Introduction1 1 Development of the PC5 Computer History: Before Personal Computers5 Timeline5 Electronic Computers10 Modern Computers10 From Tubes to Transistors11 Integrated Circuits13 History of the PC14 Birth of the Personal Computer14 The IBM Personal Computer15 The PC Industry 30 Years Later16 2 PC Components, Features, and System Design19 What Is a PC?19 Who Controls PC Software?20 Who Controls PC Hardware?23 White-Box Systems26 System Types26 System Components28 3 Processor Types and Specifications29 Microprocessor History29 The First Microprocessor29 PC Processor Evolution32 16-Bit to 64-Bit Architecture Evolution34 Processor Specifications35 Data I/O Bus42 Address Bus42 Internal Registers (Internal Data Bus)44 Processor Modes44 Processor Benchmarks49 Comparing Processor Performance49 Cache Memory53 Processor Features60 System Management Mode (SMM)60 Superscalar Execution61 MMX Technology62 Dynamic Execution64 Dual Independent Bus Architecture65 HT Technology65 Multicore Technology66 Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Support68 Processor Manufacturing69 Processor Re-Marking74 PGA Chip Packaging74 Single Edge Contact and Single Edge Processor Packaging75 Processor Socket and Slot Types75 Socket 47878 Socket LGA77579 Socket LGA115680 Socket LGA136681 Socket LGA115582 Socket LGA201183 Socket 939 and 94083 Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+84 Socket F (1207FX)86 Socket FM186 Socket FM286 CPU Operating Voltages87 Math Coprocessors (Floating-Point Units)87 Processor Bugs and Steppings88 Processor Code Names88 P1 (086) Processors89 P2 (286) Processors90 P3 (386) Processors91 P4 (486) Processors92 P5 (586) Processors93 AMD-K596 Intel P6 (686) Processors96 Pentium Pro Processors97 Pentium II Processors97 Pentium III99 Celeron100 Intel Pentium 4 Processors101 Pentium 4 Extreme Edition104 Intel Pentium D and Pentium Extreme Edition106 Intel Core Processors108 Intel Core 2 Family108 Intel (Nehalem) Core i Processors110 AMD K6 Processors114 NexGen Nx586114 AMD-K6 Series116 AMD K7 Processors117 AMD Athlon117 AMD Duron118 AMD Athlon XP118 Athlon MP120 AMD K8 Processors120 AMD Athlon 64 and 64 FX120 AMD Sempron124 AMD Athlon X2, 64 X2, and 64 FX125 AMD K10 Processors (Phenom, Phenom II, Athlon II, Athlon X2, Sempron)126 AMD "Bulldozer" and "Piledriver" FX Processors128 AMD Fusion/HSA (Heterogeneous Systems Architecture) APUs131 Processor Upgrades132 Overclocking133 Quartz Crystals134 Modern PC Clocks136 Overclocking Tips138 Unlocking Cores139 Bus Speeds and Multipliers140 Processor Cooling142 Heatsinks143 Liquid Cooling148 Thermally Advantaged Chassis149 Processor Troubleshooting Techniques151 4 Motherboards and Buses155 Motherboard Form Factors155 Obsolete Form Factors156 ATX and Other Modern Form Factors167 Processor Sockets/Slots178 Chipsets181 Chipset Evolution181 Intel Chipsets183 Intel Chipset Model Numbers184 Intel Integrated Graphics Architecture185 AMD Integrated Graphics Architecture185 Traditional North/South Bridge Architecture185 Hub Architecture187 HyperTransport and Other Processor/Chipset Interconnects188 Intel''s Early 386/486 Chipsets190 Fifth-Generation (P5 Pentium Class) Chipsets190 Sixth-Generation (P6 Pentium Pro/II/III Class) Chipsets192 Seventh/Eighth-Generation (Pentium 4/D, Core2, and Core i) Chipsets195 Intel 915 Family202 Intel 925X Family203 Intel 945 Express Family203 Intel 955X and 975X Family204 Intel 96x Series204 Intel 3x and 4x Series Chipsets205 Intel 5x Series Chipsets208 Intel 6x Series Chipsets211 Intel 7x Series Chipsets213 Third-Party Chipsets for Intel Processors215 SiS Chipsets215 ULi Electronics Chipsets215 ATI Chipsets216 VIA Chipsets216 NVIDIA Chipsets for Intel Processors216 Chipsets for AMD Processors217 AMD Athlon Chipsets217 AMD Athlon 64 Chipsets218 AMD 8000 (8151) Chipset219 AMD (Formerly ATI) Chipsets for Athlon 64, Sempron, Phenom220 Third-Party Chipsets for AMD Processors226 VIA Chipsets226 SiS Chipsets227 NVIDIA Chipsets227 Super I/O Chips228 Motherboard Connectors228 System Bus Types, Functions, and Features239 The Processor Bus (FSB)245 Types of I/O Buses245 The ISA Bus245 The Micro Channel Bus246 The EISA Bus246 Local Buses (VESA, PCI, PCI Express, AGP)246 System Resources254 Interrupts254 DMA Channels259 I/O Port Addresses259 Motherboard Selection Criteria (Knowing What to Look For)260 Chipset Documentation262 5 BIOS263 BIOS Basics263 Motherboard ROM BIOS267 ROM Hardware267 ROM Shadowing269 ROM Chip Types269 ROM BIOS Manufacturers273 BIOS Hardware/Software274 Upgrading the BIOS274 Where to Get Your BIOS Update275 Determining Your BIOS Version275 Checking the BIOS Date275 Backing Up Your BIOS276 Backing Up Your BIOS Setup (CMOS RAM) Settings276 Upgrading a Flash BIOS277 Motherboard CMOS RAM Addresses285 Preboot Environment287 Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)289 UEFI and BIOS Limitations290 UEFI Support291 BIOS Setup292 Running or Accessing the BIOS Setup Program292 BIOS Setup Menus292 Maintenance Menu293 Main Menu294 Advanced Menus295 Security Menu311 Power Menu312 Boot Menu (Boot Sequence, Order)314 Exit Menu315 Additional BIOS Setup Features316 PnP BIOS317 PnP Device IDs318 ACPI318 BIOS/MBR Error Messages319 BIOS Boot Error Messages320 MBR Boot Error Messages322 6 Memory325 Memory Basics325 ROM327 DRAM327 Cache Memory: SRAM329 Memory Standards331 Speed and Performance332 Fast Page Mode DRAM335 Extended Data Out RAM336 SDRAM337 DDR SDRAM338 DDR2 SDRAM340 DDR3 SDRAM342 DDR4 SDRAM344 RDRAM345 Memory Modules346 Registered Modules351 SDR DIMM Details352 DDR DIMM Details353 DDR2 DIMM Details353 DDR3 DIMM Details353 Determining a Memory Module''s Size and Features354 Memory Banks356 Memory Module Speed357 Parity and ECC357 Parity Checking359 How Parity Checking Works359 ECC360 RAM Upgrades361 Upgrade Options and Strategies362 Purchasing Memory364 Replacing Modules with Higher-Capacity Versions366 Installing Memory Modules366 Troubleshooting Memory368 Memory Defect Isolation Procedures372 The System Logical Memory Layout374 7 The ATA/IDE Interface377 An Overview of the IDE Interface377 Precursors to IDE377 IDE Origins378 Origins of ATA379 ATA Standards380 ATA-1 (ATA Interface for Disk Drives)382 ATA-2 (ATA Interface with Extensions-2)382 ATA-3 (ATA Interface-3)383 ATA/ATAPI-4 (ATA with Packet Interface Extension-4)383 ATA/ATAPI-5 (ATA with Packet Interface-5)384 ATA/ATAPI-6 (ATA with Packet Interface-6)385 ATA/ATAPI-7 (ATA with Packet Interface-7)386 ATA/ATAPI-8386 PATA387 P.