IT Support - A Review (Ch 1-8)

IT Support - A Review (Ch 1-8)

By Rafael Olivares

​The Concept of the Computer

​Computers are devices that can make calculations and solve them on their own, just like we do. Until the 1940s, computers were limited to single-use machines that served a simple purpose, such as ticket machines. The ENIAC machine in 1945 marked the transition to using transistors, switches that control and amplify electronic signals. This allowed computers to eventually become multi-purpose powerhouses.

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​What is it meant to do?

​A Transistor

​The ENIAC

​PC Diagram

CPUs - Ch 3

Processors are the brain of the computer. ​It is at the center of every computing process, which is why it is also called the Central Processing Unit, or CPU.

​

CPU clock speed is measured in hertz. For example, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X runs at 3.6ghz(gigahertz).

​

CPUs have small sections of cache that are made up of SRAM(Static Random Access Memory), which retains its memory even when the computer is turned off, unlike regular DRAM.​

​

These sections are often referred to as levels, from L1 to L3.

​

Both Intel and AMD CPUs use a feature called hyper threading, in which each cpu core has double the threads. For example, 2 CPU cores can have 4 threads. You want to think of it like a kit-kat candy. Inside one kit-kat, there are 2 bars. This approach saves money.

​

​Not all CPUs are equal. Certain CPUs support certain sockets. For example, an Intel CPU will never fit inside an AMD CPU.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

RAM - Ch 4

RAM(Random Access Memory) is very fast memory that is used to temporarily store programs. This memory resets when the computer is turned off.

​

Desktop RAM comes in DIMMs, while Laptop ram​ comes in SO-DIMM format.

​

DDR, which stands for Double Data Rate, utilizes memory chips on both sides to achieve double the data transfer speed.

For example, one side of a DDR4 ram stick runs at 1600mhz, and so does the other side. Combined, this makes for a 3200mhz ram stick.​

​

Dual-Channel and Triple-Channel utilizes pairs of RAM sticks to reduce latency.​

​

XMP(eXtreme Memory Profile) automatically selects the best ram frequenices based on your motherboard's compatibility with the ram stick installed.

Some text here about the topic of discussion

​Desktop DIMM

​Laptop SO-DIMM

​

​Smartphone LPDDR4 DRAM

RAM Info + Pinouts ​

Multiple Choice

How many pins does a DDR4 DIMM ram stick have?

• 240

• 288

• 260

• 280

Firmware, and the BIOS - Ch 5​

The BIOS(Basic Input/Output System) stores all of the configuration of every component on the motherboard.

​

It is through this firmware that the CPU can communicate with other motherboard components, and carry out instructions. The configuration is stored on a Read-Only Memory(ROM) chip, that is powered by a CMOS battery.

​

This battery ensures that the ROM chip never loses power, even if the computer is off, so that the CPU can always refer to the BIOS for configuration settings on boot-up.

​

​Once the CPU reads the BIOS configuration, it carries out instructions through the North and Southbridge, a series of circuit wires on the motherboard. Now, the North and South Bridge is combined into one, called a Platform Control Hub(PCH)​ to save space.

​

​Peripherals like graphics cards and NICs tend to include their own BIOS. This is done because not all users will use video cards or NIC cards. Many motherboards now have their own built in NIC.

​

The BIOS uses EFI(Extensible Firmware Interface), or UEFI​(Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). EFI is 16-bit, and supports just up to 2TB of hard disk space. UEFI on the other hand, can support larger than 2TB drives, and is 64-bit. Thanks to it being 64-bit, it also has a much nicer and more user friendly interface.

​

​

​

​

​EFI Bios

​UEFI Bios

​North and South Bridge

​PCH

​

Motherboards ​

Motherboards are the bones and muscles of your computer. Without it, you have foundation, and no PC.

​

Motherboards have different form factors. These form factors are called ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, and Pico-ITX. There are other form factors, but they are not part of the exam.​

​

From smallest to largest: Pico-ITX, Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, and ATX​

​

The chipset determines the processor type you can use, the type and capacity of RAM you can install, and the internal/external devices that are supported. It even influences the motherboard ports on the back of your computer.​

​

You get what you pay for. The more expensive the motherboard is, the better equipped the chipset will be to support everything you want/need. You cannot compare a Kia to a Porsche, just like you cannot compare a Intel H310 chipset to a Z390 chipset.​

​

The Super I/O Chip provides support for legacy devices, such as PS/2 port keyboards and joysticks.

​

​

​Motherboard Form Factors

​

​Chipset Spec Sheet

​

​Intel H310: left, Intel Z690: Right

Draw

Please draw a motherboard sketch with key LABELED components: the CPU, PCH, Ram Slots, and PCIe slots. Feel free to refer to motherboards online or in previous slides.

Power Supplies​

PSUs(Power Supply Units) covert AC(alternating current) to DC(direct current) power. AC current can alternate in strength, while DC current provides constant power, which is a must for a PC.

​

The power supply is a Field Replaceable Unit(FRU), meaning you can replace the power supply for a new one.​

​

Voltage is the pressure of electricity in a wire. Power supplies use 3.3V, 5V, and 12V. Amperes is the amount of electricity moving past a certain point in a wire. If there is too much pressure, the wires will heat up and break.

​

Wattage is the multiplication of amps and volts. Wattage estimates the power your PC needs to run, depending on the computer parts inside.​

​

Resistance is the opposition to the flow of electricity. It is measured in Ohms.​

​

Multimeters measure AC/DC voltage and resistance. Surge supressors help protect against power surges. Joules are used to measure how much protection a surge protector can give.

​

A UPS(Uninterruptable Power Supply) provides protection against an outage or brownout, by giving you about 10-15 minutes to safely power off devices.​

​

​The 20 or 24 pin power connector connects to the motherboard, Molex and SATA power hard drives and peripherals. Floppy/Berg connectors power fans and floppy drives. P4 connectors supply CPU power, and PCI-E connects to video cards.

​PSU connectors

​PSU

Mass Media Storage - Chapter 8​

A traditional hard drive is made up of multiple spinning disks. A read/write head reads the data stored on the disks as they spin around. This spinning action is measured in RPM(Revolutions Per Minute). The faster a hard drive spins, the faster it performs.​ Common speeds are 5400 and 7200 RPM.

​

SSDs are based on circuits and have no moving parts. This makes SSDs far faster than typical hard drives.

​

Both hard drives come in 2.5, 3.5 or 5.25 inch sizes. 2.5 inch sizes are almost always used in laptops. 3.5 can be used in either.​

​

SSHDs combine SSD circuitry with Hard Disk platters to give the best balance in performance and price. Apple calls this a Fusion Drive.

​

mSATA drives are 2.5 inch drives that are used primarily on laptops.

​

M.2 SSDs are even thinner than mSATA and perform faster, thanks to NVMe(Non Volatile Memory Express). NVMe is the fastest technology available today. If you dont have an NVMe drive, you can use AHCI(Advanced Host Memory Controller), which is a close second place.

​

It is faster than SATA and PATA. PATA(Parallel ATA) uses a Parallel cable. One drive is the Master, and the second drive is a slave. Slave drives cannot have OS'es installed on them. SATA gets rid of this concept, and uses a SATA cable instead.

​

eSATA is used to plug in external hard drives. However, its been phased out for USB 3.0.​

​

​

​

​

​Hard Drive

​SSD

​NVMe SSD