Personal Computer Components Quiz

Study Notes

Electrical Safety:
- Electrical devices have specific power requirements.
- Use the correct AC adapters for laptops to prevent damage.
- Printer power supplies contain high voltage so check the manual for safe handling.
- Follow electrical safety guidelines to prevent fires, injuries, and fatalities.
ESD Safety:
- Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) occurs when a buildup of static electricity is discharged.
- ESD can damage computer equipment if not discharged properly.
- At least 3,000 volts are needed to feel ESD.
- To prevent ESD damage:
  - Keep components in antistatic bags.
  - Use grounded workbenches and mats.
  - Use antistatic wrist straps when working inside computers.

Cases:
- Houses the internal components like the power supply, motherboard, CPU, memory, disk drives, and adapter cards.
- Form factor describes the physical design of a case.
- Common desktop computer form factors include:
  - Horizontal Case:
  - Full-Size Tower:
  - Compact Tower:
  - All-in-one:
  - Some manufacturers may have their own naming conventions for form factors.
Power Supplies:
- Convert AC power into lower voltage DC power needed for internal components.
- Common desktop computer power supply form factors include:
  - AT: The original power supply for legacy computer systems.
  - ATX: An updated version of the AT power supply.
  - ATX12V: The most common power supply on the market.