Revised May 2010
CS 227 Course Description

Course Title: PC Hardware & Repair I 
Course Number: CS 227
Credits: 4
Contact Hours: 60 (3 lecture, 3 lab, per week)

Institution: Clackamas Community College
Developed by: Rich Albers

Course Description: 

This course offers hands-on training in servicing industry standard PCs. Includes basic operational concepts, identification, installation, and configuration of microprocessors, memory, motherboards, power supplies, hard disk drives, and optical disk drives.  The course, in conjunction with CS 228, covers the topics on the A+ certification exam.

Delivery Modality:

	This class is only offered on campus

Objectives:

•	To become familiar with various computer components
•	To understand how those computer components interact
•	To understand how to fix and upgrade computers

Expected Student Outcomes:

     Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:
•	Explain concepts, organization and operation of PC hardware and software.
•	Explain basic electricity concepts, including the measurement of voltage, current and resistance
•	Explain and implement basic safety considerations in regards to electricity and ESD. 
•	Identify PC hardware components.
•	Upgrade various components, including memory, disk drives, power supply, CPU, keyboard, and mouse
•	Identify different Motherboard form factors and components
•	Disassemble and reassemble a PC
•	Explain the purpose of the CMOS and BIOS, and how to read and change CMOS settings
•	Upgrade a PCs BIOS
•	Use PC repair tools, techniques, and procedures appropriately.
•	Diagnose and repair common PC problems

Length of Course:  

42 hours per term
6 classroom hours per week 
•	3 lecture
•	3 lab

Prerequisite: 

none.

Grading Method: 

Letter grades are assigned on the standard 10% increment scale.

Required Text: 

•	Michael Meyers. A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, Second Edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780072263558

Course Topics

1.	Safety
2.	PC Component Overview
3.	Electricity
a.	Voltage, Current, Resistance
b.	Using VOM
4.	Power Supplies
a.	Basic properties and operation
b.	Form Factors
c.	Testing and Replacing
5.	Microprocessors
a.	Operation
b.	Packages
c.	Upgrading
6.	Memory
a.	Operation
b.	Packages
c.	Testing and Upgrading
7.	Firmware
a.	BIOS
b.	CMOS
8.	Motherboards
a.	Components
b.	Form Factors
c.	Installation
d.	Troubleshooting
9.	Expansion Busses
a.	Types, Bandwidths, Uses
10.	Hard Drives
a.	Terms and operation
b.	Types
c.	Interfaces
11.	Removable Media
a.	CDs
b.	DVDs
c.	Flash memory