Ebook Lesson 1 Hardware

CompTIA A+ (220-901 & 902)
Lesson 1: Hardware
CompTIA® is a registered trademark of CompTIA, Inc.
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What's in it for me
Configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on a PC
Compare and contrast RAM types and features
Install and configure PC expansion cards
Identify the POST process
Identify device connectors and cables

BIOS and UEFI
1.1 Configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on a PC

What is BIOS?
BIOS is piece of software that runs before Windows or any other Operating System loads up on your computer.
The BIOS comes in various interfaces:
Old Legacy BIOS

Does not allow you to use your mouse to move around
Interface
New UEFI Interface Is a lot more advanced and you can use the mouse

What is BIOS? (contd.)
This BIOS is embedded onto the motherboard, which is known as firmware and is installed by the
manufacturer.
The function of BIOS is to:
• Detect the core components and display the errors on the screen
• Contain a Power-On Self-Test (POST)
• Let off a series of beeps or displays an error message
The old legacy BIOS interface does not allow you to use your mouse to move around whereas, the new UEFI
interface is a lot more advanced.

Firmware Upgrades—Flash BIOS
To upgrade, the BIOS chip needs to be flashed.
Some motherboards have a BIOS flash button. When the button is pressed,
new BIOS is installed via a USB stick.
BIOS needs to be upgraded to:
Support the new USB 3.0
Enable additional features of a motherboard
An incorrect upgrade can result in loss of motherboard and settings of your BIOS/CMOS.
BIOS flash button

BIOS Interface
The BIOS interface makes various changes that include:
• Making changes to overclocking

• Enabling or disabling peripherals
• Changing your power management set-up
• Enabling plug-in and play for USB sticks
• Checking your PC health status
• Loading your fail-safe defaults
• Loading your optimized defaults
• Setting up a supervisor password
• Setting up a user password

BIOS Component Information
In the BIOS, you can see Information such as:
CPU options Checks the speed and temperature of the CPU
Hard drive options Sets a default hard drive for your operating system
Optical Drive options Sets the optical drive as the first in the boot sequence
RAM options Enables or disables certain slots of your run to check if the speed is correct

BIOS Component Configuration
BIOS Component Configuration allows you to:
Change the Boot

Tells the computer which storage device to load first
sequence
Enable and disable

Install video cards or graphics card
devices
Change Date/time Checks the clock speed if it is running at optimized speed
Alter clock speeds Reduce the clock speed
To use virtual machines in an operating system, the CPU needs to support

Support Virtualization
virtualization
Secure BIOS Set password

BIOS – Drive Encryption: BitLocker/BitLocker To Go
BIOS – Drive Encryption can be done using BitLocker and BitLocker-TO-GO.
To stop your data from being stolen:
• Encrypt the hard drive by using BitLocker drive encryption
To enable BitLocker: BitLocker
• Set a BitLocker drive through the Windows operating system
TPM Chip
BIOS – Drive Encryption: BitLocker/BitLocker To Go(contd.)
If the hard drive is separated from the TPM chip:
• The data cannot be read

• Unlock the hard drive
Some TPM chips can be detached from the motherboard.
If the motherboard does not have a TPM chip, you can store the
encryption key on a USB stick.

BIOS – Drive Encryption: BitLocker/BitLocker To Go (contd.)
After encryption, the BitLocker has two partitions.
BitLocker has a portable version BitLocker To Go.
BitLocker is only available in Windows ultimate and

Enterprise editions.

BIOS Security – LoJack
Lo-Jack is a technology that:
• Tracks a stolen computer or mobile phone
• Enables or disables in the BIOS
• Is either purchased or is already installed
• Needs a license key that is to be entered in order to use it
• Tracks via a GPS signal
• Contains the “phone home” function feature in laptops to send information to locate lost laptop
• Contains a theft mode feature to remotely lock the computer or delete the files
• Sends a remote wipe command to the stolen mobile phone to perform a factory reset

POST
A BIOS runs a power on self-test or POST to do the following tasks:
• Check if the CPU is installed and running properly
• Check if your system memory RAM, and graphics card is working fine
• Check the hardware to see if the mouse and keyboard are plugged-in
If a POST check encounters any errors:
• Displays errors on the screen and a series of beeps occur
• Loads the operating system from a boot loader file

Beep Codes
The different beeps are:
Indicates that the post check has been successful and no problems have been
One short beep
encountered
Three long beeps Indicate a keyboard error
A mixture of long and

Indicate a graphics or video Card adaptor problem
short beeps
Nine short beeps Indicate a problem with the BIOS
1 long repeating
Indicate a run error
beep/3 short beeps

Monitoring
UEFI has certain benefits. They are:
UEFI Benefits
Changes the voltage of CPU for overclocking and throttling
Monitors temperature Monitors temperature
Switches the power modes
Monitors the clock and bus speeds
Controls the speed of the fans

Intrusion Detection
Intrusion detection:
• Is a switch that is pressed against the computer case
• Is connected to one of the jumpers on the motherboard and the switch is pressed against the
computer case
• Enables or disables in the BIOS
On opening the case, the button is depressed and a message is displayed on the screen to indicate
to the user that the case was opened or a component was taken away from the motherboard or from
one of the drives.

Accessing the BIOS
F1 F2
To access the BIOS: Delete
• Press a key or a combination of keys Esc
• Press the delete key, F1 key, F2 key, Escape key, or Alt+S key S
Alt

KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following beep codes indicates that the post check has been successful and no problems have been encountered?
a. Three long beeps
b. 9 short beeps
c. 1 short beep
d. A mixture of long and short beeps
The correct answer is

KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following beep codes indicates that the post check has been successful and no problems have been encountered?
a. Three long beeps
b. 9 short beeps
c. 1 short beep
d. A mixture of long and short beeps
The correct answer is c
Explanation: 1 short beep means the post check has been successful and no problems have been encountered.

BIOS Updates
Update BIOS by flashing the BIOS.
Before upgrading the BIOS firmware,
Identify the current firmware version
Visit the BIOS manufacturer’s website
Read the upgrade documentation
Download from the manufacturer’s website

BIOS Updates (contd.)
The reasons to upgrade the BIOS are:
• The problems caused by the BIOS itself
• Problems in the device that you cannot attribute to any other cause
• A hardware that is not currently supported by the BIOS version

BIOS Related Symptoms
The BIOS-related symptoms include:
BIOS-related Symptoms
Devices that are misidentified
Memory size shown incorrectly
Hard drive inaccessible
System won’t boot from hard drive
System unable to locate the OS
Date and time incorrect

CMOS
CMOS is the storage area where the BIOS configuration information is

stored.
Always modify CMOS information via the BIOS interface to avoid

resetting settings to default CMOS Settings
In most modern motherboards, the CMOS is:
• Integrated into the BIOS chip
• Has volatile memory
• Needs constant power
BIOS chip
CMOS

CMOS (contd.)
The CMOS is powered by a CR-2032 circular battery that indicates the following:
• Wrong date and time
• Battery run out
• Reset settings
New computers have flash-based storage and may only use a CMOS battery to maintain the date and time settings.

BIOS vs. CMOS
The differentiating aspects of BIOS and CMOS are:
BIOS CMOS
• It is the interface used to enter data • It needs constant power (volatile memory) which is provided by
which is then stored in the CMOS chip the CMOS battery
• Needs CMOS to display information • If power is lost to the CMOS, all data is reset to factory default
causing major problems

Motherboards
1.2 Explain the importance of motherboard components, their purpose, and properties

Motherboard Form Factors
There are various types of motherboards with varied characteristics.
Form Dimensions Notes

Factor mm inches
ATX 305 x 244 12 x 9.6 Intel created in 1996. Past and present standard for high-end systems.
Mini-ATX 284 x 208 11.2 x 8.2 Motherboard could be used in an ATX compliant chassis
Micro-ATX 244 x 244 9.6 x 9.6 Motherboard could be used in an ATX 2.1-compliant chassis (minor modifications)
Motherboard could be used in an ATX 2.03-compliant chassis (minor modifications) or in a microATX 1.0
FlexATX 229 x 191 9 x 7.5
compliant chassis
Can be used in a Mini-ITX, microATX, and ATX chassis when used with a regular ATX I/O shield. Compatible
Mini-ITX 170 x 170 6.7 x 6.7
with microATX chassis. No need to retool current chassis
Targeted at smart digital entertainment devices such as PVRs, set-top boxes, media centres, car PCs, and
Nano-ITX 120 x 120 4.7 x 4.7
thin devices
Highly integrated. Targeted at smart digital entertainment devices such as PVRs, set-top boxes, media
Pico-ITX 100 x 72 3.9 x 2.8
centres, car PCs, and thin devices

Motherboards
The different motherboard form factors include:
ATX Motherboard Is the most popular motherboard form factor as you can fit more expansion slots.
Uses a smaller form factor size. Does not have the expansion slots owing to its small
Micro-ATX
size.
Is a newer type of ATX motherboard which is mostly used in set top boxes such as,
ITX
Sky or Virgin TiVo and smartphones.
Uses a very low power standard. Can be used inside cars to add smart features such as, traffic navigation and
Mini-ITX
multimedia functionality.
Expansion Slots - PCI
PCI slots are:
• Legacy expansion slots
• Used on motherboards currently
• Being slowly replaced by PCI Express slots
Peripheral Component Interconnect

(PCI) Cards
Expansion Slots – PCI (contd.)
There are a number of PCI expansion slots. They are:
PCI-X (Extended) Very slow and servers are needed to handle a bigger caseload
PCI Express Very fast, available in different sizes, and are used for high end graphics cards
Mini PCI and Mini PCI used in laptops. Are adaptor cards which are installed internally in the device
Express card and can include additional functionality such as wireless adaptors
Slot Comparison
Here are the slot comparison of different slot types according to their sizes:
• PCI-X Slot Type Details..
• PCI-Express 6X PCI 32-bit at 33 MHz = 133 MBps

64-bit at 66 MHz = 533 MBps
PCIx Cards Bus Width Bus Speed Through-Put
• PCI Rev. 1.0 64-bit 66 MHz 508 MB/s
** 64-bit 100 MHz 763 MB/s
• AGP Rev. 1.0 64-bit 133 MHz 1017 MB/s
Rev. 1.0 64-bit 266 MHz 2201 MB/s
• PCI-Express 1X Rev. 1.0 64-bit 533 MHz 4403 MB/s
PCIe PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express PCI Express
Lanes 1.0 MB/s 2.0 MB/s 3.0 MB/s 4.0 MB/s
x1 250 500 985 1,969
x2 500 1,000 1,970 3,938
x4 1,000 2,000 3,940 7,876
x8 2,000 4,000 7,880 15,752
x16 4,000 8,000 15,750 31,510
x32 8,000 16,000
Motherboard Architecture
There are various chipsets that are integrated on the motherboard.
The CPU is used to run all the calculations needed on a computer system. They are plugged into a CPU
socket that comes in various sizes. In order to help out the CPU, there are chips that work as controllers.
They are:
Northbridge Controls and manages the connection between the CPU and the RAM slots.
chip Also, controls the connection to high end graphics cards
Southbridge Controls everything else on the motherboard such as, USB slots, Ethernet,
controller hard drives, optical drives on your BIOS, etc.
Power Connectors
The motherboard is powered by:
• A power supply using an ATX standard 20-32 pin connector
• Additional power
• An extra 4 pin connector
20 pin connector Additional

connectors
4 pin
connector
Power Connector Types
There are various types of power connectors. They are:
Is a 2232 pin connector and has an additional 4 pin connector to provide power to
Motherboard Power
Connector the motherboard
SATA Power Connector Is used to power any SATA device inside the computer case and uses a 15 pin connector
PCI Express 6 pin and

Are used to plug into the graphics cards as they become more powerful
8 pin Power Connector
IDE Molex Connector Was used to power older legacy devices which still might be seen nowadays
Molex to SATA Power Has four pins where the yellow and red cables are used for live power whilst the
Converter black wires provide the necessary grounding
Is a smaller version of SATA power connector. It was used for powering floppy drives
Mini Molex Connector
which has now become defunct
P1- Power Output
The 5 voltage standards in a motherboard are:
• + 3.3 volts
• + 5 volts
• + 12 volts
• - 3.3 volts and
• -12 volts
PC - Airflow
The CPU fans:

• Draw cold air from the front
• Pass cold air through the components
• Suck out the hot air
Fan Connectors
The PC has two fans:

• Front of the computer sucks cool air into the computer
• Back of the computer takes the hot air out
These fans are powered by pins on the motherboard and are available in different sizes such as:
Fan Connector
• 80 millimeters
• 92 millimeters
• 120 millimeters
Motherboard pins
Front Panel Connectors
To connect an additional drive at the front of your PC to support more ports you need:
• A USB port
• Audio port
• Power button
• Reset button
USB port
Power button
Audio port Reset button
BUS Speed
Buses carry two main pieces of information. They are:
• Address – where the data is going

• Data – Payload
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following motherboards will you use in TV set top boxes?
a. ATX
b. Micro ATX
c. ITX
d. Mini ITX
KNOWLEDGE Which of the following motherboards will you use in TV set top boxes?
CHECK
a. ATX
b. Micro ATX
c. ITX
d. Mini ITX
Explanation: ITX is the newer type of motherboard which is mostly used in set top boxes.

Memory
1.3 Compare and Contrast RAM types and features
Types of Memory Modules
The various types of memory modules are:
DIMM These are 64 bit memory modules that use different electrical contacts on each side of the chip
Are used in laptops and have one notch in different positions of the chip to stop them being inserted into the
SO-DIMM
incorrect memory slots
MicroDIMMS Are used in smaller mobile devices
Multi-Channel Is installed in pairs for maximum throughput
Single Sided versus Single sided chips have all the memory chips on a single memory module working as one rank. Double sided
Double Sided memory uses groups of memory chips on a module that can be independently accessed
Buffered versus Buffered memory buffers the data before it is sent to the processor and consumes
Unbuffered high electrical power. Unbuffered memory are a lot cheaper but, are not reliable
RAM Compatibility and Speed
To calculate Memory Speed or BUS Speed use the following formula:
To calculate Memory Speed To calculate BUS Speed
• See if it’s a DDR, DDR2, or a DDR • Divide the PC no by eight, no

memory module matter what DDR type it is
• For a DDR memory module, divide • To calculate the PC number, just
the PC no. by 16 to get the memory reverse the sequence from the
speed BUS or Memory information
• For a DDR2 memory module, divide

the PC no. by 32 to get the memory
speed
• For a DDR3 memory module, divide
the PC no. by 64 to get the memory
speed
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following memory modules are double-sided 64 bit memory modules?
a. DIMM
b. So DIMM
c. Multi-channel
d. Micro DIMMS
KNOWLEDGE Which of the following memory modules are double-sided 64 bit memory modules?
CHECK
a. DIMM
b. So DIMM
c. Multi-channel
d. Micro DIMMS
The correct answer is a
Explanation: Dual inline memory module (DIMM) are 64 bit memory modules that are double sided and use different electrical contacts on each side
of the chip.

PC Expansion Cards
1.4 Install and Configure PC expansion cards
Types of Expansion Cards
The different types of expansion cards are:
Sound cards Connect your PC to speakers and Hi-fi systems
Video cards Are used for graphics card to enable you to connect to a monitor
Network cards Connect your PC to a network
USB cards Add additional ports for USB
Fire Wire cards Add additional ports for firewire devices
Storage cards Are used in laptops to add a hard drive

Types of Expansion Cards (contd.)
Modem Cards Are used in laptops with an RJ-11 port which allows connection to telephone line
Wireless/Cellular
Are used in laptops to add wireless functionality
cards
TV tuner card Allows you to watch TV on PC as it has a co-axial connection

• The various types of memory modules are:
Video Capture card Allows you to capture video content on the PC
Riser card Allows you to add expansion slots on the motherboard
Hot Swappable Are devices that can be taken out of the PC without the PC being switched off or rebooted
Thunderbolt cards Displays port video mostly for MACs and has High Definition Video and Audio
Storage Devices
1.5 Install and configure Storage Devices and use appropriate Media
Types of Storage Devices
Storage devices help in storing data. This includes:
• Primary storage devices
• Secondary storage devices removable, external, or internal
A few of the storage devices are:
• Optical Drives
• Solid State or Flash Drives
• Hybrid
• Tape Drives
Optical Drives
Common types of optical drives include CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays.
When you burn your data onto an optical disc, the burner uses CD DVD Blu-ray
darkened photosensitive dye to write information onto the disc.
You will be able to see this on the disc as the parts with data on them will be
darker than the areas with no data on them.
Darkened photosensitive dye

Optical Drives (contd.)
The common types of discs are:

• CD-ROM
• DVD ROM
• Blu-ray ROM
Some other types of discs are:

• CD-RW
• DVD-RW
• DVD-RW DL
• BD-R
• BD-RE
Solid State/Flash Drives
Solid state drives:
• Contain no moving parts
• Are a lot more expensive than magnetic hard drives
• Are considerably faster as you will have no physical metal platter or arm to access data
Solid-State/Flash Drives (contd.)
Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM):
• Is non-volatile
• Has limited number of data writes
Solid-state Drive
Flash drives are designed to store data for a limited time.
Solid State/Flash Drives (contd.)
Types of flash drives include:
• Compact flash SD
• MicroSD
• MiniSD
• XD
• EMMC
Hybrid Drives
Hybrid drives are a combination of :

• Magnetic hard drive
• SSD in a single device
RAID
Hybrid drives are combined to:
• Provide redundancy
• Increase the speed
In order to use RAID, you need to plug several hard drives into a motherboard SATA port that
supports RAID.
If you use the motherboard to control your RAID, it is known as hardware RAID. Redundant Array of Independent Discs
If you use the Windows operating system to control the RAID configuration,
it is known as a software RAID.

RAID
The three types of RAID technologies are:
RAID1 RAID 5 RAID 1 + 0
• Is another data storage technology • Needs a minimum of 3 hard drives • RAID 10 uses a combination of RAID
• Uses a slightly different technology in order for Raid 5 to work 1 and RAID 0 and is striped with
known as mirroring • The way Raid 5 works in the user's mirror
• Needs a minimum of two separate RAID 0 technology is striping to split • Needs a minimum of 4 hard drives
hard drives the data onto several hard drives. where 2 of the hard drives are used
However, when the data is split, one for striping, so that half of the data is
hard drive contains a parity bit written on to one drive while the other
is written on to the one providing
faster speeds
• The two striped hard drives are then
copied in a mirror configuration onto
two other hard drives providing high
redundancy
Tape Drives
Tape drives are an older technology that:
• Used to backup data
• Had to be written in order to read the data
• Had to sequentially go through the tape
Tape drives have now been replaced with hard drives as the capacity on hard drives has also
increased.
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following statements is true about SSDs?
a. CD RW DL is an example of SSD
b. SSDs contain no moving parts
c. They are cheaper than magnetic drives
d. They are slower than other drives

KNOWLEDGE Which of the following statements is true about SSDs?
CHECK
a. CD RW DL is an example of SSD
b. SSDs contain no moving parts
c. They are cheaper than magnetic drives
d. They are slower than other drives
The correct answer is b
Explanation: SSDs contain no moving parts.

CPU’s
1.6 Install various types of CPUs and apply the appropriate cooling methods
Socket Types – INTEL and AMD
The two major manufacturers of processors are:

Socket Types – INTEL and AMD (contd.)
The different types of Intel processor sockets are:
Was released in 2004 and supported by Pentium 4 and Core 2 processors. The number 775 indicates the
Socket 775
number of pins allocated for the processor
Socket B Used 1366 pins and was released in 2008. It is used by 7 Nehalem
Socket H - 1156 Was released in 2009 and is used by Core i3 i5 i7 Nehalem
Was released in 2011 and was used by the Next Generation Core i3, i5, and i7 which is
Socket H2 - 1155
Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge and Haswell
Was released in 2013, and now replaces lga1155 1156, and is currently used by Haswell and Broadwell
Socket H3 - 1150
microarchitecture processors
Socket Types – INTEL and AMD (contd.)
The different types of AMD processors are:
AM3 Was released in 20094 and supported Athlon II anf Phenom III
AM3 Plus Was released in 2011 and supports Athlon II and Phenom II
Socket FM2 Was released in 2012 is a 904 PGA
Socket FM2 Plus Was released in 2014 and uses a micro PGA or UPGA
CPU Characteristics
Some CPU characteristics are:
Computer processors are measured in Speed such as gigahertz. Gigahertz means 1

Speed
billion Hz per second
A single physical processor can have multiple calls which in themselves act like
Multiple cores
individual CPUs whereby they all carry out their own tasks
Cache size or type Cache comes in three sizes: L1 cache, Level 2 cache, and Level 3 cache
Makes the computer think that there are 2 CPUs running when actually only 1
Hyper threading
physical CPU is running. This increases the performance by 33%
Virtualization support Needs to be enabled in order to run virtual PCs and also be enabled in the BIOS
CPU Characteristics (contd.)
Some CPU characteristics are:
Architecture (32bit Vs. The main difference is that a 64 bit architecture motherboard will have 64 lanes and the a 32-bit architecture
64-bit) will have 32 lanes
The CPU renders the actual graphics. GPU stands for graphics processing unit and is
Integrated GPU
built into the CPU, so there is no need for a separate graphics card
Disable execute bit

The CPU executes NX bit
(NX bit)
Prevents unauthorized operating systems and software from loading during the
Secure boot
start-up process. It is a feature enabled by the UEFI
Cooling
The various ways to cool the CPU are
Is applied directly onto the CPU to enable better heat transfer from the CPU to the
Thermal Paste
heatsink
Uses a large amount of fins to increase the surface area of the CPU thus cooling the
Heat Sink
processor down
Fans Allows the heat to dissipate away from the CPU
Liquid Cool Uses a coolant to take away the heat from the CPU
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following technologies would be best suited to cool the CPUs in gaming devices?
a. Fans
b. Passive cooling
c. Heat sink
d. Liquid cooling
KNOWLEDGE Which of the following technologies would be best suited to cool the CPUs in gaming devices?
CHECK
a. Fans
b. Passive cooling
c. Heat sink
d. Liquid cooling
The correct answer is d
Explanation: Liquid cooling is the best form of cooling for gaming devices where it uses a coolant to take away the heat from the CPU.

PC Connection Interfaces
1.7 Compare and contrast various PC connection interfaces, their characteristics and purpose
USB Connections
There are different versions of USB that run at different speeds:

• Version 1.1 runs at 12 MBps
• Version 2.0 runs at 480 MBps
• Version 3.0 runs at 5 GBps
The maximum length of a USB cable:

• Runs at 5 meters
• Uses 4 pins (USB 3 uses 9 pins)
• Provides 2.5 volts per Port
Most external USB hard drives require 5 volts in order to power up and need a USB splitter or hub, which
draws 2.5 volts per Port. You can connect up to 127 USB devices using the USB hub.
The latest versions of USB are backward compatible with previous versions.
FireWire
Common firework cables are:

• 400 runs at 400 megabytes per second
• 800 runs at 800 megabytes per second
FireWire is preferred by video editors as it is more efficient at transferring large files as compared to USB. IEEE 1394
SATA Cable
The four SATA cable versions include:

• SATA1
• SATA2
• SATA3
• eSATA
Other Connector Types
Some other connector types are:
VGA Is used for video display. It has 15 pins in a roll of 3
HDMI Is a high definition video and sound card with a maximum range of 10 meters
Is high-definition video and only display cable which has now replaced VGA cables. It
DVI
carries a digital signal
Audio—Analog Contains old technology which is the Tip Ring Sleeve or TRS, cable also known as Aux
Provides optical high-definition sound. For example, the TOSLINK cable is also known
Audio—Digital
as SPDIF. It uses optical light technology and has a maximum distance of 10 meters
Other Connector Types (contd.)
Some other connector types are:
RJ-45 Is the most popular network cable with cable length of maximum 100 meters
RJ-11 Is used to connect telephone wires and is also known as 6P2c
Contains both data and power. It uses a high-speed serial connector for connection
Thunderbolt
with peripherals, and is based and looks like the Mini Display Port or MDP standard
Wireless Connections
Some wireless connections include:
Infrared Has a 4 meter speed range with a distance of 1 meter for successful data transfer
Runs at a speed of 106 kilobits to 424 kilobits with a maximum range of 10

NFC
centimeters or just under 4 inches
Bluetooth Comes in various versions from version 1 to version 4
RF Transfers data over 100 meter distance

Digital Rights Management
DRM process has control over digital media such as:

• Games
• Videos
• Movies
• Documents
DRM can be controlled in software or hardware.
Software Hardware
Power Supply
1.8 Install a power supply based on given specifications
Connector Types
There are various connector types such as:
SATA Uses 15 pins and provides +5 volts or +12 volts
Molex Uses 4 pins and advanced CPUs need extra power which is provided by a 4 to 8 pin 12 volt wire
PCIe 6 to 8 pin power

Connects directly into the graphics card and provides +12 volts
cable
ATX Uses a 20 to 32 pin and provides +3.3 volts, +5 volts, +12 volts, -5 volts and -12 volts
Power Supply Specifications
Power supplies are rated against the following specifications:

• Wattage
• Size
• Number
In addition, power supplies are:

• Designed to provide power to your components
• Check power supply based on country
• Physical voltage switch allows you to switch the power input limitation
• Auto switching technology automatically changes the voltage
Dual Rail PSUs is connected to each 12-volt connector on the outside of the power supply.
Custom PC Configuration
1.9 Select the appropriate components for a custom PC configuration, to meet customer specifications or needs
A custom PC has certain features. They are:
Processor A multi-core processor to handle high graphics data
RAM Enough RAM to process the information
Video A high-end video card for display
Audio Specialized cards are needed
Hard Drive A specialized audio card for sound and a large fast hard drive
A custom PC has certain features. They are:
Cooling A multi-core processor
Form Factor A TV tuner card and HDMI output
Software A software for the desktop application and a good RAID array
Networking A good network connection and a basic operating system running a thin client OS
Display Devices
1.10 Compare and contrast types of display devices and their features
LCD Technologies
There are two types of LCD technologies:

• TN or Twisted Nematic
• IPS or In-Plane Switching
The Twisted Nematic technology:

• Is the most common technology
• Has faster response time which makes it ideal for gaming
• Has a low power draw
• Has issues like poor viewing angles and color shifts
The In Plane Switching technology:

• Has excellent color representation
• Has no tailing when touched, which make them ideal for mobile phones
• Are more expensive to produce as compared to the Twisted Nematic technology
Types Of Display Devices
The various types of display devices are:
Plasma LCD Projector OLED
Uses many tiny cells or bulbs, Needs some sort of backlight in Projects images onto the Uses a layer of organic chemical
noble gas and a small amount of order for the light to shine projection screen using light or compound to produce an image
mercury through the LEDs laser in response to an electrical
current
Types of Backlights
The types of back lights are::
CCFL LED
• Uses a higher voltage cold cathode fluorescent lamp • Uses LEDs around the edge
• Needs a power inverter • Needs a diffuser
• Has additional LEDs behind the screen
Refresh Rates
Refresh rate is the number of times per second the frame is displayed.
LCD displays:
• Has no electron beams
• Refreshes at 60 hz to 144 hz per second
Resolution
Resolution is number of times per second the frame is displayed.

4320
Native resolution of a TV display = The actual resolution of the TV

8K
UHD
2160
4K
1080 UHD
576 FHD
Or
480
0
S
D
Display Devices Terms
Brightness of light:
• Measured in candelas
• Ranges from 250 to 500 cd/m2
Analog Digital
• Uses radio waves • Uses a binary code

• Translates analogue signal into digital and then back • Produces a high definition display
Privacy/Antiglare Filters and Multiple Displays
You can purchase a privacy or anti-glare filter for your display or even have multiple displays.
Privacy filters Antiglare filters
• Limits the viewing angle of a monitor to stop shoulder surfing • Reduces glare from the device and reflections from light sources
in the surrounding environment
Multiple displays
• Helps to use more than one display to install a graphics card to

provide more than one display port
• Uses SLI or crossfire graphics cards technology wherein you
can install two graphics inside a PC so that they work together
to produce better graphics
Aspect Ratios
1.33:1 or 4:3
Standard aspect ratio
and
Standard definition video
The three types of monitors have different Aspect ratios. They are:
1.66:1
Aspect ratio used
for most European
• Standard monitor has aspect ratio 4:3 and contains resolution of 1600x1200 and 2048 x 1536 theatrical showings
1.78:1 or 16:9
Standard aspect ratio
for high-definition
• Wide screen monitors 16:10 and contains resolution of 1920 x 1200 and 2560 x 1600 video
1.85:1
Aspect ratio used for most U.S.
theatrical showings since the 1960s
• HD Widescreen 16:9 and contains resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 2560 x 1440 2.35:1
Aspect ratio of current anamorphic
(wide-screen) showings
2.75:1
Aspect ratio of Ultra-Panavision
70
4.00:1
Rare use of Polyvision
(three 35mm 1.33:1 projected side by side)
only used in Napoleon (1927)
Layered comparison of different aspect ratios

Connector Types
1.11 Identify connector types and associated cables
Types of Display Connectors
There are different types of display connectors.
Uses an analogue technology in order to connect to a video device such as, legacy
RCA/Composite
set top boxes and camcorders
Uses 3 cables to carry an analogue video signal and two cables to carry an analogue
Component/RGB
audio signal
Carries an analogue video source and is normally blue in color with 15 pins i.e. 3
VGA Cable
rows of 5 pins
DVI Cable Carries a high-definition video as an additional sound wire for audio
Types of Display Connectors
There are different types of display connectors.
HDMI Cable Supports high-definition video and audio and uses 19 pins on the connector
Mini HDMI Uses 19 pins with digital equipment such as, camcorders and tablets
Display Port Has higher refresh rates, and has currently 20 pins
Coaxial Cable Is used for TV aerials and cables

Device Cables and Connectors
There are three types of device cables and connectors.
SATA: Connects one device and a port on the motherboard
eSATA: Connects to a SATA Port that supports up to 3 gigabits per second
PS/2: Connects old keyboards and mice until the USB replaced it
Audio Ports
There are three ports. They are:
• The green port is for audio out or to the speaker
• The blue port is fall line in if you want to record something into the PC
• The pink port is normally connected to a microphone. These ports have been around for a very long time and are used
for an analogue audio

Adaptors and Converters
Following are the various types of Adaptors and Converters:
DVI to HDMI Are electronically compatible with each other as they both support HD signal
USB Type A to USB Type A is a downstream port that goes into the PC whereas Type B is an upstream
Type B port that goes into printers
Is useful for laptops that do not have an Ethernet connection. Hence, need a converter to convert one of its
USB to Ethernet
USB ports into a connector that connects an RJ45
Is backward compatible with VGA however, only a resolution of 640 by 480 is

DVI Cable
officially supported
Adaptors and Converters
Following are the various types of Adaptors and Converters:
Thunderbolt to DVI Carries both Display Port and PCI Express properties
PS/2 to USB Allows to use your old legacy devices with a new computer
HDMI to VGA Needs a digital to analogue converter called active converter cable
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following display connectors uses 19 pins with digital equipment such as camcorders and tablets?
a. HDMI cables
b. VGA Cable
c. Mini HDMI
d. DVI Cable
KNOWLEDGE Which of the following display connectors uses 19 pins with digital equipment such as camcorders and tablets?
CHECK
a. HDMI cables
b. VGA Cable
c. Mini HDMI
d. DVI Cable
Explanation: Mini HDMI cables use19 pins with digital equipment such as camcorders and tablets.

Computer Peripherals
1.12 Install and configure various peripheral devices
Input Devices
Input devices are used to provide data and control signals to a computer.
Mouse Is used to move the cursor around the screen and click the options.
Keyboard Is used to type commands and letters into the computer
Game pads Are used for gaming and can utilize quite precise controls
Joysticks Are used for flight simulations and vehicle control game experience
Input Devices
Input devices are used to provide data and control signals to a computer.
Motion sensor Detects movement of objects or people
Microphone Records audio into a computer for web conference and audio recordings
Webcam Displays a live feed for video conferencing or to record videos
Camcorder Transfers video files

Other Input Devices
Some more input devices are:
Barcode reader Biometric device
• Reads barcodes • Uses body parts for security and authentication
• Reads correct information • For example, a retina scanner or a fingerprint reader
MIDI
• Connects a musical instrument to a PC using a 5 pin DIN, USB,

FireWire, or Ethernet connections
• For example, electronic guitar or a keyboard

Input and Output Devices
Some common output devices are:
Touch screens Uses a finger to mark a point on the screen
KVM Controls many PCs with a single keyboard, monitor, and a mouse
Can have apps installed on to them and you can also stream media and
Smart TV
telecommunication
Set-Top Box Converts a non-Smart TV into a Smart TV

SOHO Multi-function Devices
1.13 Install a SOHO multi-functional device printers and configure appropriate settings
Settings of a Printer
A number of settings of a printer can be changed. They are:
Duplex Prints on both sides
Prints multiple copies in the proper order where non-collated is

Collate
(1,1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,4) and collated is (1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4)
Allows changing Portrait vs. Landscape and the paper does not rotate (printer
Orientation
compensates)
Quality Allows making changes to the resolution, color, and grayscale to save ink or toner
Device Sharing
Device sharing is done using wired printing, wireless printing, or infrastructure mode.
Wired Printing Serial Communication 1, USB (Type B), Ethernet
Wireless Printing IR, Bluetooth, Wireless 802.11a,b,g,n,ac
Infrastructure vs. ad- Infrastructure Mode—Connects the Printer to the access point then to the PC
hoc Ad-hoc Mode—Creates a wireless direct connection from the PC to the printer
Integrated Print Server and Cloud Based Printing
The differentiating aspects of integrated print server and Cloud based printing are:
Integrated Print Server Cloud Based Printing/Remote Printing

• No need for a dedicated print server • Prints from the web
• Prints directly to the printer
project • Useful for mobile devices
• Jobs are queued and managed on the printer • Internet connection is needed to your access point
•
benefits of undertaking the
Web-based front end
• Allows installing client utility
ascertaining the costs and
Public or Shared Devices
When printing on a network, you can use:
TCP port numbers Bonjour network protocol AirPrint
For Windows devices TCP For Apple Mac OS use This technology is used to
port numbers are 135 to Bonjour network protocol print from iOS devices to
139 using both TCP and that can be added to compatible printers.
UDP protocol. Windows using iTunes.
Printer Data Privacy
The three main permissions that can be set on a printer are:
Print: Allows the user to print a print job
Manage the Printer: Allows an individual to go into the printer settings
Manage Documents: Allows a user to delete and move the job up on the print queue
KNOWLEDGE
CHECK
Which of the following input output device converts a non Smart TV into a Smart TV.
a. Touch screens
b. KVM
c. Smart TV
d. Set-Top Box
KNOWLEDGE Which of the following input output device converts a non Smart TV into a Smart TV.
CHECK
a. Touch screens
b. KVM
c. Smart TV
d. Set-Top Box
Explanation: A set top box can be used to convert a non Smart TV into a Smart TV.

Printers
1.14 Compare and contrast differences between the various print technologies and the
associated imaging process
Types of Printers
There are various printers. They are:
• Laser
• Inkjet
• Thermal
• Impact
• Virtual
Laser Printers
The laser printer:
• Uses laser technology to print onto paper
• Produces a very high quality print out
• Uses toner and not ink to produce an image
• Is expensive however, incurs low running cost

Laser Printer Imaging Process
The steps of a Laser printer imaging process are:
• Processing: The print job is processed by a PC and now ready to be printed.
• Charging: A -600 volt is applied by the Corona wire to a photosensitive drum.
• Exposing: Uses a laser to write onto the Photosensor Drum by de-volting areas.
• Developing: Toner is applied to the area of the drum which has been de-volted.
• Transferring: The toner from the photosensitive drum is transferred on to the paper
• Fusing: The toner is then heated and pressed onto the paper to make it permanent
• Cleaning: Fine brushes are used to clean the drum of any excess toner.
Laser Printer Components
Some laser printer components are:
• Imaging drum: Develops the image
• Fuser assembly: Applies heat and pressure to melt the toner onto the paper
• Duplexing assembly: Enables printing when attached on both sides of the paper
• Transfer belt: Transfers the paper for the printer from beginning to end
• Transfer rollers: Transfers the paper throughout the printer
• Pickup rollers: Picks up the paper
• Separator pads: Separates the paper when it is picked up by the roller
• Corona wires: Applies the minus or plus 600 vaults to the photosensitive drum or paper
Inkjet Printers
Some inkjet printer components are:
• Ink cartridge: Contains a nozzle that draws the ink to squirt on the paper.
• Print head: Takes the ink from the cartridge and squirts it onto the paper.
• Rollers and Feeders: Feeds the paper into the printer however, damage to this can jam the paper.
• Duplex Assembly: Enables printing on both sides of the printer.
• Carriage and belt: Moves print head along the belt.
• Calibration: Re-calibrates misaligned text using the software.
Problems with printouts allow running a head clean or print alignment program
Thermal Printers
Thermal printer components include:
• Feed Assembly: Feeds the paper throughout the printer and causes paper jams
• Heating element: Heats the paper and needs to be replaced
• Special Thermal Paper: Is wax treated and when heated, the color changed to red and black
Impact Printers
Some impact printer components contain:
• Print Head: Goes through the ink ribbon to produce an image
• Ribbon: Full of ink
• Tractor Feed: To feed paper through the print on perforated paper
• Impact Paper: Multipart forms to produce copies and use Parallel port (LPT1)
An impact printer uses multi-part forms for producing carbon copies of the same thing.
Virtual Printers
Virtual printing is useful for sending print out electronically:
● Print to file
● Print to PDF
● Print to XPS
● Print to image
Print to file feature can be used to save the print out as a file with an output file format specific to the printer.
Printer Maintenance
1.15 Perform an appropriate printer maintenance
Printer Maintenance
Printer maintenance for the different printers are:
Laser Printer Thermal Printer Impact Printer Inkjet Printer
• Servicing needs to be • Replace paper • Replace the ribbon if • Replace ink cartridge
done at least once a • Check for printing the printouts are faded if printout is faded
year issues • Replace the printhead • Check placement of
• A laser printer • Clean the heat and paper if printer is ink cartridges if wrong
maintenance kit is element unable to print colors are being
required • Use compressed air for printed
• Engineer must reset removing dirt from • Run a print head clean
the maintenance inside the printer • Run the alignment
service counter back calibration program if
to zero after servicing there are text
• Spilled toner must be alignment issues
cleaned with gloves or
toner vacuum
Quiz
QUIZ
Which of the following BIOS components allows you to enable or disable certain slots of your run to check if the speed is correct?
1
a. Optical Drive options
b. CPU options
c. Hard drive options
d. RAM options
Explanation: The RAM options allow you to enable or disable certain slots of your run to check if the speed is correct and running at optimized speed.
QUIZ
Which of the following types of motherboards is the most popular motherboard form factor that can fit more expansion slots?
12
a. UnITX
b. Micro-ATX
c. ATX
d. Mini-ITX

Explanation: The ATX motherboard form factor is the most popular motherboard form factor as you can fit more expansion slots.
QUIZ
Which of the following types of memory modules use different electrical contacts on each side of the chip?
13
a. SO-DIMM
b. MicroDIMMS
c. DIMM
d. Multi-Channel

Explanation: DIMM are 64 bit memory modules that use different electrical contacts on each side of the chip.
QUIZ
Which of the following types of connectors is used for video display that has 15 pins in a roll of 3?
14
a. DVI
b. HDMI
c. VGA
d. Audio Digital

Explanation: A VGA cable is used for video display. It has 15 pins in a roll of 3.
Key Takeaway
The BIOS is embedded onto the motherboard and is used to

run some checks on the core components such as the CPU. It
1 contains a POST, and detects and displays errors on the
screen.
The various form factors of a motherboard include the ATX

standard and the ITX standard. The ATX motherboards come
in mini, micro, and flex versions while the ITX form factor
includes mini, nano, and Pico. 2
RAM is volatile memory that can be accessed only until the
power is available. The different types of memory modules
are DIMM, SO-DIMM, MicroDIMMS, Multi-Channel, Single
3 Sided versus Double Sided, and Buffered versus
Unbuffered.
An expansion card is an additional circuit board that can be
used to connect devices sound cards, video cards, network
cards, USB cards, Fire wire cards, storage cards, modem
cards, wireless cards, TV tuner card, video capture card, riser
card, hot swappable, and Thunderbolt cards. 4 Storage devices help to store data. These devices could be
primary, such as RAM, or secondary, such as hard disks, and
can be further categorized as secondary storage into
5 removable, external, or internal.
Key Takeaway
The two major manufacturers of processors are Intel, which

is the most popular and the other is AMD. Intel prefers to use
6 LGA type processors and AMD prefer using PGA type
processors.
USB is used to connect to Printers devices and phones.

FireWire Apple is the equivalent of USB and is also known as
i. link or lynx. 7
The various power connector are SATA, Molex, PCIe 6 to 8
8 pin power cable, and ATX.
A custom PC for a graphic design workstation has features

that include processor, RAM, video, audio, hard drive,
cooling, form factor, software, and networking.
9
The various types of display devices are plasma, LCD,
10 projector, and OLED.
Key Takeaway
The different types of display connectors are

RCA/Composite, Component/RGB, VGA cable, DVI cable,
11 HDMI cable, Mini HDMI, Display port, and Coaxial cable.
Input devices are computer hardware equipment that are

used to provide data and control signals to a computer.
12
Device sharing is done using wired, wireless printing, or
13 infrastructure mode.
The different types of printers are laser, inkjet, thermal,

impact, and virtual. 14 A color laser printer maintenance must be done once a year.
For thermal printer maintenance, the paper must be
replaced and the heat element needs to be cleaned. For
impact printer maintenance, the ribbon must be replaced if
the printouts are faded, and finally, for inkjet printing
maintenance, the ink cartridge needs to be replaced if the
15 printout is faded.
This concludes “Hardware.”
The next lesson is “Networking.”

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CompTIA A+ (220-901 & 902)

CompTIA® is a registered trademark of CompTIA, Inc.

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Configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on a PC

Compare and contrast RAM types and features

Install and configure PC expansion cards

Identify the POST process

Identify device connectors and cables

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The BIOS comes in various interfaces:

Old Legacy BIOS

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The function of BIOS is to:

• Contain a Power-On Self-Test (POST)

• Let off a series of beeps or displays an error message

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To upgrade, the BIOS chip needs to be flashed.

BIOS needs to be upgraded to:

Support the new USB 3.0

Enable additional features of a motherboard

BIOS flash button

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The BIOS interface makes various changes that include:

• Making changes to overclocking

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CPU options Checks the speed and temperature of the CPU

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Change the Boot

Enable and disable

Change Date/time Checks the clock speed if it is running at optimized speed

Alter clock speeds Reduce the clock speed

To use virtual machines in an operating system, the CPU needs to support

Secure BIOS Set password

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BIOS – Drive Encryption can be done using BitLocker and BitLocker-TO-GO.

To stop your data from being stolen:

• Encrypt the hard drive by using BitLocker drive encryption

To enable BitLocker: BitLocker

• Set a BitLocker drive through the Windows operating system

If the hard drive is separated from the TPM chip:

• The data cannot be read

Some TPM chips can be detached from the motherboard.

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After encryption, the BitLocker has two partitions.

BitLocker has a portable version BitLocker To Go.

BitLocker is only available in Windows ultimate and

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Lo-Jack is a technology that:

• Tracks a stolen computer or mobile phone

• Enables or disables in the BIOS

• Is either purchased or is already installed

• Needs a license key that is to be entered in order to use it

• Tracks via a GPS signal

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A BIOS runs a power on self-test or POST to do the following tasks:

• Check if the CPU is installed and running properly

If a POST check encounters any errors:

• Displays errors on the screen and a series of beeps occur