USB mice and keyboards have been around for as long as we can remember. This then begs the question, why do motherboards still have PS2 ports? Each answer fits only some scenario. There are many reasons for still having the PS/2 port. PS/2 keyboards and mice are recognized far more readily than their USB-based counterparts. …
If you have just found a sweet deal on an Intel CPU and are wondering if you can use it with an AMD motherboard you already own, then unfortunately, you will be disappointed. The short and simple answer to the question “can I use an intel processor on an AMD motherboard?” is a resounding no. …
A PCIe x1 slot has a single PCIe lane, whereas a PCIe x16 slot can have 4, 8, or 16 lanes, depending on how configured. Therefore, as far as the performance goes, a PCIe x16 slot can handle far more demanding expansion cards than a PCIe x1 slot. PCIe interface is critical for any PC …
If you have an old motherboard over a decade or so old, then it is possible that all or some of its SATA ports may conform to the SATA 2 (aka SATA 3Gb/s) version. Almost all newer SATA drives conform to the SATA 3 (aka SATA 6Gb/s) version. So when adding SATA 3 hard drive to …
The simple answer to the question “are all SATA cables the same?” is a yes. As far as the performance goes, ALL SATA cables are the same. Therefore, if you have an old SATA cable lying around and want to use it on your shiny new motherboard to connect a new hard drive, you most …
To get the best out of your RAM sticks, they should operate in multi-channel mode. The higher the data channels, the better the performance of the RAM sticks. Most motherboards offer dual-channel technology. Therefore, the answer to your question, “does my motherboard support quad-channel memory?” is generally a no. An average commercial PC, or even …
A bricked motherboard is a motherboard that has stopped working altogether. This is essentially the worst-case scenario for your motherboard. A motherboard gets bricked generally after a faulty BIOS upgrade. A motherboard can also be bricked if it comes broken. This is often referred to as DOA or Dead on Arrival. However, “bricked motherboard” is …
When a CMOS battery dies or fails, it can manifest itself in myriad ways, all of which are ugly and lead to system malfunction. In this article, I will discuss in detail what happens when a CMOS battery dies or fails. When a CMOS battery dies or is near depletion, one of the most common …
BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. This simple computer program is used when a computer turns on. It is the first operating system that talks directly to the hardware. Here I will talk about identifying the BIOS chip on the motherboard. You can use this information for your knowledge or if you want to do …
So you have just purchased a new monitor for your shiny new PC, but finding video output ports on both the motherboard and the graphics card has confused you. Should you connect the monitor to GPU or motherboard? The simple answer to the query is that you must connect your monitor to the GPU (dedicated). …