Welcome to my first edition of “Computers 101: The Basics”.

For our regular members, my Sunday posts may seem a little too basic for what PimpRig is all about and youÂ’ll find yourself becoming bored really quickly. On the other hand, weÂ’ve got quite a few lurkers out there that want to learn what computers are about but are afraid to ask. Since I donÂ’t know what level many of these people are at, I thought that I would start at the beginningÂ…just like I and everyone else did. Well, maybe not some of the staff around here. The movie "Demon Seed" was based upon the real life story of one of those guys...you just have to figure out which one.


I came to this forum as a novice and a "noOb" I shall remain for quite some time. Remember, we all have to start somewhere. That is why this unknown number of multi-part series is going to be designed to help bring the novice up to speed in the computing world and bring them into the fold of pimpinÂ’ rigs. By the time this series is concluded, you'll know what it means when someone refers to the timings on their RAM and what is meant by mentioning a multiplier.


To begin, youÂ’ve got to know the basic lingo and what those words really mean. For example, if I was to tell you that I got a new mobo with a killer air hsf combo that drops my cpu temps, you might not have any idea what in the world IÂ’m talking about. This glossary of acronyms (and included links for further study) is going to be a quick translation guide to get you on your way to be better able to talk with the others in these forums. WeÂ’ll actually talk about how these components work in later editions in addition to learning new acronyms and their terms...these are just the very basic of terms.


Case – It is the unit which holds all the components of a computer inside of. There are different configurations of motherboards (or form factors), which we will get into later.


CPU – Central Processing Unit. This is a chip inside your computer that processes all the data. When you bought your computer, perhaps the most advertised item about your computer was that is was an “Intel Pentium” or an “AMD Athlon XP”. AMD and Intel is the largest maker of cpu chips in the world. Some people tend to confuse this term with the PC, or Personal Computer.

HD – Hard drive. This is where any information that you save to your computer is stored. For example, if you save a document in Word, that hard drive is where it would be saved to.

HSF – Heat Sink Fan. This term is used to describe a specially designed piece of metal that it attached to the motherboard socket to aid in the dissipation of heat that is generated by the cpu. Without it, many of today’s cpu chips would burn out within a few seconds of being turned on. To further aid in the cooling of the cpu, a fan is attached to the top of the heat sink.

IDE – Integrated Drive Electronics. Currently the most popular form of interface between the drives and the motherboard. Another term for IDE is ATA, or Advanced Technology Attachment.

Mobo – Motherboard. This is the main circuit board for your entire computer that all the components are plugged into. It serves as a host for all the components of your computer to communicate with each other.

PC – Personal Computer, or that box thingy you plug all the cords into. Originally the term was coined by IBM to describe a computer small enough to use at home rather than some large basement of a business building. Many home computers today are built upon the IBM PC concept.

Motherboard socket – This is the socket in which the cpu sits in.

Northy – Northbridge. One of two logic chips on the motherboard. This chip comes attached to the motherboard and typically handles the information flow between the cpu, RAM, and your AGP slot. Usually located towards the top of the motherboard, hence the term “northbridge”.

OC – “Overclocking”. This term is used to describe modifying the settings on your computer to make the cpu process information at a higher rate than the manufacturer’s specifications.

PSU – Power Supply Unit. This is the unit which regulates the power to all your computer’s components.

RAM – Random Access Memory. Think of this as short-term temporary memory storage. When you run a program, the files needed are copied to the RAM for faster interaction instead of running directly from the hard drive. This also works in the reverse where new information is stored until it is saved to the hard drive. One thing to remember is that this is temporary…once you shut off your computer, anything in the RAM that isn’t already saved to the hard drive is lost.

Southbridge – This logic chip usually handles everything else that the northbridge doesn’t handle. Usually located towards the bottom of a motherboard, hence the term “southbridge”.

Next week, weÂ’ll take a more in-depth look at what a motherboard (or mobo) actually is.

Rob

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob Well, maybe not some of the staff around here. The movie "Demon Seed" was based upon the real life story of one of those guys...you just have to figure out which one.

I wish it were me, I could make good use of a couple of royalty checks

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob IDE – Integrated Drive Electronics. Currently the most popular form of interface between the drives and the motherboard. Another term for IDE is ATA, or Advanced Technology Attachment.

I don't know about most popular, unless you meant with the manufacturers since they have tons of them that may not ever get used. They are the most prevalant though.

Nice article Rob, but I am still waiting for tomorrow's......

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob Motherboard socket – This is the socket in which the cpu sits in.

Also reffered to as the "ZIFF" socket...
Nice 101 Rob

Quote: Originally Posted by godfoot I wish it were me, I could make good use of a couple of royalty checks

I didn't know that you needed to buy a cup of coffee that bad, Godfoot!



Just kidding...seriously, I think that movie only applied to the geek crowd and didnt' fare so well at the box office. As a matter of fact, I think that was one of the biggest bombs of 1977.

Rob

Quote: Originally Posted by ZENNZZO Also reffered to as the "ZIFF" socket... Nice 101 Rob

I thought it was just ZIF - Zero Insertion Force.

Quote: Originally Posted by Iateronmly I thought it was just ZIF - Zero Insertion Force.

ah you see its zenns' way of thinking.

Zero Insertion Force....*noob puts chip in and bends pins on cpu*.....F**K!!!

If you bend a pin, get a mechanical pencil and place the pin the hollow end of the mechanical pencil and you can easily straighten out the pin. I learned that trick back in the old days when 386 cpus roamed the markets.

Quote: Originally Posted by Crazy_J If you bend a pin, get a mechanical pencil and place the pin the hollow end of the mechanical pencil and you can easily straighten out the pin. I learned that trick back in the old days when 386 cpus roamed the markets.

Problem is, any more than 500 pins and you are going to need a
0.1MM mechanical pencil and a magnifying glass, additionally.

Quote: Originally Posted by Rob Just kidding...seriously, I think that movie only applied to the geek crowd and didnt' fare so well at the box office. As a matter of fact, I think that was one of the biggest bombs of 1977. Rob

That movie is pretty obscure, I must have seen it at least 10 times by now, still watch it when ever it comes on!

None of the staff are the "Demon Seed" but some of us are descendants of Androids from FutureWorld