

additional case fans
Case fans help draw air out of the case to prevent
overheating
Most cases have one or more positions on the case to
hold a case fan
Large fans tend to perform better than small fans
Other fans:
Some graphics (video) cards come with a fan
Fan cards can be mounted next to graphics cards
Be sure to select a fan card that fits the expansion slot
you plan to use
A RAM cooler clips over a DIMM memory module
May be powered by a SATA or 4-pin Molex power DIMM
connector
Molex SATA

452 semester

Case Fans, Other Fans, and Heat Sinks (2 of 3)

Figure 4-5 A PCI fan card by Vantec can be

used next to a high-end graphics card to
help keep it cool

452 semester
Case Fans, Other Fans, and Heat Sinks (3 of 3)

Figure 4-6 A RAM cooler keeps memory

modules cool

452 semester

Liquid Cooling Systems (1 of 2)

Liquid cooling system:

A small pump sits inside the case and tubes
move liquid around components and then
away from them to a place where fans cool
the liquid
Used by hobbyists attempting to overclock a
processor in a gaming computer

452 semester
Liquid Cooling Systems (2 of 2)

Figure 4-7 A liquid cooling system

pumps liquid outside and away from
components where fans can then
cool the liquid

452 semester

Selecting a Power Supply

Reasons to replace a power supply:

A power supply fails
A power supply in an existing system is not
adequate
When building a new system:
You can purchase a computer case with the
power supply already installed
You can purchase a power supply separate
from the case

452 semester
Types and Characteristics of Power Supplies (1 of 3)

Important power supply feature

considerations:
Form factor determines power supply size
Wattage ratings (listed in documentation)
Number and type of connectors
PSU
Fans inside the PSU
Dual voltage options
Warranty and overall quality

452 semester

Types and Characteristics of Power Supplies (2 of 3)

Figure 4-9 Consider the number and

type of power connectors and the
wattage ratings of a power supply

452 semester
Types and Characteristics of Power Supplies (3 of 3)

Connector Voltages Description

SATA +3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V Power to SATA drives, 15 pin
Molex +5 V, +12 V Power to older IDE drives and used with some
older SATA drives, 4 pin
24-pin P1 +3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V Newer main power connector to motherboard

452 semester

How To Calculate Wattage Capacity (1 of 2)

Determining wattage capacity

Consider all components inside case
Consider USB devices USB
Get power from ports connected to the
motherboard

Points to keep in mind

Video cards draw the most power
The power supply should be rated 30 percent
higher than expected needs
What size Power Supply?
Add up wattage requirements and add 30
percent

452 semester
How To Calculate Wattage Capacity (2 of 2)

Devices Approximate Wattage

Motherboard, processor, memory, keyboard, and mouse 200-300 W
Fan 5W
SATA hard drive 15-30 W
BD/DVD/CD drive 20-30 W
PCI video card 50 W
PCI card (network card or other PCI card) 20 W
PCIe x16 video card 150-300 W
PCIe x16 card other than a video card 100 W

452 semester

Chapter Summary

Devices used to keep a processor and system

cool include CPU coolers, fans, heat sinks, and
liquid cooling
Liquid cooling system use liquids pumped
through system to keep it cool
Important features of a power supply to
consider when purchasing it are: form factor,
wattage capacity, number and type of
connectors, fan size, support dual video cards,
and warranty
To decide on the wattage capacity of a power
supply, add up the wattage requirements for all
components and add 30 percent

452 semester
 CHAPTER 5
SUPPORTING HARD DRIVES AND OTHER STORAGE
DEVICES

Objectives

Describe and contrast technologies used

inside a hard drive and how a computer
communicates with a hard drive
Select, install, and support a hard drive
Identify tape drives and tape cartridges
Support optical drives, solid-state storage,
and flash memory devices
Troubleshoot hard drives

452 semester
Hard Drive Technologies and Interface Standards

A hard disk drive (HDD) is rated by its: HDD

Physical size
Capacity
Speed
Technologies used inside the drive
Interface standards

452 semester

Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (1 of 7)

Two types of hardware technologies used

inside the drive are magnetic and solid-
state
Magnetic Hard Drives
One, two, or more platters, or disks
Stacked together, spinning in unison inside a
sealed metal housing
Firmware controls data reading, writing and
motherboard communication
Read/write heads are controlled by an actuator
Data is organized in concentric circles, called tracks
Tracks are divided into segments called sectors
Most current drives use 4096-byte sectors
Form factors for internal magnetic hard drives are 3.5
for desktops and 2.5 for laptop computers

452 semester
Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (2 of 7)

Figure 5-1 Inside a magnetic

hard drive

452 semester

Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (3 of 7)

Figure 5-3 A magnetic hard

drive for a desktop is larger than
that used in laptops

452 semester
Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (4 of 7)
Solid-state drive (SSD)
(SSD
Also called a solid-state device
No moving parts
Built using nonvolatile memory, similar to that used for
USB flash drives USB
Memory in an SSD is called NAND flash memory NAND SSD
Life span is based on the number of write operations to
the drive
DWPD )TBW
Expressed as TBW (TeraBytes Written) or DWPD )
(Drive Writes Per Day)
Solid-state drives are more expensive than magnetic
hard drives, but they are faster, more reliable, last
longer, and use less power than magnetic drives
Three popular form factors used by SSDs: PCI M.2 SSD SSD
2.5 SSD, M.2 SSD card, and PCI Express SSD Express SSD
expansion card 452 semester

Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (5 of 7)

Figure 5-5 Solid-state drives in

two form factors: 2.5 SSD and
two lengths of M.2 SSD cards

452 semester
Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (6 of 7)

Hybrid Hard Drives

A hybrid hard drive (H-HDD) is sometimes called a H-HDD
solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD) SSHD
Contains both magnetic and SSD technologies SSD
The magnetic drive in the housing permanently holds
data
The flash component serves as a buffer to improve
drive performance
The operating system must support a hybrid drive in
order for it to function
Logical Block Addressing and Capacity
Low-level formatting sector markings are written to
the hard drive at the factory
Not the same as high-level formatting BIOS / UEFI
performed for Operating System installation (LBA)
Firmware, BIOS/UEFI, and the OS use logical block
addressing (LBA) to address all hard drive sectors
Size of each block * total number of blocks
determine drive capacity

452 semester

Technologies and Form Factors of Hard Drives (7 of 7)

S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis ad
Reporting Technology) is used to predict when
a drive is likely to fail : BIOS / UEFI S.M.A.R.T.
System BIOS/UEFI uses S.M.A.R.T. to monitor:
Drive performance, temperature, and other :
factors
For magnetic drives, it monitors:
Disk spin-up time, distance between the head S.M.A.R.T.
and the disk, other mechanical activities of the
drive
If S.M.A.R.T. suspects a drive failure is about BIOS / UEFI
to happen, it displays a warning message
It can be enabled and disabled in BIOS/UEFI
setup

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (1 of 11)

Four interface standards used by hard

drives include: :
IDE (outdated)
IDE
SCSI (outdated)
SATA SCSI
NVMe SATA
NVMe
IDE
Also known as the Parallel ATA (PATA) IDE
standards Parallel ATA (PATA)
Allowed for one or two IDE connectors on a IDE
motherboard using a 40-pin data cable
Two types of IDE cables are the older cable
with a 40-pin connector with 40 wires and a IDE
newer cable with the same 40-pin connector
and 80 thinner wires
The maximum recommended length of an IDE
cable is 18 IDE

452 semester

Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (2 of 11)

Figure 5-8 In comparing the 80-

conductor cable with the 40-conductor
cable, note they are about the same
width, but the 80-conductor cable has
twice as many fine wires

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (3 of 11)

SCSI
In the past, hard drives designed for high-end SCSI
workstations used the SCSI (Small
Computer System Interface) interface SCSI )
standard (
SCSI can support up to 7 or 15 SCSI-compliant SCSI
devices in a system SCSI
A SCSI expansion card, called the SCSI host SCSI SCSI
adapter, used a PCIe slot and provided one SCSI PCIe
external connector for an external SCSI device SCSI
and one internal connector for internal SCSI
devices

452 semester

Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (4 of 11)

Figure 5-10 This 68-pin internal

SCSI ribbon cable can connect
several SCSI devices

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (5 of 11)

SATA SATA
Most hard drives today use the serial ATA or SATA interface
standard
ATA
SATA
SATA uses a serial data path
A SATA data cable can accommodate a single SATA drive SATA
Three SATA standards: SATA SATA
SATA3 or SATA III
SATA:
SATA2 or SATA II
SATA III SATA3
SATA1 or SATA I
SATA II SATA2
SATA standards are used by all drive types
SATA I SATA1
Supports hot-swapping (hot-plugging)
Can connect and disconnect a drive while system is SATA
running
Connects to one internal SATA connector on the
motherboard via a 7-pin data cable
SATA
Uses a 15-pin SATA power connector
A motherboard might have two or more SATA connectors
SATA
Use connectors in the order recommended in the
motherboard user guide SATA

452 semester

Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (6 of 11)

Figure 5-11 A SATA cable connects

a single SATA drive to a
motherboard SATA connector

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (7 of 11)

Figure 5-12 A SATA data cable and

SATA power cable

452 semester

Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (8 of 11)

The SATA 3.2 revision allows for PCIe and SATA PCIe SATA 3.2
SATA to work together in a technology SATA Express
called SATA Express
Uses a new connector
NVMe SATA Express
SATA Express is not as fast as NVMe

A motherboard or expansion card can SATA

provide external SATA (eSATA) ports for (eSATA)
external drives
External SATA (eSATA) eSATA SATA
eSATA drives use a special external shielded serial ATA eSATA
ATA cable up to 2 meters long

Purchasing considerations
SATA standards for the drive and motherboard SATA
need to match
If they do not match, the system runs at the
slower speed

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (9 of 11)

NVMe NVMe
NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express or NVMe )
NVM Express) interface standard is used only NVM Express
by SSDs
Comparisons:
The most common SATA standard, SATA 3,
:
transfers data at 6 Gb/sec SATA 3 SATA
NVMe uses the most common PCIe standard,
PCIe 3.0, which transfers data at 32 Gb/sec PCIe 3.0 PCIe NVMe
The PCIe NVMe interface might be used in
three ways:
: PCIe NVMe
PCIe expansion card
PCIe
U.2 slot
M.2 port U.2
M.2

452 semester

Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (10 of 11)

Figure 5-16 A U.2 2.5 SSD uses

the NVMe and PCIe interface
standards and connects to a U.2
port on the motherboard

452 semester
Interface Standards Used by Hard Drives (11 of 11)

Figure 5-18 Install up to four

M.2 SSDs in a bootable RAID
array on this adapter card by
Asus

452 semester

How to Select and Install Hard Drives

Topics covered in this part of the chapter:

Selecting a hard drive
Installation details for a SATA drive SATA
How to install a hard drive in a bay too wide
for the drive
Special considerations to install a hard drive in
a laptop

452 semester
Selecting a Hard Drive (1 of 3)

The motherboard and hard drive must

support the same interface standard
Find out by reading the motherboard manual

Options for compatibility: :

SATA ports on a motherboard are usually SATA
color-coded to indicate which SATA standard SATA
the port supports SATA3 SATA2 PCIe 2.0 M.2
M.2 slots might support PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, USB 3.0 PCIe 3.0
SATA2, SATA3, or USB 3.0
SATA M.2
When an M.2 port with a card installed is using SATA
the SATA bus, one of the SATA ports might be
disabled PCIe x4 NVMe
NVMe expansion cards most likely use a PCIe
x4 version 3.0 slot

452 semester

Selecting a Hard Drive (2 of 3)

Considerations when selecting a hard :

drive:
Technology
Form factor
Capacity
Data transfer rate as determined by the drive
interface
For magnetic drives, the spindle speed, which
affects performance
For hybrid drives, the cache or buffer size,
which affects performance

452 semester
Selecting a Hard Drive (3 of 3)

Manufacturer Website
Kingston Technology (SSD only) kingston.com
Samsung (SSD only) samsung.com
Seagate Technology (magnetic and SSD) seagate.com
Western Digital (magnetic and SSD) wdc.com
Toshiba (magnetic and SSD) Toshiba.com

452 semester

Supporting Other Types of Storage Devices

This section covers:

File systems that other types of storage
devices use
The following types of storage devices:
Optical discs
USB flash drives
Memory cards

452 semester
File Systems Used By Storage Devices (1 of 2)

File system used to manage data stored

on a device
Overall structure the OS uses to name, store, and
organize files on a drive
Windows
In Windows, each storage device or group of RAID)
devices (RAID) is assigned a driver letter and is
called a volume

Formatting installing a new file system

on a device
NTFS
Types of file systems: exFAT
NTFS
FAT FAT32
exFAT
UDF CDFS
FAT32 and FAT
CDFS (Compact Disc File System) or UDF BD DVD UDF
(Universal Disk Format)
(Blu-ray)
A newer version of UDF is used by DVDs and BDs
(Blu-ray discs)

452 semester

File Systems Used By Storage Devices (2 of 2)

Figure 5-44 This 16-GB USB

flash drive is using the
FAT32 file system

452 semester
Standards Used By Optical Discs and Drives (1 of 4)

CDs (compact discs), DVDs (digital

versatile discs or digital video discs), and DVD
BDs (Blu-ray discs) use similar laser Blu-ray BD
technologies
Tiny lands and pits on surface represent bits
read by a laser beam

Optical Discs:
Data can be written to:
One side of a CD
One or both sides of a DVD or Blu-ray disc
DVD or Blu-ray disc can hold data in two layers Blu-ray DVD
on each side Blu-ray DVD

452 semester

Standards Used By Optical Discs and Drives (2 of 4)

Figure 5-47 Storage capacities

for CDs, DVDs, and BDs

452 semester
Standards Used By Optical Discs and Drives (3 of 4)

Optical Drives and Burners:

Blu-ray drives are backward compatible with CD DVD Blu-ray
DVD and CD technologies
DVD
DVD drives are backward compatible with CD
technologies
Depending on the drive features, an optical
drive might be able to read and write to BDs, DVD BD
DVDs, and CDs
A drive that can write to discs is commonly
called a burner
Today s internal optical drives interface with
the motherboard via a SATA connection SATA
An external drive might use an eSATA or USB USB eSATA
port

452 semester

Standards Used By Optical Discs and Drives (4 of 4)

Figure 5-49 The PX-610U external DVD RW drive by

Plextor uses a USB 2.0 port

452 semester
Solid-State Storage (1 of 3)

Solid-state storage includes:

SSDs, USB flash drives, and memory cards USB

USB flash drives go by many names:

Flash pen drive, jump drive, thumb drive, and USB
key drive
Flash drives might work at USB 2.0 or USB 3.0
speed and use FAT or exFAT file system
USB USB 2.0
Windows 10/8/7 has embedded drivers to
support flash drives exFAT FAT 3.0
Windows 10/8/7
Memory cards might be used in:
Digital cameras, tablets, smartphones, MP3
players, digital camcorders, etc
Most laptops have memory card slots provided
by a built-in smart card reader MP3

452 semester

Solid-State Storage (2 of 3)

Secure Digital (SD) cards are the most SD

popular memory cards
:SD
Three standards for capacity used by SD cards:
1.x (regular SD) 1.x
2.x (SD High Capacity or SDHC)
3.x (SD eXtended Capacity or SDXC) SDHC SD 2.x
SD cards come in three physical sizes: full-size, SDXC SD eXtended Capacity3.x
MiniSD, and MicroSD
SDHC and SDXC slots are backward compatible MiniSD SD
with SD cards MicroSD

Cannot use: SDXC SDHC

An SDHC card in an SD slot SD
An SDXC card in an SDHC or SD slot
SDXC SD SDHC
SD and SDHC cards use FAT file system SDHC SD SD SDHC
exFAT SDXC FAT
SDXC cards use exFAT file system

452 semester
Solid-State Storage (3 of 3)

Figure 5-60 Flash memory cards

452 semester

Troubleshooting Hard Drives

Problems caused by hard drive during the

boot can be caused by:
Hard drive subsystem
File system on the drive
Windows
Files required by Windows when it begins to
load

When trying to solve a problem with the

boot
Decide if the problem is caused by hardware
or software

452 semester
Slow Performance (1 of 2)

One of the most common complaints:

Computer is running slowly

The overall performance of a system

depends on the individual performances
of:
The processor, motherboard, memory, and
hard drive

To optimize a drive: Windows

You can use Windows tools or tools provided
by the hard drive manufacturer

Use the Windows Defrag and

Windows Defrag and
Optimization tool (dfrgui.exe) to Optimization (dfrgui.exe)
verify that Windows is defragmenting a Windows
magnetic drive and trimming an SSD SSD

452 semester

Slow Performance (2 of 2)

Figure 5-61 Windows reports

volume C: is trimmed and volume
D: is not fragmented

452 semester
Chapter Summary (1 of 3)

A hard disk drive (HDD) can be magnetic, solid- HDD)

state, or hybrid

A solid-state drive contains NAND flash memory

and is more expensive, faster, more reliable, and NAND
uses less power than a magnetic drive

A hybrid hard drive (H-HDD) is a magnetic drive H-HDD)

with an SSD buffer that improves performance SSD

S.M.A.R.T is a self-monitoring technology

whereby the BIOS/UEFI monitors the health of a BIOS / S.M.A.R.T
hard drive UEFI

Three SATA standards provide data rates of 1.5 SATA

Gb/sec, 3.0 Gb/sec, and 16.0 Gb/sec

When selecting a hard drive, consider the

interface standards, storage capacity, technology,
spindle speed, interface standard, and buffer
size

452 semester

Chapter Summary (2 of 3)

SATA drives require no configuration and SATA

are installed using a power cord and a
data cable
Windows
File systems a storage device might use UDF CDFS FAT FAT32 exFAT NTFS
in Windows include NTFS, exFAT, FAT32,
FAT, CDFS, and UDF
CD-R)
Optical discs can be recordable (CD-R) or DVD-RW)
rewritable (DVD-RW)

452 semester
Chapter Summary (3 of 3)

Flash memory cards are a type of solid-state

storage
Defragmenting a magnetic hard drive can
sometimes improve slow performance of the drives
Hard drive problems during the boot can be caused
by the hard drive subsystem, the file system on the Windows
drive, or files required by Windows when it begins
to load
To determine if the hard drive is the problem when
booting, try to boot from other media
To determine if a drive has bad sectors, use the chkdsk
chkdsk command
diskpart
Use commands within the diskpart utility to
completely erase a partition on a hard drive
Field replaceable units in the hard drive subsystem
are the data cable, optional storage card, and hard
drive

452 semester

452 semester
 Chapter 6
SUPPORTING I/O DEVICES

Objectives

Describe the general approach technicians

use to install and support I/O devices
Install and configure several I/O devices,
such as barcode readers, biometric devices,
pay devices, webcams, graphic tablets,
signature pads, and touch screens
Install and configure adapter cards
Support the video subsystem, including
selecting a monitor and video card and
supporting dual monitors
Troubleshoot common problems with I/O
devices
Customize a computer system to meet
customer needs

452 semester
Basic Principles for Supporting Devices

I/O or storage devices may be internal

or external
Every device is controlled by software
Some devices need application software to
use with the device
A device is no faster than the port/slot it is
designed to use
Device Manager (devmgmt.msc):
Primary Windows tool for managing hardware

By Using Device Manager, you can:

Disable or enable a device, update its drivers,
uninstall a device, undo a driver update

452 semester

Wired and Wireless Connection Standards Used by Peripheral

Devices (1 of 2)

Port or Wireless Type Maximum Speed Maximum Cable Length or Wireless

Range
Thunderbolt 3 40 Gbps Copper cables up to 2 meters; requires
USB-C connector
Thunderbolt 2 20 Gbps Copper cables up to 100 meters

SuperSpeed+ USB (USB 3.2) 20 Gbps For maximum speed, cable length up to 1
meter; requires USB-C connector
SuperSpeed+ USB (USB 3.1) 10 Gbps Cable lengths up to 3 meters

SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) 5.0 Gbps Cable lengths up to 3 meters

eSATA Version 3 (eSATA-600) 6.0 Gbps Cable lengths up to 2 meters

eSATA Version 2 (eSATA-300) 3.0 Gbps Cable lengths up to 2 meters

eSATA Version 1 (eSATA-150) 1.5 Gbps or 1500 Mbps Cable lengths up to 2 meters

Wi-Fi 802.11ac RF of 5.0 GHz 1.3 Gbps or 1300 Mbps Range up to 70 meters

452 semester
Wired and Wireless Connection Standards Used by Peripheral
Devices (2 of 2)

Port or Wireless Type Maximum Speed Maximum Cable Length or Wireless

Range
Wi-Fi 802.11n Up to 600 Mbps Range up to 70 meters

Lightning 480 Mbps Cable lengths up to 2 meters

Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) 480 Mbps Cable lengths up to 5 meters

Original USB (USB 1.1) 12 Mbps or 1.2 Mbps Cable lengths up to 3 meters

Wi-Fi 802.11g RF of 2.4 GHz Up to 54 Mbps Range up to 100 meters

Wi-Fi 802.11a RF of 5.0 GHz Up to 54 Mbps Range up to 50 meters

Wi-Fi 802.11b RF of 2.4 GHz Up to 11 Mbps Range up to 100 meters

Bluetooth wireless RF of 2.45 GHz Up to 3 Mbps Range up to 10 meters

Near Field Communication (NFC) RF of 13.56 Up to 424 kbps Range up to 4 centimeters

MHz

452 semester

Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (1 of 7)

USB Connections and Ports USB

As many as 127 USB
devices can be daisy
chained together USB
A USB cable has four USB
wires, two for power and
two for communication

452 semester
Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (2 of 7)
Video Connectors and Ports
Video ports are provided by a video
card or the motherboard
Most motherboards sold today have
one or more onboard video ports
Types of video ports:
VGA
DVI
DisplayPort VGA
HDMI and HDMI mini
DVI
DisplayPort
HDMI mini HDMI

452 semester

Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (3 of 7)

Figure 6-3 Two types of DVI ports: (A)

DVI-D, (B) DVI-I

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (4 of 7)

Figure 6-5 A DisplayPort to Mini

DisplayPort cable

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.

Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (5 of 7)

Figure 6-6 Use BIOS/UEFI setup to

enable or disable onboard ports

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices (6 of 7)

Figure 6-7 An HDMI to mini-HDMI

cable

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.

Connectors and Ports Used by Peripheral Devices ( of )

Additional Connectors and Ports
eSATA port is used for
connecting external storage eSATA
devices to a computer
Lightning connector is an
Apple-specific connector for its Lightning
mobile devices
Apple

452 semester
Barcode Readers

Barcode readers are used to scan

barcodes on products at point of sale
(POS) POS
Several interface methods:
Wireless connection, serial port, USB USB
port, or keyboard port
If the reader uses a keyboard port:
It most likely contains a splitter
(keyboard wedge) for the keyboard to
use, and data read by the barcode
reader is input into the system

452 semester

Signature Pads

A signature pad uses a sensitive

touch screen to capture a
handwritten signature made using a
stylus or finger for a receipt, contract,
or ID card
LCD
The signature pad LCD panel
displays electronic ink
Signature pads typically use a serial
or USB connection and include
software installed on the computer to USB
process the signature

452 semester
Biometric Devices (1 of 2)

A biometric device inputs biological

data about a person to identify the
person s fingerprint, handprint, face,
voice, eye, or handwritten signature
Fingerprint readers may:
Look like a mouse
Use wireless or USB connection
Be embedded on the side of a USB
keyboard, flash drive or laptop

452 semester

Biometric Devices (2 of 2)

Figure 6-25 Fingerprint readers can

(A) look like a mouse, or (B) be
embedded on a keyboard

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Webcams (1 of 2)
A webcam (web camera):
Is embedded on most laptops
Can be installed using a USB port or
other port USB
Comes with built-in microphone
Use this microphone or use the
microphone port on the computer
Use the setup CD to install the
software and then plug in the
webcam to a USB port
USB

452 semester

Webcams (2 of 2)

Figure 6-27 The Camtasia Recorder

application allows you to change the
input devices used for video and sound

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Graphics Tablets

A graphics tablet (also called digitizing

tablet) is used to hand draw
Likely to connect by a USB port
Comes with stylus that works like a
pencil USB
A graphics tablet and stylus can be a
replacement for a mouse or touch
pad
Popular with graphic artists and
others who use desktop publishing
applications
Install the same way as other USB USB
devices

452 semester

Touch Screens

A touch screen is an input

device that uses a monitor or
LCD panel as the backdrop for LCD
input options
Some laptops and monitors for
desktops have built-in touch
screens

452 semester
Sound Cards and Onboard Sound (1 of 2)

A sound card or onboard sound can

play and record sound and save it in a
file
Color-coded speaker ports are for
speakers and subwoofer
Ports may also be available to connect
to external sound equipment such as a
DVD
CD or DVD player

452 semester

Sound Cards and Onboard Sound (2 of 2)

Figure 6-36 The Sound Blaster X-Fi

Titanium sound card by Creative uses
a PCIe x1 slot

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Supporting the Video Subsystem

A monitor is the primary output device of

a computer
Two necessary components for video
output:
Monitor
Video card (also called video adapter
or graphics card) or video port on
motherboard

452 semester

Monitor Technologies and Features (1 of 5)

Types of monitors:
LCD (liquid crystal display) - also called a flat-
panel monitor LCD
First used in laptops
At the center of layers is liquid crystal material
Layers are sandwiched between two grids of
electrodes forming columns and rows
Each intersection of row and column forms a
pixel
OLED (organic light-emitting Diode) monitor uses LED OLED
a thin LED (light-emitting diode) layer or film between
two grids of electrodes and does not use backlighting
Does not emit as much light as an LCD monitor,
therefore, can produce deeper blacks, provide LCD
better contrast, work in darker rooms, and use
less power than an LCD monitor LCD
Projector used to shine a light that projects a
transparent image onto a large screen

452 semester
Monitor Technologies and Features (2 of 5)

Figure 6-42 Layers of an LCD panel

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.

Monitor Technologies and Features (3 of 5)

Figure 6-43 A portable XGA projector by

Panasonic

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Monitor Technologies and Features (4 of 5)
Monitor Characteristic Description
Screen size ( ) The screen size is the diagonal length of the screen surface in inches. (Examples 21 , 23.4 )

Refresh rate ( ) The refresh rate is the number of times a monitor screen is built or refreshed in 1 second,
measured in Hz (cycles per second). (Examples 60Hz, 75Hz )
Pixel pitch ( ) A pixel is a spot or dot on the screen that can be addressed by software. The pixel pitch is the
distance between adjacent pixels on the screen-the smaller the number, the better.
Resolution The resolution is the number of spots or pixels on a screen that can be addressed by software.
(Examples 1027x768 pixel, 1080x1920 pixel, )
Contrast ratio ( ) Contrast ratio is the contrast between true black and true white on the screen-the higher the
contrast ratio, the better. (Examples 2000:1, 3500:1 )
Viewing angle ( ) The viewing angle is the angle at which a monitor becomes difficult to see from the side.
(Examples 170o, 175o )
Backlighting or brightness ( Brightness is measured in cd/m2 , which is the same as lumens/m 2 . (Examples 600 cd/m2,
) 450 lumens/m2 )
Connectors Popular options for connectors are VGA, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Apple s
Thunderbolt.
Other features LCD monitors can also provide a privacy or antiglare surface, tilt screens, microphone input,
speakers, USB ports, adjustable stands, and perhaps even an input for your smartphone.

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.

Monitor Technologies and Features (5 of 5)

Figure 6-45 The rear of this LCD

monitor shows digital and analog video
ports to accommodate a video cable
with either a 15-pin analog VGA
connector or a digital DVI connector

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Changing Monitor Settings

Settings that apply to the monitor can be

managed by using the monitor buttons,
function keys on a keyboard, and
Windows utilities Windows
Using the monitor buttons, you can:
Adjust horizontal and vertical position
of the screen
Change the brightness and contrast
settings
On laptops, function keys are usually
used instead of buttons
Windows
Windows utilities can also be used to
change monitor settings

452 semester

Customizing Computer Systems

Important principles when
customizing a system to meet
customer needs:
Meet application requirements
Balance functionality and budget
Consider hardware compatibility

452 semester
Gaming PC (1 of 2)

Gaming computers benefit from a

powerful multicore processor designed
for gaming, a high-end video card, and a
high-definition sound card
Gamers might want to overclock their
CPUs or use dual video cards
Take extra care to make sure the
cooling methods are adequate
Most gaming computers use onboard
surround sound
Or you can use a sound card to
improve sound

452 semester

Gaming PC (2 of 2)

Figure 6-65 A group of

Intel Core i7 gaming PCs

Andrews/Dark/West, CompTIA A+ Guide to IT Technical Support, 10th Edition. 2020] Cengage. All Rights
Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Chapter Summary (1 of 3)
Adding new devices to a computer require
installing hardware and software
Use Device Manager to manage hardware devices
and solve problems with them
Wired data transmission types include USB, eSATA USB
eSATA, Thunderbolt, and Lightning Lightning Thunderbolt
Wireless data transmission types include Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth, and NFC Bluetooth Wi-Fi
NFC
Popular I/O ports on a motherboard include eSATA
and USB
Video ports that a video card or motherboard USB eSATA
might provide are VGA, DVI-I, DVI-D, DisplayPort,
HDMI, HDMI mini, and multipurpose Thunderbolt
ports DisplayPort DVI-D DVI-I VGA
HDMI mini HDMI

452 semester

Chapter Summary (2 of 3)
When installing devices, use 32-bit drivers
for a 32-bit OS and 64-bit drivers for a 64-bit
OS
A touch screen is likely to use a USB port
USB
Biometric input devices collect biological
data in order to authenticate access to a
system
Generally, Windows detects new adapter Windows
cards and installs appropriate drivers
Types of monitors include LCD and OLED OLED LCD
Use the Windows 10 Settings app or the Windows 8/7 Windows 10 Settings
Windows 8/7 Screen Resolution window to Screen Resolution
configure monitor resolution and configure
dual monitors

452 semester
Chapter Summary (3 of 3)
Use Device Manager to update drivers
on I/O devices giving trouble
Video problems can be caused by the
monitor, video cable, video card,
onboard video, video drivers, or Windows
Windows display settings
LCD
A few dead pixels on an LCD monitor
screen are considered acceptable by the
manufacturer
Artifacts on the monitor screen can be
caused by hardware, software,
overheating, or overclocking
A high-end video card is a requirement
in a graphics for a gaming PC

452 semester