The Universal Serial Bus
In 1996 the Universal Serial Bus (USB) was developed to replace the serial and parallel
ports. Today, the USB port is used to connect scanners, digital cameras, and external
storage devices like CD-RW drives. More ...
How Does the CPU Cache Work?
CPU's however use a 2 level cache system. The principles are the same. The level 1
cache is the fastest and smallest memory, level 2 cache is larger and slightly slower
but still smaller and faster than the main memory. More ...
CompTIA Strata Study Guide
Because many jobs in the IT field don't require the in-depth knowledge required for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certification, CompTIA has developed the Strata certification. More ...
All About Your Computer's BIOS
Are you confused by the computer BIOS? The BIOS is a fundamental component of any PC
and if you really want to get into the guys of a computer, it?s good through understanding
what BIOS Is all about. More ...
Rambus DRAM (RDRAM)
Rambus DRAM (RDRAM) is a proprietary memory technology, designed by the Rambus Corporation, that is found in some Pentium III and Pentium 4 systems built between 2000 and 2002. When it was introduced it run at faster speed than conventional SDRAM. When DDR SDRAM was released, RDRAM became obsolete. More ...
General Overview Of Motherboards
Everyone hears the term motherboard and wonders exactly what it is? The motherboard will
contain connection points for your CPU (Central Processing Unit), Hard drive, RAM (Random
Access Memory), Video Card, and Power Supply. More ...
Hardware Resources Explained
Hardware devices, such as modems, network circuits, sound circuits, and so on,
require system resources such as Interrupt Request (IRQ) lines, Input/Output Port (I/O) addresses, Direct
Memory Access Channels (DMA), and a range of Memory Addresses for storing code and data. Each device needs
its own set of resources. If two devices attempt to use the same resource, your system may lock up or crash. More ...
Building Your Own PC! - The Motherboard is the Core of the PC
The single most important piece of hardware that you will buy is the motherboard - the very
core of your PC. If you buy a PC from a shop, chances are you'll never think about or even
see the motherboard; but when you build a system from scratch, it must be your primary
consideration. Everything else follows from here. More ...
PC Disk File Systems
The first PC file system, called FAT because it used a File Allocation Table, was developed in the early 1980?s for floppy disks. The File Allocation Table, a map of the location of files on the disk, is located near the beginning of the disk. More ...
Understanding the Software Layers of a Computer
You select File | Print in the menu and the printer comes to life, feeding out a copy
of your document on paper. It seems like a simple process, but in reality your request
passed through many layers of software before reaching your printer. More ...
Plug and Play Resource Allocation
Early PCs used a bus called Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). ISA devices cannot
share resources, each ISA device must have its own IRQ. In 1993, Microsoft and Intel
developed Plug and Play (PnP) to solve this problem. More ...
A Guide to Basic PC Cooling
Desktop PCs and Notebook PCs generate heat that can reduce the performance, cause intermittent errors, and be damaging to its components. Here are some tips that will help lengthen the life of your precious personal computer. More ...