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Hardware

The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

By Fox Van Allen September 2, 2016, 2:54 PM PDT

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The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Let's start easy. What are these '80s era wires?

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Let's start easy. What are these '80s era wires?

For bonus points: What’s the difference between the yellow, red, and white cables?

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Composite Video (RCA)

Image: Shutterstock/Paul Stringer

Composite Video (RCA)

The yellow RCA connector is used for composite (one-signal) video. The red and white connectors are used for stereo sound.

Image: Shutterstock/Paul Stringer
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

And what about this wire? What is it?

Image: Shutterstock/Mrklong

And what about this wire? What is it?

Apple fanatics should know this one pretty well.

Image: Shutterstock/Mrklong
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

What's this cable used for?

Image: Shutterstock / TomeK K.

What's this cable used for?

You only get half credit…unless you knows its name, too.

Image: Shutterstock / TomeK K.
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

VGA Connector (DE-15)

Image: Shutterstock/Choksawatdikorn

VGA Connector (DE-15)

The now-outdated Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector, used to connect computers to their monitors, supports a maximum video resolution of 2048u00d71536.

Image: Shutterstock/Choksawatdikorn
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Who dat cable?

Image: Shutterstock/Alexey Bukreev

Who dat cable?

You might recognize this one if you built your own PC.

Image: Shutterstock/Alexey Bukreev
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Serial ATA (SATA)

Image: Shutterstock/photonbox

Serial ATA (SATA)

SATA cables have been connecting host bus adapters to computer storage drives since 2003.

Image: Shutterstock/photonbox
techrepublic-micro-usb-3.jpg
techrepublic-micro-usb-3.jpg
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

What is this odd-looking connector used for?

Image: Shutterstock/Allexxandar

What is this odd-looking connector used for?

This one is still pretty uncommon.

Image: Shutterstock/Allexxandar
techrepublic-galaxy-note3.jpg
techrepublic-galaxy-note3.jpg
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Micro-B (USB 3.0)

Image credit: Samsung

Micro-B (USB 3.0)

The Micro-B receptacle is used to charge the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (shown), among other devices.

Image credit: Samsung
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

What's the difference between these two cables?

Image: Shutterstock/Baciu

What's the difference between these two cables?

Their colors indeed have meaning.

Image: Shutterstock/Baciu
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

They're PS/2 keyboard and mouse cables.

Image: Shutterstock/Nerijus Juras

They're PS/2 keyboard and mouse cables.

Older computer keyboards used the purple color-coded PS/2 cable; mouse cables used the color green.

Image: Shutterstock/Nerijus Juras
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Can you name this old, 40-pin connector?

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Can you name this old, 40-pin connector?

You won’t find any long ones around — these cables have a max length of 18 inches.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

Parallel ATA cable

Image: Shutterstock / Benson HE

Parallel ATA cable

These cables were commonly used inside of computers to connect data storage devices to the motherboard. They have since been made obsolete by SATA cables.

Image: Shutterstock / Benson HE
techrepublic-cable-server-room.jpg
techrepublic-cable-server-room.jpg
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

RJ-45

Image: Shutterstock/Dmitry Kalinovsky

RJ-45

These are not to be confused with their smaller cousin, the standard RJ-11 phone jack.

Image: Shutterstock/Dmitry Kalinovsky
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

What does this cable do?

Image credit: Shutterstock/asadykov

What does this cable do?

It has been in production since 1983.

Image credit: Shutterstock/asadykov
The ultimate computer and AV cable quiz

TOSLINK (Optical Digital Audio)

Image: Shutterstock/Paradise On Earth

TOSLINK (Optical Digital Audio)

These cables are often used in conjunction with home theater systems.

Image: Shutterstock/Paradise On Earth
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By Fox Van Allen
Fox Van Allen is a Los Angeles-based writer for CBS Interactive covering technology, tech lifestyle and gaming topics for GameSpot, CNET, ZDNet and TechRepublic. He has previously worked as a news and feature writer for a number of other sites, inclu
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