Power Supply Form Factors
The shape and physical layout of a power supply is called its 'form factor'. Power supplies come in several industry standard form factors. Power supplies with the same form factor are physically interchangeable. 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 ...
Video - How to Buy a Motherboard
In this video James, computer hardware training coordinator for Interconnection, shows you how to buy a motherboard. There are a few things you want to keep in mind when buying a motherboard, like Will the motherboard support 64-bit processors? More ...
The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
SCSI is complicated to configure and troubleshoot with incompatibility between devices being a common problem. To setup a SCSI system, you need to know which SCSI standard the devices support. The host adapter must match the devices. More ...
How to Choose a Computer Case
Computer cases come in many sizes, configurations, and with many features. Which case you need depends upon what you will use your computer for. You might choose a standard mid tower case for a home computer that will be used for word processing and spread sheets. For a game machine or server you might choose a full tower case because of its expansion capability. 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 ...
Tips and Techniques For Building Your Own PC
What do you need to build a computer? Believe us, it's not as complicated as it seems. Let's start with the case. The variety is staggering, with hundreds of styles, shapes and sizes available. We recommend that you look closely at the features. Some gorgeous PC cases are nightmares to work with, or are cheaply built. More ...
Motherboard Basics
A motherboard, also known as a main board, is the primary circuit board inside of a computer, and is where the central processing unit (CPU), memory, expansion slots, drives, and other peripheral devices are connected. More ...
How does a CD Burner work?
The CD burner or more commonly known as the CD writer has become a standard part of the PC today. But how does the CD writer actually work? 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 ...
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 ...
Basic PC Anatomy Inkjet Printers
There are two main inkjet technologies, thermal and piezo-electric. Thermal technology uses silicon wafer heating elements, Epson uses a proprietary piezo electric technology. 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 ...
Build Your Own Computer
Before you begin make sure you have all the tools you need and a clean space to work. Make sure you have all required tools and materials. Unpack the materials once package at a time and inspect them to make sure they are not broke or defective. More ...
