Group Test
HARDWARE
rate changes with the framerate of the
game you’re playing. FreeSync 2
updates the standard to include lower
minimum framerates, HDR, HDMI
support, and integrated color
space management.
G
Gigahertz – 1000MHz. A unit of
internal clock speed used by CPUs and
other components to specify device
performance. Adjusting the clock speed
higher provides better performance,
although doing so can impact stability
and power consumption.
G.Skill – A computer hardware
manufacturer, based in Taiwan, that’s
best known for its top-shelf, high-speed
DRAM products.
G-Sync – Similar to FreeSync, except
proprietary. This is a monitor adaptive
sync standard used by Nvidia to smooth
framerate transitions and eliminate
display tearing. Requires Nvidia
graphics hardware and a G-Sync-
capable monitor.
H
Hard Boot – Resetting a computer
from a powered-off condition.
Hard disk drive (also mechanical
hard drive) – These legacy storage
devices utilize rotating magnetic disks
to store data and generally feature lower
costs and larger capacities than
address. The unique numeric address
of a networked device, displayed as
a series of numbers, for example
192.168.0.2 in the commonly used
version four of the IP protocol. As
demand for IP addresses has grown,
version six of the IP protocol is being
rolled out, which provides a much larger
addressing space to cover the rapid
growth of internet-connected devices.
IPS panel – In-Plane Switching. A type
of advanced LCD display that offers
superior colors and viewing angles.
ITX – Information Technology
eXtended. Tiny desktop PC size
standard used for tight spaces or
boutique builds.J
JEDEC – A colloquial term referring to
the DRAM preconfigured memory
setting profiles derived from the Joint
Electron Device Engineering Council’s
specifications. Similar to XMP.K
Kilohertz – 1000Hz; A unit of
computing speed. Generally used to
describe monitor refresh rates.
KVM switch – Short for Keyboard,
Video, Mouse. A type of switchbox thatsolid-state drives (SSDs). While
mechanical hard disk systems are a
mature and stable technology, SSDs
have recently begun to supplant them.
The faster the rotational speed of the
disk, the better the performance and
the higher the cost of the drive.
5400RPM disks are considered
mainstream, while 7200RPM and
10000RPM speeds are reserved for
high-performance drives.
HBM – High Bandwidth Memory. A
type of stackable memory used in
graphics cards that provides high
performance in a small form factor.
Hyperthreading – A CPU technology
that enables two threads to share a CPU
core, doubling the thread capabilities of
a processor. Especially useful for
low-core-count laptops.I
Intel Core i9 – Intel’s newest
consumer CPU. The Core i9 series takes
over from the previous top-of-the-line i7
processors and introduces features
formerly only found on enterprise-grade
hardware, running from six to 18 cores
and supporting hyperthreading. The
i9-9900K, with eight cores running at
a peak of 5GHz, is a gaming beast.
IP address – Internet ProtocolITXHard disk drive