GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• April 11, 2002

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Agenda April 11, 2002
• 700 705 Administration
• 705 815 Featured Topic System RAM plus
  Motherboard Features Beyond Core Logic (Chipsets)
• 815 830 Hardware News
• 830 855 Random Access (QA)
• 855 900 Recap, Preview, and Close

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Administration
• Welcome! Please Sign In.
• What the SIG isand is not.
• Is an information resource for computer users
  and potential computer users
• Is NOT a way to get your computer built or
  repaired (contact the GSBUG Daytime Hardware SIG)
• Log Random Access/QA (First Come)

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Administration (continued)
• Presentation materials will be posted at
• http//gsbug.apcug.org
• Prior presentation materials are also posted.

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM
• System RAM the random access memory (RAM)
  used by the CPU for instruction and data
  purposes.
• DRAM dynamic RAM (only retains data when
  power is applied/refreshed)
• Primary types
• SDRAM (synchronous DRAM)
• RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) or DRDRAM (Direct Rambus
  DRAM)

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM (continued)
• CAS Latency (CL) definition per Crucial
  Technology (division of Micron)
• The amount of time in nanoseconds (often
  measured in clock cycles) between a request to
  read the memory, and when it is actually output.
  SDRAMs are typically referred to as CL 2 or CL 3,
  with CL 2 parts being faster.
• Today, frequently also CL 2.5
• Unbuffered vs Registered vs Registered ECC
  consult your motherboard manual for what you
  need. For the curious, see http//www.crucial.com
  /library/glossary.asp

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM (continued)
• SDRAM
• All types with 64-bit wide data path
• PC100
• 100MHz (800MB/sec transfer rate 8 bytes x
  100MHz)
• 168-pin DIMM
• PC133
• 133MHz (1.06GB/sec transfer rate)
• Requires 133MHz data bus (chipset support)
• Supported by all the current SDR SDRAM chipsets
• 168-pin DIMM

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM (continued)
• SDRAM (continued)
• DDR (double data rate) SDRAM
• Currently 100/200MHz, 133/266MHz, and 166/333MHz
• 1.6GB/sec (PC1600), 2.1GB/sec (PC2100), and
  2.7GB/sec (PC2700) transfer rates, respectively
• Sometimes referred to as PC200, PC266, and PC333
  DDR SDRAM, respectively
• Requires DDR chipset support see last
  presentation (on Core Logic/Chipsets) varies by
  chipset
• 184-pin DIMM

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM (continued)
• RDRAM
• 16-bit wide data path
• Three speed grades - current
• PC600 (600MHz 1.2GB/sec transfer rate) seldom
  seen
• PC700 (711MHz 1.4GB/sec transfer rate) seldom
  seen
• PC800 (800MHz 1.6GB/sec transfer rate)
• PC1066 (1066MHz 2.1GB/sec) sampling now
• 184-pin RIMMs (Rambus In-Line Memory Modules)
• Requires Continuity RIMM (CRIMM) in empty
  sockets

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• System RAM (continued)
• RDRAM (continued)
• Compatible chipsets currently only Intel 850
  and 860
• NOW priced roughly on par (possibly lower than)
  quality DDR SDRAM higher than PC100/PC133
• Performance depending on the configuration and
  application, faster than other forms of DRAM
  (PC800 is equivalent to PC3200 DDR SDRAM in max
  transfer rate 2 Bytes, 800MHz, dual channel).

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features
• Slots
• AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)
• 32-bits wide, capable of 66MHz(1X) to 266MHz(4X)
• 264MB/sec (1X) to 1.06GB/sec (4X) transfer rate
• Video cards only.
• Brown connector.
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - typical
• 32-bits wide, capable of 33MHz (desktop)
• 132MB/sec transfer rate (desktop)
• Used for older video cards current HDCs, sound
  cards, modems, and NICs various specialty
  adapters.
• White connector.

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Slots (continued)
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - other
• 32-bits wide, 66MHz (desktop/server) 64-bit
  wide, 33 or 66MHz (workstations and servers)
• Up to 528MB/sec
• Used for HDCs, NICs, and some specialty adapters
• ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)
• 16-bits wide, typically capable of 8.33MHz
• 16MB/sec transfer rate
• Typical used for older sound cards, modems and
  NICs
• Black connector.

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Ports
• Serial (1 or 2 ports typ)
• Parallel (ECP/EPP 1 port typ)
• PS/2 (2 ports keyboard and mouse)

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Ports (continued)
• USB (Universal Serial Bus) chipset dependant
• Three speed
• Low speed 1.5Mb/sec (.187MB/sec) USB 1.1
• Full speed 12Mb/sec (1.5MG/sec) USB 1.1
• High speed 480 Mb/sec (60MB/sec) USB 2.0
• Attach up to 127 devices including mice,
  keyboards, cameras, printers, ZIPs, some HDD,
  etc.
• Number of ports varies min 2. Combos of USB
  1.1 and 2.0.
• For outside the box devices

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Ports (continued)
• Audio (sound card, down) line in, line out,
  mic, joy stick(MIDI port)
• Video (for video card, down)
• NIC (network interface card, down)
• Typically 10/100 (Mb/sec)
• IEEE 1394 (firewire, iLink)
• Today provides a maximum 400Mb/sec (50MB/sec)
  transfer rate (1394-1995). For outside the box
  devices.
• Typically used to connect digital video cameras,
  HDDs.

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Other Interfaces, Misc.
• Internal connectors floppy, IDE, SCSI
• USB header(s)
• IrDA (infrared) header
• CD-ROM (sound) 1 or 2
• Wake-on-LAN
• SMBus (System Management Bus)
• Fan headers

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Other Motherboard Features (continued)
• Other Interfaces, Misc. (continued)
• Panel lights (power, HD activity, sleep)
  switches (power, reset, sleep)
• Jumpers and/or DIP switches (CMOS clear/flash,
  CPU multiplier, CPU voltage, bus speeds, keyboard
  power-on, suspend-to-RAM, etc.)
• Power (ATX, ATX12V, WTX, proprietary)
• Show-and-Tell

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Hardware News
• Processors
• Intel released the 2.4GHz Pentium 4 simple line
  extension.
• Core Logic (chipsets)
• SiS released the SiS 645DX Northbridge adds
  DDR333 support to the SiS 645 for Intel P4 OC
  to 533MHz FSB
• SiS announced the SiS 648 Northbridge adds DDR
  400 and AGP 8X support to the SiS 645DX.

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Hardware News (continued)
• System RAM nothing new
• Motherboards nothing new
• Graphics processor card nothing new
• Hard Drives nothing new
• Hard Drive Controllers
• Promise announced the FastTrak 2000 IDE RAID
  for Ultra ATA/133 hard drives

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Hardware News (continued)
• Other Drives
• Plextor introduced the PlexCombo 12/10/40-12A
  drive - 12x10x40 CD-RW with 12X DVD read ATAPI
• TDK introduced 40x12x48 CD-RW drives with ATAPI
  and USB 2.0 interfaces
• Sound processors cards nothing new
• Modems NICs nothing new
• Chassis power supplies nothing new

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Random Access (QA)

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GSBUG Hardware Info SIG

• Recap, Preview, and Close
• Recap
• Preview
• Featured Topic for May 9 Hard Drives and
  Floppies
• Close (please police up the area)