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Hardware Specification

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214 views3 pages

Hardware Specification

Topic in CSEC Information Technology

Uploaded by

jadetaylor1213
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hardware Specification

It is important to know the hardware specification of a computer so that you know what your computer is
capable of doing in terms of its memory, speed and so on. It is also useful in case you want to buy a
computer.

It is necessary to know about the central processing unit (CPU). The two main features of the CPU that you
need to be aware of are its speed and its type. The two most popular companies that currently produce
CPUs are Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices).

As the brain of the computer, the CPU determines how fast instructions can be carried out. The CPU
contains a clock. Each time the clock ‘ticks’, one instruction is carried out. So the faster the clock ticks, the
more instructions can be carried out. The CPU speed determines the category of computer and hence, the
type of application or use of the computer.

The processor speeds of most PC today is measured, in Mega Hertz ( MHz) or Giga Hertz (GHz). MHz
means that the processor can execute one million instructions per second and GHz means that it can
execute one billion instructions per seconds. Most PCs today have a speed of 2 GHz or more. For a
computer memory it is very important to know its capacity, type, word size and speed.

MAIN MEMORY
Memory Capacity
The capacity of a computer’s memory determines the number of programs that it can hold at a time, which
affects the performance of a computer system. More memory capacity indicates that it can hold more
programs at a time. In modern PCs, memory capacity is measured in Gigabytes (GB) and is distributed with
2 GB or more.

Memory Type
There are two main types of RAM –SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM) and RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic
RAM). RDRAM are faster and more expensive than SDRAM, and are used mainly for high-performance
computers. SDRAM (also called PC100 or PC 133) are more common and can be Double Data Rate
(DDR) RAM, which offers double data transfer rates.

Word Size
Word size determines the number of bits that can be stored and processed at a time by the CPU. Most PCs
today have word size of 32-bits or 64-bits.

Speed
RAM speed indicates how fast the chip updates the data that it contains. In modern PCs, RAM speed is
measured in Mega Hertz (MHz) and is usually above 400 MHz.
HARD DISK
The main secondary storage medium used by a computer system is the hard disk. The two main
specifications to note for a hard disk are its storage capacity and its speed.

Storage Capacity
The storage capacity of a hard disk determines the amount of information that it can store for later use.
More hard disk space means that your computer can store more programs and data. In modern computers,
the hard disk capacities are measured in Gigabytes ranging from 120 GB to 2 TB.

Speed
Hard disk speeds are usually expressed as data transfer rates or revolutions per minute. The data transfer
rate measures the speed by which data can be transferred from the hard disk to the CPU. In modern PCs,
the hard disks have data transfer rate of 1- 3 Gigabits per second (Gb/sec).
The rate at which data can be transferred partly depends on how fast the disk is spinning. If the drive spins
faster, it can position the read/write head faster over a particular piece of data. The spin speed is measured
in revolutions per minute (rpm). Hard disks vary in speed from 5400 rpm to 15000 rpm.

Let’s look at a portion of hardware specification and interpret it.

The first line indicates the processor manufacturer, type word size and processor speed

Processor manufacturer: Intel Type: Pentium lV


Word size: 64-bits Processor speed: 3.6 GHz

The second line indicates the memory capacity with its maximum capacity, speed and type

Memory capacity: 2 GB and can allow up to a chip with 4 GB


Speed: 533 MHz RAM Type: SDRAM

The third line indicates the hard disk capacity, speed, and type of hard disk controller

Storage capacity :160 GB


Speed : 7200rpm
Hard disk controller: SATA
PORTS
There are different kinds of ports such as parallel port, serial port, fire wire and USB port.

EXPANSION SLOTS
These are sockets on the main circuit board (motherboard) that are used to insert additional circuit board

1. An excerpt of the specification of a computer system is listed below


Optical Drive: 8X DVD+ /-RW
Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive: 1 TB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
Windows: 2000
Display: 14.0” HD (1366 x 1768) LED
Processor: Intel® Core TMi5 Processor (2.5GHz)
Ports: 5 USB
Use the specification to answer these questions
i. State the size of the monitor ____________________________________________
ii. What is the capacity of the hard drive _____________________________________
iii. What is the memory capacity ____________________________________________
iv. Name the type of processor _____________________________________________
v. Name the operating system _____________________________________________
vi. What is the speed of the processor? ______________________________________
vii. What is the resolution of the monitor _____________________________________
viii. Name the processor’s manufacturer ______________________________________
ix. How many ports does the computer system have? __________________________

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