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Elements and Performance Criteria

Identify, categorise and distinguish between the different types of internal hardware components
Determine components required
- Identify and clarify user internal hardware component requirements according to organisational guidelines
- Organise and record user component requirements, pass on to appropriate person for evaluation and vendor selection
Obtain components
Install components
Evaluate modified system
- Collect client or user feedback and analyse against client requirements
- Correct identified shortcomings in the system and record actions

Required Skills

Required skills

communication skills to

consult with peers and supervisors and internal and external clients

interpret technical computer installation manuals

interpret user manuals and help functions

literacy skills to

organise resources for onetoone instruction

plan prioritise and organise work

write technical reports and maintain records

planning and organisational skills to address technical issues

problemsolving skills to anticipate and respond to a range of driverrelated errors that may arise

technical skills to

comprehend how the operating system will communicate with the installed component

install components

test components using available technology

test system performance

Required knowledge

areas of the operating system relevant to configuration and testing

current industryaccepted hardware and software products

environmental considerations in ewaste disposal

organisational guidelines and organisational requirements with regard to safety recycling and component installation

systems diagnostic software and current functionality

vendor specifications and requirements for component installation

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria required skills and knowledge range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to

identify and categorise the different types of internal hardware components

modify systems hardware to meet client requirements

plan the modification and connect internal hardware components according to vendor and technical specifications

install components across a variety of situations and account for unexpected contingencies

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to

personal computer and internal hardware components for installation

current industry standard performance testing software

documents detailing organisational guidelines and requirements

technical manuals and tools

appropriate learning and assessment support when required

modified equipment for people with special needs

Note The careful planning and promotion of hardware upgrades and changes are critical to the effective support of business functions Hardware modifications need to be risk managed similar to other business processes The effective management and execution of the component maintenance and replacement process may significantly determine the amount of downtime a company encounters

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge The following examples are appropriate for this unit

verbal or written questioning to assess candidates knowledge of system diagnostic software and system functionality

direct observation of candidate connecting internal hardware components

evaluation of client requirements and candidates final recommendations

review of candidates written notes

Note Evidence for assessment from industry or vendorcertified training may be presented for the whole or part of this unit depending on the range of variables and performance criteria

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector workplace and job role is recommended where appropriate

Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate and suitable to the communication skill level language literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed

Indigenous people and other people from a nonEnglish speaking background may need additional support

In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge

Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Internal hardware components may include:	adapter card components: communications: modem network interface card (NIC) I/O: parallel small computer system interface (SCSI) serial universal serial bus (USB) multimedia: capture cards sound card TV tuner cards video: AGP peripheral component interconnect (PCI) PCIe cooling system components: CPU and case fans heat sinks liquid cooling systems thermal compound CPU components and features: 32 bit versus 64 bit hyper threading identify CPU types: AMD Intel multi-core: dual core quad core triple core onchip cache: L1 L2 speed (real versus actual) display device components: connector types: component or RGB DVI pin compatibility HDMi S-Video VGA LCD technologies: contrast ratio native resolution resolution (e.g. XGA, SXGA+, UXGA, WUXGA) projectors, CRT and LCD settings: degauss multi-monitor refresh rate resolution memory components and features: ECC versus non-ECC parity versus non-parity single channel versus dual channel single sided versus double-sided speed: PC100 PC133 PC2700 PC3200 DDR3-1600 DDR2-667 types: DRAM SRAM SDRAM DDR or DDR2 or DDR3 RAMBUS motherboard components: basic input/output system (BIOS), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or Firmware: CMOS battery POST bus architecture bus slots: AGP AMR CNR PCI PCIe Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) chipsets contrast RAID (levels 0, 1, 5) form factor: ATX or BTX micro ATX NLX I/O interfaces: IEEE 1394 or Firewire modem NIC parallel PS/2 serial sound USB 1.1 and 2.0 video memory slots: DIMM RIMM SIMM SODIMM parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA): EIDE IDE processor sockets riser card or daughterboard serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) eSATA power supply components: AC adapter ATX proprietary pins (20, 24) voltage selector switch voltage, wattage and capacity storage devices and backup media components: floppy disk drive (FDD) hard disk drive (HDD): solid state versus magnetic optical drives, such as CD, DVD, RW or blu-ray removable storage: external CD-RW and hard drive hot swappable devices and non-hot swappable devices solid state (e.g. thumb drive, flash, SD cards, USB) tape drive.
Organisational guidelines may include:	communication methods content of emails dispute resolution document procedures and templates downloading information and accessing particular websites financial control mechanisms opening mail with attachments personal use of emails and internet access virus risk.
Appropriate person may include:	authorised business representative client supervisor.
Clients may include:	department within the organisation person within a department third party.
Organisational requirements may include:	how and what the organisation wants in regard to work environment preventative maintenance and diagnostic policy problem solution processes roles and technical responsibilities in the IT department vendor and product service level support agreements.