Motherboard Parts: Motherboard Anatomy 101

The motherboard is the heart of every computer. Without it, a fully functional computer is impossible. All other important components of a computer are connected to it in order to make every part functional. To understanding the components of a motherboard, it is critical to understand first the important parts included in it. Be guided with the following most important motherboard parts that can be found in a typical computer nowadays.

The Processor or CPU Socket

The processor socket is where one or more microprocessors can be installed. There are several types of sockets around, but in general only two are actually used. These two sockets are used by Intel and AMD for PGA and LGA. If PGA is used the CPU will need to have pins for the socket's holes, but if LGA is used then pins are not needed as it will just rest on the socket. Since the CPU socket is attached to a PCB, it is primarily designed to house the CPU from other parts of the motherboard. Aside from its primary function, the CPU socket also serves other important functions like providing a physical structure for the CPU's support, facilitating replacement, supporting the heatsink and forming an electrical connection for the PCB and the CPU.

The Memory Slots

The other term for memory slot is memory bank. It is made for RAM modules and each RAM must be compatible with the motherboard used. In average, there are 2 to 4 memory slots and the most common ones include single and dual-channel technologies. The single channel technology uses one to three RAM modules in order to work perfectly. On the other hand, the dual-channel technology must use more than one slot otherwise the module will lose its strength. For this reason, a minimum of two slots with the same type of module, with the same memory capacity and the same manufacturer must be used. For example, if 1 GB memory capacity is desired, two 512 MB modules from the same technology type and manufacturer are needed for fully functional module strength.

The SATA and ATA Interface Connectors

There are lots of interface standards made in the last years but the most important two are the SATA and ATA interfaces. The ATA interface is the same as IDE. It primarily connects hard and optical drives where two drives can be attached to one ribbon in order to support the majority of modern hard drive storage capacities. On the other hand, SATA is the new interface commonly used in most computers nowadays. It is definitely faster than ATA and it only needs one device attachment. Its wires are also thin which helps in a faster cooling process within the computer.

Main Power Connector

The main power connector is important as it is the passageway of the power supply needed for an efficient motherboard performance. There are two types of main power connectors: the 20 pins + 4 pins and the 24 pins. For this reason, incompatibilities are possible as not all power supplies have the two types of main power connectors, so it must be significantly considered.

The Peripherals

The peripherals of the computer are integrated altogether. It generally includes nonvolatile memory chip for the system's BIOS, a chipset forming the front side bus, peripheral buses and main memory, expanded card slot, power connectors, clock generator, sockets, main memory slot, and sound card. For latest motherboards, more peripherals are included since integrated circuits have cheap costs and sizes that can make efficient and cost-effective computers.

Solve 5 Common Wireless Network Problems

Yes, wireless network problems can be annoying when you want to get connected. Nevertheless, wireless network problems can usually be fixed without much fuss. Before you begin to troubleshoot what is wrong with your network. Make sure you have properly setup your network.

1. Unreliability

This is one of the most a common wireless network problems. It can be caused by faulty hardware or thick walls. More often than not this is caused by interference due to wiring in the building or home that doesn't allow for a particularly strong signal. Also wireless network strength can fluctuate widely from the same area.

The best solution to this wireless network problem is to boost the signal. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Your wireless device may offer a boost option in its package. If not, it might be best to create a boost using your home or building electricity wiring. This is sometimes known as a Homeplug Network. You can find devices these adapters at your local computer store or online.

2. Get Rid of Interference

Wi-Fi rich areas produce a lot of interference. Many routers can be vying for a place on a single channel. So, its best to change the channel to avoid interference. Switching channels can sometimes award the user with a significant boost in wireless performance. You can change the channel in your router and windows settings.

3. My Router Displays Lowers Speeds

In a perfect setting your router would get the maximum speed. However, the spec displayed on the box is achieved in a lab settings. Your speed result is usually and average. So if you have a 54Mbits/sec router. It's highly doubtful you will see any speeds near to that number. Be happy if you are crushing in the 30Mbits/sec range.

4. My Computer Won't Connect to the Internet

The best thing to do is to ensure that everything is plugged in properly. Look at your router lights to see if it indicates that a connection is being made with the internet. Also use Windows Network and Sharing Center to check your internet connection. Simply double click the internet icon in your task bar to and choose Network and Sharing Center then choose Manage Wireless Networks. Windows Problems and Solutions option will also provide you with some direction.

5. Slow Online Play

There are many reasons you may be experiencing slow online game play. Many of which may not be related to your own network. However, you should check to make sure your firewall isn't preventing the game from accessing the internet. Other factors maybe affected your online play. Check out Slow Internet Connections

Most wireless network problems can be quickly identified. If your problems persist on you should contact your ISP for help. Often they can be very useful in helping you solve your wireless network problems.

Hard Disk Data Recovery Software Download

For recovering and restoration of Hard disk data, there are a number of software which can be easily installed and operated, and you can recover the data through a non-destructive recovery software so that all your data is rescued, your deleted photos or music and video files are restored, even like other important documents. The Software is a simple and secure method to get hold of all deleted files from damaged or corrupted disks or memory cards.

The need for a recovery software is usually experienced by most of us. When you have trying to access a file or a folder on your PC, the computer can flash error messages, like "USB drive not recognized" on your screen. From this you can understand that the memory card data has been lost. When you encounter such data loss Hard Disk Data Recovery Software or Memory card data recovery software, both of which are similar, can help you to recover the lost files whether due to human error, power failure, or corrupted disk etc.

This is an easy, reliable and safe inexpensive method to restore the lost data from your hard disk, and they are flexible for all Window application. This software provides you very friendly interface, and thus you don't require any kind of complex training to handle the software.

When you have a Hard Disk Data Recovery Software you will be able to restore all formats of media files, which include, jpg, wav, bmp, mov., mp3, gif, txt., midi, impeg, aac, etc. The Hard Disk/Memory Card data recovery software can support many formats of digital memory cards, and many brands as well.

The Software can help you restore deleted, missing data or files from damaged disk drives. It can support all USB memory card storage devices like Secure Digital SD (micro SD, SDHC, mini SD, SDHC Plus), Compact Flash Memory card, Multimedia Card, Memory Stick and other common storage media and are compatible with many important bands including Kodak, Sanyo, Olympus, Umax, Sony, BenQ, Aiptek, Casio, Canon, Konica, Acer, Nikon, Philips, Digital Dream etc.,

The Software has user-friendly interface, and you don't have to learn to handle it. The software may require a Pentium processor in the system, having a memory space of about 128 MV RAM, and free disk space of about 10 MB, while it supports Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, 98, NT and ME versions of Windows.

Hard Disk Repair Tips

Hard drives work like the human body in the sense that if we don't keep them properly maintained, we will need hard disk repair. It's also similar in that we have a tendency to not worry about small problems until things completely stop working because of a serious issue. Before a hard drive crash we don't think about the measures for hard drive repair and why backups are a superb choice. Since data recovery techniques are not easy tasks and frequently must be handled by trained professionals and computer proficient people, it often remains "out of sight, out of mind". Fortunately, despite the technical nature of a hard disk, damage can be quite predictable.

Hard Drive Crash Warning Signs

Understanding the early signs of hard drive failure is key to being ready for a crash. It doesn't mean that these signs will automatically lead to hard disk crash and a need for data recovery, but it will surely help. The always infamous "blue screen of death" (BSOD) in Windows systems, is a key indicator, as it can predict crashes better than most signals. Your BIOS' S.M.A.R.T. system can also alert you to signs of a failed hard disk.

Other key physical failure signs include abnormal clicking, scratching or crushing noises. If you observe any of these, shut down your system immediately. In this case, it's likely your hard drive might be having a mechanical issue and needs data recovery. This sound is the sound of your drive heads, which may be scraping the platters. The more your drive heads damage the platters, the more critical data may be lost.

Are You Backed Up?

When hard disk damages occur, professional hard disk repair is the best possible option to enable your hard drive to recover its data. This hard disk repair is best performed by professionally trained people. Understand that it is possible that 100% of the data cannot be retrieved. The most prominent reason for this is the permanent damage to the hard drive. This is why backing up your data on a daily or at least weekly basis is really the only way to be certain about your data protection.

Platters in your hard drive spin at thousands of RPM. Small elements like dust particles and unnecessary movements can create irretrievable harm by damaging platters. When the data is backed up, it reduces the probability of data loss due to hard disk failure. The frequency of backup should depend upon the magnitude and significance of data.

Put The Drive Down... Slowly

Avoid opening the cover of a damaged hard drive with the intent to repair. Technologies have changed: hard disk drives are completely susceptible to damage from minor dust particles, gases and atmospheric elements. This is not a time to be a mechanical hero.

Keep It In Shape

Taking care of your drive through disk checks and defragmentation is a proactive way to ensure its future. But, be aware that failure is inevitable, and one day you may have to consider professional hard disk repair.

Best Hard Disk Recovery Software

Hard disk recovery software is used to recover data from a hard disk. There are many software in the market today that can be used to do this task.

The software you choose will be determined by the operating system and the hardware you have on your computer. Before thinking of buying any hard disk recovery software, there are some factors that you should take into consideration.

The first factor would be the type of damage that the hard drive has suffered.

This will also determine the success rate of the data recovery. You can be able to do the recovery on your own if the data was lost due to virus infection, operating system failure, deletion, formatting, etc.

Such situations where data is lost are normally categorized under the Logical Failure category.

Due to the fact that the loss is software related, it can be solved by hard disk recovery software.

Normally, such software is user friendly and they just need someone who is conversant with computers.

A hard disk recovery software is designed and made to retrieve the lost data from the storage media by scanning the media. In the event that the data loss resulted from physical damage, the process will be a bit complicated and it might require the help of a technician.

Physical damage might mean that some of the hard drive components have been compromised physically.

Hard drive components are like the read / write head, Printed Circuit Board (PCB), disk controller, spindle motor and disk platters.

In such cases, you will find that the system might not be able to start. In such situations, you will need the help of data recovery professionals to replace physical components of the hard drive in order to start the data recovery process.

Since most computer users have never seen the inside of a hard drive, it would be advisable to enlist the help of hardware professionals who will help you with the process.

Most of the time, such professionals will either repair or replace the hardware components of the hard drive before they can be able to do any data recovery.

If the hard disk fails to function after they have done this it will mean that chances of recovering your data will be very slim.

At other times, physical damage has been known to be beyond repair which will mean that the data will never be recovered. However, such cases are rare.

Tips For Locating A Gaming Computer

A lot of people are getting into gaming these days. And this is very understandable, with the huge leaps that gaming and the technology behind it is experiencing. Now, games have expanded from consoles, gaming computers and gaming laptops to dependable platforms in mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Also, the online gaming community has rapidly grown in size, influence and depth to become a real draw for new and hard-core gamers alike. This means that people are now factoring in the apps games that a device will support when making a purchasing decision for a new gadget. Also, more people are buying gaming computers and laptops that will allow them to enjoy the newest and best games, and are not just buying for Spartan purposes alone.

If you want to find the best among the many gaming computers on the market, you do not have to have the knowledge of a computer whiz to find it. Because gaming machines have become mainstream, there is a lot more information about them online. You can start your search on the web and visit the many tech related websites and forums out there. With the many reviews and lists that these tech institutions have, you will find no shortage of advice when it comes to the latest greatest gaming machines. From laptops, desktops to smart phones, there are tons of expert opinion about what is the best in terms of power, value and title offerings. Which leads us to the next tip: know which things will decide what is best for you.

When it comes to gaming computers, there really is no golden standard for what is best. You can look at it from a tech wizard who has no second thoughts about spending thousands of dollars on a machine that will give him the best gaming experience: power and performance all the way. Or you can go casual gamer and think about value for money, asking more practical questions like how many games can I play with the machine? How long will it remain a viable gaming machine? Can it support the kinds of games I am into? The best gaming machine will be the one that will answer your preferences. If you have the money to burn, you can custom build a gaming computer that will have all the bells and whistles like top of the line audio and graphics, liquid cooling systems, and all that jazz. Or if you just want to buy a solid, mid-level computer to play with your online buddies, a good computer from a trusted brand is what you are looking for.

How to Find Best Computer Components Online

Consumers purchase computer components online to make quick repairs to the device. It saves a great deal of time. Online shopping enables the consumer to access a large selection of products. It enables the computers to run around the clock without repair.

The consumers must be smart enough to search for computer parts and must go beyond the simple search items like "computer online store." It is the best bet to look for the specific parts they need. It is really difficult to filter through all the websites for one item. Instead the search engines must find the correct website.

The average customer might find it strange to purchase computer parts. There are several reasons for purchasing one's own computer parts. The computer repairman should be able to have a quick and easy source for the parts he needs. Shopping online can be done easily from the computer. Shipping of the product can be expedited as soon as possible, if necessary.

Buying computer parts online helps the customers to save money by purchasing the components themselves. Customers end up paying more if their computers are taken to a large company for repairs. The store takes its own time to get the part and fix the computer. It leads to the computer lying at the store for a long time.

The consumer can purchase all the parts on one website if he considers upgrading the computer or computer systems. Instead of searching the internet for different shops the consumer can shop at the store he trusts. This offers the customer the option of combining items for shipping and thus help in cutting down of costs.

Most of the online spare parts suppliers also work from a true "brick and mortar" store front. This means that a store might be right around the corner.

Enter search items to narrow down the supplier who is close. This can be done by entering the name of the location. For example, if you want to find a store in "Ocala, Florida", it will narrow the results to businesses that operate within close proximity to Ocala, Florida.

Computers parts are not only for repairman and computer wizards. They can be used by each and every individual to make repairs and upgrade their computer in an easier, cheaper and quicker way. Searching under the right parameters will make a big difference. Shopping online for computer parts saves time and energy.

10 Best Motherboards of 2011

There are many ways to define which motherboard is the best motherboard. Surveys asking, which is the best motherboard by popularity are not close to responses for the best motherboard by user. You really have to decide for yourself. Recently, buyers of technical items have been more discriminating and relied a lot on user reviews. I hope the information in this article assists you to know which motherboard is the best motherboard for you.

These ten motherboard choices are not in any order. We feel they are the ten best motherboards for 2011.

Intel D859EMV2L Pentium 4 Motherboard
This model has many expansion slots, USB2.0 connections and good workmanship. The design must be great since the memory on this mother board is blazing fast. The RDRAM price seems high but you get what you pay for. The motherboard manual says it needs a 350-watt power supply. Fully loaded that is not enough. Make sure you have a 550-watt power supply. With that power this mother of a board goes supersonic, even fully loaded.

Intel D945GTP Desktop Motherboard

The strength of this board is Intel brand and the fact it has IEEE-1394 support. This motherboard is works better with a step higher power supply than the motherboard manual advises. A 550-watt power supply works nicely.

Asus M4A78T-E Desktop Motherboard - AMD - Socket

This motherboard is very stable and works without surprises. There are many overclocking options, not hard to implement. It has a very good raid controller and external COM1 connector. The audio is fantastic. This seems to be a good candidate for the best motherboard, as far as we could tell. The motherboard manual and coordinated website are great. For those who build their own computer there are many helpful features.

Intel D915GEV Desktop Motherboard

This is another great motherboard that has the Intel brand dependability, 4Gb memory, 800 FSB, great on-board graphics and audio performance. Most buyers of this motherboard report having zero problems. The motherboard manual was adequate if you had some prior experience building your own computer.

MSI Platinum P7N SLI Platinum Desktop Motherboard

This surprising motherboard is very stable and full featured. The overclocking function is automatic which is nice. It is easy to upgrade, if you do it with MSI Utilities. The SATA connections were not so easy to reach and the motherboard manual could have been better. This board is bigger than most and for some a new case purchase might be necessary. Even with the less than perfect manual, it seemed easy overall to work with. Overall, the design helped make it easy to use. The motherboard drivers are simple to update.

GigaByte GA-X58A-UD7 Desktop Motherboard

There is no way around it, this may be the best motherboard for 2011 but this baby is expensive. The design even looks awesome and you can almost feel the power when you hold it and look it over. It has 10 SATA ports and everyone is 6GB ready. Overclocking is easy and it has a great ability to stay cool. The motherboard manual could have been easier to work with. The second IDE port is too far away for some connections and requires re-cabling, which is a pain. This great motherboard has LEDs to indicate power phases the RAM processor uses and two PCIEX16 slots. Despite the price, it has to rate as a one of the best motherboards of 2011.

Foxconn Mb 661Mx Plus Motherboard

This is a mid range priced motherboard. It is a socket 478 CPU MOBO but it does not have Dual memory capability. For people looking to exchange / replace an old 478 Socket board this is the best option. The board is stable and the motherboard manual is great.

ABIT KV-85 Desktop Motherboard

This motherboard is well priced for the features it has. It uses the VIA K8M800 chipset easy to work with. One problem was an incorrect BIOS temperature reading that is a bit annoying. All first time computer builders will find the motherboard manual very helpful. Most build-ups work the first time. That is how easy it is to work up to operating status. Overall, this is a great choice for those first venturing into building their first computer.

Asus AI Lifestyle P5K-E Desktop Motherboard

This motherboard is rated by users as a great bargain but the price has increased so something must have been upgraded in specifications. It is full featured with only some complaints about intermittent wifi problems.

Intel D850GBC Motherboard

This is another great Intel Motherboard for any build-up. This is considered a Pro Motherboard and it has great RDRAM but if something goes wrong, RDRAM is very costly and hard, at times, to get. The 800 bus on this motherboard is from the future. This motherboard needs a minimum of 1Gb RDRAM to operate at full capacity and it can go up to 2Gb if you can afford it. The motherboard manual is not for beginners.

Dell 1235 Laser Printer

The Dell 1235 laser printer has been known to stand out to most of your home or office printing needs. It is capable of producing high quality text printouts. This laser printer has also been known to produce crisp and sharp facsimile and photocopy images. It is truly a competent color laser multifunction printer.

Aside from these things, the 1235 printer is also affordable, compared to other laser printers that have been out in the market. Currently, it costs around 90 dollars cheaper than the other leading brands of printers. One of the reasons for this low price is the lack of wireless connections.

Another thing that you can easily notice with both the printer and the toner is the compact size of both products. In fact, you can easily store them wherever you want. The only important thing in terms of the storage of these products is to avoid placing heavy objects on top of them. Apparently, if you attempt to place a heavy object on top of the laser printing unit, the shell might be distorted. This is highly probable if a sudden strong force strikes the shell directly. As a result, you can have a crack somewhere on the laser printer. This crack may pose a hazard not only to the unit itself but also to you and your family or company. For instance, a crack may cause an unexpected fire to break out due to short-circuit or other similar circumstances. The crack may also cause malfunctioning of other inner parts of the printer.

As for the Dell 1235 toner, you can expect a leakage of the toner once this obtains a crack. The crack may be directly due to heavy weight placed above the toner cartridge. The relatively high temperature produced by the printer can cause the powder to build up. As a result, the blockage may obstruct the various vessels that are inside the unit. When this happens, there is a great chance that your printer toner may require a replacement. That applies to the printer as well.

Aside from pure text printing and pure graphic printing, this printer can also cater to other printing needs. One of these is the printing of facsimiles. When the laser printer toner has been subjected to the printing tests, the facsimile printouts were found to be crisp and lightly printed on the appropriate paper. However, the quality of the printouts is noted to be finely done, with minimal marks or aberrations along the edges of the text. In terms of printing scans, the 1235 printer has been found to have a similar type of print out when compared to print outs done for facsimiles. In addition to that, the depth of the printouts in this printing task has been found to be neatly done, with minimal smudges on any part of the printout. Another function of the laser printer that the toner can withstand is the photocopy task. For this one, a similar result has been found. Aside from that, a nice bonus that comes with these printing jobs is the printing speed. Apparently, the printing speed did not compromise the printing quality that the Dell 1235 laser printer can provide.

How Can You Extend The Cable On Your Headphones?

A common complaint about new headphones supplied with MP3 players and even with headphones bought of the shelf, is the length of the cable. Most manufacturers only provide short cables are 1.5 meters long. This is just too short if you want to plug the headphones into a television or other device that's not immediately next to you. You can of course extend the audio lead by using a headphone extension cable. This is a cable that is placed in between your audio device and your headphones. They are available in many lengths and more importantly, they come with different jack plug sizes, this means you must buy the correct cable or it will not fit.

Most portable MP3 type devices use a standard 3.5mm jack. This is often referred to as a mini jack. When purchasing an extension it's a good idea to opt for one that offers gold-plated contacts. The improve audio quality as gold is a better conductor for audio signals. Another benefit of using gold-plated audio cables is oxidization. Gold prevents rusting, this can be a problem in doors due to the moisture in the air that we breathe. When this moisture lands on none gold-plated contacts it begins oxidizing.

With traditional wire audio leads it's important to keep the cable as short as possible. Cables will suffer with signal loss and electrical magnetic interference. The longer the cable the more noticeable this will be. You can take a few measures to reduce these effects, most noticeably you can use a shielded cable, this adds a layer of foil around the cable to prevent interference. You can also opt for a headphone extension cable that has ferrite cores, these are small cylinder type barrels placed on either end of the cable. Headphone extension cables can be bought in lengths up to 20 meters, though with analogue signals it's wise to stick below 10 meters long.

Headphone extension cables are relatively inexpensive. You can buy a good quality shielded 10 meter long extension cable with gold-plated contacts for as little as fifteen pounds sterling or around 24 dollars. A shorter 3 meter cable with similar spec can be bought for around eight pounds or 13 dollars. What ever length you choose it's a good idea to buy online. Online retailers have fewer overheads and in turn tend to offer more competitive prices over their high street counterparts.

3 Types of Wireless Technology

Wireless applications are flexible, clean and convenient. Wires can go bad or get tangled and can make an application difficult to trouble shoot if there is a communication problem. As systems increase in size, often wired applications increase in the amount of wires which can be problematic. Wireless solutions can help when you want to communicate with a tank out in a remote area, want to check the status of something from a remote location, or when you don't want to install any wires. You can use long range wireless hardware to communicate with remote tank systems or you can use the cellular network. Infrared technology can be used instead of wires in indoor applications.

Here is a short list of 3 types of wireless technology:

   1. Zigbee Wireless Technology operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency. It supports mesh, star and cluster tree topologies. It is an inexpensive, general purpose, self-organizing and robust. Zigbee networks require one host or master like ZB-2550-T to be the coordinator for the network which will initialize and determine the most optimal transmission path between nodes. ZB-2550-T can bring RS-485 or RS-232 to zigbee wireless communication. Zigbee networks may have many slave routers like ZB-2551-T for transmitting and receiving with end devices. ZB-2551-T can bring RS-485 or RS-232 to zigbee wireless communication. The typical communication distance for zigbee hardware like ZB-2550-T and ZB-2551-T is 100 meters and the standard antenna is omni-directional. Longer range versions can communicate up to 700 meters. Directional antennas like ANT-15YG or omnidirectional antennas like ANT-15 may extend communication transmission up to 9 Km. Each zigbee network has an RF channel, a PAN ID, and each node has a unique node ID. Configuration of the network is done through a software utility. Zigbee networks support transparent, broadcast or Modbus communication modes.

   2. Infrared Technology uses electromagnetic radiation. IR-210 is a universal learning remote module that can learn up to 176 IR commands and save them to a file. It operates in the 32 to 56 KHz frequency. IR-210 has an RS-232 port and an RS-485 port so it can allow Modbus RTU based master devices to communicate with IR slave devices like televisions, projectors, and lighting controls. IR-210 is set up with a software utility which lets you configure Baud Rate, Net ID, Device Name, and commands. The typical communication distance between the IR-210 and end devices like digital picture frames is up to 7 meters.

   3. Radio Frequency Technology may operate in the 900 Mhz frequency. It supports point to point or multi-point topologies. SST-900 for example has 16 adjustable RF channels and different AP modes like Slave/P2P and Slave/Broadcast. Radio Frequency Technology supports peer to peer or broadcast communication modes. SST-900's RF network is configurable with a software utility which lets you configure an RF channel, group ID, AP mode, data format and baud rate. SST-900 has an internal self-tuner and its typical wireless transmission range is 1000 meters.