| A | B |
|---|
| zero insertion force (ZIF) socket | A socket that uses a small lever to apply even force when you install the processor into the socket |
| wait state | A clock tick in which nothing happens, used to ensure that the microprocessor isn’t getting ahead of slower components. A 0-wait state is preferable to a 1-wait state. Too many wait states can slow down a system |
| virtualization | When one physical machine hosts multiple activities that are normally done on multiple machines |
| virtual machine (VM) | One or more logical machines created within one physical machine |
| Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) | An interface between firmware on the motherboard and the operating system and improves on legacy BIOS processes for booting, handing over the boot to the OS, and loading device drivers and applications before the OS loads |
| traces | A wire on a circuit board that connects two components or devices |
| TPM (Trusted Platform Module) | chip A chip on a motherboard that holds an encryption key required at startup to access encrypted data on the hard drive |
| system clock | A line on a bus that is dedicated to timing the activities of components connected to it |
| system bus | The bus between the CPU and memory on the motherboard |
| staggered pin grid array (SPGA) | A feature of a CPU socket whereby the pins are staggered over the socket in order to squeeze more pins into a small space |
| South Bridge | That portion of the chipset hub that connects slower I/O buses (for example, a PCI bus) to the system bus |
| riser card | A card that plugs into a motherboard and allows for expansion cards to be mounted parallel to the motherboard |
| QuickPath Interconnect | The technology used first by the Intel X58 chipset for communication between the chipset and the processor using 16 serial lanes similar to that used by PCI Express |
| protocol | set of rules and standards that two entities use for communication |
| pin grid array (PGA) | A socket that has holes aligned in uniform rows around the socket to receive the pins on the bottom of the processor |
| PCI Express (PCIe) | The latest evolution of PCI, which is not backward-compatible with earlier PCI slots and cards |
| on-board ports | Ports that are directly on the motherboard, such as a built-in keyboard port or network port |
| North Bridge | That portion of the chipset hub that connects faster I/O buses (for example, the video bus) to the system bus |
| megahertz (MHz) | One million Hz, or one million cycles per second. See hertz (Hz). |
| LoJack | Technology embedded in the BIOS of many laptops to protect a system against theft |
| land grid array (LGA) | A feature of a CPU socket whereby pads, called lands, are used to make contact in uniform rows over the socket |
| jumper | Two wires that stick up side by side on the motherboard or other device and are used to hold configuration information |
| ISO image | A file format that has an .iso file extension and holds an image of all the data, including the file system that is stored on an optical disc |
| I/O shield | A plate installed on the rear of a computer case that provides holes for I/O ports coming off the motherboard |
| hertz (Hz) | Unit of measurement for frequency, calculated in terms of vibrations, or cycles per second |
| gigahertz (GHz) | One thousand MHz, or one billion cycles per second |
| Front Side Bus (FSB) | The bus between the CPU and memory on the motherboard. The bus frequency in documentation is called the system speed, such as 400 MHz |
| flashing BIOS | The process of upgrading or refreshing the programming stored on a firmware chip |
| device driver | Small programs stored on the hard drive and installed in Windows that tell Windows how to communicate with a specific hardware device such as a printer, network, port on the motherboard, or scanner |
| data path size | The number of lines on a bus that can hold data, for example, 8, 16, 32, and 64 lines, which can accommodate 8, 16, 32, and 64 bits at a time |
| data bus | Lines of the bus, a system of pathway used for communication on the motherboard, used for data |
| CMOS RAM | Memory contained on the CMOS configuration chip |
| CMOS battery | The battery on the motherboard used to power the CMOS chip that holds BIOS setup data so that the data is retained when the computer is unplugged |
| CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) | The technology used to manufacture microchips. CMOS chips require less electricity, hold data longer after the electricity is turned off, and produce less heat than earlier technologies. The configuration or setup chip is a CMOS chip |
| chipset | A group of chips on the motherboard that controls the timing and flow of data and instructions to and from the CPU |
| bus | The paths, or lines, on the motherboard on which data, instructions, and electrical power move from component to component |
| ball grid array (BGA) | A connection via a processor that is soldered to the motherboard, and the two are always purchased as a unit |
| Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) | A 32-bit wide bus standard developed specifically for video cards that includes AGP 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, and 8x standards |
