Post on 27-Dec-2015
Upgrading
Why should I upgrade?
Make it fasterMake it biggerRun the latest softwareDo you NEED or WANT an upgrade?
Are there financial incentives to do it now?
Upgrade or buy a new one?
Figure out what you needMake a listCompare cost of upgrade to the cost of buying a new one and selling or donating your old computer
Computers will keep getting cheaper and faster
Types of upgrades
Adding memory
Virtual memory and RAM DoublerHow much to add?What to buy?
MacPCGetting the right speedWill you have to take out the old ones?
Where to buy?
Adding hard drive space
Can replace or add a driveMacintosh - external SCSIInternal hard drives can be SCSI or IDE - make sure you get the right one!
May have to flip jumpers or DIP switches
Adding removable storage
ZIP drivesSuperDisk drivesSyQuest drivesAdditional floppy drivesTape backupsJAZ drivesORB drives
Upgrading optical storage
CD-ROMCD-RCD-RWDVD-ROMWhat does the 2x/4x/16x/32x mean?
CD-ROM SpeedsGeneral Speed Seek Time Data Transfer Rate
Single-Speed 600 150K/Sec
2x 320 300K/Sec
3x 250 450K/Sec
4x 135-180 600K/Sec
6x 135-180 900K/Sec
8x 135-180 1.2 Mbps
10x 135-180 1.6 Mbps
12x 100-150 1.8 Mbps
16x 100-150 2.4 Mbps Maximum
24x 100-150 3.6 Mbps
32x 100-150 4.8 Mbps
Source: http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/C/CD_ROM.html
Adding peripherals
Scanners & camerasGaming devicesModems and network cardsPrinters
Upgrading your monitor
Larger monitorBetter dot pitchBetter refresh rateMore colorsHigher resolutions
Upgrading video cards
Add VRAM to get more colors, higher resolution
Support a second monitorGraphics Acceleration3D Acceleration
Upgrading sound cards
8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bitUsually connects to CD-ROMSoundBlaster compatibleMost support MIDIMacs come with integrated sound
Upgrading software
Before upgrading, ask yourself, “Why?”
ALWAYS back up before upgradingOperating systems
Upgrading to latest versionReplacing with a different OS entirely
ApplicationsDisable virus protectionUpgrade only one at a timeRebuild desktop on Macs after upgrading
Overclocking / Clock Chipping
Speeding up MHz of the existing processor
Voids your warrantyCan cause overheating, processor failure
Not the same as replacing the processor, you either replace a crystal or add a chip that accelerates the processor
Safety precautions for upgrades
Power offGive yourself plenty of room to workGround yourself to reduce staticHold parts by their edgesKeep plastic, vinyl and Styrofoam away
Keep track of what and where you’re unplugging things
Pull the plug, not the cable
Adding a card
Read the instructions carefullyRead the instructions againRemove coverRemove cover plateInstall board, make sure it fits snugly
Secure it with a screwTest before replacing the cover
IRQ, DMA, I/O, Plug & Play
PC world problemInterrupt RequestDirect Memory AccessInput/Output AddressPlug & play automatically assigns these
Without plug & play, you may have to move jumpers, flip DIP switches, or reconfigure existing devices
Expansion Slots
Important concepts:Bus width (in bits): How much data passes through the bus at one time.
Bus speed (in MHz): How fast data passes through the bus.
Latency: how long it takes between chunks of data.
Local Bus: bypasses the expansion bus, dedicated path to processing
Crosstalk: interference caused by magnetic fields in parallel wires
PDS
Processor Direct SlotOriginal slot used in early Macs
Direct bus to main logic boardMay have to buy card for specific machine
NuBus
Stands for “New Bus”Developed in ’70s at MITUsed in Macs1987-199510 MHz bus speed Video adaptersEthernet cardsPC cardsAcceleration cards
Comm Slot
LC 575, 580, PowerMac 5x00, 6x00
Can only use a modem or network card
I’ve had problems with Comm Slot Ethernet cards
PCI
Peripheral Component InterconnectLocal Bus to processor32-Bit or 64-bit bus33 or 66 MHzCross-platform, Industry standardFaster than NuBus, but Low costSome cards are “bus masters”, meaning they take over the PCI bus from the CPU
ISA
Industry Standard Architecture8-bit or 16-bit bus8 MHz bus speedOriginal bus used in most older IBM XT/AT and compatibles
EISA
Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture
32-bit busSlow bus speed - 8.25 MHzHigh latencyGood for moving large data, bad for small data (like video)
More expensive
MCA
Micro Channel Architecture32-bit busProprietary IBM architectureCards were really expensiveNot backwards compatible with older cards
VESA
Video Electronics Standards Association
Local Bus-bypasses expansion bus and goes directly to the processor
32-bit bus33 MHz bus speedUsed mainly for video cards
AGP
Accelerated Graphics PortDeveloped by Intel32-bit bus66 MHzDedicated channel to the graphics controller
Very fast video
IDE
Integrated Drive ElectronicsUsed for internal hard drives or CD-ROM drives
Less expensive than SCSI drives
Serial
Macintosh: Modem and printer portsCan also used for other devices
PC: COM1, COM2, COM3, COM49-pin or 25-pinUsually used for modems, mice, and sometimes printers
RS-232 (electronic Industries Association)
Parallel
Sometimes called Centronics portsPC only25-pin female type D connector8-bits at a time, each down a separate wire
Crosstalk a problem, especially with long cables
Usually used for printers and ZIP drives
Monitor Port
PC:EGA - old, 9-pin, low resolution
VGA / SVGA / XGA - 15-pin HD15 connector
Macintosh:Most have wider 15-pin DB15 connector
Can get adapters to use regular VGA monitors
Keyboard Port
Macintosh: ADB (Apple Desktop Bus)
DIN 5-pin keyboard port
Mini DIN-6 PS/2 ports
Not hot swappable… or is it?
Mouse port
Macintosh: ADB (Apple Desktop Bus)PS/2 port
(Bus mouse) - Mini DIN-9
Serial mice
USB mice
SCSI Port
Small Computer System InterfaceA parallel, high speed interfaceUsed mostly for storage devices and scanners
Up to 7 devices in serialNEVER hot-swap!
USB PortUniversal Serial BusDeveloped by Compaq, Digital, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, NEC and Northern Telecom.
Expected to replace serial and parallel ports
12 Mbps-Faster than serial, slower than SCSI
Hot-swappableFound on PCs, current Macs and iMacsUp to 127 devices, using hubs
Firewire (IEEE 1394) Port
New standard developed by AppleExtremely fast bus - 400 MbpsTiny connectorsHot-swappable, up to 63 devicesUsed for digital video currentlyWill be on all new Macs from 2000 onCan be used for drives and other devices
Can get PCI card with Firewire ports
Where to look for definitions
http://www.pcwebopaedia.com/http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/
http://www.ugeek.com/glossary/http://pgonline.webpoint.com/computer/
http://www.dircon.co.uk/pctechguide/