"...perhaps the most comprehensive book on the subject we've ever seen. It's incredibly well researched, well written, and jam packed with useful information." --Josh Norem, Reviews Editor, Maximum PC Upgrading and Repairing PCs is the definitive guide to the inner workings of your PC. Whether you're adding a faster processor or bigger hard drive, tracking down a problem, or just want to understand how the components of your computer work together, this book explains everything you need to know. Trust the one book that has become the de facto standard among PC professionals and enthusiasts around the world. World-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller has taught thousands in his week-long seminars and millions through his books, videos, and magazine articles. Major changes in the PC hardware industry--including coverage of new Core 2 processors from Intel, Socket AM2 processors from AMD, and significant advances in motherboard chipsets, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD--make Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 18th Edition, an indispensable addition to every serious computer user's bookshelf...that is, if it ever leaves their desks. Readers from around the world trust their computers to Scott. Upgrading and Repairing PCs is found on the desks of teachers, students, hobbyists, repair technicians, and even law enforcement agencies that use this book to aid them in tracking criminals. New in This Book *Deep coverage of the new Core 2 (8th gen or "886") processors, featuring the new "Core Microarchitecture" *Cutting edge coverage of quad-core desktop (Kentsfield) processor versions *Detailed coverage of AMD's Socket AM2 processors *Coverage of evolutionary changes in chipsets, including new versions of Intel's 9xx series chipsets and new 3x series Intel chipsets; coverage of new chipsets from Nvidia, VIA, and SiS has also been added *Coverage of the new DTX and Mini-DTX motherboard form factors from the newly formed alliance between AMD and ATI *Beefed-up coverage of Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives/players *Extensive coverage of new GPUs in addition to heavy-duty coverage of SLI and Crossfire *Building a PC from scratch--from assembling the hardware to BIOS setup and installing Microsoft Windows XP or Vista On the DVD DVD contains 2 hours of all new, studio-quality video--playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into networking, showing all the components needed to build a SOHO (Small Office Home Office) network. Coverage includes network adapters, routers, switches, access points, cable/DSL modems, and cabling. Upgrading an existing network to gigabit speeds is also covered, as well as the latest wireless network technology. The DVD also contains a previously published edition of the book as well as technical reference material, a glossary, and an acronym index. Whether you're building a hot new PC for home or work, or nursing an aging and ailing PC back to health, these materials prove to be worth their weight in gold to the serious PC technician or hobbyist. www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com If you don't have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format as well as the PDFs and other materials on the DVD! Plus, check out monthly articles, FAQs, and video from earlier editions you might have missed! Introduction 1 1 Development of the PC 7 2 PC Components, Features and System Design 25 3 Microprocessor Types and Specifications 39 4 Motherboards and Buses 235 5 BIOS 441 6 Memory 509 7 The ATA/IDE Interface 581 8 Magnetic Storage Principles 637 9 Hard Disk Storage 663 10 Removable Storage 707 11 Optical Storage 747 12 Physical Drive Installation and Configuration 851 13 Video Hardware 885 14 Audio Hardware 987 15 I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB 1025 16 Input Devices 1059 17 Internet Connectivity 1103 18 Local Area Networking 1151 19 Power Supplies 1207 20 Building or Upgrading Systems 1295 21 PC Mods: Overclocking and Cooling 1335 22 PC Diagnostics, Testing and Maintenance 1367 ON THE DVD: A Glossary B List of Acronyms and Abbreviations