A Basic Guide to How A Computer Works by Driz Memok
Over the last 20 years or so, computers have become a pillar of our society. Like other such pillars, most people don’t know how they work despite the fact they are critical to our lives! Computer is one of those grab all terms that covers a lot of devices. ... Memory is perhaps the easiest subject for most people to grasp. ... After all, even novice users know about memory since it is usually included in the marketing material for computers. ... But what is memory? ... For your average computer, there are four parts – memory, a control unit, input/output devices and an ALU.

System Buses Explained by Alan Ogden
System Buses Explained I don't know about you, but I for one, despite thinking to myself that I had it all under my grasp always get confused when thinking about the array of buses in a modern computer. Bandwidth of the CPU, memory, AGP plus new technologies such as Hypertransport always leave... # The CPU sends a request to the system memory for information # The CPU then waits one cycle (commonly known as the command rate (1T) # The memory undergoes what is known as a RAS/CAS latency # The memory has a delay in finding the data known as a CAS latency Thus whilst the CPU has waited 1...

Expansion Cards Part 1: (of a 3 part series) by Jason Kohrs
PCI The expansion slots available on motherboards allow for a variety of upgrades in a computer system, but matching the appropriate card to an available slot needs to be addressed before making any purchasing decisions. The most common types of expansion cards for modern computer systems can... The letters “PCI” stand for Peripheral Component Interconnect, and is the term used to describe a bus that connects components directly to the system’s memory and to the system’s processor through the “frontside bus.” When discussing communications on a motherboard, the term “bus” has nothing to...

Cache In Your Chips And Get A Bus! by Seamus Dolly
Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These are relatively new words or hybrids of words, already in existence. Someone with a degree in English, for example, could not necessarily guess, the function of a particular devise, by its name. ... A “BUS”, though, could be guessed by some, as it carries something, not unlike a conventional bus. ... A bus conductor, if you like. ... CACHE is not legal tender in most countries, but a type of memory that your CPU (central processing unit ) first looks for.

Why the Hype Over the Ipod? by Mia LeCron
Some of you reading this may remember something called the Sony Walkman. Or, if you aren’t old enough to recall what those are, just ask your parents or an older brother or sister; and you’ll see this kind of pleasant, reflective smile cross their face. ... So why trip down memory lane to talk about the Walkman? ... The iPod, like all truly amazing inventions, has crossed demographic consumer lines. ... People of all ages are sporting these things; from teachers to senior citizens; from athletes to Generation Y skater types who somehow manage to keep those earplugs in place despite flying...

New Laptop Technology You Need To Know (Before Buying Your Next Laptop) by Titus Hoskins
Laptop or notebook computer technology is advancing at a blistering speed. Ferrari fast. So fast that by the time you purchase your new laptop, it's probably already obsolete or out of date. A sobering thought considering the hefty prices you have to pay for a high-end laptop. ... Keep in mind, the major difference between a 32-bit and a 64-bit system is the amount of memory that they support. ... Do you need all this memory? ... Improved performance will be experienced because the new Pentium M's have a 533MHz frontside bus, supported with up to 2GB of DDR2 DRAM, Serial ATA Hard...

Alienware vs Rockdirect vs Dell : Finding the Best Gaming Laptop by Titus Hoskins
So you want to buy a gaming laptop. But not just any old gaming laptop, you want to buy the best gaming machine on the planet, the best gaming machine money can buy -- the fastest, the most powerful, the ultimate kick-ass, take no prisoners, meanest motherboard of all gaming laptops. ... Better RAM: DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate Three Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) this new DDR memory standard will use 40% less power and run at speeds up to 800 MHz. ... It has a 17 inch WideUXGA 1920x1200 LCD Display and 4 dedicated SO-DIMM slots for Dual-Channel DDR2 Memory.