Speed at which a CPU executes instructions,
measured in MHz or GHz. In modern CPUs, the internal speed is a multiple of the external speed.

Special area of RAM that stores the data most
frequently accessed from the hard drive, can optimize the use of your systems.

Chip that handles memory requests from the CPU. Although once a special chip, it has been integrated into the chipset or CPU on modern PCs

Portion of the hard drive set aside by Windows to
act like RAM. Also known as virtual memory or swap file.

Amount of delay before a device may respond to a
request; most commonly used in reference to RAM.

Primary data highway of all computers. Everything in your computer is tied either directly or indirectly to the external data bus.

Device or medium for temporary storage of programs and data during program execution. Synonymous with storage, although it most frequently refers to the internal storage of a computer that can be directly addressed by operating instructions.

Storage area inside the CPU used by the onboard
logic to perform calculations?

DRAM packaging distinguished by having a number of small tabs that install into a special connector. Each side of each tab is the same signal. Come in two common sizes: 30-pin and 72-pin.

Total number of SIMMs or DIMMs that can be
accessed simultaneously by the chipset. The “width” of the external data bus divided by the “width” of the SIMM orDIMM sticks. DIMM slots that must be populated to activate dual- or triple-channel memory.

“Brain” of the computer. Microprocessor that handles primary calculations for the computer.

RAM that uses a flip-flop circuit rather than the typical transistor/capacitor of DRAM to hold a bit of information. Does not need to be refreshed and is faster than regular DRAM. Used primarily for cache.

To run a CPU or video processor faster than its rated speed.

What is Hard drive that is constantly being accessed due to lack of available system memory. When system memory runs low, a Windows system will utilize hard disk space as “virtual” memory, thus causing an unusual amount of hard drive access.

Has chips on only one side as opposed
to double-sided RAM.

A method of cooling a PC that works by running some liquid—usually water—through a metal block that sits on top of the CPU, absorbing heat. The liquid gets heated by the block, runs out of the block and into something that cools the liquid, and is then pu

Socket for CPUs that enables insertion of a chip without the need to apply pressure. Intel promoted this socket with its overdrive upgrades. The chip drops effortlessly into the socket’s holes, and a small lever locks it in.

Memory controller circuitry built into the CPU. Enables faster control over things like the large L3 cache shared among multiple cores.

RAM stick with RAM chips soldered to both sides of the stick. May only be used with motherboards
designed to accept them.

Individual stick of Rambus RAM. The letters don’t
actually stand for anything

Memory that can be accessed at random; that is, memory which you can write to or read from without touching the preceding address. This term is often used to mean a computer’s main memory.

Using two or more execution cores on one CPU die to divide up work independently of the OS.

All of the machine-language commands that a particular CPU is designed to understand

32- or 64-bit type of DRAM packaging, similar to SIMMs, with the distinction that each side of each tab inserted into the system performs a separate function. Come in a variety of sizes, with 184- and 240-pin being the most common on desktop computers.

Using two sticks of RAM (either RDRAM or DDR) to increase throughput