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Computer Hardware
Computer hardware is a general term used to refer to all the physical parts of a computer. Internal hardware devices include hard drives and motherboards, while external hardware devices include monitors, mice, keyboards, and printers.
11,849 Questions
Will an 8x AGP video card work in a 4x AGP slot?
It will work, if it is compatible with the signalling voltage on the motherboard (1.5v for AGP 1x, 2x and 4x), but it will only work at up to the 4x that your motherboard is capable of. You may need to change your BIOS settings for AGP= 4x to obtain maximum performance from your motherboard and graphics card. AGP 8x cards run at 0.8v but some may permit 1.5v 4x compatibility.
Those folks experiencing problems with 8x cards in 4x slots might consider the possibility of power supply issues. It's not unusual to see newer cards requiring 300-350 watt power supplies with specific voltages requiring up to 18 amps. Many old Dells and others have only 250 watt supplies, and the new dual gizmo gazillion megahertz screamers take a lot more juice than the factory-supplied cards.
Some 8x cards are designed to be able to clock down to 4x, some are not. Many times it will say whether or not this is possible right on the box. In all respects the motherboard or 8x card should not be damaged by attempting this, the worst that will happen is it wont work.
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What is handles in computer terms?
A handle is a particular kind of smart pointer. Handles are used when an application references blocks of memory or objects managed by another system, such as a database or an operating system
copied from a web site I can no longer locate.
What things do you need to be able to connect to the internet?
*Internet itself must exist
*You must be connected to your ISP using cables and/or wireless signal
*You must own a device capable of connecting to internet(with CPU and network card)
*It must have installed an operating system supporting TCP/IP(Microsoft Windows or GNU/Linux for example)
*Network connection must be properly configured in your OS.
Which computer component presents the most danger from electrical shock?
The computer component that presents the most risk of electric shock is the power supply. Since there are large capacitors in the power supply, it is possible that you might get shocked, even with the power supply unplugged.
Another component that presents a shock risk is an internal modem. You might grab a hold of it while there is an incoming phone call, and then get shocked from the ringer current.
Yes, but it must be with one of the same type. EG, you can swap an Intel Pentium 3 1.5GHz with a Intel Pentium 3 2GHz, but not with an Intel Pentium 4 2GHz. Also, it must be the same socket type.
Is there such a thing as PCI RAM?
There is no PCI RAM, but we have a PCI card to which we can connect more that one RAMs to that PCI card
What possible Implication of Upgrade CPU for other hardware components?
Upgrading your CPU can have a huge impact, or none at all. If your CPU is causing a bottleneck in your system, due to other components being more efficient / powerful / capable of doing whatever tasks you are demanding of it, then an upgraded CPU could greatly increase the speed of your system.
However, if your CPU is more efficient / powerful / capable than other pieces of hardware (such as your GPU, harddrive, or ram), then upgrading your CPU may have little effect at all.
If you are having issues with your computer being too "slow", as I suspect you may be, then make sure that your CPU is actually the problem. When your computer is running slowly, check to see how much of your CPU is actually being used. If it is requiring 80-100% of it's capacity, then a CPU upgrade may be a good idea. If it is not, then look at your other components, and see how they are performing.
That said, the first step should always be to check for viruses, clean up your system, defrag (if you have a HDD...do NOT defrag a solid state drive), remove unnecessary programs, etc.
your best bet at the moment is either some kind of macro pad or hot key program like autohotkey. there isn't really much in advanced heuristics atm. otherwise it is some kind of touch or pen based input... unfortunately computer input methods/devices is an area of computer technology that has remained mostly stagnant since the creation of computers.
to provide a medium to expand the capabilities of the PC, by adding like modems cards, audio cards, ethernet cards.
How do you fix your HP laptop monitor that flickers?
I have the HP G71-340US Notebook (17" screen). Once dissassembled the screen has a rail assembly on both the right and left side that it mounts to. There are 4 screw holes on each rail but the computer only comes with 2 screws on each rail mounting to the screen. My mistake was that I installed the top 2 screws in the top holes and the bottom 2 screws in the holes DIRECTLY ABOVE the bottom holes. There is a wiring strip that runs along the bottom of the screen and if it touches the housing it will cause interference/flicker. All I did was remove the two bottom screws and install them in the very BOTTOM holes to lift the screen off of the screen housing. No more flicker! Makes me wonder if maybe some of the laptops off of the shelves might need to be checked. A lot of issues about HP and flickering screens on google. Hope this helps.
How do you set up a computer to power back on after a power outage?
You will need to enter your computer's CMOS/BIOS settings. Usually, when the computer is first turned on, you will press delete or F2. Some computers, such as a Dell, Compaq, etc. may have different commands or not be accessible to configure.
Please be careful, as changing settings here can physically damage the computer if set incorrectly.
Sounds like some variant of SCSI but I'd have to see a photograph to be sure.
What are three components that allow the processor to communicate with other devices?
the buss
the north bridge chip
the south bridge chip
What is a network card used for?
A network card is used to interface with a network. A network is basically a connection of PCs and possibly servers, but also refers to your connection to the Internet If you want to connect 2 or more PCs together or connect to the Internet you have to have a network card.
Can you plug a non powered USB hub into a powered USB hub?
Yes. A USB port is supposed to provide a specific amount of power for USB devices.
A non-powered hub does not provide the proper power, but is still useful for USB devices that provide their own power (some printers, some cameras), or those that need very little like thumb drives.
What is a pointing device name a popular pointing device?
A pointing device is an input device used to manipulate a graphical user interface on a computer screen. A popular example of a pointing device is the computer mouse, which allows users to move a cursor, select objects, and interact with software applications by clicking, dragging, and scrolling. Other examples include trackpads and styluses.
What are the uses of hardware?
The basic computer hardware are: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Case, Motherboard, RAM, CPU, Harddrive. The monitor display's data on the screen (Your reading this on your monitor) The keyboard & mouse is used to navigate through out the computer (You used your mouse to open your web browser, Internet Explorer. You used your keyboard to find this website and ask your question) The case holds the most important parts of your computer. (That big box on the floor with the ON button and some lights) The motherboard connects all the components together, everything from your monitor to your keyboard and even your USB drive. (You can't see your motherboard as its inside your case) The RAM is your computers memory, it helps load programs faster and stores important information to be used later (You can't see your RAM as its inside your case). You CPU does all the calculations for you computer, everything on your computer is the result of a calculation by the CPU, even your graphics on your monitor and your pushing a key on your keyboard must go through a calculation by the CPU. (You can't see your CPU as its inside your case) The hard drive stores all your data and it stores your operating system(Windows). (You can't see your hard drive as its inside your case)
Can you add memory to a computer using an expansion slot?
Not RAM, the random access memory must be installed in the dedicated slots. You can add secondary memory (like another hard drive) in an expansion slot.
What is an Optical Character Reader?
An Optical Character Reader is a machine used--like at a Post Office, for example--to read particular data. I learned a lot about the Post Office's OCR machine and it reads the Zip Code and is capable of spraying the Bar Code onto the mail. Hope this helps! If I had more time, I would research it.it can also be seen in departmental stores to get the prices and description about products.
Where can one purchase an external video capture device?
There are many sites where you can buy caputure,video and editing cards for tv or gaming. There are huge auction sites like ebay.com, retail sites like amazon.com and electronic specialty sites like newegg.com
What are different Communication mediums?
I believe a communication media is a field (?) over which communication takes place. In a strict definition, communication media are air, water, vacuum, wire, cable, etc. But in a looser definition, it has come to mean things like the internet, email, books, cave paintings, radio, TV, telegraph, telephone, newspapers.
What does a CD-ROM drive use to read the information on a disk?
The data on a compact disc (CD) is stored on the disc as a series of tiny, almost microscopic bumps and lands. Each of these bumps represent a piece of information, though no specific information is directly stored. Instead, the bump is an indicator of data, roughly equivalent to a "1" in binary code (the lands, or flat surfaces on the CD, are considered to be the "0" in binary). A CD's bumps are so tiny that each one is only one half of one millionth of a millimeter long, far too small for a human eye or mechanical device to detect, but large enough for a laser to read.
When data is read from a CD, a laser directs an extremely fine stream of light onto the surface of the disc. The laser follows the data stream of bumps and lands from the inside center of the disc outward in a spiral direction, allowing the size and even the shape of a data CD to vary if needed. As the one millionth of a millimeter (one micron) wide laser light shines on the CD's data track, it reflects one pattern of light off of a bump and a different pattern off of a land area. The resulting reflections equate to a series of ones and zeros, or the binary language of computers. A special tracking system in the CD-ROM drive constantly monitors the laser and adjusts its path to ensure it follows the correct data path on the CD.
As the laser light is reflected off of the data stream in tiny bits of data (ones and zeros), the incoming reflection is measured by a light sensor and sent to a data processor in the CD-ROM drive. This processor interprets the ones and zeros to assemble bytes of data which can then be forwarded to the computer's main processor for interpretation. The computer interprets this data as it was originally written on the CD, whether as a complex computer program, a basic collection of files or even simple music. As technology progresses and processor speeds increase, the CD can be spun at higher and higher rates, allowing the data on the disc to be read and sent to the processor, interpreted and used more quickly.
What is main function of the chipset?
The chipset determines the type of processor the motherboard accepts, the type of capacity of RAM, and what sort of internal & external devices the motherboard supports. It serves as an electronic interfaces through which the CPU, RAM and I/O devices interact.
