Day 19. Laptop Components and Features
CompTIA A+ 220-901 Exam Topics
Objective 3.1: Install and configure laptop hardware and components.
Objective 3.2: Explain the function of components within the display of a laptop.
Objective 3.3: Given a scenario, use appropriate laptop features.
Key Topics
The focus of this day is laptop hardware. We will explore the installation and configuration of these components as well as the use of laptop features. We also will discuss the components found within the laptop display and how they work.
Laptop Expansion Options
Laptops offer a small form factor and portability, sometimes at the expense of functionality. Fortunately, manufacturers provide an array of ports, adapters, and expansion buses to add functionality as it is needed.
Externally, many laptops have an ExpressCard slot. This hot-swappable bus enables the addition of devices such as Wi-Fi, 4G, hard drives, and many types of ports as well. The ExpressCard has two form factors, ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54, as shown in Figure 19-1. This number represents the width of the card: 34 mm or 54 mm. The ExpressCard can use either the USB bus or the PCI bus of the laptop, depending on the type of device that is added.
Often, laptops also have an external flash slot. This slot usually takes SD cards, but it also might take other types of flash memory depending on the intention of the manufacturer.
Other types of external expansion include ports and adapters of many different flavors. Thunderbolt and DisplayPort are used for connecting peripherals and external video and audio devices. High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connectors are also commonly found on laptops.
USB ports can be found on almost all laptops. These will vary in speed and capability depending on the standard, but all will provide expansion with many technologies. Common USB expansion options are the RJ-45 dongle, Wi-Fi dongle, and USB-to-Bluetooth adapter. USB is not limited to communication expansion. Optical drives and hard drives also can connect to laptops using the USB connector. In fact, to retain a low profile, many modern laptops do not include a built-in optical drive.
Expansion options are not limited to external ports and busses. Internally, the laptop components often can be expanded or replaced. These components include the hard drive and small outline dual in-line memory modules (SODIMMs). Hard drives can be replaced for hard drives or solid-state disks (SSDs) with more storage space, while adding SODIMMs is a great way to increase the speed of a laptop.
Laptop Hardware Replacement
As laptops age, items can break or become outdated. Almost all the hardware in a laptop can be replaced. Three items usually can be replaced very easily: the battery, hard drives, and memory. Be sure to employ electrostatic discharge (ESD) procedures when working with the internal components of laptops. They are just as susceptible to damage as desktop components.
The battery is often easily removed by unlocking it with a switch and removing it. The hard drives and memory usually require the removal of a screw to gain access to them, but some of these can be as simple as sliding a switch. Be sure to research the size, type, and maximum amount of RAM that can be used with each laptop before purchase. Also, notice that the RAM in a laptop has the same notch but a different way of locking into position than desktop RAM, as shown in Figure 19-2. Also, the modules are installed at a 45-degree angle.
When replacing a hard drive, there are two details to consider, the form factor and the type. Most laptop hard drives are 2.5-inch drives, but some older drives used a special 1.8-inch size. Be sure to research which form factor is used before the new purchase. Also, just like a desktop, laptops can use hybrid drives and SSD drives as replacements. Remember that an SSD drive is very fast and has no moving parts, whereas the hybrid is a magnetic disk with cache RAM to increase its speed.
Another common device to be replaced in a laptop is the wireless card. These cards can fail and need replacement, or they can be upgraded to use different or newer wireless technologies. The wireless card connects to the laptop using a mini-PCIe connector. The location of the wireless card varies with different laptops. The card can be as easy to replace as a SODIMM, or you might need to remove the keyboard, back panel, or both to reach the mini-PCIe connector.
To reach many of the parts of a laptop, you need to remove plastic components and frames that house them. Sometimes this can be easy and require just a screwdriver. Other times, the laptop might be very difficult to disassemble, with hidden screws, hard-to-reach snaps, and delicate frames that may hold a camera or speakers that are very hard to open and remove without breaking. Always consult the manufacturer’s maintenance manual for instructions on how to disassemble a laptop. You also can find videos online that show how to replace a specific part on a laptop.
In some cases, the keyboard on a laptop might need to be replaced. Spills, dirt, debris, and abuse can affect a keyboard’s functionality. The keyboard often has spring clips that must be moved or screws on the top or bottom of the laptop to remove it. Also, one or more ribbon cables connect to the keyboard and must be gently removed, as shown in Figure 19-3.
In rare cases, the touchpad must be replaced. The touchpad might be integrated with the keyboard or be separate. Like the keyboard, a ribbon cable is used to connect the touchpad to the laptop.
Sometimes, a laptop screen needs to be replaced. This is a very involved process where the lid will most likely need to be removed, disconnected, and completely disassembled. There are many small components and delicate parts that can be lost or broken. This repair should be attempted only by technicians familiar with the process.
Also, when the laptop has completely failed, you might need to replace the system board or the CPU. Like the screen, this involves disassembling the laptop down to the bare bones. Many of the same principles of desktop replacement of these components apply, but due to the form factor and the space available to work, the job becomes very complicated and difficult. Only perform these replacements if you are very familiar with the specific laptop and have the correct training to perform the work properly. Figure 19-4 shows a comparison between a desktop motherboard and a laptop motherboard.
Because laptops are portable, and often neglected, damage to the charging system can warrant replacement of the DC jack. The DC jack is most often soldered to the system board, so replacement will involve a timely disassembly of the laptop to remove the board. Once removed, the old jack will need to be unsoldered from the board and the new one soldered in place. Like screen and system board repairs, only qualified people should perform this job.
Laptop Displays
The integrated laptop display is the main reason it is portable. The display houses many input and output components. Two main types of laptop displays in use do not produce much heat and do not use large amounts of electricity: liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED). Both are important factors in mobility. These are the same types of displays used with desktop computers. The same panels, Twisted Nematic (TN), and In-Plane Switching (IPS) are used with fluorescent and LED backlighting to produce the images.
What is different about laptop displays are the extra components housed within them. Because the lid is raised to see the screen, this is a common place to put the Wi-Fi antenna. It may run up the side or across the top of the screen frame, as shown in Figure 19-5. The frame also usually has a webcam and microphone that conveniently face the user when the screen is open.
An important feature with many laptop displays is the digitizer. The digitizer is made up of a grid of sensors that are embedded within the display. When the user touches the display, the location is registered with the digitizer. This enables the screen to be used in a similar fashion as a touchpad. The user can touch items on the screen to “click” them, drag items from one place to another, and manipulate windows. Many laptops have an onscreen keyboard that can be used by way of the digitizer.
Laptop Features
Laptops have special features to make using them easier. Quick access to commonly used functions, whether to adjust settings or turn things off, is easy to set. These functions usually are accessed by holding down the Function (Fn) key and pressing one of the F keys at the top of the keyboard. These are some commonly found special function keys used by laptops:
Dual displays—This function toggles the display between the laptop and any display(s) that may be connected. Some laptops allow both the laptop and external displays to work at the same time.
Wireless—This function toggles the Wi-Fi radio on or off.
Cellular—This function toggles the cellular radio on or off.
Volume settings—These functions adjust the volume of the speakers. A button also might be available to mute the audio.
Screen brightness—These functions increase or decrease the brightness of the screen in increments.
Bluetooth (on/off)—This function toggles the Bluetooth radio on or off.
Keyboard backlight—This function toggles the backlight that illuminates the keys on the keyboard. The function also may change the intensity of the backlight in increments.
Touchpad—This function toggles the touchpad on or off.
Screen orientation—This function rotates the image on the display, which is useful when something is best displayed in portrait mode.
Media options—These functions access playback controls when playing music or watching video. Play, pause, rewind, fast forward, and stop are common controls.
GPS (on/off)—This function toggles the GPS radio on or off.
Airplane mode—This function toggles all the radios on or off.
Laptop Accessories
To keep a laptop from being stolen, a cable lock is often used. With a cable lock, a steel cable is secured around an immovable object and secured to the laptop. The cable is secured to the laptop via a small slot on the body designed for this purpose.
Laptops can be used as a desktop computer. A special device called a docking station enables the laptop to connect to many devices such as monitors, full-sized keyboards and mice, network ports, speakers, optical drives, and any other devices normally connected to a desktop computer that is left in place.
To use the docking station, the user simply places the laptop onto the docking station, aligning a connector on the laptop with one on the docking station. This one connection is often all that is needed for the laptop to use all the devices connected to the docking station.
The docking station also recharges the laptop battery while it is docked because the docking station is always connected to power. Cable locks can be used by a docking station to secure it and the laptop when it is docked. This is possible when the laptop can be locked to the docking station.
Many laptops have screens that can be rotated or even removed. Sensors in the device can tell which way the screen is orientated and adjust the display accordingly. If the screen is removable, it is often a touch screen and contains the main computer components such as the CPU and RAM. This enables the detached screen to be used as a tablet computer. Some laptop screens can be folded all the way back to simulate a tablet.
Activity 19-1: Identify Laptop Terms
Refer to the Digital Study Guide to complete this activity.
Study Resources
For today’s exam topics, refer to the following resources for more study.
