This text offers information, including how-to advice for specific components, ample reference material, and a comprehensive case study on building a PC. It is intended for anyone who buys, builds, upgrades, or repairs PCs in a corporate, small business, or home setting. In addition to coverage of the fundamentals and general tips about working on PCs, this book includes chapters focusing on motherboards, processors, memory, floppies, hard drives, optical drives, tape devices, video devices, input devices, audio components, communications, power supplies, and maintenance. Special emphasis is given to upgrading and troubleshooting existing equipment. Also included: detailed information about the latest motherboards and chipsets from AMD, Intel, SiS, and VIA; extensive coverage of the Pentium 4 and the latest AMD processors, including the Athlon XP/MP; details about new hard drive standards, including the latest SCSI standards, ATA/133; Serial ATA, and the new 48-bit Big Drive ATA interface; extended coverage of DVD drives, including DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, and DVD+R/RW; details about flat panel displays, including how to choose one (and why you might not want to); new chapters on serial communications, parallel communications, and USB communications (including USB 2.0); and enhanced troubleshooting coverage.