Contents
Development of the PC 5
PC Components, Features, and System Design 19
Processor Types and Specifications 31
Motherboards and Buses 143
BIOS 251
Memory 315
The ATA/IDE Interface 367
Magnetic Storage Principles 421
Hard Disk Storage 445
Flash and Removable Storage 493
Optical Storage 517
Video Hardware 603
Audio Hardware 667
External I/O Interfaces 691
Input Devices 729
Internet Connectivity 765
Local Area Networking 789
Power Supplies 833
Building or Upgrading Systems 917
PC Diagnostics, Testing, and Maintenance 959
Index 1019
About the Author
Scott Mueller is the president of Mueller Technical Research (MTR), an international research and corporate training firm. Since 1982, MTR has produced the industry’s most in-depth, accurate, and effective seminars, books, articles, videos, and FAQs covering PC hardware and data recovery. MTR maintains a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. and foreign governments, major software and hardware corporations, as well as PC enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. Scott’s seminars have been presented to several thousands of PC support professionals throughout the world .
Scott personally teaches seminars nationwide covering all aspects of PC hardware (including troubleshooting , maintenance, repair, and upgrade), A+ Certification, and data recovery/forensics. He has a knack for making technical topics not only understandable, but entertaining; his classes are never boring! If you have 10 or more people to train, Scott can design and present a custom seminar for your organization .
Although he has taught classes virtually nonstop since 1982, Scott is best known as the author of the longest-running, most popular, and most comprehensive PC hardware book in the world, Upgradingand Repairing PCs, which has become the core of an entire series of books, including Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Upgrading and Repairing Laptops, and Upgrading and Repairing Windows .
Scott’s premiere work, Upgrading and Repairing PCs, has sold well over two million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has beenfeatured in Forbes magazine and has written several articles for PC World magazine, Maximum PC magazine, the Scott Mueller Forum, various computer and automotive newsletters, and the Upgrading and Repairing PCs website
NEW IN THIS EDITION
The newest processors, including Intel’s latest Core i Haswell processors and AMD’s Kaveri core processors.
Everything you need to know about the latest GPU technology from NVIDIA and AMD, including developments in OpenGL, DirectX, and Mantle.
New firmware innovations like the InSyde BIOS, Back to BIOS buttons, and all the updated settings available for the newest processors and chipsets.
The latest in updated home networking standards, from blazing fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi to HomeGrid and G.hn powerline networking.
Ever larger storage, thanks to new technologies like helium-filled hard disks, shingled magnetic recording, and Cfast and XQD for flash memory.
Emerging interfaces such as mSATA, USB 3.1, and M.2
Updated coverage of building PCs from scratch—from choosing and assembling hardware through BIOS setup and troubleshooting