We have already used the analogy that a CPU is the “brain” of your computer, so in comparison, a Computer Motherboard would be like the “central nervous system”. A Motherboard can also be called a Computer Mainboard. It is the most important circuit board in the computer system. The computer motherboard contains the bus (communication circuit for the computer components), the CPU, all memory sockets, expansion slots, etc.The bus speed is a key factor in determining the overall speed of a computer’s motherboard. Keeping all of this in mind, having a high-quality PC Motherboard is essential to having a high-quality computer.
Computer motherboards come in different configurations to fit different needs. A basic motherboard comes with several interfaces for all necessary components, and a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) chip set to control the setup of the motherboard. Depending on what the computer is mainly going to be used for, it is important to keep BIOS manufacturers in mind when choosing a computer motherboard. Some manufacturers allow you to adjust the BIOS, while others do not. This option can allow you to overclock the system CPU.
When choosing a motherboard, there are a couple of other key factors to remember. Check the power supply to make sure it has the correct connectors for the motherboard you choose. Also make sure the CPU socket on the motherboard is compatible with the CPU you intend to install. Depending on the computer components you intend to run, make sure you have the correct video card slot(s), memory slots and other expansion slots. You also have to make sure the motherboard is capable of running the type and amount of hard drives you choose to run. You want a computer motherboard that supports more RAM than is currently needed to be prepared for new technological advancements.A good computer motherboard should be easy for you to set up (most motherboards today have color coded connectors and slots), support all of the components that you are running, and able to serve your future needs.
Computer RAM is the best known form of memory your computer uses to temporarily store and access data. From the time you turn on your computer, your CPU is constantly using memory (RAM). Every time something is opened or loaded, it gets placed into RAM. This means it is put into a temporary storage area so the CPU can more easily access the information. From there it becomes a continuous cycle where the CPU requests data from RAM, processes it and then writes new data back to RAM. In most computers, this transfer of data between CPU and RAM happens millions of times every second. When an application is closed, the application itself, along with all its accompanying files is deleted from RAM. This is to make sure there is room for new data, so unless the changed files are saved to a permanent storage device, they will be lost.
Types of Computer RAM
RAM Type:
Pins:
Usage:
SDRAM
168
Typically only used in older and slower computers.
RDRAM
184
Only used in certain Pentium 4’s with certain Intel chipsets.
DDR
184
Faster version of SD RAM used in Pentium 4’s and Athlon
DDR2
240
Newer version of DDR RAM with higher clock frequencies
DDR3
240
Newer version of DDR2 with higher clock frequencies
Upgrading Computer RAM
When looking to upgrade your computer’s RAM, you will find RAM information typically displayed like this:
1GB, 240-pin DIMM, DDR2 PC2-5300,
1GB refers to the size of the memory
240-pin refers to the number of pins used to connect to the motherboard
DIMM- Dual In-line Memory Module
SIMM- Single In-line Memory Module
DDR2 refers to the type of memory
PC2-5300 refers to the module type
Some other pieces of information you might find in a RAM description are:
Clock frequency-refers to speed of the RAM in MHz (800MHz)
CAS (Column Address Strobe) Latency-refers to the number of clock cycles that elapse from the time the request for data is sent to the actual memory location until the data is transmitted from the module. This is represented by a set of 4 numbers also known as RAM timing (4-4-4-12). These numbers stand for:
TCL - CAS Latency Time
Trcd - DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay
Trp - DRAM RAS# Precharge
Tras - Precharge delay
Normally the BIOS will allow a user to adjust RAM timing to increase performance and stability.
Computer RAM
RAM is considered the most critical component in a computer system. Every bit of data must pass through RAM to get to the processor. Generic, low-cost RAM is most often the cause of data corruption and program crashes, so never skimp on the quality of RAM when upgrading. Make sure the RAM you choose is considered Grade A. Grade A RAM can only be found through major manufacturers, such as: Crucial.com.
A Computer Power Supply (PSU) is vital to the operation of a computer. The Power Supply converts AC current to DC current and then sends power to all of the internal components in the computer system so they can function.A Computer Power Supply is a metal box usually located inside the top backside of the computer case. The power supply is visible from the back of the computer.It is easily identified by the presence of a port for the power cable. There are three typical voltages used in a power supply: 3.3 volts, 5 volts, and 12 volts. The 3.3 and 5 volt supplies are usually used by digital circuits, while the 12 volt supplies are more typically used to supply power to fans, motors, and disk drives.The main specification of a power supply is in watts. Most PC’s today use a push button switch on the front of the computer case to power up the computer. This push button sends a 5 volt signal to the power supply letting it know it is time to send power to all of the internal computer components. To shut the computer down most computers have a “shut down” option located in a menu bar. When this is used the operating system sends a signal to shut the computer down. The Power supply also has a 5 volt circuit of “standby voltage”, known as VSB. This circuit is used so even when the computer is turned off, the push button to start up the computer will still work (enabling the computer to turn on). There are different types and styles of power supplies on the market today. Three of the basic types of desktop PC power supplies are AT, ATX and ATX-2.
AT Power Supply - Typically used in older PC’s
ATX Power Supply - Commonly used in PC’s today
ATX-2 Power Supply - New standard for power supplies today
Power supplies are easily changed and are generally cost effective. If you are going to change a power supply make sure you get one with room for expansion so you are prepared for the future.
Computer BIOS is software that is usually stored on a flash memory chip and is located on the motherboard. What BIOS does is make sure that the CPU, hard drive(s), ports, and other chips in the computer work together. Computer BIOS plays a huge part in starting up a computer. The BIOS provides the CPU with the instructions to start the operating system. A computer might have more than one bios chip.For example: A video card might have its own bios chip installed. The BIOS settings are in charge of things like the monitor, keyboard, and other ports on the computer especially when the computer system is starting up. Upon starting a computer system, the bios runs a POST to check all of the hardwarecomponents to make sure they are functioning properly.
At times a Computers BIOS and its Drivers will need to be updated. This is usually true with older computers because with the arrival of new technology, new standards will arise, and the BIOS and Drivers will need to change in order to understand the new hardware. A driver is a software program that controls a device. Every device like a printer, disk drive or keyboard has a driver.
Whenever you startup a computer, the first thing you see is the BIOS software running. To enter the BIOS setup you will have to press a certain key or combination of keys in the initial startup screen (Esc, Del, Ctrl-Esc, F2, F1, Ctrl-Alt-Esc, ect…). There is usually a command line that shows up. When it does, press the specified key or keys to enter setup. Depending on the BIOS manufacturer you will see a number of options. (Examples: time/date, memory, plug and play, security, power management, boot sequence, drive configuration, exit, ect…) Be cautious when making changes to the setup. Some changes can cause the computer to not boot properly. When you finish you should save your settings and exit. The BIOS should restart your computer and the new settings should take effect.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a standard Internet protocol, is the simplest way to exchange files between computers on the Internet. Like the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which transfers displayable Web pages and related files, and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), which transfers e-mail, FTP is an application protocol that uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols. FTP is commonly used to transfer Web page files from their creator to the computer that acts as their server for everyone on the Internet. It's also commonly used to download programs and other files to your computer from other servers.
As a user, you can use FTP with a simple command line interface (for example, from the Windows MS-DOS Prompt window) or with a commercial program that offers a graphical user interface. Your Web browser can also make FTP requests to download programs you select from a Web page. Using FTP, you can also update (delete, rename, move, and copy) files at a server. You need to logon to an FTP server. However, publicly available files are easily accessed using anonymous FTP.
HTTP Short for HyperText Transfer Protocol, the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers should take in response to various commands. For example, when you enter a URL in your browser, this actually sends an HTTP command to the Web server directing it to fetch and transmit the requested Web page.
The other main standard that controls how the World Wide Web works is HTML, which covers how Web pages are formatted and displayed.
HTTP is called a stateless protocol because each command is executed independently, without any knowledge of the commands that came before it. This is the main reason that it is difficult to implement Web sites that react intelligently to user input. This shortcoming of HTTP is being addressed in a number of new technologies, including ActiveX, Java, JavaScript and cookies.
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing high- bandwidth information to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines. xDSL refers to different variations of DSL, such as ADSL, HDSL, and RADSL. Assuming your home or small business is close enough to a telephone company central office that offers DSL service, you may be able to receive data at rates up to 6.1 megabits (millions of bits) per second (of a theoretical 8.448 megabits per second), enabling continuous transmission of motion video, audio, and even 3-D effects. More typically, individual connections will provide from 1.544 Mbps to 512 Kbps downstream and about 128 Kbps upstream. A DSL line can carry both data and voice signals and the data part of the line is continuously connected. DSL installations began in 1998 and will continue at a greatly increased pace through the next decade in a number of communities in the U.S. and elsewhere. Compaq, Intel, and Microsoft working with telephone companies have developed a standard and easier-to-install form of ADSL called G.Lite that is accelerating deployment. DSL is expected to replace ISDN in many areas and to compete with the cable modem in bringing multimedia and 3-D to homes and small businesses.
How It Works
Traditional phone service (sometimes called POTS for "plain old telephone service") connects your home or small business to a telephone company office over copper wires that are wound around each other and called twisted pair . Traditional phone service was created to let you exchange voice information with other phone users and the type of signal used for this kind of transmission is called an analog signal. An input device such as a phone set takes an acoustic signal (which is a natural analog signal) and converts it into an electrical equivalent in terms of volume (signal amplitude) and pitch (frequency of wave change). Since the telephone company's signalling is already set up for this analog wave transmission, it's easier for it to use that as the way to get information back and forth between your telephone and the telephone company. That's why your computer has to have a modem - so that it can demodulate the analog signal and turn its values into the string of 0 and 1 values that is called digital information.
Because analog transmission only uses a small portion of the available amount of information that could be transmitted over copper wires, the maximum amount of data that you can receive using ordinary modems is about 56 Kbps (thousands of bits per second). (With ISDN , which one might think of as a limited precursor to DSL, you can receive up to 128 Kbps.) The ability of your computer to receive information is constrained by the fact that the telephone company filters information that arrives as digital data, puts it into analog form for your telephone line, and requires your modem to change it back into digital. In other words, the analog transmission between your home or business and the phone company is a bandwidth bottleneck.
Digital Subscriber Line is a technology that assumes digital data does not require change into analog form and back. Digital data is transmitted to your computer directly as digital data and this allows the phone company to use a much wider bandwidth for transmitting it to you. Meanwhile, if you choose, the signal can be separated so that some of the bandwidth is used to transmit an analog signal so that you can use your telephone and computer on the same line and at the same time.
Splitter-based vs. Splitterless DSL
Most DSL technologies require that a signal splitter be installed at a home or business, requiring the expense of a phone company visit and installation. However, it is possible to manage the splitting remotely from the central office. This is known as splitterless DSL, "DSL Lite," G.Lite, or Universal ADSL and has recently been made a standard.
Modulation Technologies
Several modulation technologies are used by various kinds of DSL, although these are being standardized by the International Telecommunication Union ( ITU ). Different DSL modem makers are using either Discrete Multitone Technology ( DMT ) or Carrierless Amplitude Modulation ( CAP ). A third technology, known as Multiple Virtual Line ( MVL nother possibility.
Factors Affecting the Experienced Data Rate
DSL modems follow the data rate multiples established by North American and European standards. In general, the maximum range for DSL without a repeater is 5.5 km (18,000 feet). As distance decreases toward the telephone company office, the data rate increases. Another factor is the gauge of the copper wire. The heavier 24 gauge wire carries the same data rate farther than 26 gauge wire. If you live beyond the 5.5 kilometer range, you may still be able to have DSL if your phone company has extended the local loop with optical fiber cable.
To interconnect multiple DSL users to a high-speed backbone network, the telephone company uses a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer ( DSLAM ). Typically, the DSLAM connects to an asynchronous transfer mode ( ATM ) network that can aggregate data transmission at gigabit data rates. At the other end of each transmission, a DSLAM demultiplexes the signals and forwards them to appropriate individual DSL connections.
Who's Offering It When
DSL is now offered in most parts of the United States, in the UK, and elsewhere. The availability of DSL service depends on whether a local company has made the necessary investment in equipment and line reconditioning and on your own proximity to the telephone company.
Companies offering DSL service in various parts of the United States include BellSouth, Covad, Primary Network, Qwest, SBC Communications, and Verizon. In general, a faster and more expensive is offered for business users.
Types of DSL
ADSL
The variation called ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) is the form of DSL that will become most familiar to home and small business users. ADSL is called "asymmetric" because most of its two-way or duplex bandwidth is devoted to the downstream direction, sending data to the user. Only a small portion of bandwidth is available for upstream or user-interaction messages. However, most Internet and especially graphics- or multi-media intensive Web data need lots of downstream bandwidth, but user requests and responses are small and require little upstream bandwidth. Using ADSL, up to 6.1 megabits per second of data can be sent downstream and up to 640 Kbps upstream. The high downstream bandwidth means that your telephone line will be able to bring motion video, audio, and 3-D images to your computer or hooked-in TV set. In addition, a small portion of the downstream bandwidth can be devoted to voice rather data, and you can hold phone conversations without requiring a separate line.
Unlike a similar service over your cable TV line, using ADSL, you won't be competing for bandwidth with neighbors in your area. In many cases, your existing telephone lines will work with ADSL. In some areas, they may need upgrading.
CDSL (Consumer DSL) is a version of DSL, trademarked by Rockwell Corp., that is somewhat slower than ADSL (1 Mbps downstream, probably less upstream) and has the advantage that a "splitter" does not need to be installed at the user's end. Rockwell no longer provides information about CSDL at its Web site and does not appear to be marketing it.
G.Lite (also known as DSL Lite, splitterless ADSL, and Universal ADSL) is essentially a slower ADSL that doesn't require splitting of the line at the user end but manages to split it for the user remotely at the telephone company. This saves the cost of what the phone companies call "the truck roll." G.Lite, officially ITU-T standard G-992.2, provides a data rate from 1.544 Mbps to 6 Mpbs downstream and from 128 Kbps to 384 Kbps upstream. G.Lite is expected to become the most widely installed form of DSL.
HDSL (High bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line), one of the earliest forms of DSL, is used for wideband digital transmission within a corporate site and between the telephone company and a customer. The main characteristic of HDSL is that it is symmetrical: an equal amount of bandwidth is available in both directions. HDSL can carry as much on a single wire of twisted-pair cable as can be carried on a T1 line (up to 1.544 Mbps) in North America or an E1 line (up to 2.048 Mbps) in Europe over a somewhat longer range and is considered an alternative to a T1 or E1 connection.
RADSL (Rate-Adaptive DSL) is an ADSL technology from Westell in which software is able to determine the rate at which signals can be transmitted on a given customer phone line and adjust the delivery rate accordingly. Westell's FlexCap2 system uses RADSL to deliver from 640 Kbps to 2.2 Mbps downstream and from 272 Kbps to 1.088 Mbps upstream over an existing line.
SDSL (Symmetric DSL) is similar to HDSL with a single twisted-pair line, carrying 1.544 Mbps (U.S. and Canada) or 2.048 Mbps (Europe) each direction on a duplex line. It's symmetric because the data rate is the same in both directions.
VDSL (Very high data rate DSL) is a developing technology that promises much higher data rates over relatively short distances (between 51 and 55 Mbps over lines up to 1,000 feet or 300 meters in length). It's envisioned that VDSL may emerge somewhat after ADSL is widely deployed and co-exist with it. The transmission technology (CAP, DMT, or other) and its effectiveness in some environments is not yet determined. A number of standards organizations are working on it.
x2/DSL is a modem from 3Com that supports 56 Kbps modem communication but is upgradeable through new software installation to ADSL when it becomes available in the user's area. 3Com calls it "the last modem you will ever need."
While an Intel rock star isn’t like other rock stars, the face mapping technology on this site isn’t quite like that found on other web sites. Either upload your photo or take one with your webcam, and see your face on the Intel rock star in the Intel Sponsors of Tomorrow commercial. Now, you can star in your own commercial!
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The Seven Remix XP application was designed to improve the Graphical interface of your Windows XP. A great part of the resources of your system files are replaced with files that contain icons, images, animations that are extracts of Windows 7.
Convert XP into Windows Seven Graphically
The installer automates the process of substitution of system files. It applies adjustments in the registry, it installs programs of third, skins and visual extras like sounds, styles, etc. In addition, it makes a backup of its archives in case that it needs to recover them.
In case of your are not happy with the results of Seven Remix XP, it is completely removable.
