ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Hardware and Performance Hangman
Years 7–8 · Australian Curriculum · 37 key terms.
Every word, shuffled.
The names stay in this browser on this computer — they are never sent to Cloodit. A random student is called for each word.
What makes one machine faster than another, and how to choose. See the whole journey →
Want your own words? Free Hangman Generator →
Same words, on paper
The quiet activity after the loud one. Free to print, answer keys included.
CrosswordHardware for particular tasks · Hardware and Performance · Inside digital systems · all 8
Word searchHardware for particular tasks to Account security and cyber threats · Hardware and Performance and Wired and Wireless Networks · Inside digital systems and Data and networks · all 7
Worksheetfor any module, with answer key
When your class is on devices — Snake Break and Diamond Dash run on the same modules, with a free class.
The 37 key terms
- 1hardware
- The physical parts of a digital system that you can touch, such as a keyboard, screen or CPU. Hardware needs software to tell it what to do.
- 2same main parts
- Computers, tablets, phones and games consoles all have a processor, memory, storage, and input and output devices inside, even though they look different and come in different sizes.
- 3input, process, store, output
- A digital system takes in data (input), works on it (process), keeps it (store) and shows a result (output).
- 5trace an action
- Follow one action, like a game tap: the screen senses it, the CPU decides, RAM holds the game, storage keeps the saved score and the screen shows the result.
- 6motherboard
- The main circuit board inside a computer. It connects the CPU, RAM, storage and ports so all components can send data to each other.
- 7bottleneck
- A bottleneck is one part that is missing, full or too small and holds back the whole system. No input or output, full storage or too little RAM stops a device working well.
- 8The CPU is the brain because it runs instructions.
- A short sentence that names a part, says its job and how it helps the next part. It uses a starter like 'The CPU is the...' and the word 'because' to explain.
- 9CPU
- The central processing unit is the 'brain' of a digital system. It carries out program instructions one after another and processes data. Its speed affects how fast tasks run.
- 10Clock speed (GHz)
- How many billions of cycles per second a CPU can run. A higher GHz usually means faster single tasks, but it is not the only measure of speed.
- 11CPU core
- One processing unit inside a CPU. A dual-core, quad-core or octa-core CPU has 2, 4 or 8 cores, so it can work on separate tasks at the same time.
- 12cache
- A small amount of very fast memory in or near the CPU that stores frequently used instructions and data, so the CPU can get them faster than from RAM.
- 13clock speed vs cores
- Higher clock speed (GHz) speeds up one task at a time; more cores help when many tasks, or a task split into parts, run together. Quad-core is not always 4x faster.
- 14CPU performance
- How fast a CPU runs programs. More cores, a bigger cache or a faster clock speed can raise it, but each has limits: software must split tasks, cache is costly, and a faster clock makes more heat.
- 15RAM
- Random Access Memory: fast, temporary memory that holds the data and programs currently in use. It is volatile, so everything in it is lost when the power is turned off.
- 16RAM vs storage
- RAM holds what you are using now and is wiped when the power goes off. Storage keeps files for later. RAM is like a desk, storage is like a cupboard.
- 18GB of RAM
- How much memory a task needs. More programs and bigger files open at once need more GB. 8 GB suits web and documents; 16 GB or more suits editing and gaming. Browser tabs add up.
- 19virtual memory
- Part of secondary storage (HDD or SSD) that the computer uses as extra RAM when real RAM is full. It is slower than RAM.
- 20thrashing
- When RAM is full, the computer keeps swapping pages to slow secondary storage, so it becomes sluggish. Adding more RAM reduces swapping. Virtual memory is no replacement for RAM.
- 21storage device
- Hardware that keeps data permanently, even when the power is off. Examples are a hard disk drive, solid state drive and USB flash drive, which differ in storage capacity.
- 22KB, MB, GB, TB
- Units of storage size built on the byte. Each unit is about 1000 times bigger than the one before: 1 KB, then 1 MB, then 1 GB, then 1 TB. Use them to check if files fit on a drive.
- 23SSD (solid state drive)
- Storage with no moving parts. It reads and writes data much faster than an HDD, so computers boot and load quicker. It is tougher but usually costs more per GB.
- 24storage trade-off
- Choosing storage by balancing speed (fast SSD or cheap HDD) and size (GB or TB) against the files you keep and your budget. Video projects need lots of space.
- 25GPU
- Graphics processing unit: a part that quickly processes images and video to show on a screen. It can be built into the CPU (integrated) or separate (dedicated).
- 26CPU vs GPU
- The CPU handles general tasks while the GPU handles graphics and parallel calculations.
- 27VRAM
- Video RAM: fast memory on a graphics card that holds the images and textures the GPU is working on. It is measured in GB. More VRAM helps with detailed games and big video files.
- 28fps
- Frames per second: how many pictures the GPU shows each second. 60 fps looks smoother than 30. Higher resolution like 4K means more pixels per frame, so the GPU works harder.
- 30specification 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.
- 31spec comparison table
- A table with one row per spec for two devices. Mark the better device in each row that matters to the task, ignore the rest, and spot each device's weakest part.
- 32benchmark
- A standard test that gives a score so you can compare real performance of parts like a CPU or GPU. Hardware changes yearly, so check current, trusted reviews, not just spec numbers.
- 33Price-to-performance
- How much speed or power you get for the money spent on hardware.
- 34modest specs
- Browsing, word processing and slides need only a modest CPU, enough RAM for a few open apps, and little storage, so a light laptop with good battery life works well.
- 35Editing hardware
- The parts a computer needs to edit images and video: a strong CPU, a dedicated GPU, lots of RAM and large fast storage, so big files open and render quickly.
- 36Gaming hardware
- A gaming computer relies most on a powerful GPU, plus enough RAM and a fast CPU, to keep the frame rate smooth. An SSD cuts load times and good cooling stops overheating.
- 37performance trade-off
- Faster hardware uses more power and adds heat and weight, so a laptop or phone gives up battery life and portability to gain speed.
- 38upgrade the bottleneck
- Find the slowest part for your task, then upgrade just that part: SSD for slow start-up, RAM for many programs, GPU for low frame rate. If everything is old, replace the device.
- 39hardware recommendation
- A hardware choice backed by reasons: name the task, pick the specs that matter for it, and explain why they fit the budget, often by comparing two options.
- 41eWaste
- Electronic waste - discarded devices and hardware that are thrown away instead of reused or recycled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an account?
No. Hangman runs straight from this page — no account, no sign-up, nothing to install. If you add your class names, they are saved in your own browser and never sent to Cloodit.
How do I play it with my class?
Put the page on your whiteboard or projector and press Play. The class calls out letters and you click or type them. Six wrong letters and the word gets away. After every word its definition appears, so each round ends on the meaning, not just the spelling.
Can I use my own words?
Yes. The free Hangman generator at cloodit.com/hangman/ takes any list: one word or phrase per line, with a definition after a dash if you want it shown at the end of the round.
Can I put my students' names in?
Yes. Add your class list and a random student is called for each word. The list stays in this browser on this computer, so it is still there next lesson.
Are the worksheets free too?
Yes. Every module in this journey has a free printable worksheet with a full answer key, and there are crosswords and word searches built from the same key terms.