Choosing a computer, and fixing hardware problems
Before buying a computer, check that its specification fits the job: processor speed, RAM, storage, software and input/output devices. When something stops working, check the simple causes first, such as a loose cable or an empty ink cartridge. Paper 1 hands you a spec sheet and asks what each figure means.
By the end of this page you can
- Read a computer specification sheet
- Match a computer to a job such as gaming or video editing
- Troubleshoot cable, monitor, printer and battery problems
- Justify a choice of computer
Goals tick themselves off as you try the activities below.
Photo: DragonLord, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped, maker’s product codes and labels blurred, resized, JPEG q72.
Faded or missing colours? Check the cartridges before blaming the printer.
How often it shows up in past papers
All papers8 of 14 papers
Last 55 of 5 · 2019–2025
Paper 1 counts come from our past-paper bank of CSEC Information Technology Paper 1s. The last-5 row shows how often it came up in the five most recent papers.
Inside this topic
- Read the specificationLocked
- Four common faultsLocked
- Key termsLocked
- Test yourselfmarkedLocked