PC Hardware & Software  (A+)
 Course Outline (Hardware Only)
 

Class Date Assignments Discussion Topics  
Jan. 24th Chapter 1
PC Tech Essentials
  • Welcome
  • Introductions
  • Course Overview
  • PC Tools
  • Electrostatic Discharge
  • CompTIA Six-Step Troubleshooting Process
  • Numbering Systems used in Computers
  • Measuring Data Transfer and Frequency (Processor Speed)
  • Important Websites
  
Jan. 31st Chapter 2
PC Anatomy
  • The Essential Parts of any Computer
  • Points of Failure
  • Hardware, Software, and Firmware
  • Working Inside You PC
  • Hardware Resources
 Quiz
(Motherboard Anatomy)
Feb. 7th Chapter 3
Motherboards, Processors, Adapter Cards
  • Motherboards and their Components
  • Choosing the Best Motherboard for the Job
  • Installing Motherboards
  • Processors and CPUs
  • Installing Adapter Cards
     
  
Feb. 14th Chapter 4
BIOS
  • Understanding BIOS, CMOS, and Firmware
  • Configuring the System BIOS
  • Power-On Self-Test and Error Reporting
 Exam 1
(Chapter 2 - 3)
Feb. 21st Chapter 5
Power Supplies and System Cooling
  • Power Supplies
  • Power Protection Types
  • Troubleshooting Power Problems
  • System Cooling
  Quiz
(Chapter 4)
Feb. 28th Chapter 6
RAM
  • RAM Basics
  • RAM Types
  • Operational Characteristics
  • Installing DIMMs and Rambus RDRAM Modules
  • Troubleshooting Memory
  • Preventative Maintenance Theory
  
Mar. 6th Chapter 7
I/O and Multimedia Ports and Devices
  • Understanding I/O Ports
  • Understanding Input Devices
  • Understanding Multimedia Devices
  • Installing Input and Multimedia Devices
  • Troubleshooting Input and Multimedia Devices
  • Troubleshooting I/O Ports
  • Maintaining Input Devices
 Exam 2
(Chapters 5 - 6)
Mar. 13th Chapter 8
Video Displays and Graphic Cards
  • Video (Graphics) Card Types
  • Installing a Video Card
  • Display Types
  • Video Connector Types
  • Display Settings
  • Installing a Monitor
  • Troubleshooting Displays and Video Cards
  • Preventative Maintenance for Displays
  
Mar. 20th Chapter 11
Printers
  • Printing Fundamentals
  • Printer and Scanner Control
  • Print Process
  • Interface Types
  • Printer Installation
  • Optimizing Printer Performance
  • Installing and Configuring Printer Upgrades
  • Printer Troubleshooting and Techniques
 Exam 3
(Chapters 7 - 8)
Mar. 27th Chapter 12
Storage Devices
  • Floppy Disk Drives
  • Hard Disk Drives
  • CD, DVD, and Blu-Ray Optical Drives
  • Removable Storage
  • Tape Drives
  • Flash Memory and Card Readers
  • USB Flash Memory Drives
  • Troubleshooting Storage
  
Apr. 3rd     Final
(Chapters 1 - 8, 11 - 12)


Chapter 1 Links
 

Antistatic Wrist Strap

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tT7ezYw3I0

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Prevention

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONy1_YmnnJI

YouTube - Bits, Bytes, and Ram

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAmNFOIB7Js

http://www.roubaixinteractive.com/PlayGround/Binary_Conversion/Binary_To_Text.asp

YouTube - CPU How It Works

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c06WxAvD4Nk&feature=related

Kioskea - Introduction to Motherboards

http://en.kioskea.net/contents/pc/carte-mere.php3

YouTube - Motherboard Anatomy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAtMpLDs0h4&feature=related

Build Your Own Computer

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsQNIP7cTYA&feature=related

Certification Resource CompTIA A+ Study Guide (220-701 and 220-702)

http://www.mcmcse.com/comptia/aplus/notes/aplus_essentials.shtml

Microsoft's TechNet

 http://technet.microsoft.com

Microsoft Help and Support (prev Knowledge Base)

 http://support.microsoft.com
CompTIA's A+ Webpage http://www.comptia.org

 

Chapter 2 Links

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


 

Chapter 3 Links

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   


 

 

 

 

 

 

Processor Speeds (reference only)

Processor
   Year
Intel 4004 92 kIPS at 740 kHz 1971
IBM System/370 model 158-3  1 Dhrystone MIPS 1972
Intel 8080 500 kIPS at 2 MHz 1974
MOS Technology 6502 500 kIPS at 1 MHz 1975
VAX-11/780 500 kIPS at 5 MHz 1977
Motorola 68000 1 MIPS at 8 MHz 1979
Intel 286 2.66 MIPS at 12.5 MHz 1982
Motorola 68020 4 MIPS at 20 MHz 1984
Intel 386DX 11.4 MIPS at 33 MHz 1985
ARM2 4 MIPS at 8 MHz 1986
Motorola 68030 11 MIPS at 33 MHz 1987
Motorola 68040 44 MIPS at 40 MHz 1990
DEC Alpha 21064 EV4 300 MIPS at 150 MHz 1992
Intel 486DX 54 MIPS at 66 MHz 1992
Motorola 68060 88 MIPS at 66 MHz 1994
Intel Pentium 188 MIPS at 100 MHz 1994
Microchip PIC16F MIPS at 20 MHz 1995
Atmel megaAVR 16 MIPS at 16 MHz 1996
ARM 7500FE 35.9 MIPS at 40 MHz 1996
Intel Pentium Pro 541 MIPS at 200 MHz 1996
PowerPC 750 525 MIPS at 233 MHz 1997
Zilog eZ80 80 MIPS at 50 MHz 1999
Intel Pentium III 2,054 MIPS at 600 MHz 1999
Freescale MPC8272 760 MIPS at 400 MHz 2000
AMD Athlon 3,561 MIPS at 1.2 GHz 2000
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ 7,527 MIPS at 1.83 GHz 2003
Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 9,726 MIPS at 3.2 GHz 2003
MIPS32 4KEc 356 MIPS at 233 MHz 2004
Microchip PIC10F 1 MIPS at 4 MHz 2004
ARM Cortex-M3 125 MIPS at 100MHz 2004
Nios II/f 190 MIPS at 165 MHz 2004
ARM Cortex-A8 2,000 MIPS at 1.0 GHz 2005
VIA C7 1,799 MIPS at 1.3 GHz 2005
AMD Athlon FX-57 12,000 MIPS at 2.8 GHz 2005
AMD Athlon 64 3800+ X2 (Dual core) 14,564 MIPS at 2.0 GHz 2005
Xbox360 IBM "Xenon" (Triple core) 19,200 MIPS at 3.2 GHz 2005
PS3 Cell BE (PPE only) 10,240 MIPS at 3.2 GHz 2006
AMD Athlon FX-60 (Dual core) 18,938 MIPS at 2.6 GHz 2006
Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 (Dual core) 27,079 MIPS at 2.93 GHz 2006
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (Quad core) 49,161 MIPS at 2.66 GHz 2006
MIPS32 24K 604 MIPS at 400 MHz 2006
ARM Cortex-R4 450 MIPS at 270 MHz 2006
MIPS64 20Kc 1,370 MIPS at 600 MHz 2007
P.A. Semi PA6T-1682M 8,800 MIPS at 2.0 GHz 2007
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (Quad core) 59,455 MIPS at 3.2 GHz 2008
Intel Core i7 920 (Quad core) 82,300 MIPS at 2.66 (Turbo 2.93) GHz 2008
Intel Atom N270 (Single core) 3,846 MIPS at 1.6 GHz 2008
ARM Cortex-M0 45 MIPS at 50MHz 2009
ARM Cortex-A9 (Dual core) 5,000 MIPS at 1.0 GHz 2009
AMD E-350 (Dual core) 10,000 MIPS at 1.6 GHz 2011
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition 42,820 MIPS at 3.0 GHz 2009
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 78,440 MIPS at 3.3 GHz 2010
ARM Cortex-A15 (Quad core) 35,000 MIPS at 2.5 GHz 2010
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 980X (Hex core) 147,600 MIPS at 3.33 GHz 2010
Intel Core i7 2600K 128,300 MIPS at 3.4 GHz 2011
Intel Core i7 875K 92,100 MIPS at 2.93 GHz 2011
AMD FX-8150 (Eight core) 108,890 MIPS at 3.6 GHz 2011
ARM11 515 MIPS at 412 MHz 2002
ARM Cortex A7 2,850 MIPS at 1.5 GHz 2011
Qualcomm Krait (Cortex A9-like, Dual core) 9,900 MIPS at 1.5 GHz 2011
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 3960X (Hex core) 177,730 MIPS at 3.33 GHz 2011

 

 

 

Questions: e-mail Dave Stamm luckyaft@ptd.net