Description of Desktop PC Terms
This is the board through which all the other components of
the PC connect. Motherboards differ from each other
depending on what "chipset" they use.
The "chipset" is the
brains of the motherboard. It performs all the custodial
tasks of running a computer while the task of the CPU is to
run your programs. Many motherboards now integrate
peripheral devices such as video cards and modems. These
motherboards are a good deal in initial cost, but in some
cases those integrated peripherals cannot be later upgraded
without buying a new motherboard as well.
Cache memory speeds up your computer by making the CPU wait
less for memory requests. Most current PC CPUs put the cache
on the CPU instead of the motherboard.
Choosing a Motherboard that supports a faster CPU than the
one you start with provides an easy upgrade option.
Input/Output ports. This includes serial, parallel, external
video and other connectors. The more types of ports you
have, the more choices your computer has for communicating
with other devices and computers. These are usually
built-into the motherboard.
Ultra ATA (EIDE) is the current standard for mainstream hard
drives. A high-speed COM port lets you use an external modem
but is rarely used for anything else currently. The EPP port
is a parallel port that can send data quickly to an attached
printer. USB 2.0 is a new type of port that lets you put
many different peripherals on one USB port. USB peripherals
are becoming more common today, and USB support will soon be
a necessity. Firewire (IEEE 1394) is a high-speed serial
port similar to USB that many digital video devices and
other high-speed peripherals require.
The CPU is the brain of the computer. Most of the time, your
CPU is idle, so a faster CPU does not necessarily make a
faster computer. However, some tasks, such as those
involving multimedia presentations can require a great deal
of CPU power.
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