Lesson 6: Computer Management & Display
Chapter 6 study guide: quick notes, multiple-choice check, and short written answers.
1. Quick notes
Annotate and print
Use the tool bar at the bottom of the screen to highlight text, draw, and add sticky notes or text on top of these notes. Then save a PDF with or without your marks.
In the print window, choose "Save as PDF" as the destination. Chrome or Edge gives the best result.
Graphics Card (GPU) vs CPU
- CPU: Has a few powerful cores (4-16) designed for complex, sequential tasks (like running the OS).
- GPU: Graphics Processing Unit. Has thousands of smaller cores designed for parallel processing (like rendering millions of pixels simultaneously).
A dedicated GPU is used for gaming, 3D modeling, video editing, and AI machine learning because these require generating scenes on the fly.
GPU Components & Types
- Types: Integrated (built into CPU/Motherboard, shares system RAM) vs Dedicated (standalone card with its own GPU, memory, and cooling).
- VRAM: Video RAM. Specially optimized for parallel processing. The amount of VRAM affects resolution and texture quality.
- Cooling: Air or Liquid cooling is required because GPUs generate intense heat.
- Power: Often requires extra power connectors (6-pin, 8-pin, 12-pin, 16-pin) directly from the PSU.
Computer Screens & Specifications
A monitor displays the visual output generated by the GPU. Key specifications:
- Pixel: The smallest unit of a digital image. More pixels = sharper, more detailed image (and bigger file size).
- Resolution: The number of pixels expressed as width x height (e.g., 1920x1080 is Full HD, 3840x2160 is 4K).
- Refresh Rate: Measured in Hz (frames per second). High refresh rates (144Hz, 240Hz) are critical for smooth motion in fast-paced games.
- Connectivity: Modern ports include HDMI and DisplayPort (both support HD/4K and 60-240Hz). Older ports include VGA and DVI.
Screen Types: Layers
Most modern screens have two main layers:
- Display Panel (Picture Layer): Controls the pixels and colors (e.g., LCD, Quantum Dots).
- Backlight Layer: Provides the light needed to see the image.
Screen Technologies
- LCD: Fluorescent backlight (one big light). No burn-in, but blacks aren't deep.
- LED: Uses smaller LED lights for the backlight. More energy-efficient, better contrast.
- QLED: Improves color layer with Quantum Dots for vivid colors.
- Mini-LED: Uses thousands of tiny LEDs in the backlight for precise light control and deeper blacks.
- OLED: NO BACKLIGHT. Each pixel produces its own light and can turn completely OFF for true black. Expensive, can suffer from burn-in.
- Micro-LED: Millions of tiny LEDs. No backlight, true blacks, no burn-in, extremely bright. Very expensive.
Task Manager & OS Services
Task Manager lets you monitor resources (CPU, Memory, Disk, Network) and manage running apps.
- Processes Tab: Shows Apps, Background Processes, and Windows Processes. Useful to "End Task" on frozen apps.
- Performance Tab: Helps diagnose what is slowing the PC down (e.g., CPU spiking from bad code, or RAM maxing out from huge Excel sheets).
- Startup Tab: Disable apps from starting automatically to speed up boot times.
- Users Tab: Shows resources consumed by other users who forgot to log out.
Windows Services are essential background programs that run without a window (e.g., Windows Update, Print Spooler, Windows Defender). They can be managed via the Services tab to restart stuck background jobs.
OS Deployment (Imaging)
Installing Windows one-by-one via USB is slow. In enterprise networks, IT uses Imaging:
- Prepare one master PC with the OS, updates, and apps.
- Capture an image (a snapshot of the entire hard drive).
- Deploy that image to all other PCs over the network.
Tools used: Norton Ghost, Clonezilla, Acronis, or Microsoft SCCM (which also acts as an enterprise App Store for remote installation).
Control Panel & Windows Registry
- Control Panel / Settings: Configure system, network, hardware, users, and personalization.
- Windows Registry (regedit): A massive database/notebook that stores all OS and application settings (e.g., your desktop wallpaper path, Wi-Fi passwords, system policies).
- Note: Advanced configurations (like changing the default 1-minute lock screen timeout) often require editing the Registry directly when no GUI option exists.
2. Multiple-choice check
Pick an answer to see right or wrong straight away, with a short explanation.
3. Short written questions
Try to answer in your own words first, then open the model answer.