This glossary of computer hardware terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts related to computer hardware, i.e. the physical and structural components of computers, architectural issues, and peripheral devices.
A dedicated video bus standard introduced by INTEL enabling 3D graphics capabilities; commonly present on an AGP slot on the motherboard. (Presently a historical expansion card standard, designed for attaching a video card to a computer's motherboard (and considered high-speed at launch, one of the last off-chip parallel communication standards), primarily to assist in the acceleration of 3D computer graphics). Has largely been replaced by PCI Express since the mid 2000s.
An optical discstorage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. Blu-ray Disc is capable of storing about 5 times as much data as a standard DVD. Most computers do not come shipped with Blu-ray drives, however they can be purchased and added as a separate upgrade. Blu-ray won a format war against HD DVD and for a time drives offering both formats were sold.
A common path shared by multiple subsystems or components to send / receive signals. It is a low cost option in mini and micro computers compared to multiple dedicated non- shared paths in main frame computers.
The process of keeping data in multiple caches synchronised in a multiprocessorshared memory system, also required when DMA modifies the underlying memory.
Not finding data in a local cache, requiring use of the cache policy to allocate and fill this data, and possibly performing evicting other data to make room.
A generic term that refers to a high-performance input/output (I/O) architecture that is implemented in various forms on a number of computer architectures, especially on mainframe computers.
The portion of the CPU which actually performs arithmetic and logical operations; nearly all CPUs produced since the late 2000s decade have multiple cores (e.g. "a quad-core processor").
In modern usage, a synonym for main memory, dating back from the pre-semiconductor-chip times when the dominant main memory technology was magnetic core memory.
A technology consisting of computer components and recording media used to retain digital data. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.[1]
An optical compact disc - of the same dimensions as compact discs (CDs), but store more than six times as much data. Primarily used for storing movies and computer games, however, the rise of services such as Steam have largely rendered physical game discs obsolete.
A video display interface developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG). The digital interface is used to connect a video source to a display device, such as a computer monitor.
A cache where each physical address may only be mapped to one cache line, indexed using the low bits of the address. Simple but highly prone to allocation conflicts.
A digital display interface developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor, though it can also be used to transmit audio, USB, and other forms of data. Unline HDMI, DisplayPort is open source.
A series of dynamic random-access memory integrated circuits. These modules are mounted on a printed circuit board and designed for use in personal computers, workstations and servers. Contrast SIMM.
dual issue
A superscalar pipeline capable of executing two instructions simultaneously.
A type of random-access memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit and which must be periodically refreshed to retain the stored data.
A computer bus which moves information between the internal hardware of a computer system (including the CPU and RAM) and peripheral devices. It is a collection of wires and protocols that allows for the expansion of a computer.
A data storage medium that is composed of a disk of thin, flexible ("floppy") magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. Historically floppy disks came in 8-inch, 5.25-inch, and 3.5-inch sizes, with the latter being by far the most ubiquitous.
A specialized processor designed for the purpose of creating images and animations and displaying them on a computer screen, independent of the CPU and onboard video memory.
A compact interface for transferring encrypted uncompressed digital audio and video data to a device such as a computer monitor, video projector or digital television. Motherboard and graphics card manufacturers must pay a licensing fee to incorporate HDMI into their products.
An especially powerful computer used mainly by large organizations for bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.
The pattern with which software or some other system (such as an accelerator or DMA channel) accesses, reads, and writes memory on secondary storage. These patterns have implications for locality of reference, parallelism, and the distribution of workload in shared memory systems.
A small electronic data storage device consisting of a flat piece of plastic no larger than a thumbnail that can be inserted into a special socket in a computer or a portable electronic device such as a camera or a cell phone in order to provide instant access to removable memory, typically flash memory.
A typical portable memory card providing 32 megabytes of storage space
A layer of hardware-level instructions involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in many computers and other processors.
A device that enables two distant computer systems to communicate with one another. In the past, modems connected to a phone line, however, since the mid 2000s broadband modems have been the predominant type seen.
The central printed circuit board (PCB) in many modern computers which provides a physical platform for attaching and arranging many of the crucial components of the system, usually while also providing connection space for peripherals.[5]
Any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator.
Converts mains AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for the internal components of a computer. Modern personal computers universally use switched-mode power supplies. Some power supplies have a manual switch for selecting input voltage, while others automatically adapt to the mains voltage.
A peripheral which produces a text or graphics of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies. The two most common types of printers available are inkjet, which uses ink cartridges, and laser, which uses toner.
Any of various data storage schemes that can divide and replicate data across multiple hard disk drives in order to increase reliability, allow faster access, or both.
A type of computer data storage that allows data items to be accessed (read or written) in almost the same amount of time irrespective of the physical location of data inside the memory. RAM contains multiplexing and demultiplexing circuitry to connect the data lines to the addressed storage for reading or writing the entry. Usually, more than one bit of storage is accessed by the same address, and RAM devices often have multiple data lines and are said to be '8-bit' or '16-bit' etc. devices. In today's technology, random-access memory takes the form of integrated circuits.
Any data storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. Though they are sometimes referred to as solid-state disks, these devices contain neither an actual disk nor a drive motor to spin a disk. On average, solid-state drives cost about four times as much as conventional hard drives of the same capacity, but can provide significantly faster boot times.
A type of semiconductormemory that uses bistable latching circuitry to store each bit. The term static differentiates it from DRAM, which must be periodically refreshed.
A high-speed, high-capacity alternative to the 90 mm (3.5 in), 1.44 MB floppy disk. The SuperDisk hardware was created by 3M's storage products group Imation in 1997.
A pointing device consisting of specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers or a stylus to a relative position on a screen.[7]
A specification to establish communication between devices and a host controller (usually a personal computer). The USB standard was first finalized in 1996, and has undergone many revisions since then, enabling faster data transfer speeds.
The third revision of USB, introduced in 2008. It provides transfer rates of up to 5 Gbit/s (gigabits per second), more than 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
First released in 1987, this was the last graphical standard introduced by IBM to which the majority of PC clone manufacturers conformed. Today, it has largely been supplanted by DisplayPort and HDMI, however, it can still be found as an integrated graphics option in some motherboards.
The Zip drive is a removable floppy disk storage system that was introduced by Iomega in late 1994. Considered medium-to-high-capacity at the time of its release, Zip disks were originally launched with capacities of 100 MB.
