Computer Fundamentals and Hardware Basics
Computer Fundamentals and Hardware Basics tests whether you can identify components, explain the fetch–decode–execute cycle, convert between binary and decimal, and choose suitable storage for a task. Questions often ask you to distinguish primary from secondary memory and input from output devices.
Core ideas
- The CPU has an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), control unit (CU), and registers; cache is small, fast memory close to the CPU.
- RAM is volatile working memory; ROM is non-volatile firmware storage. Secondary storage (HDD, SSD, pen drive) keeps data when power is off.
- Data units rise by powers of 1024: 8 bits = 1 byte; 1024 B = 1 KB; 1024 KB = 1 MB; and so on.
- A bus carries data, addresses, and control signals; ports connect peripherals (USB, HDMI, Ethernet).
- Input devices send data in (keyboard, scanner, microphone); output devices send results out (monitor, printer, speaker). Touchscreens do both.
Worked example
Convert binary 1011₂ to decimal. Write place values from the right: 1×2⁰ = 1, 1×2¹ = 2, 0×2² = 0, 1×2³ = 8. Add: 1 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 11. Reasoning: each bit is multiplied by its power of two, starting at 2⁰ on the right. A common error is starting at 2¹, which gives 22.
Traps that cost marks
Do not call RAM “permanent” or ROM “temporary”. Do not confuse storage capacity (GB) with speed (GHz). A printer is output, not input, even though it receives data from the computer. When asked for the “fastest” memory, cache beats RAM; when asked for “largest”, secondary storage wins. Read whether the question says volatile or non-volatile.