1. Egle Cebelyte

2. Random Access Memory is simply the storage area where all software is loaded and works from; also called working memory storage.

3.  DRAM- Dynamic Random Access Memory ◦ More common type ◦ Needs to be refreshed constantly  SRAM- Static Random Access Memory ◦ Faster ◦ More expensive  Rambus RAM ◦ Advanced RAM, only used for very few Pentium 4’s  DDR RAM ◦ A faster version of SD RAM, which is an older type

4.  RAM speed is measured in ns (nano seconds)  The fewer ns, the faster is the RAM  The more MB of RAM, the faster your PC Clock speedTime per clock tick 20 MHz50 ns 25 MHz40 ns 33 MHz30 ns 50 MHz20 ns 66 MHz15 ns 100 MHz10 ns 133 MHz6 ns

5.  CPU- Central Processing Unit ◦ Two main functions- 1) calculating and 2) moving data ◦ The faster the CPU, the faster your PC

6.  The CPU consists of millions of transistors.  The transistors are connected by electronic tracks.  The narrower the tracks, the more transistors can be added to the CPU; hence, the speed of the CPU is increased.  In 1965, Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors in processors would be doubled every 18 months.

7.  ALU- the arithmetic logic unit ◦ Performs arithmetic and logical operations  CU- the control unit ◦ Extracts instructions from memory, decodes and executes them, calling on the ALU when necessary

8.  Instruction set ◦ The set of instructions that the microprocessor can execute  Bandwidth ◦ The number of bits processed in a single instruction  Clock speed ◦ Given in megahertz (MHz). The clock speed determines how many instructions per second the processor can execute.

9.  A bus is a collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another.  Two main types of buses- the system bus and the I/O buses.

10.  Connects the CPU with RAM and L2- cache  Central bus

11.  Move data  Connect all I/O devices with the CPU and RAM  Main types of I/O buses ◦ ISA bus ◦ PCI bus ◦ USB bus ◦ AGP bus