Book description
PC Hardware in a Nutshell is the practical guide to buying, building, upgrading, and repairing Intel-based PCs. A longtime favorite among PC users, the third edition of the book now contains useful information for people running either Windows or Linux operating systems. Written for novices and seasoned professionals alike, the book is packed with useful and unbiased information, including how-to advice for specific components, ample reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC.In addition to coverage of the fundamentals and general tips about working on PCs, the book includes chapters focusing on motherboards, processors, memory, floppies, hard drives, optical drives, tape devices, video devices, input devices, audio components, communications, power supplies, and maintenance. Special emphasis is given to upgrading and troubleshooting existing equipment so you can get the most from your existing investments.This new edition is expanded to include:
- Detailed information about the latest motherboards and chipsets from AMD, Intel, SiS, and VIA
- Extensive coverage of the Pentium 4 and the latest AMD processors, including the Athlon XP/MP
- Full details about new hard drive standards, including the latest SCSI standards, ATA/133, Serial ATA, and the new 48-bit "Big Drive" ATA interface
- Extended coverage of DVD drives, including DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, and DVD+R/RW
- Details about Flat Panel Displays, including how to choose one (and why you might not want to)
- New chapters on serial communications, parallel communications, and USB communications (including USB 2.0)
- Enhanced troubleshooting coverage
Publisher resources
Table of contents
- PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Preface
-
1. Fundamentals
- 1.1. PCs Defined
- 1.2. PC Components and Technologies
- 1.3. System Resources
- 1.4. Building or Buying a PC
- 1.5. Upgrading a PC
- 1.6. Smart Buying Practices
- 1.7. Things to Do with Old PCs
-
2. Working on PCs
- 2.1. Rules to Upgrade By
- 2.2. Tools
- 2.3. General Procedures
-
3. Motherboards
-
3.1. Motherboard Characteristics
- 3.1.1. Form Factor
-
3.1.2. Chipsets
- 3.1.2.1. CPU family support
- 3.1.2.2. CPU speed support
- 3.1.2.3. Memory bus speed and width
- 3.1.2.4. Multiple CPU support
- 3.1.2.5. I/O bus support
- 3.1.2.6. Embedded feature support
- 3.1.2.7. Identifying chipsets
- 3.1.2.8. Fifth-generation chipsets
- 3.1.2.9. Sixth-generation Intel and Intel-compatible chipset characteristics
- 3.1.2.10. AMD Athlon chipset characteristics
- 3.1.2.11. Seventh-generation Intel and Intel-compatible chipset characteristics
- 3.1.3. BIOS
- 3.1.4. Processor Support
- 3.1.5. Bus Support
- 3.2. Choosing a Motherboard
- 3.3. Installing a Motherboard
- 3.4. Upgrading the System BIOS
- 3.5. Our Picks
-
3.1. Motherboard Characteristics
- 4. Processors
- 5. Memory
- 6. Floppy Disk Drives
- 7. High-Capacity Floppy Disk Drives
- 8. Removable Hard Disk Drives
- 9. Tape Drives
-
10. CD-ROM Drives
- 10.1. Compact Disc Fundamentals
- 10.2. CD-ROM Drive Performance
- 10.3. Choosing a CD-ROM Drive
-
10.4. Installing and Configuring a CD-ROM Drive
- 10.4.1. Installing and Configuring an ATAPI CD-ROM Drive
- 10.4.2. Enabling Bus Mastering (DMA) Support
- 10.4.3. Installing and Configuring a SCSI CD-ROM Drive
- 10.4.4. General SCSI CD-ROM Troubleshooting
- 10.4.5. Windows 9X/2000/XP SCSI Driver Installation and Troubleshooting
- 10.4.6. Changing CD-ROM Drive Letter Assignments
- 10.5. Cleaning a CD-ROM Drive
- 10.6. Our Picks
-
11. CD Writers
- 11.1. CD Writers and Media
- 11.2. Writable CD Formats
- 11.3. CD Recording Methods
- 11.4. Buffer Underrun Protection
- 11.5. Choosing a CD Writer
- 11.6. CD Writer Software
- 11.7. Installing and Configuring a CD Writer
- 11.8. Updating CD Writer Firmware
- 11.9. Media Issues
- 11.10. Burning CDs
- 11.11. Special Problems and Applications
- 11.12. Writable CD Troubleshooting
- 11.13. Additional CD-R(W) Source Material
- 11.14. Our Picks
- 12. DVD Drives
-
13. Hard Disk Interfaces
- 13.1. IDE
- 13.2. Serial ATA
- 13.3. SCSI
- 13.4. ATA Versus SCSI
- 13.5. Our Picks
-
14. Hard Disk Drives
- 14.1. How Hard Disks Work
- 14.2. Choosing a Hard Disk
- 14.3. Installing a PATA (Standard ATA) Hard Disk
- 14.4. Installing an SATA Hard Disk
- 14.5. Installing a SCSI Hard Disk
- 14.6. Preparing a Hard Disk for Use
- 14.7. Our Picks
- 15. Video Adapters
- 16. Displays
-
17. Sound Adapters
- 17.1. PC Audio Types
- 17.2. MIDI Synthesis Methods
- 17.3. Downloadable Sounds
- 17.4. Sound Card Components
- 17.5. Sound Card Characteristics
- 17.6. Choosing a Sound Card
- 17.7. Installing a Sound Card
- 17.8. Configuring a Sound Card Under Windows 95/98/2000/XP
- 17.9. Configuring a Sound Card Under Linux
- 17.10. Troubleshooting Sound Card Problems
- 17.11. Our Picks
- 18. Speakers and Headphones
- 19. Keyboards
- 20. Mice and Trackballs
- 21. Game Controllers
-
22. Serial Communications
- 22.1. Serial Communications Overview
- 22.2. Serial Ports
- 22.3. Serial Cables
- 22.4. Installing and Configuring Serial Port Hardware
- 22.5. Troubleshooting Serial Port Problems
- 22.6. Our Picks
- 23. Parallel Communications
-
24. USB Communications
- 24.1. USB Characteristics
- 24.2. USB Host Controller Interfaces
-
24.3. Configuring USB
- 24.3.1. Identifying the USB HCI Under Windows 9X
- 24.3.2. Viewing USB HCI Properties Under Windows 9X
- 24.3.3. Viewing USB Root Hub Properties Under Windows 9X
- 24.3.4. Verifying USB Interrupt Sharing Under Windows 9X
- 24.3.5. Identifying the USB HCI Under Windows 2000/XP
- 24.3.6. Viewing USB HCI Properties Under Windows 2000/XP
- 24.3.7. Viewing USB Root Hub Properties Under Windows 2000/XP
- 24.3.8. Verifying USB Interrupt Sharing Under Windows 2000/XP
- 24.4. Troubleshooting USB
- 24.5. Our Picks
- 25. Cases
-
26. Power Supplies
- 26.1. Power Supply Characteristics
- 26.2. Volts, Amps, Watts, and Regulation
-
26.3. Power Connectors
- 26.3.1. AT Main Power Connector
- 26.3.2. ATX Main Power Connector
- 26.3.3. ATX/ATX12V Auxiliary Power Connector
- 26.3.4. ATX Optional Power Supply Connector
- 26.3.5. ATX12V Power Supply Connector
- 26.3.6. NLX Power Connectors
- 26.3.7. SFX/SFX12V Power Connectors
- 26.3.8. TFX12V Power Connectors
- 26.3.9. Power-Supply-to-Device Connectors
- 26.3.10. Main Power Switch Power Connectors
- 26.3.11. Real-World Power Supplies Compared
- 26.4. Choosing a Power Supply
- 26.5. Installing a Power Supply
- 26.6. Troubleshooting Power Supplies
- 26.7. Our Picks
- 27. Backup Power Supplies
-
28. Building a PC
- 28.1. Purchasing Components
-
28.2. Building the System
- 28.2.1. Step 1: Prepare the Case
- 28.2.2. Step 2: Configure the Motherboard
- 28.2.3. Step 3: Install the Processor
- 28.2.4. Step 4: Install the Memory
- 28.2.5. Step 5: Prepare Drives for Installation
- 28.2.6. Step 6: Install the Floppy Disk Drive
- 28.2.7. Step 7: Install Other Drives
- 28.2.8. Step 8: Install the Motherboard
- 28.2.9. Step 9: Connect Cables to the Motherboard
- 28.2.10. Step 10: Install Expansion Cards
- 28.2.11. Step 11: Perform the “Smoke Test”
- 28.2.12. Step 12: Install Software
- 28.2.13. Step 13: Finishing Touches
- Index
- Colophon
- Copyright
Product information
- Title: PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition
- Author(s):
- Release date: July 2003
- Publisher(s): O'Reilly Media, Inc.
- ISBN: 9780596005139
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