Welcome to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 8th Edition. This book is for people who want to upgrade, repair, maintain, and troubleshoot computers. It covers the full range of PC-compatible systems from the oldest 8-bit machines to the latest in high-end 64-bit workstations.
In addition, this book covers state-of-the-art hardware and accessories that make the most modern personal computers easier, faster, and more productive to use. Hardware coverage includes all of the Intel and Intel-compatible processors through the Pentium, Pentium Pro, and new Pentium II CPU chips; new cache and main memory technology; PCI local bus technology; CD-ROM drives; tape backups; sound boards; PC-Card and Cardbus devices for laptops; IDE and SCSI-interface devices; larger and faster hard drives; and new video adapter and display capabilities.
The comprehensive coverage of the PC-compatible personal computer in this book has consistently won acclaim since debuting as the first book of its kind on the market in 1988. Now with the release of this eighth edition, Upgrading and Repairing PCs continues its place as not only the best selling book of its type, but also the most comprehensive and easily used reference on even the most modern systems--those based on cutting-edge hardware and software. The book examines PCs in-depth, outlines the differences among them, and presents options for configuring each system at the time you purchase it.
Sections of this book provide detailed information about each internal component of a personal computer system, from the processor to the keyboard and video display. The book examines the options available in modern, high-performance PC configurations, and how to use them to your advantage; it focuses on much of the hardware and software available today and specifies the optimum configurations for achieving maximum benefit for the time and money you spend. At a glance, here are the major system components and peripherals covered in this edition of Upgrading and Repairing PCs:
- Pentium II, Pentium Pro, Pentium, 486, and earlier central processing unit (CPU) chips.
- The latest processor upgrade socket and slot specifications.
- New motherboard chipsets and designs, including the ATX form factor.
- Special bus architectures and devices, including high-speed PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) and VL-Bus (VESA Local), EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture), and MCA (Micro Channel Architecture).
- Bus resources which often conflict such as Interrupt ReQuest (IRQ) lines, Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels, and Input Output (I/O) port addresses.
- Plug and Play architecture.
- Larger, faster hard drives and hard drive interfaces, including EIDE and SCSI.
- Floppy drives, including 360K, 1.2M, 1.44M, and 2.88M drives.
- New storage devices such as DVD, CD-ROM, and Magneto-Optical drives.
- Increasing system memory capacity with SIMM and DIMM modules.
- New types of memory including Synchronous Pipeline Burst cache, EDO RAM, Burst EDO, and Synchronous DRAM.
- Large-screen Super VGA monitors and high-speed graphics adapter cards.
- Peripheral devices such as CD-ROM drives, sound boards, and tape backups.
- PC-Card and Cardbus devices for laptops.