← Years 7–8 Digital Systems

Reading a hardware specification sheet

A list of a device's parts and their ratings, like CPU model, GHz, cores, RAM, storage type and size, and GPU. Use it to find each spec and compare two devices side by side.

Part of: 7-8 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Digital Systems and Security — Module 14, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Hardware and Performance — Module 30

Understanding Reading a hardware specification sheet in Years 7–8 Digital Systems

What it does: RAM is the memory used for open programs, and the spec sheet lists it in GB. The GPU line names the graphics card, which handles images, video and games. More cores let the CPU work on more tasks at once. Storage size only tells you how much data the device can keep. A fair comparison lines up like with like: CPU with CPU, RAM with RAM, storage with storage. Both have a 256 GB SSD, so their storage is the same. Only the RAM is different: 16 GB compared with 8 GB. Intel Core i5 is the name of the CPU model. 2.8 GHz is its clock speed, and 6 cores is how many processing units it has.

Common mistakes: RAM size is listed in GB, not GHz. GHz is the unit for CPU clock speed. It should say RAM: 8 GB. A 512 GB SSD is a storage device, not a GPU. The GPU line should list the graphics card model, such as GPU: RTX 4060.

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Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 4–19) and word search (Modules 4–74).

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Learning
Duo
Which spec on a spec sheet tells you how many tasks the CPU can work on at the same time?
The number of cores, such as 8 coresThe storage size, such as 512 GB
Matches
Laptop A: 8 GB RAM, Laptop B: 16 GB RAM. Laptop A has more RAM.
↓
The devices were compared wrongly: 16 GB is more than 8 GB, so Laptop B has more RAM.
Applying
Meanings
Term
specification sheet
Meaning
A list of a device's parts and their ratings, like CPU model, GHz, cores, RAM, storage type and size, and GPU. Use it to find each spec and compare two devices side by side.
Practice
Spec | Laptop A | Laptop B
Testing
Gaps
CPU: Core i5, 3.2
Check Answer
Spots
2CPU: i5, 3.2 GHz, 4 cores
3RAM: 8 GHz

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Quick Questions

1. Which spec on a spec sheet tells you how many tasks the CPU can work on at the same time?
A. The storage size, such as 512 GB
B. The number of cores, such as 8 cores ✓
More cores let the CPU work on more tasks at once. Storage size only tells you how much data the device can keep.
2. A spec sheet says: 'Memory: 16 GB DDR4'. What part is this describing?
A. RAM ✓
B. GPU
Memory on a spec sheet usually means RAM, the short-term workspace the computer uses while it is running programs.
3. Device A has a 3.6 GHz CPU. Device B has a 2.4 GHz CPU. Which statement is true about clock speed?
A. Device A has the higher clock speed ✓
B. Device B has the higher clock speed
3.6 GHz is bigger than 2.4 GHz, so Device A has the higher clock speed. Clock speed is only one spec, so you still need to check the cores and RAM too.
4. When you compare two devices side by side, what is the best way to do it?
A. Compare different specs, such as one device's RAM against the other's storage
B. Compare the same spec on each device, such as RAM against RAM ✓
A fair comparison lines up like with like: CPU with CPU, RAM with RAM, storage with storage.
5. A spec sheet lists 'Storage: 512 GB SSD'. Which part of this is the storage type?
A. SSD ✓
B. 512 GB
SSD is the type of storage device. 512 GB is the capacity, which is how much data it can hold.

Match the Pairs

CPU: Intel Core i5, 3.4 GHz, 6 cores → The processor line: its model, its clock speed (how fast it works) and how many cores it has to do tasks at once
Storage: 512 GB SSD → The storage line: the type of drive (SSD) and how much it can hold (512 GB)
To find how much memory a laptop has for running programs, look for the RAM line → RAM: 16 GB
To find the graphics processing unit, look for the GPU line → GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
Laptop A: 8 GB RAM, Laptop B: 16 GB RAM. Laptop A has more RAM. → The devices were compared wrongly: 16 GB is more than 8 GB, so Laptop B has more RAM.
Storage: 1 TB. This is the CPU speed. → The storage size was mixed up with the CPU speed. 1 TB is storage capacity, while CPU speed is shown in GHz.

Key Term

specification sheet
A list of a device's parts and their ratings, like CPU model, GHz, cores, RAM, storage type and size, and GPU. Use it to find each spec and compare two devices side by side.

Fill in the Blanks

1. CPU: Core i5, 3.2 GHz RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB SSD
Hint: Type the unit that rates the CPU's clock speed
2. CPU: Core i7, 3.6 GHz, 8 cores RAM: 16 GB GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650
Hint: Type the word for the number of processing units inside the CPU
3. CPU: Core i3, 2.9 GHz, 4 cores RAM: 8 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD
Hint: Type the storage type with no moving parts that is faster than an HDD
4. Device A: 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD Device B: 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD More RAM: Device B
Hint: Type the letter of the device with the bigger RAM rating
5. CPU: Core i5, 3.2 GHz, 6 cores GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650, 4 GB Storage: 512 GB SSD
Hint: Type the label for the graphics processing unit

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Device: Laptop A
B CPU: i5, 3.2 GHz, 4 cores
C RAM: 8 GHz
D Storage: 256 GB SSD
Line C — RAM size is listed in GB, not GHz. GHz is the unit for CPU clock speed. It should say RAM: 8 GB.
Question 2
A Device: Gaming PC
B CPU: Ryzen 5, 6 cores
C GPU: 512 GB SSD
D RAM: 16 GB
Line C — A 512 GB SSD is a storage device, not a GPU. The GPU line should list the graphics card model, such as GPU: RTX 4060.
Question 3
A CPU: i7, 4.0 GB, 8 cores
B RAM: 16 GB
C Storage: 1 TB HDD
Line A — CPU clock speed is measured in GHz, not GB. GB measures data size. It should be 4.0 GHz.
Question 4
A Laptop A: 8 GB RAM
B Laptop B: 16 GB RAM
C More GB of RAM = more memory
D Laptop A has more RAM
Line D — Laptop B lists 16 GB and Laptop A lists 8 GB, so Laptop B has more RAM. The last line should say Laptop B has more RAM.
Question 5
A Storage: 1 TB RAM
B Type: hard disk drive
C Keeps files when powered off
Line A — HDD is a type of storage, and RAM is not a storage type. The storage line should say HDD, as the next line (hard disk drive) shows.

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