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Glossary Page |
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This page is meant to define terms that are used in other pages. We tried to keep them in fairly simple terms. It is quite thorough, but there is a nearly infinite number of computer terms, so this covers only the major ones.
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3D: Everybody knows what 3D
is, but what is it in a computer? 3D is generally what is used to
refer to the capabilities of the video card. Today's video cards
use a variety of instructions built into the video card itself (not
software) to achieve more realistic graphics in computer games that
appear to have depth. Most of today's video cards have these
capabilities, but there are incredibly large differences between
specific cards. That's why you need to read the Video
Card recommendations. These 3D capabilities are generally used
for games, but high-end video cards are used for creating 3D models and
3D animation. Many of these cards cost well over $1,000 and are
not intended for home use. 3D Audio: Again, this is
for gaming more than anything else. Sound cards such as the Live!
and Diamond MX300 use techniques that I do not fully understand to make
your speakers present sound that sounds like it is coming from behind or
beside you instead of in front of you where your speakers are. The
true effect is best with a set of four speakers. 3DNow!: AMD's set of
additional instructions that they integrated into their CPUs.
Similar to MMX and SSE/KNI, these instructions are intended to speed up
CPU performance. These only appear in AMD CPUs. AGP: Accelerated Graphics Port
is a high speed connection only used by video cards, so there is only
one of them in a computer (older computers do not have AGP). It is
faster than PCI and has direct access to system memory so that the
computer's memory can be used in addition to the video card's memory.
Default AGP speed is 66 MHz. ATA: See IDE. AT/ATX: These are two standard
types of motherboards, cases, and power supplies. An ATX
motherboard generally must be used in an ATX case with an ATX power
supply. When upgrading your computer, you need to know what type
you have and what type you will be getting. If they're not
compatible they won't work. ATX is becoming the norm, particularly
for Pentium II, III, and Celeron computers. Retail computers like
Gateway, Dell, Packard Bell, and Compaq often have their own proprietary
standards. These often cause problems and prevent users from
upgrading their motherboards and other components. BIOS: This is the Basic
Input/Output System and is installed on the computer's motherboard.
It controls the most basic operations and is responsible for starting
your computer up and initializing the hardware. It is data that is
usually held in a ROM chip, which can be updated by
"flashing". BIOS upgrades may correct errors, support
new CPUs, support new hardware, etc. Burner (CD-ROM): This is a
device that allows you to save data to a CD-ROM. Special CD-Rs are
required for this. They also allow you to make backup copies of
your CDs. There is a large variety of types, including CD-R or
CD-R+RW. The latter has support for rewritable CDs which can be
erased and rewritten to, while CD-R only drives can only write to their
CDs once. Like CD-ROM drives, burners can be IDE or SCSI.
SCSI is definitely preferable when it comes to burners, but a SCSI card
is required. Burners are generally quite picky and must have a
constant stream of data to work properly. If that stream is
interrupted, the burn will fail. This is one reason why SCSI
burners tend to be better; SCSI devices can deliver a more reliable
stream of data than IDE, while other applications are being run as well.
Bus or System Bus: This is
just a collection of wires that transmit data from one component to
another. Bus Speed: This is a speed
measured in MegaHertz that determines how fast the memory and CPU run.
The only "official" bus speeds supported by Intel are 66 and
100. However, numerous others exist (75, 83, 103, 112, 124, 133,
153, etc.). High-quality memory is required for the higher bus
speeds. The bus speeds usually determine the speed of the PCI and
AGP buses as well The default PCI bus speed is 33 and the default
AGP bus speed is 66 MHz. Cache: It's said just like
cash, but has an entirely different meaning. Cache memory is the
fastest type of RAM available and is used in CPUs, hard drives, and a
variety of other components. As with RAM, the more cache, the
better, but CPU and hard drive cache generally cannot be upgraded.
Pentium II CPUs have 512 KiloBytes of cache, and the high end IBM 9LZX
SCSI hard drives have a large 4 MegaBytes cache. Like RAM, data
generally passes through cache memory before going to the component that
is going to use it (the CPU). It holds the data for quick access
as well. The speed of the cache is also very important.
Pentium II CPUs have 512 k cache, and Celeron CPUs have 128 k of cache,
but the Celeron cache runs at full CPU speed while the Pentium II's
cache runs at 1/2 CPU speed. Thus, there is a tradeoff that makes
the Celeron run about as fast as the Pentium II CPU. Case: The computer's case
is nothing more than its shell or a skeleton. The case performs
the function of holding the computer together, cooling (with fans), and
grounding the computer components through its steel. Larger cases
with a lot of expansion bays are preferable. This way you can have
a lot of room to work in your case and be able to upgrade with more hard
drives, DVD drives, burners, etc. SuperMicro's SC750-A server
tower is an example of a great case. It has a total of 8 external
bays, plenty of room to work, and a great cooling setup with space for a
lot of fans. Tower cases are generally preferred over desktop
cases because they have more room for expansion and better cooling
capabilities. A case can be AT or ATX, differing in the way the
holes are laid out to connect the motherboard to and the type of power
supply if it comes with one. Cases generally come with power
supplies, but it is often advisable to get them separately so that you
can get high quality parts for both. CD-ROM Burner: See Burner. CD-ROM Drive: Reads compact
disks in the form of audio or CD-ROM. A CD-ROM holds data (perhaps
audio as well). Newer CD-ROM drives will read CD-R (Writable CDs)
and CD-RW (ReWritable CDs). The speed of a CD-ROM drive is not
usually very important except when installing programs, running games
that require use of the CD-ROM drive, or "burning" CDs with a
CD-ROM Burner - a CD-ROM drive that is able to write to special CDs
called CD-Rs. Visit the CD-ROM Drive
page. Chips/Chipsets: These are
the little pieces of silicon that hold computer information and
instructions. Just about any computer component has at least one
chipset on it. Motherboard chipsets control the basic ins/and outs
of the computer. Video card chipsets control the rendering of 3D
graphics and the output of images to your monitor. The CPU is just
a very important chip. Common motherboard chipsets include the BX,
i810, i820, and many others. Color Depth: Refers to the
number of colors displayed to the monitor by the video card. The
more colors used, the more realistic the display. With
photographs, changing the computer's color depth may or may not help if
the picture is limited to a small amount of colors. Common color
depths are 256 colors, 16-bit (65,000 colors), 24-bit, and 32-bit
(millions of colors). 24-bit and 32-bit are difficult to
differentiate between, but 16-bit and particularly 256 colors will show
a noticeable lack of quality or realism. CPU: The CPU is the
computer's control center. Think of it as the brain that does all
the thinking (computation), thus it is called the Central Processing
Unit. The actual CPU is about 1.5 inches square, yet it is the
most critical part of the computer. Having a fast CPU (measured in
MegaHertz) greatly aids in the overall speed of your computer.
Visit our CPU Page. DDR: This is a new type of RAM
called Double Data Rate RAM. It is used in some of the newer video
cards such as the Nvidia GeForce cards. Digital Camera: This is a
camera that does not use film, but instead stored the photographs in a
digital format in memory on the camera. These images can then be
downloaded to a computer. DIMM: This is a type of
memory connection that uses 168 pins. The most common type of DIMM
is SDRAM (see it for more information). DIMM stands for Dual
Inline Memory Module. DIMMs are the succesor to SIMMs (Single
...). The most common type of SIMM is EDO and is used primarily in
older Pentium computers. DPI: Dots per Inch is a
measurement used both on monitors and printers. The measurements
are done different ways though. The higher numbers on printers
generally represent more detailed print quality (i.e. 1440x1440 would be
very high resolution printing). The lower numbers on monitors
represent clearer picture quality (i.e. .22 dpi would be a very high
quality monitor). DVD-ROM Drive: Similar to a
CD-ROM drive, a DVD Drive reads CDs, CD-ROMs, and the newer DVDs.
The acronym DVD originally had no meaning, but has since been referred
to as Digital Video Disk and Digital Versatile Disk. DVD's
advantage over CDs is that it holds many times the capacity of a single
CD. DVDs can also hold full-length movies and can be used
double-sided for extra storage. Currently very few software titles
are available only on DVD-ROM, but are also available on CD-ROM, usually
requiring multiple CDs. DVD videos are only available on DVD
though. DVD also requires and MPEG decoder card to view the
Videos. Software DVD decoding can be done on very fast machines,
but hardware decoding (simply meaning a piece of hardware is added to
the computer along with the drive - a decoder card) will work much
better. Some more discussion of this appears on the CD-ROM
Drive Page. Ethernet: See NIC. GigaBytes: This is equal to
1,000 MegaBytes. Hard Drive: The hard drive
stores all the computer's information and retains the information when
the computer is turned off. A fast hard drive is needed to supply
the CPU with data as fast as it needs it. Hard drive sizes are
typically measured in GigaBytes. The larger the number, the more
applications and games you can have installed. A hard drive can be
IDE or SCSI. See IDE or SCSI for more information. For more
information, go to our Hard Drive Page. IDE: IDE stands for
Integrated/Intelligent Drive Electronics. It is an ATA
specification (the terms are often used interchangably). This is
the most common disk interface for hard drives, CD-ROM drives, etc.
It is easy to use, but also the most limited. IDE is integrated
into your motherboard. It only allows for 4 devices. The
other option is SCSI which is faster, more complicated, and allows for
many more devices. SCSI requires a separate add-on card and
different types of hard drives (SCSI). ISA: ISA is an older
technology for connecting computer peripherals (stands for Industry
Standard Architecture). Common current devices include modems and
sound cards. ISA is much slower than PCI, so PCI devices are
generally better if you have a choice. ISA is starting to fade and
eventually will be removed entirely. Most motherboards still come
with at least one or two ISA slots on them. KNI: See SSE. LAN: See NIC. MegaBytes: Megabytes are
the measurement used for the amount of hard drive
space available, used, required, etc. One megabyte is equal to one
million bytes or one thousand kilobytes. One megabyte is small by
today's typical file sizes. Hard drive sizes are commonly given in
gigabytes, each of which is one thousand megabytes. Memory is also
measured in megabytes. Memory: See RAM. MMX: A set of additional
instruction (Multi-Media Extensions) integrated into CPUs starting with
the Pentium MMX CPUs. They are still present in the Pentium III
CPUs, and AMD integrated them into their K6 series of CPUs. The
MMX instruction sets had a fairly small impact. SSE or KNI are a
similar set that was integrated into the Pentium III and later CPUs.
Modem: It stands for
Modulator Demodulator, but it's use is much simpler. It enables a
computer to "dial-up" to another computer for a variety of
purposes including Fax, Gaming, or Internet connections. There is
a large variety of modems available now including the original 14.4,
28.8, 33.6, and 56k modems as well as newer ISDN (128k) and ADSL (256k)
modems. To use any modem, your Internet Service Provider must
support the format (modem, ISDN, or ADSL). Also, new phone lines
are needed for ISDN, and ADSL must have support in your area.
Visit the Modem Page for more information and
recommendations. Monitor: The
high-resolution TV-like tube that displays your computer's output.
Today's monitors have much better quality displays than any TV is
capable of. Motherboard: The
motherboard is easily compared to the human body's nervous system.
The wires (nerves) on it transfer data between all of the other
components. Having a high-quality motherboard (not described in
retail computers) is essential to a reliable computer. MHz: This stands for the
"MegaHertz" rating and is the primary measure of a CPU's
speed. One Megahertz is one million clock cycles per second.
Thus, a 400 MHz processor will have twice as many clock cycles per
second as a 200 MHz processor, but this doesn't necessarily mean it is
twice as FAST... Multiplier: This number
works with the bus speed to determine how fast the CPU is run. A
multiplier of 4.5 coupled with a bus speed of 100 MHz yields a CPU speed
of 450 MHz (4.5x100). Most of Intel's newest CPUs are multiplier
locked in that only a specific multiplier can be used and not others
(i.e. a 450 MHz CPU can only use a 4.5 multiplier, but not 4 or 5).
The bus speed is independent and can be changed so that 4.5x100 and
4.5x103 will give different CPU speeds (provided the CPU will run at
that speed). Networking: See NIC. NIC: A Network Interface
Card allows your computer to connect to a network of computers.
The most common type of NIC is ethernet - a very fast method of
transferring data between computers. A modem is generally used to
dial-up from a home computer to connect to a network or the Internet.
However, an ethernet NIC uses a cable that usually connects to a hub
which connects to a router which connects to a switch, and these pieces
are also often connected to a server through the same type of cable and
to the Internet backbone via a fiber optic cable. The NIC allows
the computer to share with and get resources from other computers on the
network (as well as the Internet if it is not a Local Area Network
(LAN). A LAN is a closed network consisting of 2 or more computers
that are connected through NICs and hubs, generally not connected to the
outside world - the Internet. Hubs allow several computers to
share one cable connection (1 cable connects to another hub or router,
and the hub provides 5 (more or less) connections for other computers or
hubs to connect to). OverClocking: This is the
term for running a CPU, video card, or other component faster than its
rated speed. We will add more information about this soon. PC100/PC133: A rating that
certifies that the memory is capable of running at 100 or 133 MHz bus.
This memory is generally required for running at those specific speeds.
PCI: "Peripheral
Component Interconnect" is a high-speed connection for devices
including SCSI cards, video cards, sound cards, modems, video capture
cards, etc. This is the primary way of adding devices to your
computer. It is faster than ISA, so is preferred for devices such
as sound cards and SCSI cards. It is slower than AGP which is for
graphics cards only, so AGP graphics cards tend to be better than PCI
ones. Default PCI speed is 33 MHz. Power Supply: Generally this
comes with the case. It can have an AT or ATX power connector and
it is measured in its rated output. It converts power from your
outlets into a steady stream of power the computer can use. A 235
or 250 Watt power supply is generally sufficient for home users, but
power users may need a 300 or 400 Watt power supply if they have a lot
of hard drives or other components. The quality of power supply
can be very important and may make the difference between a stable
computer and a computer that crashes often. I recommend power
supplies from PC Power and Cooling and CalPC. PPGA: This stands for Plastic
Pin Grid Array. PPGA is the same as Socket 370 and is a relatively
new CPU connection type. The CPUs are very similar to the Socet 7
CPUs, but they cannot be used in the same motherboards. Like the
Socket 7 CPUs, they have pins at the bottom of a flat square CPU, and
sit parallel to the surface of the motherboard. Printer: A printer outputs
data that is seen on the computer screen. Most printers are used
through a parallel port, but some newer ones use USB connections.
USB is somewhat faster, but there's not much of a difference for
printers. Networked computers usually print to a printer through
the network card. The most crucial printer measurement is its dots
per inch rating. Although this can be misleading, a higher number
is generally better. Printers are best chosen by actually seeing
the quality of the printer output. RAM (Memory): This is the
component that holds recently accessed data for the CPU to have quick
access to. It is much faster than reading from a hard drive, so
having a lot of RAM makes it quick to retrieve recently accessed files,
applications, and other data. All programs must be run through RAM
before they can be used. RAM stands for Random Access Memory and
is typically measured in megabytes. Our Memory
Page may also be helpful. RDRAM: This is the Intel-backed
form of memory that is competing with PC133 SDRAM. It boasts
speeds up to 800 MHz for very high bandwidth, but whether or not it will
be worth its high price is a tough call. RDRAM comes in RIMMs
which will not fit in the BX motherboard DIMM slots. Refresh Rate: This is the speed
at which the monitor's picture is redrawn or flashed in front of your
eyes. Slower refresh rates provide a noticable flicker.
Higher refresh rates create a steady picture (and is easier on your
eyes). The refresh rate is determined by the video card, but also
must be supported by the monitor. The maximum refresh rate will be
different for different resolutions. A minimum of 75 Hertz is
recommended (TV refresh rates are 30 Hz, which is why there is a
noticable flicker). Resolution: Similar to dpi,
the resolution is how many pixels can be displayed on the screen at
once. The resolution is measured in the number of pixels wide and
high that the display is. The most common resolutions are 640x480,
800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, and 1600x1200. Higher resolutions
provide sharper, better quality pictures, but also make type and images
smaller since more information is squeezed onto the same size screen.
The size of the monitor is important when considering the resolution.
A 14" or 15" monitor is best with an 800x600 resolution.
1024x768 is best for 17" monitors. 19" monitors can use
1280x1024 or 1024x768 well. 1600x1200 or greater is recommended
only for 21" or larger monitors. The resolution of a TV
screen is 640x480; another reason why a computer's display is much
better than a TV's. RIMM: A RIMM is a form of memory
connection much like a SIMM or DIMM. RIMMs are physically
different from the others and cannot be used on a BX chipset
motherboard. RIMM stands for Rambus Inline Memory Module.
RDRAM comes in RIMMs. Scanner: This device allows
you to read images and text into your computer. Scanners use a
variety of connection formats including Parallel Port, USB, and SCSI.
USB is simple, SCSI is fast, and Parallel Port is extremely slow.
The Miscellaneous Page discusses scanner
suggestions. SDRAM: This is the most
common type of memory used today and is a type of DIMM. SDRAM
(like all memory) is measured by its access time, CAS latency, its
rating, and other timings. Recent ratings are PC100 and PC133, and
this memory is required for newer Pentium II and III CPUs. SECC: A Single Edge Contact
Cartridge is a type of connection for the CPU to plug into the
motherboard. It is the same as Slot 1. All Pentium II and
III CPUs are Slot 1, as are some Celeron CPUs. These CPUs require
a Slot 1 motherboard using the BX or LX (older) chipsets as well as
newer ones. They plug into the motherboard much like a PCI sound
card or other component would. Thus, they sit perpendicular to the
surface of the motherboard. SIMM: See DIMM. Slot 1: See SECC. Slotket / Sloket: These
terms are used to refer to an adapter card that allows a PPGA CPU
(Celeron) to be used on a Slot 1 motherboard. Newer ones also
allow for voltage adjustment. Socket 370: See PPGA. Socket 7: This is an older
CPU connection format that was used by the Pentium, Pentium MMX, all the
AMD K6 and later CPUs, and several Cyrix CPUs. Slot 1 CPUs cannot
be used on these motherboards, nor can Socket 370 CPUs. These CPUs
are flat squares that sit parallel to the motherboard. Their pins
plug into the motherboard. SCSI: This acronym is
pronounced "scuzzy" and stands for Small Computer Systems
Interface. There are two types of interfaces for hard drives,
CD-ROM drives, etc. One is SCSI, the other is IDE. IDE is
much more common and less expensive. SCSI is more expensive and
also more flexible and generally faster. With a single SCSI card
you can have 15 or more devices whereas you are only allowed to have 4
devices with an IDE system. The fastest hard drives (and generally
CD-ROM drives too) are SCSI-based. Examples are the 10,000 rpm IBM
9LZX hard drive. The fastest IDE drives run at 7,200 rpm. To
have a SCSI-based computer, you have to have a SCSI card, SCSI hard
drive, etc. SCSI is more complicated to configure and should not
be taken on by amateurs. There is a variety of connections such as
25, 50, 68, 68 LVD, 80 SCA, etc. (where the numbers represent the types
of connections. See SCSI Card page. SSE (KNI): Streaming SIMD
Extensions (formerly known as Katmai New Instructions) represent a set
of instructions integrated into Intel's Pentium III CPUs. Similar
to MMX and 3DNow!, they are intended to speed up CPU performance.
While MMX did not have much of an impact, SSE appears to offer
significant improvements. SSE is the primary difference between
the Pentium II and Pentium III CPUs. Tweaking: This is a term
used to describe changing settings, adding programs, etc. in order to
make your computer run faster or more efficiently. UltraDMA/UltraATA: Also
known as ATA/33, this is a technology in newer IDE hard drives that
allows for greater overall throughput. ATA/66 is now available
with many hard drives which is even faster. However, a 7200 rpm
ATA/33 drive will generally be faster than a 5400 rpm ATA/66 drive. That
is, the speed of the drive itself is much more important than the ATA/33
or 66 rating. USB: USB stands for
Universal Serial Bus and is a new technology theoretically capable of
connecting a very large number of external devices on a computer.
USB is intended primarily for low bandwidth (slow) components such as
mice, keyboards, modems, joysticks, etc., but not fast devices like hard
drives. USB has its benefits and its problems, which I will not go
into depth about. Most computers have 2 USB ports. Some USB
devices will have another port so that another USB device can be plugged
into it. This is called "Daisy-Chaining".
Otherwise you run out of ports quickly, in which case you may need a USB
hub which will add more ports (usually 4). UPS: This stands for
Universal Power Supply, and it is a device that provides continuous,
reliable power to your computer. It is a device that plugs into
your outlets and you then plug your computer, monitor, and other
components into. It uses a battery to make sure that the computer
will stay on even if there is a power outage. These are generally
used only for critical machines and servers, but they can also be useful
at home if you have blackouts/brownouts or voltage irregularities.
UPSs made by APS or Opti-UPS are generally good quality. Video Capture / Output: This
is generally achieved with a video capture card that is capable of
taking video in from a TV or VCR and recording it to a computer video
file. Usually a separate device is required, but some of today's
video cards have this capability built in. If you want to be able
to do this, be aware that your video card must support it, or you must
have a video capture card. Computer generated videos can also be
output to VCR tapes. Video Card: This component
is used to transfer data to your monitor so that it can be displayed.
Today's video cards have a variety of "3D" capabilities.
3D video cards are only needed for playing games though. When
playing 3D games, the video card is the most important component.And we
will add more for a more in-depth discussion of this.
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