Upgrading and Repairing PCs
22nd Edition
Published on 23. July 2015
Book
Mixed media product
1184 pages
978-0-7897-5610-7 (ISBN)
Description
DVD-ROM Includes 3 hours of new how-to video
For more than 25 years, Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the world's #1 guide to PC hardware: The single source for reliable information on how PCs work, troubleshooting and fixing problems, adding hardware, optimizing performance, and building new PCs. This 22nd edition offers beefed-up coverage of the newest hardware innovations and maintenance techniques, plus more than two hours of new video.
Scott Mueller delivers practical answers about PC processors, mother-boards, buses, BIOSes, memory, SSD and HDD storage, video, audio, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You'll find the industry's best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair-plus cutting-edge discussions of improving PC performance via overclocking and other techniques.
Mueller has taught thousands of professionals in person and millions more through his books and videos-nobody knows more about keeping PCs running perfectly. Whether you're a professional technician, a small business owner trying to save money, or a home PC enthusiast, this is the only PC hardware book you need!
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
ON THE DVD
Get 3 hours of up-to-the minute, studio-quality how-to videos-all playable on your DVD player or computer! In this edition, Scott Mueller delivers a complete seminar on PC troubleshooting, teaching you how to identify and resolve an array of common and not-so-common PC problems.
From detailed explanations on all the tools that should be a basic part of any PC toolkit, to all the critical rules you should follow to safely operate on your PC's internal components, in these videos Scott Mueller ensures you are equipped with everything you need to know to successfully resolve your PC's problems.
From there, Scott takes you through a complete disassembly of an All-in-One (AiO) system, showing just what you can do to keep these specialized systems running smoothly. Finally, there is a detailed look at today's ultra-fast solid state disk drives (SSD) and the benefits they bring to modern systems.
This DVD also contains the complete 19th and 20th editions of this book in printable form, plus extensive technical reference material, a comprehensive glossary, and more!
"...continually revised and updated to reflect the ever-changing PC landscape. A resource from my PC repair days, Scott Mueller's tome is one of the books that has stayed on my bookshelf
throughout the years."
-Adam Overa, Managing Editor, Tom's Hardware
For more than 25 years, Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the world's #1 guide to PC hardware: The single source for reliable information on how PCs work, troubleshooting and fixing problems, adding hardware, optimizing performance, and building new PCs. This 22nd edition offers beefed-up coverage of the newest hardware innovations and maintenance techniques, plus more than two hours of new video.
Scott Mueller delivers practical answers about PC processors, mother-boards, buses, BIOSes, memory, SSD and HDD storage, video, audio, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You'll find the industry's best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair-plus cutting-edge discussions of improving PC performance via overclocking and other techniques.
Mueller has taught thousands of professionals in person and millions more through his books and videos-nobody knows more about keeping PCs running perfectly. Whether you're a professional technician, a small business owner trying to save money, or a home PC enthusiast, this is the only PC hardware book you need!
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
ON THE DVD
Get 3 hours of up-to-the minute, studio-quality how-to videos-all playable on your DVD player or computer! In this edition, Scott Mueller delivers a complete seminar on PC troubleshooting, teaching you how to identify and resolve an array of common and not-so-common PC problems.
From detailed explanations on all the tools that should be a basic part of any PC toolkit, to all the critical rules you should follow to safely operate on your PC's internal components, in these videos Scott Mueller ensures you are equipped with everything you need to know to successfully resolve your PC's problems.
From there, Scott takes you through a complete disassembly of an All-in-One (AiO) system, showing just what you can do to keep these specialized systems running smoothly. Finally, there is a detailed look at today's ultra-fast solid state disk drives (SSD) and the benefits they bring to modern systems.
This DVD also contains the complete 19th and 20th editions of this book in printable form, plus extensive technical reference material, a comprehensive glossary, and more!
"...continually revised and updated to reflect the ever-changing PC landscape. A resource from my PC repair days, Scott Mueller's tome is one of the books that has stayed on my bookshelf
throughout the years."
-Adam Overa, Managing Editor, Tom's Hardware
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Scott Mueller
Upgrading and Repairing PCs
E-Book
12/2018
22nd Edition
Addison Wesley
€35.99
Available for download
Scott Mueller
Upgrading and Repairing PCs
E-Book
06/2015
22nd Edition
Addison Wesley
€35.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Scott Mueller
Upgrading and Repairing PCs
Book
04/2013
21st Edition
Que Corporation,U.S.
€64.89
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Person
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, 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 ten 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, Upgrading and 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 more than two million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured 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.
Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:
Mueller Technical Research:
Web: www.muellertech.com
Email: info@muellertech.com
Forum: www.forum.scottmueller.com
Scott has a forum exclusively for his readers at www.forum.scottmueller.com. Anybody can view the forum, but posting is available only to registered members.
If you have suggestions or comments about the book or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to info@muellertech.com.
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 ten 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, Upgrading and 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 more than two million copies, making it by far the most popular and longest-running PC hardware book on the market today. Scott has been featured 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.
Contact MTR directly if you have a unique book, article, or video project in mind or if you want Scott to conduct a custom PC troubleshooting, repair, maintenance, upgrade, or data-recovery seminar tailored for your organization:
Mueller Technical Research:
Web: www.muellertech.com
Email: info@muellertech.com
Forum: www.forum.scottmueller.com
Scott has a forum exclusively for his readers at www.forum.scottmueller.com. Anybody can view the forum, but posting is available only to registered members.
If you have suggestions or comments about the book or new book or article topics you would like to see covered, send them to info@muellertech.com.
Content
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Development of the PC 5
Computer History: Before Personal Computers 5
Timeline 5
Electronic Computers 10
Modern Computers 11
From Tubes to Transistors 11
Integrated Circuits 14
History of the PC 15
Birth of the Personal Computer 15
The IBM Personal Computer 16
The PC Industry 34 Years Later 17
Chapter 2 PC Components, Features, and System Design 21
What Is a PC? 21
Who Controls PC Software? 23
Who Controls PC Hardware? 26
White-Box Systems 28
System Types 29
System Components 30
Chapter 3 Processor Types and Specifications 33
Microprocessor History 33
The First Microprocessor 33
PC Processor Evolution 36
16-Bit to 64-Bit Architecture Evolution 39
Processor Specifications 40
Data I/O Bus 48
Address Bus 48
Internal Registers (Internal Data Bus) 49
Processor Modes 49
Processor Benchmarks 54
Comparing Processor Performance 55
Cache Memory 58
Processor Features 65
System Management Mode 65
Superscalar Execution 66
MMX Technology 67
Dynamic Execution 69
Dual Independent Bus Architecture 70
HT Technology (Hyperthreading) 70
Multicore Technology 72
Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Support 73
Processor Manufacturing 74
PGA Chip Packaging 78
Single Edge Contact and Single Edge Processor Packaging 80
Processor Socket and Slot Types 81
Socket LGA775 84
Socket LGA1156 85
Socket LGA1366 86
Socket LGA1155 87
Socket LGA2011 87
Socket LGA1150 89
Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+ 89
Socket F (1207FX) 91
Socket FM1 92
Socket FM2 92
Socket FM2+ 92
Socket AM1 (Socket FS1B) 92
CPU Operating Voltages 93
Math Coprocessors (Floating-Point Units) 94
Processor Bugs and Steppings 94
Processor Code Names 95
P1 (086) Processors 95
P2 (286) Processors 97
P3 (386) Processors 98
P4 (486) Processors 99
P5 (586) Processors 100
AMD-K5 102
Intel P6 (686) Processors 103
Pentium Pro Processors 103
Pentium II Processors 104
Pentium III 106
Celeron 107
Intel Pentium 4 and Extreme Edition Processors 108
Intel Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition 110
Intel Core Processors 112
Intel Core 2 Family 112
Intel (Nehalem) Core i Processors 116
AMD K6 Processors 121
AMD K7 Processors 122
AMD Athlon 122
AMD Duron 123
AMD Athlon XP 124
Athlon MP 124
AMD K8 Processors 124
AMD Athlon 64 and 64 FX 124
AMD Sempron 128
AMD Athlon X2, 64 X2, and 64 FX 128
AMD K10 Processors (Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon II, Athlon X2, Sempron) 130
AMD Bulldozer, Piledriver, Steamroller, and Excavator FX Processors 134
AMD Fusion/HSA APUs 137
Processor Upgrades 139
Overclocking 142
Quartz Crystals 142
Modern PC Clocks 145
Overclocking Tips 147
Unlocking Cores 148
Bus Speeds and Multipliers 149
Processor Cooling 152
Heatsinks 152
Liquid Cooling 158
Thermally Advantaged Chassis 159
Processor Troubleshooting Techniques 161
Chapter 4 Motherboards and Buses 165
Motherboard Form Factors 165
Obsolete Form Factors 166
ATX and Other Modern Form Factors 177
Processor Sockets/Slots 189
Chipsets 192
Chipset Evolution 193
Intel Chipsets 195
Intel Chipset Model Numbers 195
Intel Integrated Graphics Architecture 197
AMD Integrated Graphics Architecture 197
Traditional North/southbridge Architecture 197
Hub Architecture 199
HyperTransport and Other Processor/Chipset Interconnects 201
Intel's Early 386/486 Chipsets 201
Fifth-Generation (P5 Pentium Class) Chipsets 202
Sixth-Generation (P6 Pentium Pro/II/III Class) Chipsets 203
Seventh/Eighth-Generation (Pentium 4/D, Core2, and Core i) Chipsets 207
Intel 915 Family 215
Intel 925X Family 215
Intel 945 Express Family 216
Intel 955X and 975X Family 217
Intel 96x Series 217
Intel 3x and 4x Series Chipsets 218
Intel 5x Series Chipsets 220
Intel 6x Series Chipsets 224
Intel 7x Series Chipsets 225
Intel 8x Series Chipsets 227
Intel 9x Series Chipsets 229
Third-Party Chipsets for Intel Processors 231
SiS Chipsets 231
ULi Electronics Chipsets 231
ATI Chipsets 231
VIA Chipsets 232
NVIDIA Chipsets for Intel Processors 232
Chipsets for AMD Processors 232
AMD Athlon Chipsets 233
AMD Athlon 64 Chipsets 234
AMD 8000 (8151) Chipset 234
AMD (Formerly ATI) Chipsets for Athlon 64, Sempron, Phenom 235
Third-Party Chipsets for AMD Processors 242
VIA Chipsets 242
SiS Chipsets 242
NVIDIA Chipsets 243
Super I/O Chips 244
Motherboard Connectors 244
System Bus Types, Functions, and Features 255
The Processor Bus (FSB) 261
Types of I/O Buses 262
The ISA Bus 262
The Micro Channel Bus 262
The EISA Bus 263
Local Buses (VESA, PCI, PCI Express, AGP) 263
System Resources 270
Interrupts 271
DMA Channels 276
I/O Port Addresses 276
Motherboard Selection Criteria (Knowing What to Look For) 278
Chipset Documentation 279
Chapter 5 BIOS 281
BIOS Basics 281
Motherboard ROM BIOS 285
ROM Hardware 285
ROM Shadowing 287
ROM Chip Types 287
ROM BIOS Manufacturers 291
BIOS Hardware/Software 292
Upgrading the BIOS 292
Where to Get Your BIOS Update 293
Determining Your BIOS Version 293
Backing Up Your BIOS 293
Backing Up Your BIOS Setup (CMOS RAM) Settings 294
Upgrading a Flash BIOS 295
Motherboard CMOS RAM Addresses 303
Preboot Environment 305
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface 307
UEFI and BIOS Limitations 307
UEFI Support 309
BIOS Setup 309
Running or Accessing the BIOS Setup Program 310
BIOS Setup Menus 310
Maintenance Menu 311
Main Menu 313
Exit Menu 345
AMD-Specific BIOS Settings 346
PnP BIOS 347
PnP Device IDs 347
ACPI 347
BIOS/MBR Error Messages 348
BIOS Boot Error Messages 349
MBR Boot Error Messages 352
Chapter 6 Memory 355
Memory Basics 355
ROM 357
DRAM 357
Cache Memory: SRAM 359
Memory Standards 361
Speed and Performance 362
Fast Page Mode DRAM 365
Extended Data Out RAM 366
SDRAM 367
DDR SDRAM 368
DDR2 SDRAM 370
DDR3 SDRAM 372
DDR4 SDRAM 374
RDRAM 375
Memory Modules 375
Registered Modules 382
SDR DIMM Details 383
DDR DIMM Details 384
DDR2 DIMM Details 384
DDR3 DIMM Details 384
DDR4 DIMM Details 384
Determining a Memory Module's Size and Features 385
Memory Banks 387
Memory Module Speed 388
Parity and ECC 388
Parity Checking 390
How Parity Checking Works 391
ECC 391
RAM Upgrades 392
Upgrade Options and Strategies 393
Purchasing Memory 395
Replacing Modules with Higher-Capacity Versions 397
Installing Memory Modules 397
Troubleshooting Memory 399
Memory Defect Isolation Procedures 403
The System Logical Memory Layout 405
Chapter 7 The ATA/IDE Interface 409
An Overview of the IDE Interface 409
Precursors to IDE 409
IDE Origins 410
Origins of ATA 411
ATA Standards 412
ATA-1 (ATA Interface for Disk Drives) 414
ATA-2 (ATA Interface with Extensions-2) 415
ATA-3 (ATA Interface-3) 415
ATA/ATAPI-4 (ATA with Packet Interface Extension-4) 416
ATA/ATAPI-5 (ATA with Packet Interface-5) 417
ATA/ATAPI-6 (ATA with Packet Interface-6) 417
ATA/ATAPI-7 (ATA with Packet Interface-7) 418
ATA/ATAPI-8 419
PATA 419
PATA I/O Connector 419
PATA I/O Cable 423
Longer or Rounded Cables 425
PATA Signals 425
PATA Dual-Drive Configurations 426
PATA PIO Transfer Modes 429
PATA DMA Transfer Modes 429
SATA 431
SATA Standards and Performance 431
SATA Express 432
SATA Cables and Connectors 434
eSATA 439
SATA Configuration 443
Advanced Host Controller Interface 444
Non-Volatile Memory Express 445
SATA Transfer Modes 445
ATA Features 446
ATA Commands 446
ATA Security Mode 447
Host Protected Area 448
ATAPI 449
ATA Drive Capacity Limitations 450
Prefixes for Decimal and Binary Multiples 451
BIOS Limitations 451
CHS Versus LBA 452
CHS/LBA and LBA/CHS Conversions 453
BIOS Commands Versus ATA Commands 454
CHS Limitations (the 528MB Barrier) 455
CHS Translation (Breaking the 528MB Barrier) 457
The 2.1GB and 4.2GB Barriers 459
LBA-Assist Translation 462
The 8.4GB Barrier 465
The 137GB Barrier and Beyond 466
Operating System and Other Software Limitations 468
GPT and the 2.2TB Barrier 470
PATA/SATA RAID 471
Software RAID 474
Chapter 8 Magnetic Storage 475
Magnetic Storage 475
History of Magnetic Storage 475
How Magnetic Fields Are Used to Store Data 476
Read/Write Head Designs 479
Ferrite 480
Metal-In-Gap 480
Thin-Film 480
Magneto-Resistive Heads 481
Giant Magneto-Resistive Heads 482
Head Sliders 483
Data-Encoding Schemes 486
Frequency Modulation Encoding 487
Modified FM Encoding 487
Run Length Limited Encoding 488
Encoding Scheme Comparisons 489
Partial-Response, Maximum-Likelihood Decoders 490
Capacity Measurements 491
Areal Density 492
Perpendicular Magnetic Recording 495
Helium-Filled Drives 497
Shingled Magnetic Recording 497
Definition of a Hard Disk 498
Hard Drive Advancements 499
Form Factors 500
5 1/4-Inch Drive 502
3 1/2-Inch Drive 502
2 1/2-Inch Drive 502
1.8-Inch Drive 503
1-Inch Drives 503
HDD Operation 503
Data Recovery Options 505
The Ultimate HDD Analogy 506
Tracks and Sectors 507
ECC 510
Disk Formatting 515
Basic HDD Components 521
Hard Disk Platters (Disks) 522
Recording Media 522
Read/Write Heads 524
Head Actuator Mechanisms 526
Air Filters 532
Hard Disk Temperature Acclimation 534
Spindle Motors 534
Logic Boards 535
Cables and Connectors 536
Configuration Items 536
Hard Disk Features 536
Capacity 537
Performance 538
Reliability 543
Chapter 9 Flash and Removable Storage 547
Alternative Storage Devices 547
Flash Memory Devices 547
CompactFlash, XQD, and CFast 549
SmartMedia 551
MultiMediaCard 551
SecureDigital 552
Sony Memory Stick 552
Chapter 1 Development of the PC 5
Computer History: Before Personal Computers 5
Timeline 5
Electronic Computers 10
Modern Computers 11
From Tubes to Transistors 11
Integrated Circuits 14
History of the PC 15
Birth of the Personal Computer 15
The IBM Personal Computer 16
The PC Industry 34 Years Later 17
Chapter 2 PC Components, Features, and System Design 21
What Is a PC? 21
Who Controls PC Software? 23
Who Controls PC Hardware? 26
White-Box Systems 28
System Types 29
System Components 30
Chapter 3 Processor Types and Specifications 33
Microprocessor History 33
The First Microprocessor 33
PC Processor Evolution 36
16-Bit to 64-Bit Architecture Evolution 39
Processor Specifications 40
Data I/O Bus 48
Address Bus 48
Internal Registers (Internal Data Bus) 49
Processor Modes 49
Processor Benchmarks 54
Comparing Processor Performance 55
Cache Memory 58
Processor Features 65
System Management Mode 65
Superscalar Execution 66
MMX Technology 67
Dynamic Execution 69
Dual Independent Bus Architecture 70
HT Technology (Hyperthreading) 70
Multicore Technology 72
Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Support 73
Processor Manufacturing 74
PGA Chip Packaging 78
Single Edge Contact and Single Edge Processor Packaging 80
Processor Socket and Slot Types 81
Socket LGA775 84
Socket LGA1156 85
Socket LGA1366 86
Socket LGA1155 87
Socket LGA2011 87
Socket LGA1150 89
Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+ 89
Socket F (1207FX) 91
Socket FM1 92
Socket FM2 92
Socket FM2+ 92
Socket AM1 (Socket FS1B) 92
CPU Operating Voltages 93
Math Coprocessors (Floating-Point Units) 94
Processor Bugs and Steppings 94
Processor Code Names 95
P1 (086) Processors 95
P2 (286) Processors 97
P3 (386) Processors 98
P4 (486) Processors 99
P5 (586) Processors 100
AMD-K5 102
Intel P6 (686) Processors 103
Pentium Pro Processors 103
Pentium II Processors 104
Pentium III 106
Celeron 107
Intel Pentium 4 and Extreme Edition Processors 108
Intel Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition 110
Intel Core Processors 112
Intel Core 2 Family 112
Intel (Nehalem) Core i Processors 116
AMD K6 Processors 121
AMD K7 Processors 122
AMD Athlon 122
AMD Duron 123
AMD Athlon XP 124
Athlon MP 124
AMD K8 Processors 124
AMD Athlon 64 and 64 FX 124
AMD Sempron 128
AMD Athlon X2, 64 X2, and 64 FX 128
AMD K10 Processors (Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon II, Athlon X2, Sempron) 130
AMD Bulldozer, Piledriver, Steamroller, and Excavator FX Processors 134
AMD Fusion/HSA APUs 137
Processor Upgrades 139
Overclocking 142
Quartz Crystals 142
Modern PC Clocks 145
Overclocking Tips 147
Unlocking Cores 148
Bus Speeds and Multipliers 149
Processor Cooling 152
Heatsinks 152
Liquid Cooling 158
Thermally Advantaged Chassis 159
Processor Troubleshooting Techniques 161
Chapter 4 Motherboards and Buses 165
Motherboard Form Factors 165
Obsolete Form Factors 166
ATX and Other Modern Form Factors 177
Processor Sockets/Slots 189
Chipsets 192
Chipset Evolution 193
Intel Chipsets 195
Intel Chipset Model Numbers 195
Intel Integrated Graphics Architecture 197
AMD Integrated Graphics Architecture 197
Traditional North/southbridge Architecture 197
Hub Architecture 199
HyperTransport and Other Processor/Chipset Interconnects 201
Intel's Early 386/486 Chipsets 201
Fifth-Generation (P5 Pentium Class) Chipsets 202
Sixth-Generation (P6 Pentium Pro/II/III Class) Chipsets 203
Seventh/Eighth-Generation (Pentium 4/D, Core2, and Core i) Chipsets 207
Intel 915 Family 215
Intel 925X Family 215
Intel 945 Express Family 216
Intel 955X and 975X Family 217
Intel 96x Series 217
Intel 3x and 4x Series Chipsets 218
Intel 5x Series Chipsets 220
Intel 6x Series Chipsets 224
Intel 7x Series Chipsets 225
Intel 8x Series Chipsets 227
Intel 9x Series Chipsets 229
Third-Party Chipsets for Intel Processors 231
SiS Chipsets 231
ULi Electronics Chipsets 231
ATI Chipsets 231
VIA Chipsets 232
NVIDIA Chipsets for Intel Processors 232
Chipsets for AMD Processors 232
AMD Athlon Chipsets 233
AMD Athlon 64 Chipsets 234
AMD 8000 (8151) Chipset 234
AMD (Formerly ATI) Chipsets for Athlon 64, Sempron, Phenom 235
Third-Party Chipsets for AMD Processors 242
VIA Chipsets 242
SiS Chipsets 242
NVIDIA Chipsets 243
Super I/O Chips 244
Motherboard Connectors 244
System Bus Types, Functions, and Features 255
The Processor Bus (FSB) 261
Types of I/O Buses 262
The ISA Bus 262
The Micro Channel Bus 262
The EISA Bus 263
Local Buses (VESA, PCI, PCI Express, AGP) 263
System Resources 270
Interrupts 271
DMA Channels 276
I/O Port Addresses 276
Motherboard Selection Criteria (Knowing What to Look For) 278
Chipset Documentation 279
Chapter 5 BIOS 281
BIOS Basics 281
Motherboard ROM BIOS 285
ROM Hardware 285
ROM Shadowing 287
ROM Chip Types 287
ROM BIOS Manufacturers 291
BIOS Hardware/Software 292
Upgrading the BIOS 292
Where to Get Your BIOS Update 293
Determining Your BIOS Version 293
Backing Up Your BIOS 293
Backing Up Your BIOS Setup (CMOS RAM) Settings 294
Upgrading a Flash BIOS 295
Motherboard CMOS RAM Addresses 303
Preboot Environment 305
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface 307
UEFI and BIOS Limitations 307
UEFI Support 309
BIOS Setup 309
Running or Accessing the BIOS Setup Program 310
BIOS Setup Menus 310
Maintenance Menu 311
Main Menu 313
Exit Menu 345
AMD-Specific BIOS Settings 346
PnP BIOS 347
PnP Device IDs 347
ACPI 347
BIOS/MBR Error Messages 348
BIOS Boot Error Messages 349
MBR Boot Error Messages 352
Chapter 6 Memory 355
Memory Basics 355
ROM 357
DRAM 357
Cache Memory: SRAM 359
Memory Standards 361
Speed and Performance 362
Fast Page Mode DRAM 365
Extended Data Out RAM 366
SDRAM 367
DDR SDRAM 368
DDR2 SDRAM 370
DDR3 SDRAM 372
DDR4 SDRAM 374
RDRAM 375
Memory Modules 375
Registered Modules 382
SDR DIMM Details 383
DDR DIMM Details 384
DDR2 DIMM Details 384
DDR3 DIMM Details 384
DDR4 DIMM Details 384
Determining a Memory Module's Size and Features 385
Memory Banks 387
Memory Module Speed 388
Parity and ECC 388
Parity Checking 390
How Parity Checking Works 391
ECC 391
RAM Upgrades 392
Upgrade Options and Strategies 393
Purchasing Memory 395
Replacing Modules with Higher-Capacity Versions 397
Installing Memory Modules 397
Troubleshooting Memory 399
Memory Defect Isolation Procedures 403
The System Logical Memory Layout 405
Chapter 7 The ATA/IDE Interface 409
An Overview of the IDE Interface 409
Precursors to IDE 409
IDE Origins 410
Origins of ATA 411
ATA Standards 412
ATA-1 (ATA Interface for Disk Drives) 414
ATA-2 (ATA Interface with Extensions-2) 415
ATA-3 (ATA Interface-3) 415
ATA/ATAPI-4 (ATA with Packet Interface Extension-4) 416
ATA/ATAPI-5 (ATA with Packet Interface-5) 417
ATA/ATAPI-6 (ATA with Packet Interface-6) 417
ATA/ATAPI-7 (ATA with Packet Interface-7) 418
ATA/ATAPI-8 419
PATA 419
PATA I/O Connector 419
PATA I/O Cable 423
Longer or Rounded Cables 425
PATA Signals 425
PATA Dual-Drive Configurations 426
PATA PIO Transfer Modes 429
PATA DMA Transfer Modes 429
SATA 431
SATA Standards and Performance 431
SATA Express 432
SATA Cables and Connectors 434
eSATA 439
SATA Configuration 443
Advanced Host Controller Interface 444
Non-Volatile Memory Express 445
SATA Transfer Modes 445
ATA Features 446
ATA Commands 446
ATA Security Mode 447
Host Protected Area 448
ATAPI 449
ATA Drive Capacity Limitations 450
Prefixes for Decimal and Binary Multiples 451
BIOS Limitations 451
CHS Versus LBA 452
CHS/LBA and LBA/CHS Conversions 453
BIOS Commands Versus ATA Commands 454
CHS Limitations (the 528MB Barrier) 455
CHS Translation (Breaking the 528MB Barrier) 457
The 2.1GB and 4.2GB Barriers 459
LBA-Assist Translation 462
The 8.4GB Barrier 465
The 137GB Barrier and Beyond 466
Operating System and Other Software Limitations 468
GPT and the 2.2TB Barrier 470
PATA/SATA RAID 471
Software RAID 474
Chapter 8 Magnetic Storage 475
Magnetic Storage 475
History of Magnetic Storage 475
How Magnetic Fields Are Used to Store Data 476
Read/Write Head Designs 479
Ferrite 480
Metal-In-Gap 480
Thin-Film 480
Magneto-Resistive Heads 481
Giant Magneto-Resistive Heads 482
Head Sliders 483
Data-Encoding Schemes 486
Frequency Modulation Encoding 487
Modified FM Encoding 487
Run Length Limited Encoding 488
Encoding Scheme Comparisons 489
Partial-Response, Maximum-Likelihood Decoders 490
Capacity Measurements 491
Areal Density 492
Perpendicular Magnetic Recording 495
Helium-Filled Drives 497
Shingled Magnetic Recording 497
Definition of a Hard Disk 498
Hard Drive Advancements 499
Form Factors 500
5 1/4-Inch Drive 502
3 1/2-Inch Drive 502
2 1/2-Inch Drive 502
1.8-Inch Drive 503
1-Inch Drives 503
HDD Operation 503
Data Recovery Options 505
The Ultimate HDD Analogy 506
Tracks and Sectors 507
ECC 510
Disk Formatting 515
Basic HDD Components 521
Hard Disk Platters (Disks) 522
Recording Media 522
Read/Write Heads 524
Head Actuator Mechanisms 526
Air Filters 532
Hard Disk Temperature Acclimation 534
Spindle Motors 534
Logic Boards 535
Cables and Connectors 536
Configuration Items 536
Hard Disk Features 536
Capacity 537
Performance 538
Reliability 543
Chapter 9 Flash and Removable Storage 547
Alternative Storage Devices 547
Flash Memory Devices 547
CompactFlash, XQD, and CFast 549
SmartMedia 551
MultiMediaCard 551
SecureDigital 552
Sony Memory Stick 552