PC Configuration I - Exam Review

Use your worksheets and notes to answer the following questions. Also complete a half-page of notes that you can use on the test.

1. PC PARTS:
   Go to http://www.howstuffworks.com/flash/tower.swf and be sure you can identify each component inside a computer.
   Make a list of each component and what it does.
2. PORTS:
   List the ports found on a PC (remember your drawing on the first day of class?) and indicate what each is used for.
   List as many specs as you can for each.
   How many devices can each support?
   Which port would be used for video?
3. I/O BUSES, Plug-n-Play:
   Create a list of the different types of I/O buses. Describe each.
   Which bus was the first to run 32 bits?
   What is the speed of the ISA bus?
   Which buses are backwards compatable?
   What are the requirements for Plug-n-Play?
   Describe the steps involved in plug-n-play.
4. BIOS and MEMORY:
   What type of memory is used on video cards?
   How are SIMMs different from DIMMs?
   What is the most common style of memory used today?
   What is the difference between RAM and ROM?
   What information is stored in each?
   What type of  memory requires a refresh circuit.
   What information is stored on the BIOS.
   Where is the BIOS found?
   What is special about a flash BIOS?
5. IRQs: 
   What is an IRQ?
   What are the two types of IRQs?
   How many IRQs does a PC have?
   What IRQs are involved in cascading?
   Which IRQs have the highest priority?
6. Portable PCs:
   How are portable PCs different from desktops?
   What inventions made portable PCs possible?
   What do laptops use instead of expansion slots?
7. Practical Skills: Be sure you can:
1. Find the IRQ of any device on your computer
2. Enter the BIOS and make changes
3. Find PC settings using Msinfo32.exe – be able to find out what type of motherboard, memory,  CPU and IRQs you are using.
4. Find out how much memory your PC has