Selecting an external hard drive should be a painless, straightforward process. The hard drives used externally are typically the same units that are used inside of your desktop or laptop computer, so the factors to consider are similar to those you would consider with a regular internal drive. And of course, there are a couple of extra issues to consider because of the external nature of the device.
Size
We all know size matters, of course, but because large drives are very affordable now, other factors matter more. Get yourself a drive that has at least 3-4 times the capacity of the data you would like to store on it. Your storage needs will increase as time goes on and you need to leave yourself some room to grow.
Price
Storage has never been cheaper! These days you can get tons of space without breaking the bank and the prices are only getting better and better as time goes on. You can get large quality drives for under $100 so don't overpay.
Warranty
This is a big one. Make sure you get at least a 3 year warranty, 5 years is even better. Be wary of any drives that only have a 1 year warranty.
Speed
If you are primarily using the drive for backup purposes, 5400 rpm drives are perfectly fine. If, on the other hand, you are planning on running programs off the drive and using it for day-to-day usage, 7200 rpm drives can offer a nice speed increase (20% is typical).
Cache Size
Your drive's performance will be directly related to the rotational speed and the cache size. Larger cache will give you better performance...but if performance is not high on your list of priorities, don't bother paying more for larger cache or higher speed.
Connectivity
USB 2.0 and Firewire are your only 2 real options here. What you should get depends on the interface your computer has. If you have both firewire and USB, go for a drive with firewire for slightly better performance.
Reliability
Since you'll be storing your critical data on it, you want it to last. Stick to the name brands and do some research online before you buy your drive. Check out sites with customer reviews such as amazon.com, epinions.com and cnet.com and see what other people are saying. You should be able to quickly get a clear picture of a drive's quality.
Enclosure/Form Factor/Beauty
Decisions in this realm really depend upon your needs and personal preference. Full size drives (3.5") can be less expensive, but they will require more space on your desktop and AC power to run. Compact drives (2.5") can fit in your pocket and often times are powered by the USB or firewire cable (no AC adapter needed). These days you can get drives in all sorts of different shapes and colors, but really this should one of the last factors affecting your decision.
Once you have considered all of these factors, you should be able purchase an external drive with confidence.
Showing posts with label How to Computer Help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to Computer Help. Show all posts
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Transfer Data From Old Computer To New Computer
There many different ways to transfer data from old PC to another, we will state a few of them:
Method 1:
Computer A:
IP Address: 192.168.100.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: Leave it blank
DNS Servers: Leave it blank
Computer B:
IP Address: 192.168.100.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: Leave it blank
DNS Servers: Leave it blank
Test the connection:
Since your configuration is over so lets test the connectivity between two computers. Click on Start->Cmd and then Type ping 192.168.100.2 from Computer A and check to see if you are getting reply or not. It should be like “Reply from 192.168.100.2: bytes=32 time<1ms ttl="64”.
Now Share the file in Computer A:
Method 2:
Saving all your data into a USB flash drive or DVD and copy over to new PC.
Method 3:
Connect an External Hard Drive to old PC, copy all data into it and then connect to new PC.
Method 4:
Another alternative would be to take the hard drive from one computer and connect it to the other, copy everything and then return it. Definitely the cheapest option (nothing to buy!) but also the most technically demanding.
Depending on your skill level, choosing one of these paths should make transferring data from your old computer to your new computer a piece of cake.
Method 1:
- Using a crossover cable or a Switch/HUB, configure the network cards on both machines; share your folders using CIFS in case of Windows OS or NFS in case of Linux.
- Detailed steps are as follows:
- Make sure both of the computers have NIC card (i.e. Network Interface Card) and Network interface is enabled (to enable Network Interface, go to Start-> Control Panel and click on Network Connections then Right Click on Local Area Connection and click on Enable).
- Make sure you have Cross over Cable with you (It is different from Straight through Cable and can be available at the same computer store where you get Straight Cable).
- Connect both computers with cross over cable (i.e. connect crossover cable to Ethernet Port of each computers). You have to assign permanent (Static) IP address. Here are step-by-step instructions showing you how to set permanent IP address and other network information:
- Go to Start and click on Control Panel.
- Control Panel window will appear. Double click on Network Connections.
- Network Connections window will appear. Right click correct Local Area Connection by identifying correct network card and click Properties.
- Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on Properties.
- Click on the Network Protocol (TCP/IP) -> Properties and then Click Use the following IP address. After that, enter the values shown below for each of the computer described as computer A and Computer B and then press OK. (The following values are for demonstration purposes only).
Computer A:
IP Address: 192.168.100.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: Leave it blank
DNS Servers: Leave it blank
Computer B:
IP Address: 192.168.100.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: Leave it blank
DNS Servers: Leave it blank
Test the connection:
Since your configuration is over so lets test the connectivity between two computers. Click on Start->Cmd and then Type ping 192.168.100.2 from Computer A and check to see if you are getting reply or not. It should be like “Reply from 192.168.100.2: bytes=32 time<1ms ttl="64”.
Now Share the file in Computer A:
- Right click on the folder you want to share and click on Sharing and Security.
- Select Share this folder and click OK. You will see hand underneath the folder if it is shared correctly. (Note: If you don’t see the Share this folder after you click on Sharing and Security, then you have to run Network Setup Wizard. Go to Start->Control Panel and click on Network Setup Wizard. Run the Wizard and enable the Print and File Sharing.) Search the Shared Folder on Computer A from Computer B:
- Go to Start -> Search -> Click on Computer or People -> Click on Computer on the Network -> Type 192.168.100.1 in Computer Name search Box.
- It will search the computer and display that in the right pane. Click on that and you will see your shared folder in that.
- Now copy your files and folder from that shared folder to Computer B.
Method 2:
Saving all your data into a USB flash drive or DVD and copy over to new PC.
Method 3:
Connect an External Hard Drive to old PC, copy all data into it and then connect to new PC.
Method 4:
Another alternative would be to take the hard drive from one computer and connect it to the other, copy everything and then return it. Definitely the cheapest option (nothing to buy!) but also the most technically demanding.
Depending on your skill level, choosing one of these paths should make transferring data from your old computer to your new computer a piece of cake.
How to fix a computer that won’t boot
Here are some common errors Windows 7 and Vista errors which this guide can fix:
How to fix a computer that won’t boot – Instructions
STEP 1 : Turn your computer on, booting from either your Windows 7 Installation DVD or Windows 7 System Recovery Disc. Remember, you may need to change the boot order inside your BIOS to have the your DVD drive boot first.
STEP 2: After the installation or recovery disc loads, if prompted, select your language settings and then continue. If you are using the installation DVD, when prompted by the following screen select Repair your computer.
STEP 3: The computer will take a moment now to scan itself for any Windows installations, after which you will likely be given a choice to select which installation you wish to repair. Select the appropriate Windows installation from the list and then continue. If by chance a problem is detected in one of your Windows installations at this initial stage, the system may also ask you if it can try to repair the problem automatically. It is up to you if you wish to let the system try to repair itself, but otherwise just select No.
STEP 4: Once you have reached the System Recovery Options screen, as shown below, you will be faced with a list of choices that can aid you in repairing a damaged Windows 7 operating system. If you wish to try the Startup Repair option first, it is often successful in automatically fixing many different start up issues, but in this article we will be using the Command Prompt option to resolve our problems manually. So, click Command Prompt to continue.
STEP5: Now sitting at the command prompt, enter the following command and then press enter:
bootrec.exe /FixMbr
If successful, you should be greeted with the message The operation completed successfully. That’s it! Your Master Boot Record has been repaired.
While the above command does fix the MBR, and sometimes that is enough, there still might be an error with the system partition’s boot sector and Boot Configuration Data (BCD). This might occur if you have tried to install another operating system alongside Windows 7, such as Windows XP. To write a new boot sector, try the following command:
bootrec.exe /FixBoot
If you are still faced with your Windows 7 installation not being detected during start up, or if you wish to include more than one operating system choice to your system’s boot list, you can try the following command to rebuild your BCD:
bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd
The above command will scan all your disks for other operating systems compatible with Windows 7 and allow you to add them to your system’s boot list. If this fails, you may need to backup the old BCD folder* and create a new one in its place with the following commands:
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd
*Some users also find simply deleting the boot folder and retrying the above steps effective at resolving boot issues, but it is not recommended.
How to change active partitions
Upon purposely changing the active partition on my system drive, I was faced with a BOOTMGR is missing error during my system’s start up that prevent Windows from starting. It is a common mistake to make when playing with partitions on a system drive and it can be a headache to solve if not prepared. To change your active partition back using the Windows 7 recovery disc or Installation DVD, follow the steps below.
STEP 1: Follow steps one to four in the above guide. This should take you to the Command Prompt in the Windows Recovery Environment.
STEP 2: Type DiskPart and then press Enter.
Step three: Type List Disk now and then press Enter. This command will list all disks attached to your computer and assign them a disk number.
STEP 3: Type Select Disk x, where x is the number for the disk containing the partition you wish to make active. Press Enter.
STEP 4: Type List Partition and then press Enter. You will now be shown a list of the partitions on the selected disk. Determine which partition you wish to make active.
You’ll see a list which will display your system partition.
(this is an example list)
Partition 1 OEM 39 MB
Partition 2 Primary 750 MB
Partition 3 Primary 297 GB < select the partition with Windows, which is probably the first one larger than 16 GB
STEP 5: Type Select Partition x, where x is the number of the partition you wish to make active.
STEP 6: Now, just type Active and then press Enter. That should be it – the selected partition is now active.
- no bootable device – insert boot disk and press any key
- NTLDR is missing or corrupted
- Ntoskrnl.exe is missing
- Ntdetect.com is missing
- BOOTMGR is missing or corrupted
- NTFS.SYS is missing
- Hal.dll is missing
How to fix a computer that won’t boot – Instructions
STEP 1 : Turn your computer on, booting from either your Windows 7 Installation DVD or Windows 7 System Recovery Disc. Remember, you may need to change the boot order inside your BIOS to have the your DVD drive boot first.
STEP 2: After the installation or recovery disc loads, if prompted, select your language settings and then continue. If you are using the installation DVD, when prompted by the following screen select Repair your computer.
STEP 3: The computer will take a moment now to scan itself for any Windows installations, after which you will likely be given a choice to select which installation you wish to repair. Select the appropriate Windows installation from the list and then continue. If by chance a problem is detected in one of your Windows installations at this initial stage, the system may also ask you if it can try to repair the problem automatically. It is up to you if you wish to let the system try to repair itself, but otherwise just select No.
STEP 4: Once you have reached the System Recovery Options screen, as shown below, you will be faced with a list of choices that can aid you in repairing a damaged Windows 7 operating system. If you wish to try the Startup Repair option first, it is often successful in automatically fixing many different start up issues, but in this article we will be using the Command Prompt option to resolve our problems manually. So, click Command Prompt to continue.
STEP5: Now sitting at the command prompt, enter the following command and then press enter:
bootrec.exe /FixMbr
If successful, you should be greeted with the message The operation completed successfully. That’s it! Your Master Boot Record has been repaired.
While the above command does fix the MBR, and sometimes that is enough, there still might be an error with the system partition’s boot sector and Boot Configuration Data (BCD). This might occur if you have tried to install another operating system alongside Windows 7, such as Windows XP. To write a new boot sector, try the following command:
bootrec.exe /FixBoot
If you are still faced with your Windows 7 installation not being detected during start up, or if you wish to include more than one operating system choice to your system’s boot list, you can try the following command to rebuild your BCD:
bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd
The above command will scan all your disks for other operating systems compatible with Windows 7 and allow you to add them to your system’s boot list. If this fails, you may need to backup the old BCD folder* and create a new one in its place with the following commands:
bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old
bootrec /RebuildBcd
*Some users also find simply deleting the boot folder and retrying the above steps effective at resolving boot issues, but it is not recommended.
How to change active partitions
Upon purposely changing the active partition on my system drive, I was faced with a BOOTMGR is missing error during my system’s start up that prevent Windows from starting. It is a common mistake to make when playing with partitions on a system drive and it can be a headache to solve if not prepared. To change your active partition back using the Windows 7 recovery disc or Installation DVD, follow the steps below.
STEP 1: Follow steps one to four in the above guide. This should take you to the Command Prompt in the Windows Recovery Environment.
STEP 2: Type DiskPart and then press Enter.
Step three: Type List Disk now and then press Enter. This command will list all disks attached to your computer and assign them a disk number.
STEP 3: Type Select Disk x, where x is the number for the disk containing the partition you wish to make active. Press Enter.
STEP 4: Type List Partition and then press Enter. You will now be shown a list of the partitions on the selected disk. Determine which partition you wish to make active.
You’ll see a list which will display your system partition.
(this is an example list)
Partition 1 OEM 39 MB
Partition 2 Primary 750 MB
Partition 3 Primary 297 GB < select the partition with Windows, which is probably the first one larger than 16 GB
STEP 5: Type Select Partition x, where x is the number of the partition you wish to make active.
STEP 6: Now, just type Active and then press Enter. That should be it – the selected partition is now active.
How to connect front audio panel cables to my motherboard
In the above picture you can see following pins.
- The front panel audio connectors consists of:
- Yellow- MIC BIAS
- Green - SPKOUT R
- Peach - MIC In
- Blue - Return L
- Black - Ground
- White - SPKOUT L
- Grey - SPKOUT L
For example, FoxConn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H front audio connection seem like this:
- MIC IN®
- GND
- MIC POWER (L) (single orange wire)
- LINE OUT RL
- LINE OUT FL
- LINE OUT FR
- LINE OUT RR
here is a pic of the manual that came with the case
Usefull reference links:
More Pictures for understanding
Thursday, May 8, 2014
3 Ways to Enable Administrator Account in Windows 7
(In this article I will show you guys how one can enable Administrator Account in Windows 7)
The administrator account is a hidden, disabled and built-in account with Windows 7/Vista/xp. But a user can enable this account for some special actions. Such as troubleshooting, installing harmful software or some special networking tasks. By default, most of the user accounts are a part/member of the Administrator account. Others are standard accounts without being any part of an administrator account.
Windows disabled this account to prevent malicious programs and harmful activities on the system. So any special task of system needs administrative privilege and the annoying UAC (User Account Control) bar will pop up for the users, except the administrator account.
This article will show you how to enable Administrator account in three easy ways. Choose only one method from below to activate administrator account
Step 1: Method #1. Using command prompt:
Search cmd.exe in start menu and run cmd.exe as administrator.
To enable Administrator account Type: net user administrator /active:yes
Hit enter and the command should execute successfully.Command line to disable this account: net user administrator /active:no
Step 2: Method # 2. From Local Users and Groups
Go to control panel navigate to Administrative tools and computer management.
Expand the Local users and Groups arrow and select Users. Then, From the right pane, double-click on the Administrator.
Un-check the "Account is disable" and it should be look like below.
OK it and your settings will be saved.
From here you can also disable the Administrator or other account.
Step 3: Method #3. From Local Security Policy
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Type secpol.msc in start menu and run it as administrator.
From this Local Security Policies, expand the security options under the Local Policies.
Find "Account: Administrator account status" from the right pane.
Open the "Account: Administrator account status" and choose Enabled to enable it.
You can also disable it from here.
After completing any of above processes, reboot your PC or log off. Now you will see a new account "Administrator" which has no password by default. Log in to this account and enjoy the real administrator power of your PC.
The administrator account is a hidden, disabled and built-in account with Windows 7/Vista/xp. But a user can enable this account for some special actions. Such as troubleshooting, installing harmful software or some special networking tasks. By default, most of the user accounts are a part/member of the Administrator account. Others are standard accounts without being any part of an administrator account.
Windows disabled this account to prevent malicious programs and harmful activities on the system. So any special task of system needs administrative privilege and the annoying UAC (User Account Control) bar will pop up for the users, except the administrator account.
This article will show you how to enable Administrator account in three easy ways. Choose only one method from below to activate administrator account
Step 1: Method #1. Using command prompt:
Search cmd.exe in start menu and run cmd.exe as administrator.
To enable Administrator account Type: net user administrator /active:yes
Hit enter and the command should execute successfully.Command line to disable this account: net user administrator /active:no
Step 2: Method # 2. From Local Users and Groups
Go to control panel navigate to Administrative tools and computer management.
Expand the Local users and Groups arrow and select Users. Then, From the right pane, double-click on the Administrator.
Un-check the "Account is disable" and it should be look like below.
OK it and your settings will be saved.
From here you can also disable the Administrator or other account.
Step 3: Method #3. From Local Security Policy
Type secpol.msc in start menu and run it as administrator.
From this Local Security Policies, expand the security options under the Local Policies.
Find "Account: Administrator account status" from the right pane.
Open the "Account: Administrator account status" and choose Enabled to enable it.
You can also disable it from here.
After completing any of above processes, reboot your PC or log off. Now you will see a new account "Administrator" which has no password by default. Log in to this account and enjoy the real administrator power of your PC.
How to Bypass BIOS Passwords
BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers. They are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgets their password, or changes the password to intentionally lock out the corporate IT department. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in the warranty. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS
DISCLAIMER
This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with experience servicing computer hardware. It is not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack the password on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this information responsibly. We are not responsible for the use or misuse of this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.
Before attempting to bypass the BIOS password on a computer, please take a minute to contact the hardware manufacturer support staff directly and ask for their recommended methods of bypassing the BIOS security. In the event the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, there are a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password yourself. They include:
- Using a manufacturers backdoor password to access the BIOS
- Use password cracking software
- Reset the CMOS using the jumpers or solder beads.
- Removing the CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes
- Overloading the keyboard buffer
- Using a professional service
Please remember that most BIOS passwords do not protect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove the hard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slave drive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBM Thinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password is enabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and hard drive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.
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Backdoor passwords
Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations. Keep in mind that the key associated to "_" in the US keyboard corresponds to "?" in some European keyboards. Laptops typically have better BIOS security than desktop systems, and we are not aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.
WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords
Award BIOS backdoor passwords:
ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SW AWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8on djonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOX SYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598
AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:
AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER A.M.I. CONDO
PHOENIX BIOS backdoor passwords:
phoenix, PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS
MISC. COMMON PASSWORDS
ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter setup SETUP Syxz Wodj
OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER
Manufacturer Password
VOBIS & IBM merlin
Dell Dell
Biostar Biostar
Compaq Compaq
Enox xo11nE
Epox central
Freetech Posterie
IWill iwill
Jetway spooml
Packard Bell bell9
QDI QDI
Siemens SKY_FOX
TMC BIGO
Toshiba Toshiba
TOSHIBA BIOS
Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot
IBM APTIVA BIOS
Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot
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Password cracking software
The following software can be used to either crack or reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOS administrator password that will not allow access to the floppy drive, these utilities may not work. Also, since these utilities do not come from the manufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.
Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
!BIOS (get the how-to article)
RemPass
KILLCMOS
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Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings
Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.
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Removing the CMOS Battery
The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.
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Overloading the KeyBoard Buffer
On some older computer systems, you can force the CMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the keyboard buffer. This can be done by booting with the keyboard or mouse unattached to the systems, or on some systems by hitting the ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.
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Jumping the Solder Beads on the CMOS
It is also possible to reset the CMOS by connecting or "jumping" specific solder beads on the chipset. There are too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individual chipsets, and the location of these solder beads can vary by manufacturer, so please check your computer and motherboard documentation for details. This technique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be only be used as a "last ditch" effort.
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Using a professional service
If the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop PC can't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still have the option of using a professional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services for desktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of these services, you'll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership. This may be difficult if you've acquired the computer second hand or from an online auction.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
How Motherboards Work
Introduction to How Motherboards Work
If you've ever taken the case off of a computer, you've seen the one piece of equipment that ties everything together -- the motherboard. A motherboard allows all the parts of your computer to receive power and communicate with one another.
Motherboards have come a long way in the last twenty years. The first motherboards held very few actual components. The first IBM PC motherboard had only a processor and card slots. Users plugged components like floppy drive controllers and memory into the slots.
Today, motherboards typically boast a wide variety of built-in features, and they directly affect a computer's capabilities and potential for upgrades.
In this article, we'll look at the general components of a motherboard. Then, we'll closely examine five points that dramatically affect what a computer can do.
(A modern motherboard)
Form Factor
A motherboard by itself is useless, but a computer has to have one to operate. The motherboard's main job is to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let everything else connect to it. Everything that runs the computer or enhances its performance is either part of the motherboard or plugs into it via a slot or port.
The shape and layout of a motherboard is called the form factor. The form factor affects where individual components go and the shape of the computer's case. There are several specific form factors that most PC motherboards use so that they can all fit in standard cases. For a comparison of form factors, past and present, check out Motherboards.org.
The form factor is just one of the many standards that apply to motherboards. Some of the other standards include:
(A Socket 754 motherboard)
Some motherboards also incorporate newer technological advances:
Many people think of the CPU as one of the most important parts of a computer. We'll look at how it affects the rest of the computer in the next section.
(A Socket 939 motherboard)
Sockets and CPUs
The CPU is the first thing that comes to mind when many people think about a computer's speed and performance. The faster the processor, the faster the computer can think. In the early days of PC computers, all processors had the same set of pins that would connect the CPU to the motherboard, called the Pin Grid Array (PGA). These pins fit into a socket layout called Socket 7. This meant that any processor would fit into any motherboard.
Today, however, CPU manufacturers Intel and AMD use a variety of PGAs, none of which fit into Socket 7. As microprocessors advance, they need more and more pins, both to handle new features and to provide more and more power to the chip.
Current socket arrangements are often named for the number of pins in the PGA. Commonly used sockets are:
More info about Processor and socket:
http://www.learning-about-computers.com/tutorials/processor.shtml
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/A-Complete-List-of-CPU-Sockets/373
http://www.cpu-collection.de/?l0=sockets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_socket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_microprocessors
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=socketslot-types--processors-they-support
http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=482324&seqNum=6
The newest Intel CPU does not have a PGA. It has an LGA, also known as Socket T. LGA stands for Land Grid Array. An LGA is different from a PGA in that the pins are actually part of the socket, not the CPU.
Anyone who already has a specific CPU in mind should select a motherboard based on that CPU. For example, if you want to use one of the new multi-core chips made by Intel or AMD, you will need to select a motherboard with the correct socket for those chips. CPUs simply will not fit into sockets that don't match their PGA.
The CPU communicates with other elements of the motherboard through a chipset. We'll look at the chipset in more detail next.
(A Socket LGA755 motherboard)
The chipset is the "glue" that connects the microprocessor to the rest of the motherboard and therefore to the rest of the computer. On a PC, it consists of two basic parts -- the northbridge and the southbridge. All of the various components of the computer communicate with the CPU through the chipset.
The northbridge connects directly to the processor via the front side bus (FSB). A memory controller is located on the northbridge, which gives the CPU fast access to the memory. The northbridge also connects to the AGP or PCI Express bus and to the memory itself.
The southbridge is slower than the northbridge, and information from the CPU has to go through the northbridge before reaching the southbridge. Other busses connect the southbridge to the PCI bus, the USB ports and the IDE or SATA hard disk connections.
Chipset selection and CPU selection go hand in hand, because manufacturers optimize chipsets to work with specific CPUs. The chipset is an integrated part of the motherboard, so it cannot be removed or upgraded. This means that not only must the motherboard's socket fit the CPU, the motherboard's chipset must work optimally with the CPU.
Next, we'll look at busses, which, like the chipset, carry information from place to place.
Bus Speed
(Busses connect different parts of the motherboard to one another)
A bus is simply a circuit that connects one part of the motherboard to another. The more data a bus can handle at one time, the faster it allows information to travel. The speed of the bus, measured in megahertz (MHz), refers to how much data can move across the bus simultaneously.
Bus speed usually refers to the speed of the front side bus (FSB), which connects the CPU to the northbridge. FSB speeds can range from 66 MHz to over 800 MHz. Since the CPU reaches the memory controller though the northbridge, FSB speed can dramatically affect a computer's performance.
Here are some of the other busses found on a motherboard:
The faster a computer's bus speed, the faster it will operate -- to a point. A fast bus speed cannot make up for a slow processor or chipset.
Now let's look at memory and how it affects the motherboard's speed.
Memory and Other Features
(184-pin DDR DIMM RAM)
We've established that the speed of the processor itself controls how quickly a computer thinks. The speed of the chipset and busses controls how quickly it can communicate with other parts of the computer. The speed of the RAM connection directly controls how fast the computer can access instructions and data, and therefore has a big effect on system performance. A fast processor with slow RAM is going nowhere.
The amount of memory available also controls how much data the computer can have readily available. RAM makes up the bulk of a computer's memory. The general rule of thumb is the more RAM the computer has, the better.
Much of the memory available today is dual data rate (DDR) memory. This means that the memory can transmit data twice per cycle instead of once, which makes the memory faster. Also, most motherboards have space for multiple memory chips, and on newer motherboards, they often connect to the northbridge via a dual bus instead of a single bus. This further reduces the amount of time it takes for the processor to get information from the memory.
(200-pin DDR SODIMM RAM)
A motherboard's memory slots directly affect what kind and how much memory is supported. Just like other components, the memory plugs into the slot via a series of pins. The memory module must have the right number of pins to fit into the slot on the motherboard.
(64MB SDRAM SIMM)
In the earliest days of motherboards, virtually everything other than the processor came on a card that plugged into the board. Now, motherboards feature a variety of onboard accessories such as LAN support, video, sound support and RAID controllers.
Motherboards with all the bells and whistles are convenient and simple to install. There are motherboards that have everything you need to create a complete computer -- all you do is stick the motherboard in a case and add a hard disk, a CD drive and a power supply. You have a completely operational computer on a single board.
For many average users, these built-in features provide ample support for video and sound. For avid gamers and people who do high-intensity graphic or computer-aided design (CAD) work, however, separate video cards provide much better performance.
If you've ever taken the case off of a computer, you've seen the one piece of equipment that ties everything together -- the motherboard. A motherboard allows all the parts of your computer to receive power and communicate with one another.
Motherboards have come a long way in the last twenty years. The first motherboards held very few actual components. The first IBM PC motherboard had only a processor and card slots. Users plugged components like floppy drive controllers and memory into the slots.
Today, motherboards typically boast a wide variety of built-in features, and they directly affect a computer's capabilities and potential for upgrades.
In this article, we'll look at the general components of a motherboard. Then, we'll closely examine five points that dramatically affect what a computer can do.
Form Factor
A motherboard by itself is useless, but a computer has to have one to operate. The motherboard's main job is to hold the computer's microprocessor chip and let everything else connect to it. Everything that runs the computer or enhances its performance is either part of the motherboard or plugs into it via a slot or port.
The shape and layout of a motherboard is called the form factor. The form factor affects where individual components go and the shape of the computer's case. There are several specific form factors that most PC motherboards use so that they can all fit in standard cases. For a comparison of form factors, past and present, check out Motherboards.org.
The form factor is just one of the many standards that apply to motherboards. Some of the other standards include:
- The socket for the microprocessor determines what kind of Central Processing Unit (CPU) the motherboard uses.
- The chipset is part of the motherboard's logic system and is usually made of two parts -- the northbridge and the southbridge. These two "bridges" connect the CPU to other parts of the computer.
- The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) chip controls the most basic functions of the computer and performs a self-test every time you turn it on. Some systems feature dual BIOS, which provides a backup in case one fails or in case of error during updating.
- The real time clock chip is a battery-operated chip that maintains basic settings and the system time.
- The slots and ports found on a motherboard include:
- Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)- connections for video, sound and video capture cards, as well as network cards
- Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) - dedicated port for video cards.
- Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) - interfaces for the hard drives
- Universal Serial Bus or FireWire - external peripherals
- Memory slots
Some motherboards also incorporate newer technological advances:
- Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID) controllers allow the computer to recognize multiple drives as one drive.
- PCI Express is a newer protocol that acts more like a network than a bus. It can eliminate the need for other ports, including the AGP port.
- Rather than relying on plug-in cards, some motherboards have on-board sound, networking, video or other peripheral support.
Many people think of the CPU as one of the most important parts of a computer. We'll look at how it affects the rest of the computer in the next section.
(A Socket 939 motherboard)
Sockets and CPUs
The CPU is the first thing that comes to mind when many people think about a computer's speed and performance. The faster the processor, the faster the computer can think. In the early days of PC computers, all processors had the same set of pins that would connect the CPU to the motherboard, called the Pin Grid Array (PGA). These pins fit into a socket layout called Socket 7. This meant that any processor would fit into any motherboard.
Today, however, CPU manufacturers Intel and AMD use a variety of PGAs, none of which fit into Socket 7. As microprocessors advance, they need more and more pins, both to handle new features and to provide more and more power to the chip.
Current socket arrangements are often named for the number of pins in the PGA. Commonly used sockets are:
- Socket 478 - for older Pentium and Celeron processors
- Socket 754 - for AMD Sempron and some AMD Athlon processors
- Socket 939 - for newer and faster AMD Athlon processors
- Socket AM2 - for the newest AMD Athlon processors
- Socket A - for older AMD Athlon processors
More info about Processor and socket:
http://www.learning-about-computers.com/tutorials/processor.shtml
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/A-Complete-List-of-CPU-Sockets/373
http://www.cpu-collection.de/?l0=sockets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPU_socket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_microprocessors
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=socketslot-types--processors-they-support
http://www.quepublishing.com/articles/article.aspx?p=482324&seqNum=6
The newest Intel CPU does not have a PGA. It has an LGA, also known as Socket T. LGA stands for Land Grid Array. An LGA is different from a PGA in that the pins are actually part of the socket, not the CPU.
Anyone who already has a specific CPU in mind should select a motherboard based on that CPU. For example, if you want to use one of the new multi-core chips made by Intel or AMD, you will need to select a motherboard with the correct socket for those chips. CPUs simply will not fit into sockets that don't match their PGA.
The CPU communicates with other elements of the motherboard through a chipset. We'll look at the chipset in more detail next.
Chipsets
The northbridge connects directly to the processor via the front side bus (FSB). A memory controller is located on the northbridge, which gives the CPU fast access to the memory. The northbridge also connects to the AGP or PCI Express bus and to the memory itself.
The southbridge is slower than the northbridge, and information from the CPU has to go through the northbridge before reaching the southbridge. Other busses connect the southbridge to the PCI bus, the USB ports and the IDE or SATA hard disk connections.
Chipset selection and CPU selection go hand in hand, because manufacturers optimize chipsets to work with specific CPUs. The chipset is an integrated part of the motherboard, so it cannot be removed or upgraded. This means that not only must the motherboard's socket fit the CPU, the motherboard's chipset must work optimally with the CPU.
Next, we'll look at busses, which, like the chipset, carry information from place to place.
Bus Speed
(Busses connect different parts of the motherboard to one another)
A bus is simply a circuit that connects one part of the motherboard to another. The more data a bus can handle at one time, the faster it allows information to travel. The speed of the bus, measured in megahertz (MHz), refers to how much data can move across the bus simultaneously.
Bus speed usually refers to the speed of the front side bus (FSB), which connects the CPU to the northbridge. FSB speeds can range from 66 MHz to over 800 MHz. Since the CPU reaches the memory controller though the northbridge, FSB speed can dramatically affect a computer's performance.
Here are some of the other busses found on a motherboard:
- The back side bus connects the CPU with the level 2 (L2) cache, also known as secondary or external cache. The processor determines the speed of the back side bus.
- The memory bus connects the northbridge to the memory.
- The IDE or ATA bus connects the southbridge to the disk drives.
- The AGP bus connects the video card to the memory and the CPU. The speed of the AGP bus is usually 66 MHz.
- The PCI bus connects PCI slots to the southbridge. On most systems, the speed of the PCI bus is 33 MHz. Also compatible with PCI is PCI Express, which is much faster than PCI but is still compatible with current software and operating systems. PCI Express is likely to replace both PCI and AGP busses.
The faster a computer's bus speed, the faster it will operate -- to a point. A fast bus speed cannot make up for a slow processor or chipset.
Now let's look at memory and how it affects the motherboard's speed.
Memory and Other Features
We've established that the speed of the processor itself controls how quickly a computer thinks. The speed of the chipset and busses controls how quickly it can communicate with other parts of the computer. The speed of the RAM connection directly controls how fast the computer can access instructions and data, and therefore has a big effect on system performance. A fast processor with slow RAM is going nowhere.
The amount of memory available also controls how much data the computer can have readily available. RAM makes up the bulk of a computer's memory. The general rule of thumb is the more RAM the computer has, the better.
Much of the memory available today is dual data rate (DDR) memory. This means that the memory can transmit data twice per cycle instead of once, which makes the memory faster. Also, most motherboards have space for multiple memory chips, and on newer motherboards, they often connect to the northbridge via a dual bus instead of a single bus. This further reduces the amount of time it takes for the processor to get information from the memory.
(200-pin DDR SODIMM RAM)
A motherboard's memory slots directly affect what kind and how much memory is supported. Just like other components, the memory plugs into the slot via a series of pins. The memory module must have the right number of pins to fit into the slot on the motherboard.
(64MB SDRAM SIMM)
In the earliest days of motherboards, virtually everything other than the processor came on a card that plugged into the board. Now, motherboards feature a variety of onboard accessories such as LAN support, video, sound support and RAID controllers.
Motherboards with all the bells and whistles are convenient and simple to install. There are motherboards that have everything you need to create a complete computer -- all you do is stick the motherboard in a case and add a hard disk, a CD drive and a power supply. You have a completely operational computer on a single board.
For many average users, these built-in features provide ample support for video and sound. For avid gamers and people who do high-intensity graphic or computer-aided design (CAD) work, however, separate video cards provide much better performance.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
PC ports explained: Get to know the back of your computer
Almost any modern communication need can be handled with a wireless solution. File transfer, streaming video, peripheral connections – all of these can be accomplished without a physical connection. The future is now.
Yet the port persists. No, more than that: It’s alive and well. Take a gander at your home office and you’ll likely find wires of all sorts leading to various connections: USB, HDMI, DVI, Thunderbolt, the list goes on.
Physical connections are still the quickest, most reliable way to transfer data. Which means it’s still important to know what goes where, and why. Let’s clear the air and make room for some modern knowledge of old-fashioned connectivity.
USB
The Universal Serial Bus would make a good role model for super-villains everywhere. It pledged to take over the world. Then it did so. It took well over a decade, but it has happened. FireWire is basically obsolete. External SATA is nearly extinct. Only Thunderbolt may provide a serious challenge – but it’s years away from widespread adoption.
Modern USB essentially comes in two forms – USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. The ports look the same and are compatible with each other, which is great. Except it makes separating the two difficult. Manufacturers the world over have tried to resolve the standard says that USB 3.0 ports should be blue or should be identified by super-speed USB 3.0 logo (see below).
If it’s not blue or identified by this logo, it’s not USB 3.0. Or at least it shouldn’t be. We’ve yet to encounter a computer that failed to identify USB 3.0 ports by at least logo, but we have run into a couple (both laptops) that didn’t use blue.
The main difference between the standards is speed. The maximum bandwidth of 3.0 is over 10 times higher than 2.0. This doesn’t mean transfer speeds are ten times better in the real world, but there is a huge difference. You’ll see much quicker file transfers with a USB 3.0 drive plugged in to a 3.0 port. Transfer speeds are not better if you plug a 3.0 drive into a 2.0 port. Data can still be transferred, but only at 2.0 speeds.
FireWire
FireWire was developed by Apple to solve the lack of high-speed connections available to peripherals during the early 90s. Speed was given high priority, and it showed in the resulting standard. FireWire which went through several revisions, and each was consistently quicker than USB.
Until now. USB 3.0 has upped the ante, and instead of calling, FireWire’s supporters have chosen to fold. It was probably a wise move. FireWire never gained the widespread appeal of USB. Losing its performance advantage made it nearly obsolete.
Still, many people have an older camera or peripheral which must be connected via FireWire. If you’re among this crowd you will need to plan on using adapters in the future. FireWire support is near extinction in the laptop space and nearly dead among desktops as well.
eSATA
This standard related to the common SATA standard that’s used by nearly all modern hard drives, but designed for external peripherals. It takes advantage of SATA’s excellent bandwidth to provide fast transfer speeds.
Sounds great, right? But there are a couple problems. One is a lack of support for power in the standard. USB and FireWire are both capable of powering devices, which is why most USB peripherals and storage devices don’t need external power. There’s no support for that in eSATA. A work-around port called eSATAp fixes that, but this port is rare and not part of the official SATA standard.
Another issue is the standard’s maximum cable length. SATA was built for use in computers, so the cables only had to work short distances. This means the maximum length of cable is six feet, six inches. Larger cables can be made, of course — it wouldn’t cause the space-time continuum to collapse — but they also wouldn’t be guaranteed to work.
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt is a new type of connection developed by Intel under the codename Light Peak. As that name suggests, Thunderbolt was initially intended to be a fiber-optic connection capable of 10 Gbit/s (nearly twice the bandwidth of USB 3.0) but Intel engineers figured out how to accomplish this goal using only copper wire. This made Thunderbolt less expensive and gave it the ability to deliver power, a critical trait for any connection that dreams of widespread adoption. In fact, Thunderbolt can deliver a whopping 10 watts, which is over twice as much as USB 3.0.
This connection also doubles as a DisplayPort 1.2-compatible A/V connection. It’s possible to daisy-chain up to seven different devices (both displays and peripherals) off one Thunderbolt port, though there are limitations based on the types of devices connected.
Thunderbolt seems set to one day replace USB 3.0, but for now it remains expensive and only a handful of companies have adopted it. Apple was first to include it on production PCs. Other manufacturers are beginning to follow this lead, but only on high-end products. Even if you do have the port, there’s not much to connect to it besides DisplayPort-compatible monitors and a small (but growing) selection of external hard drives.
If you plan to buy a computer in 2014, consider this a must-have. For now it’s a great technology that needs to gain market acceptance.
DVI
Now it’s time to jump away from the general-purpose connections and start talking about those dedicated only to audio and video. DVI seems like a good place to start.
DVI is the old man of modern video connections. Its bloodline dates all the way back to 1999 and it didn’t see widespread acceptance until 2002 and 2003. Since then, it has resisted several different attempts to completely replace it, though its strength does seem to be fading.
Because it was developed as a successor to VGA, this connection can handle analog signals. That’s not going to be a factor for most readers but it may be worth noting if you still have an old VGA monitor kicking around. DVI also can output audio when paired with an appropriate video card and a DVI-to-HDMI adapter.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort was one of two A/V connections (the other being HDMI) developed in the middle of last decade. This connection was developed specifically with computer monitors in mind and is meant to be the full-digital replacement for DVI.
On paper, DisplayPort is a technical masterpiece. It has a maximum data rate of up to 18 Gbp/s in best fighting form. Like its sibling, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort allows for daisy-chain configurations. It’s possible to run up to four 1080p displays with a single DisplayPort connection. Another nice advantage is cable length: The spec supports up to three meters in copper and fifteen with fiber-optic – but be warned, those cables are expensive.
This connection is very good, but only if you have a monitor that supports it. Many inexpensive monitors don’t. The consumer television market is the culprit. Consumers usually know of HDMI, but few know of DisplayPort, which makes it hard to sell. Even so, this connection’s compatibility with Thunderbolt may make it the video standard of the future.
HDMI
The High Definition Multimedia Interface began production in 2003 as a replacement to all earlier A/V connections. It was built to be a do-it-all cable combining uncompressed audio and video for maximum picture quality.
Computers were never the focus. HDMI was developed for the expected surge of high-definition televisions. But the traits that make HDMI good for televisions also make it good for computers. This connection can handle audio and video with one cable. Better still, the connector is thin and flat, making HDMI great for laptops and other small systems.
All of these advantages also apply to DisplayPort, a connection that has several additional traits that make it technically superior to HDMI. Despite this, HDMI is more common. It’s often standard on inexpensive monitors and on laptops.
Despite be technically inferior in some ways, HDMI is more than adequate for most users. It’s a simple, easy plug that can handle high display resolutions. Its downsides, such as the inability to daisy-chain and shorter cable lengths, usually aren’t a concern.
Ethernet
Most computers now have wireless Internet available, yet Ethernet persists and is used in millions of homes worldwide. This simple connector, which looks a bit like a phone jack, has served the needs of networks for three decades.
Ethernet is most often used to connect to the Internet. It usually doesn’t offer any effective bandwidth advantage because the bandwidth of a strong wireless connection will almost certainly exceed the bandwidth of your Internet connection. Ethernet is more reliable, however. There’s no need to worry about signal interference, concrete walls and other obstructions.
Ethernet’s speed can be used to its full potential on a home network if appropriate routers and cables are used. Two computers networked with Gigabit Ethernet can transfer data at high speeds over relatively long distances.
Copper still rules
Ports matter, and we’ll probably be dealing with them for some time. Wireless bandwidth is now technically capable of handling HD video and can provide excellent data transfer rates, but expensive adapters are still required and reliability isn’t perfect in all environments. Cables, and the ports they plug in to, remain a cheap, reliable, simple solution. Hopefully this guide has helped you understand the galaxy of ports that are commonly used.
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