Appendix J
I/O and Multimedia Devices
As a computer technician, you must be familiar with a wide range of input/output (I/O) devices, including keyboards, mice, monitors, biometric devices, projectors, cameras, and video cards. Before you attach any of these to a computer system, you must first research which I/O devices and expansion cards are best suited for your computer’s configuration; for example, it is common to find more than one video card in high-end PCs, especially those that require more than one monitor. In this situation, video cards are needed to handle more graphics, 3D rendering, and gaming applications. The appendix helps you practice your research skills in finding appropriate I/O devices.
Scenario
Your office wants to upgrade their computers with a video card. Their computers are the same as the one featured in the Computer Hardware Simulator (CHS). Search the Internet for two video cards that would work with the computers.
Use the CHS Reference Chart to record the current components found on the CHS computer: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/AXIA/cis280/Computer_Hardware_Simulator.html
CHS Reference Chart CHS Computer | Component Model or Specification | Computer model and number | Dell Optiplex 755 | Motherboard model number | 0GM819 | Operating system | WindowsXP | Type of PCI slot for card | PCIe x16 |
Graphics/ Video Card for Computer Hardware Simulator Computer Device | Choice #1 | Choice #2 | Video card | XFX GT240XZNFC GeForce GT 240 Video Card - $85.99 (1GB) | Galaxy 21GFE4HX2HUN GeForce 210 Video Card - $24.99 (512MB) |
Justify your choice of cards in the space below.
Both video cards were found at http://www.tigerdirect.com and both have the option for future upgrades for display type (VGA and/or DVI). There was no budget defined within scenario so I kept the price under $100 with the second choice being more for higher population of machine upgrades at a lower