1. Everything you need to know about PC configuration

2. Your computer Case Components 1. Processor. 2. MotherBoard. 3. RAM. 4. Display Adapter. 5. Power Supply. 6. Expansion cards. 7. Hard Disk Drives. 8. Optical Disc Drives. 9. Floppy Disc Drive.

3. Peripheral Devices 1. Keyboard. 2. Mouse. 3. Monitor Display. 4. Speakers. 5. Printer. 6. Scanner.

4. Central Processing Unit (CPU) New Terms: Clock Cycle. Frequency (GHz). Process Data Size (bit). BUS (MHz). Cache Memory (MB). Core 1 Core 2

5. Mother/MainBoard New Terms: 1. Chipset: a) Processor Socket. b) BUS (Front Side BUS) c) Maximum Memory Size and Frequency. d) Multiple Graphic Cards Support (SLI-CrossFireX) e) Over-Clocking 2. Expansion Slots (PCI/PCI-Express). 3. On-Board ATA Connectors (S/PATA). 4. Internal I/O Connectors. 5. BIOS.

7. Cooling Solutions Heat Sinks. Fans. Liquid Cooling.

9. Random Access/Main Memory (RAM) Terms: 1. Memory Type (SDR/RDR/DDR/DDR2/DDR3). 2. Memory Size. 3. Frequency (MHz). 4. Timings: a) CAS Latency b) RAS to CAS c) RAS Precharge Delay d) RAS Active Delay e) CMD Rate

10. Display Adapter (VGA) Terms: 1. Video Memory (VRAM). 2. VRAM Size, Type And Frequency. 3. Graphical Processing Unit (GPU). a) Maximum Resolution. b) DirectX and Shader Model version. c) Fill Rate. d) RAMDAC 4. Display Output (VGA/DVI/Tv-Out) 5. Graphic Bus Technology (AGP/PCI-Express).

12. Case and Power Supply MAX Power Consumption (Watt) Number and Types of Power Connectors Suitable Case Size Front Panel Connectors Well aerated

14. Expansion Cards Sound Card: 1. Internal(PCI)/External(USB) 2. Data Size / Frequency (Bit/KHz) 3. Audio Channels. Other Card Types: TV Tuners. Network Adaptors (bit/Data Rate in kbps) Fax/Modems.

15. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Terms: 1. Capacity (Memory Size). 2. Rotational Speed (RPM). 3. Cache/Buffer Size (MB). 4. Average Latency. 5. Seek Times. 6. Interface a) PATA/Ultra ATA (IDE) b) SATA 1/2 7. Transfer Rate (MB/s-GB/s).

16. Optical Disk Drive Types: CD-ROM CD-RW DVD/CD-ROM DVD±ROM/CD-RW (Combo Drive) DVD±RW Terms: Speed (x). Interface. Noise (dB).

17. Peripherals Keyboard (Multimedia): Wired/Wireless (RF/Bluetooth) Mouse: Wheel/Optical (Refresh rate/ Resolution) Display: Size/Resolution/Birghtness/Type (CRT/LCD) Speakers: Power Consumption (Watt) Printer: Laser/Inkjet Photo/Color/Black & White Max Resolution (dpi) Scanner: Flatbed size. Speed (color & black-white paper/mns) Max Resolution (dpi)

18. Your New PC configuration MainBoard. Processor. RAM. Display Adapter. Case and Power Supply. Sound Card. Hard Disk Drives. Optical Disc Drives. Monitor Display.

19. Just Don’t forget!!! Check for different components on their manufacturer’s websites. Check for online user and editor reviews on different components. http://reviews.cnet.com http://www.amazon.com http://www.pcworld.com http://www.xbitlabs.com http://www.google.com Don’t accept but BOXED products.

20. By Moh. Khaled Katri mohamedkkatri@gmail.com www.alienware.com