SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) is a computer science method of combining multiple operations into a single computer instruction. The total number of operations combined is normally a factor of the power of two. The employment of SIMD results in significant savings in speed for algorithms designed to work in parallel. The technology is used on IA-32 and PowerPC architectures, and is referred to as AltiVec on the PowerPC and MMX (MultiMedia eXtensions) on IA-32 machines. SIMD results in significant gains when used for image processing, 3G graphics, scientific calculations, Read More

Motherboard manuals can be very handy if someone needs to change a BIOS setting, recover a lost BIOS password, or do other important computer-related tasks like upgrading. Here are download locations for motherboard manuals from popular manufacturers: Asus Asus motherboard manuals may be downloaded from ASUS download site. ASUS offers three ways of finding downloads for your specific motherboard. You can search by the model name or serial product number (third option below the main search area). You also have an option to use their software to automatically detect the Read More

Motherboards hold all the pieces that make up your computer. It supplies all the wiring and connections needed to make your computer run. However, you may feel that need to upgrade or replace your motherboard. Before anything can be done, you need to be absolutely sure that you have to upgrade your motherboard. As a stand-alone part, motherboards are probably the part that would least likely need an upgrade. Some reasons for having to upgrade would be: Not enough space for an adequate amount of RAM No slot for an Read More

DMA stands for Direct Memory Access, a capability in modern computers that allows peripheral devices to send data to the motherboard’s memory without intervention from the CPU. The DMA controllers are special hardware – now embedded into the chip in modern integrated processors – that manage the data transfers and arbitrate access to the system bus. The controllers are programmed with source and destination pointers (where to read/write the data), counters to track the number of transferred bytes, and settings, which includes I/O and memory types, interrupts and states for Read More

The motherboard is the most essential component in a personal computer. It is the piece of hardware that contains the computer’s micro-processing chip and everything attached to it is vital to making the computer run. The term “mainboard” is also sometimes used to refer to the motherboard . Motherboard Components The motherboard is the flat, rectangular piece of circuit board inside the computer’s case to which everything seems to connect to for one reason or another. It contains the following key components: A microprocessor “socket” that defines what kind of Read More

Thermal grease cools electrical components and is sometimes referred to as thermal paste. It is most commonly used on computer processors in order to help with the CPU’s heat transfer process, which prevents the computer from overheating. It is a durable and thick substance and is also applied to heat sinks in other electronic equipment, including fans and video card processors. How is Thermal Grease Made? Thermal grease is made from mineral fluid or a silicone base that is mixed with metal oxide fillers. It has high thermal conductivity and Read More

SMBus stands for System Management Bus, a simple two wire bus used in devices such as a computer motherboard for communication, mostly on low bandwidth devices. The SMBus was developed by Intel in 1995. One of the main duties of a SMBus is carry clock, data, and instructions from the motherboard to the device. It is based on Phillips C serial bus protocol. A SMBus can be found in many of the electronic devices that you own. For instance, on your laptop's rechargeable batter subsystem, in your computer, and many Read More

PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express/PCI-E) is a new computer format for motherboards that allows expansion. It was introduced to phase out PCI expansion and the AGP graphics interface card. PCI Express makes a computer much faster, significantly improves the machine’s graphics performance, and does error checking. It also allows a computer to connect to peripheral devices such as hard drives, cd players, cameras, keyboards, printers, mouses, monitors, USB devices, etc. Traditional PCI has several limitations. It has a fixed width of 32 bps and can handle only five devices Read More

Computer users who intend to own their computer for a prolonged period of time should be able to identify the computer’s motherboard in order to conduct upgrades. The motherboard type affects computer BIOS upgrades, new CPU installations, and determines the maximum amount of RAM that the motherboard supports. A computer’s motherboard can be identified in the following ways: visually, from the BIOS, and from the BIOS string. Once the motherboard is identified, compatible upgrade components should be installed on the computer. How to Identify a Motherboard through Visual Inspection Step Read More

A motherboard installation can be completed with just a few easy steps, as outlined below. Preparing to Install a Motherboard Grounding is important for all computer installations. Whenever you’re working with the inside of a computer, making sure that you’re properly grounded. “Grounding” means maintaining contact with a large, properly grounded metallic surface, either through a special grounding bracelet or with direct hand contact. Grounding prevents the build-up of a static electric charge in your body, which can damage computer components if it discharged onto their circuit boards. You also Read More