Welcome to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 20th edition. Since debuting as the first book of its kind on the market in 1988, no other book on PC hardware has matched the depth and quality of the information found in this tome. This edition continues Upgrading and Repairing PCs’ role as not only the best-selling book of its type, but also the most comprehensive and complete PC hardware reference available. This book examines PCs in depth, outlines the differences among them, and presents options for configuring each system.
The 20th edition of Upgrading and Repairing PCs provides you with the in-depth knowledge you need to work with the most recent systems and components as well as providing you with an unexcelled resource for understanding older systems. We have worked to make this book keep pace with the rapid changes in the PC industry so that it continues to be the most accurate, complete, and indepth book of its kind on the market today.
I wrote this book for all PC enthusiasts who want to know everything about their PCs: how they originated; how they’ve evolved; how to upgrade, troubleshoot, and repair them; and everything in between. This book covers the full gamut of PC-compatible systems, from the oldest 8-bit machines to the latest high-end 64-bit multicore processors and systems. If you need to know everything about PC hardware from the original to the latest technology on the market today, this book and the accompanying information-packed disc is definitely for you.
Upgrading and Repairing PCs also doesn’t ignore the less glamorous PC components. Every part of your PC plays a critical role in its stability and performance. Over the course of this book, you’ll find out exactly why your motherboard’s chipset might just be the most important part of your PC and what can go wrong when you settle for a run-of-the-mill power supply that can’t get enough juice to that monster graphics card you just bought. You’ll also find in-depth coverage of technologies such as new six-core processors from Intel and AMD, processors with onboard graphics, graphics cards for the fastest 3D gaming, the latest audio cards for sound producers and audiophiles, SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 in the latest motherboards, advances in Blu-ray and solid state drives, and more—it’s all in here, right down to the guts-level analysis of your mouse and keyboard.