A+ Essentials Tutorial

1.0 Personal Computer Components

1.1 Identify the fundamental principles of using personal computers

• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of storage devices

  • FDD
  • HDD
  • CD / DVD / RW (e.g. drive speeds, media types)
  • Removable storage (e.g. tape drive, solid state such as thumb drive, flash and SD cards, USB, external CD-RW and hard drive)

• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of motherboards

  • Form Factor (e.g. ATX / BTX, micro ATX / NLX)
  • Components 
    • Integrated I/Os (e.g. sound, video, USB, serial, IEEE 1394 / firewire, parallel, NIC, modem)
    • Memory slots (e.g. RIMM, DIMM)
    • Processor sockets
    • External cache memory
    • Bus architecture
    • Bus slots (e.g. PCI, AGP, PCIe, AMR, CNR)
    • EIDE / PATA, SATA
    • SCSI Technology
  • Chipsets
  • BIOS / CMOS / Firmware
  • Riser card / daughter board

• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of power supplies, for example: AC adapter, ATX, proprietary, voltage

• Identify the names purposes and characteristics of processor / CPUs
  • CPU chips (e.g. AMD, Intel)
  • CPU technologies
    • Hyperthreading
    • Dual core
    • Throttling
    • Micro code (MMX)
    • Overclocking
    • Cache
    • VRM
    • Speed (real vs. actual)

    • 32 vs. 64 bit

• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of memory
  • Types of memory (e.g. DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, DDR / DDR2, RAMBUS)
  • Operational characteristics
    • Memory chips (8, 16, 32)
    • Parity versus non-parity
    • ECC vs. non-ECC
    • Single-sided vs. double-sided
• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of display devices, for example:projectors, CRT and LCD
  • Connector types (e.g. VGA, DVI / HDMi, S-Video, Component / RGB)
  • Settings (e.g. V-hold, refresh rate, resolution)
• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of input devices for example: mouse, keyboard, bar code reader, multimedia (e.g. web and digital cameras, MIDI, microphones), biometric devices, touch screen. 
• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of adapter cards
  • Video including PCI / PCIe and AGP
  • Multimedia
  • I / O (SCSI, serial, USB, Parallel)
  • Communications including network and modem
• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of ports and cables for example: USB 1.1 and 2.0, parallel, serial, IEEE 1394 / firewire, RJ45 and RJ11, PS2 / Mini-DIN, Centronics (e.g. mini, 36) multimedia (e.g. 1 / 8 connector, MIDI Coaxial, SPDIF)
• Identify the names, purposes and characteristics of cooling systems for example heat sinks, CPU and case fans, liquid cooling systems, thermal compound

1.2 Install, configure, optimize and upgrade personal computer components

• Add, remove and configure internal and external storage devices
  • Drive preparation of internal storage devices including format / file systems and imaging technology
• Install display devices
• Add, remove and configure basic input and multimedia devices

1.3 Identify tools, diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques for personal computer components

• Recognize the basic aspects of troubleshooting theory for example:
  • Perform backups before making changes
  • Assess a problem systematically and divide large problems into smaller components to be analyzed individually
  • Verify even the obvious, determine whether the problem is something simple and make no assumptions
  • Research ideas and establish priorities
  • Document findings, actions and outcomes
• Identify and apply basic diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques for example:
  • Identify the problem including questioning user and identifying user changes to computer 
  • Analyze the problem including potential causes and make an initial determination of software and / or hardware problems
  • Test related components including inspection, connections, hardware / software configurations, device manager and consult vendor documentation
  • Evaluate results and take additional steps if needed such as consultation, use of alternate resources, manuals
  • Document activities and outcomes
• Recognize and isolate issues with display, power, basic input devices, storage, memory, thermal, POST errors (e.g. BIOS, hardware)
• Apply basic troubleshooting techniques to check for problems (e.g. thermal issues, error codes, power, connections including cables and / or pins, compatibility, functionality, software / drivers ) with components for example:
  • Motherboards
  • Power supply
  • Processor / CPUs
  • Memory
  • Display devices
  • Input devices
  • Adapter cards
• Recognize the names, purposes, characteristics and appropriate application of tools for example: BIOS, self-test, hard drive self-test and software diagnostics test

1.4 Perform preventive maintenance on personal computer components

• Identify and apply basic aspects of preventive maintenance theory for example:
  • Visual / audio inspection
  • Driver / firmware updates
  • Scheduling preventive maintenance
  • Use of appropriate repair tools and cleaning materials
  • Ensuring proper environment

• Identify and apply common preventive maintenance techniques for devices such as input devices and batteries

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