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 Modern PC Specifications
There is a huge variety of different PCs available out there. Its no wonder that consumers are confused about what to buy. This article explains modern PC specifications. More ...
Network Interface Card (NIC)
A Network Interface Card (NIC) is an expansion card that allows a PC to connect to a network. Though there are many different types of networks, PCs almost always use a NIC that interfaces to a wireless network or an Ethernet network. 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 ...
PC Motherboard Expansion Cards
The expansion slots available on motherboards allow for a variety of upgrades in a computer system, but matching the appropriate card to an available slot needs to be addressed before making any purchasing decisions. The most common types of expansion cards for modern computer systems can be broken down into three formats: PCI, AGP, and PCI Express. More ...
Power and Your PC
The power coming into a computer is the most critical component, and it may be one of the most overlooked. It is just taken for granted that it will always be there and working properly. More ...
Buffered, Unbuffered, Registered Memory, What is the Difference?
Buffered and Registered memory are the same thing. The buffer is a register that resides between the system's memory controller and the RAM. The buffer is often, but not always, used to provide ECC (Error Checking and Correction). More ...
PC Keyboards
Today, there are many keyboard variations. Some keyboards have an integrated pointing device such as a trackball. Ergonomic keyboards are designed to be more comfortable for the hands and wrists. Regards of the variations, all keyboards, except those on notebook computers, follow the 105-key standard. More ...
IEEE 1284 Parallel Port
The parallel port was primarily used to connect a printer to a PC. Today, the parallel port is obsolete, being replaced by the USB port. Although now obsolete, millions of parallel port printers were manufactured and no doubt many of them are still in use today. I'll briefly describe the it in this article because you may run into a question about it in the CompTIA A+ Certification Exam. 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 ...
Intel Chipsets
The original 4.77 Mhz 8088-based IBM PC released in 1981 was built with over 100 discrete logic chips. To lower the cost of manufacturing, the logic was integrated into a couple of chips that were used together as a set. They became referred to as a chipset. More ...
Introduction to Operating Systems
An operating system is software that acts as an intermediary between a computer user and the computer's applications and hardware. An operating system can be viewed as a resource allocator. Resources might be CPU time, memory space, file storage space, and input/output (I/O) devices. More ...
Intermediate PC Build-it-Yourself Guide
Before you get out your tool kit and put your anti-static mat on the floor, you have to consider a few factors before embarking on your computer-building odyssey? Now don't panic - it's not as complicated as it seems. More ...
Digital Video Interface (DVI)
Today's computers use LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) displays. LCDs are a digital device. It makes little sense to convert the digital image data to analog just to convert it back to digital to display on the LCD. To avoid this double conversion, the DVI (Digital Video Interface) standard was developed. More ...
