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A+ Essentials Study Guide

Domain 1 - Personal Computer Components

by Dori Reuscher
for About.com

Here is what you need to know for the exam. If you cannot rattle off the associated content for each of these topics and terms, keep studying. Most all of this is contained in the exam objectives. I've just mixed it up and added some hints.

Topics

  • Storage devices
  • Motherboards
  • Power Supplies
  • Processors
  • Memory
  • Displays
  • Input Devices
  • Adapter Cards
  • Ports and Cables
  • Cooling Systems
  • Troubleshooting Theory
  • Diagnostic Procedures
  • Troubleshooting Tools
  • Preventative Maintenance

Terms

If any of these are unfamiliar, look them up . . .
Hyperthreading ♦ ECC ♦ VRM ♦ I/O ♦ V-Hold ♦ AGP ♦ SATA ♦ Firmware ♦ Throttling ♦ MMX ♦ FDD ♦ RIMM ♦ DIMM ♦ solid state storage ♦ RAMBUS ♦ MIDSI COAX ♦ SPDIF BIOS ♦ EIDE/PATA ♦ ISA ♦ MCA ♦ COAST ♦ PIO ♦ CHS ♦ FPM ♦ DIP ♦ POST

How-To

Know how to do the following:
  • Install display, multimedia devices, & internal and external storage devices.
  • Troubleshoot: including identifying user changes, finding issues with all basic devices, identify hardware/software issues, document all findings, test components as needed, use appropriate tools, & identify common problems.
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