The RS-232 Serial Port
The RS-232 serial port was used to connect a mouse, modem, and/or printer. The RS-232 serial port is now totally obsolete. I would be very surprised if you ever run into a PC with an RS-232 serial port except possibly in a third-world country. However, 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 ...
SDRAM Types: DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4
With computer memory modules, DDR stands for Double Data Rate because it performs two transfers per clock cycle, the number after DDR specifies other characteristics like latency, speed, and voltage. 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 ...
1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G Cellular Wireless Standards
The meaning of the terms 3G and 4G have been made very confusing because some wireless carriers have built new high-speed 4G networks from the ground up while other wireless carriers have chosen to doctor-up their 3G service and market it as 4G. 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 ...
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 ...
Understanding The Speed Of New Pci Express Data Bus
PCIe is intended to be used as a local interconnect only. As it is based on the existing PCI system, cards, and systems can be adapted to PCI Express without any change in software. The higher speeds on PCIe allow it to replace almost all existing buses. 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 ...
Device Driver Basics
In this article, I'm going to reveal in plain English what a driver is, why we need drivers, and exactly where the drivers are hiding. To give you a basic understanding, I'm going to go back, way back, to the early days of computers. 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 ...
Understanding Your PC's CPU Clock Speed and Front Side Bus
The CPU or Central Processing Unit is the brains of any computer and the two major manufacturers are Intel and AMD or Advanced Micro Devices. For many years Intel CPUs were found in nearly all PCs. And now the Intel is found in most systems but the newer Athlon class CPU from AMD have taken a large chunk of the CPU market. More ...
The Chemistry of Laptop Batteries Explained
Laptop batteries come in all shapes and sizes also differ in their chemical composition. The chemistry of a battery refers to the chemical make-up of the cells inside the outer casing. This artilce explains the most common chemistries used in laptop batteries. More ...
IEEE-1394 FireWire
IEEE 1394 FireWire is a serial bus designed by Apple Computer as a replacement for legacy interfaces like serial ports, parallel ports, and SCSI. Article updated for IEEE 1394a FireWire 400 and IEEE 1394b FireWire 800. More ...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chipsets
Although most people think the microprocessor is the most important part on a computer's motherboard, the 'chipset' is equally important. With the introduction of the Athlon processor, AMD gained the technilogical lead. AMD processors and chipsets have always held the advantage in value. More ...
