GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
April 11, 2002
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Agenda – April 11, 2002
7:00 – 7:05 Administration
 7:05 – 8:15 Featured Topic – System RAM plus
Motherboard Features Beyond Core Logic
(Chipsets)
 8:15 – 8:30 Hardware News
 8:30 – 8:55 Random Access (Q&A)
 8:55 – 9:00 Recap, Preview, and Close

April 11, 2002
2
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Administration
Welcome! Please Sign In.
 What the SIG is…and is not.

Is – an information resource for computer users and
potential computer users
 Is NOT – a way to get your computer built or repaired
(contact the GSBUG Daytime Hardware SIG)


Log – Random Access/Q&A (First Come…)
April 11, 2002
3
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Administration (continued):

Presentation materials will be posted at:
http://gsbug.apcug.org

Prior presentation materials are also posted.
April 11, 2002
4
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM
“System RAM” – the random access memory (RAM)
used by the CPU for instruction and data purposes.
 “DRAM” – dynamic RAM (only retains data when
power is applied/refreshed)
 Primary types:

SDRAM (synchronous DRAM)
 RDRAM (Rambus DRAM) or DRDRAM (Direct Rambus
DRAM)

April 11, 2002
5
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM (continued)

CAS Latency (CL) – definition per Crucial
Technology (division of Micron):
“The amount of time in nanoseconds (often measured in
clock cycles) between a request to read the memory, and
when it is actually output. SDRAMs are typically referred
to as CL 2 or CL 3, with CL 2 parts being faster.”
 Today, frequently also CL 2.5


Unbuffered vs Registered vs Registered ECC –
consult your motherboard manual for what you need.
For the curious, see
http://www.crucial.com/library/glossary.asp
April 11, 2002
6
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM (continued)

SDRAM
All types with 64-bit wide data path
 PC100




PC133




April 11, 2002
100MHz (800MB/sec transfer rate – 8 bytes x 100MHz)
168-pin DIMM
133MHz (1.06GB/sec transfer rate)
Requires 133MHz data bus (chipset support)
Supported by all the current SDR SDRAM chipsets
168-pin DIMM
7
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM (continued)

SDRAM (continued)

DDR (double data rate) SDRAM





April 11, 2002
Currently 100/200MHz, 133/266MHz, and 166/333MHz
1.6GB/sec (PC1600), 2.1GB/sec (PC2100), and 2.7GB/sec
(PC2700) transfer rates, respectively
Sometimes referred to as PC200, PC266, and PC333 DDR
SDRAM, respectively
Requires DDR chipset support – see last presentation (on Core
Logic/Chipsets); varies by chipset
184-pin DIMM
8
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM (continued)

RDRAM
16-bit wide data path
 Three speed grades - current:




PC600 (600MHz – 1.2GB/sec transfer rate) – seldom seen
PC700 (711MHz – 1.4GB/sec transfer rate) – seldom seen
PC800 (800MHz – 1.6GB/sec transfer rate)
PC1066 (1066MHz – 2.1GB/sec) – sampling now
 184-pin RIMMs (Rambus In-Line Memory Modules)
 Requires “Continuity RIMM (CRIMM)” in empty sockets

April 11, 2002
9
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
System RAM (continued)

RDRAM (continued)
Compatible chipsets – currently only Intel 850 and 860
 NOW priced roughly on par (possibly lower than) quality
DDR SDRAM; higher than PC100/PC133
 Performance – depending on the configuration and
application, faster than other forms of DRAM (PC800 is
equivalent to PC3200 DDR SDRAM in max transfer rate –
2 Bytes, 800MHz, dual channel).

April 11, 2002
10
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features

“Slots”

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)





PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - typical




April 11, 2002
32-bits wide, capable of 66MHz(1X) to 266MHz(4X)
264MB/sec (1X) to 1.06GB/sec (4X) transfer rate
Video cards only.
Brown connector.
32-bits wide, capable of 33MHz (desktop)
132MB/sec transfer rate (desktop)
Used for older video cards; current HDCs, sound cards,
modems, and NICs; various specialty adapters.
White connector.
11
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

“Slots” (continued)

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - other




ISA (Industry Standard Architecture)




April 11, 2002
32-bits wide, 66MHz (desktop/server); 64-bit wide, 33 or 66MHz
(workstations and servers)
Up to 528MB/sec
Used for HDCs, NICs, and some specialty adapters
16-bits wide, typically capable of 8.33MHz
16MB/sec transfer rate
Typical used for older sound cards, modems and NICs
Black connector.
12
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

“Ports”
Serial (1 or 2 ports typ)
 Parallel (ECP/EPP; 1 port typ)
 PS/2 (2 ports – keyboard and mouse)

April 11, 2002
13
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

“Ports” (continued)

USB (Universal Serial Bus) – chipset dependant

Three speed:






April 11, 2002
Low speed = 1.5Mb/sec (.187MB/sec) – USB 1.1
Full speed = 12Mb/sec (1.5MG/sec) – USB 1.1
High speed = 480 Mb/sec (60MB/sec) – USB 2.0
Attach up to 127 devices – including mice, keyboards, cameras,
printers, ZIPs, some HDD, etc.
Number of ports varies – min 2. Combos of USB 1.1 and 2.0.
For “outside the box” devices
14
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

“Ports” (continued)
Audio (sound “card”, down) – line in, line out, mic, joy
stick(MIDI port)
 Video (for video “card”, down)
 NIC (network interface “card”, down)



IEEE 1394 (“firewire”, iLink)


April 11, 2002
Typically “10/100” (Mb/sec)
Today provides a maximum 400Mb/sec (50MB/sec) transfer rate
(1394-1995). For “outside the box” devices.
Typically used to connect digital video cameras, HDDs.
15
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

Other Interfaces, Misc.
Internal connectors – floppy, IDE, SCSI
 USB header(s)
 IrDA (infrared) header
 CD-ROM (sound) – 1 or 2
 Wake-on-LAN
 SMBus (System Management Bus)
 Fan headers

April 11, 2002
16
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Other Motherboard Features (continued)

Other Interfaces, Misc. (continued)
Panel lights (power, HD activity, sleep) & switches (power,
reset, sleep)
 Jumpers and/or DIP switches (CMOS clear/flash, CPU
multiplier, CPU voltage, bus speeds, keyboard power-on,
suspend-to-RAM, etc.)
 Power (ATX, ATX12V, WTX, proprietary)


Show-and-Tell
April 11, 2002
17
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Hardware News

Processors


Intel released the 2.4GHz Pentium 4 – simple line
extension.
Core Logic (chipsets)
SiS released the SiS 645DX Northbridge – adds DDR333
support to the SiS 645; for Intel P4; “OC” to 533MHz FSB
 SiS announced the SiS 648 Northbridge – adds DDR 400
and AGP 8X support to the SiS 645DX.

April 11, 2002
18
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Hardware News (continued)
System RAM – nothing new
 Motherboards – nothing new
 Graphics processor & card – nothing new
 Hard Drives – nothing new
 Hard Drive Controllers


April 11, 2002
Promise announced the FastTrak 2000 – IDE RAID for
Ultra ATA/133 hard drives
19
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Hardware News (continued)

Other Drives
Plextor introduced the PlexCombo 12/10/40-12A drive 12x10x40 CD-RW with 12X DVD read; ATAPI
 TDK introduced 40x12x48 CD-RW drives with ATAPI and
USB 2.0 interfaces

Sound processors & cards – nothing new
 Modems & NICs – nothing new
 Chassis & power supplies – nothing new

April 11, 2002
20
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Random Access (Q&A)
April 11, 2002
21
GSBUG Hardware Info SIG
Recap, Preview, and Close
Recap
 Preview



Featured Topic for May 9 – Hard Drives and “Floppies”
Close (please police up the area)
April 11, 2002
22