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Specifically designed for
value PCs, the new Intel 810 chipset integrates 3-D AGP graphics and enables
software-based audio, modem and DVD capabilities. The Intel 810 chipset brings
higher levels of performance and new technologies to low-cost PCs while
integrating capabilities that would otherwise require dedicated hardware
add-in cards. This unique design helps PC manufacturers reduce costs and
deliver more value to users.
The Intel 810 chipset uses several new innovations to deliver enhanced
performance for value PCs. For example, the new Direct AGP and Dynamic Video
Memory technologies provide AGP 2X-class performance for today's 3-D software
applications. In addition to integrating technologies, the Intel 810 chipset
adds new capabilities including Instantly Available PC technology, which
allows computers to quickly resume operation with low levels of power, and
Intel Accelerated Hub Architecture, which doubles the size of the
communications channel within the chipset for better multimedia performance.
The Intel 810 chipset also removes outdated "legacy" technology such
as ISA in order to improve reliability and ease-of-use.
The Intel 810DC100 is capable of interfacing with 4 MB of optional display
cache.
The term is often used to
refer to the core functionality of a motherboard. A number of
integrated circuits designed to perform one or more related functions. For
example, one chipset may provide the basic functions of a modem while another
provides the CPU functions for a computer. Newer chipsets generally include
functions provided by two or more older chipsets. In some cases, older
chipsets that required two or more physical chips can be replaced with a
chipset on one chip.
The VIA MVP4 is a socket 7
motherboard core logic chipset that features an integrated 64bit 2D/3D AGP
graphics engine with hardware DVD acceleration. Other integrated features
include AC97 Audio which is Sound Blaster Pro and FM synthesis compatible. The
MVP4 consists of both the VT82C501 North Bridge, which contains the integrated
graphics accelerator, and VT82C686 Super South Bridge where the integrated
AC-97 Audio controller is located. Other than this, the MVP4 also incorporates
temperature and fan speed hardware monitoring.
The VIA Apollo Pro133A
chipset is based on an innovative and scaleable architecture with proven
reliability and performance. It is a two-chip set consisting of the VT82C694X
North Bridge Controller and a choice of VT82C596B or VT82C686A South Bridge
Controllers. Additional key features include support four USB ports, AC-97
link for audio and modem, hardware monitoring, and power management.
Te VIA Apollo KT133 is
based on an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and
performance. It is a two-chip set consisting of the VT8363 North Bridge
controller and the VT82C686A South Bridge controller. Additional key features
include support four USB ports, AC-97 link for audio and modem, hardware
monitoring, and power management.
The VIA Apollo KX133 is
based on an innovative and scalable architecture with proven reliability and
performance. It is a two-chip set consisting of the VT8371 North Bridge
controller and the VT82C686A South Bridge controller. Additional key features
include support four USB ports, AC-97 link for audio and modem, hardware
monitoring, and power management.
The Intel® Pentium® III
processor offers great performance for today's and tomorrow's applications as
well as quality, reliability, and compatibility from the world's leading
microprocessor company. Ideal for avid PC users, gamers and serious Internet
surfers, the Pentium III processor can unleash the full multimedia
capabilities of your computer — including full-screen, full-motion video and
realistic graphics — for an enhanced, exciting Internet experience.
The successor to the
Pentium Pro from Intel. Pentium II refers to the Pentium II CPU chip or to the
PC that uses it. Code named "Klamath," the Pentium II is a Pentium
Pro with MMX instructions. Introduced in 1997 at clock rates of 233MHz and
266MHz, it uses a 66MHz system bus and houses the chip in a cartridge, called
the Single Edge Connector (SEC). It holds the CPU and separate L2 cache and
plugs into Slot 1 on the motherboard. The chip also requires variable power
voltages.
In January 1998, Intel introduced a new model of the Pentium II (code named
Deschutes) that is built with .25 micron technology (rather than .35), thereby
reducing the chip size from 202 to 131 square millimeters. The first model ran
at 333MHz and used a 66MHz bus with many variations coming.
A brand name for a line of Intel microprocessors introduced in June, 1998.
Celeron chips are based on the same P6 architecture as the Pentium II
microprocessor, but are designed for economical or valued PCs. They run at somewhat lower
clock speeds and are not as expandable as Pentium II microprocessors.
Pentium®
processor with MMXTM technology offers several micro-architectural
enhancements:
- Full support for
Intel MMX media enhancement technology.
- Doubled code and data
caches to 16K each. On chip level 1 data and code cache sizes have been
doubled to 16KB each on the Pentium processor with MMX technology.
- Improved branch
prediction. Dynamic branch prediction uses the Branch Target Buffer (BTB)
to boost performance by predicting the most likely set of instructions to
be executed.
- Enhanced pipeline.
- Deeper write buffers.
A U.S. corporation founded
in 1988 that manufactures Intel-compatible microprocessors. Its 6x86 line of
processors is comparable to Intel's line of Pentium chips. In 1997, Cyrix was
acquired by National Semiconductor.
Advanced Micro
Devices, a manufacturer of chips for personal computers. Along with
Cyrix, AMD is challenging Intel with a set of Intel-compatible
microprocessors. AMD's two latest chips, the K-6 and Athlon, support
MMX instructions.
The form factor for Intel's
Pentium II processors. The Slot 1 package replaces the Socket
7 and Socket 8 form factors used by previous Pentium processors. Slot 1 is
a 242-contact daughter card slot that accepts a microprocessor packaged as a
Single Edge Contact (SEC) cartridge. A motherboard can have one or two Slot 1s.
If using a Slot 1
motherboard, one can purchase a slotket, which will support socket
370 chips.
The physical and electrical
specification for the edge-connector used by AMD's Athlon
processor. The connector allows for a higher bus rate than Socket
7 or Super 7. Slot A motherboards use Compaq's EV6 bus protocol. Slot A is
mechanically compatible but electrically incompatible with Intel's Slot
1.
Socket 370 is Intel's new
plastic PGA ZIF motherboard socket for its line of Celeron and Pentium
processors. Intel plans to move its entire processor line from the Slot
1 to the socket 370 standard.
Using a Slot 1 motherboard, you can purchase a slotket,
which will support socket 370 chips
The form factor for
fifth-generation CPU chips from Intel, Cyrix, and AMD. All Pentium chips,
except Intel's Pentium Pro (Socket 8) and Pentium II (Slot 1), conform to the
Socket 7 specifications. Intel has decided to phase out Socket 7 and replace
it with Slot 1. But Intel's competitors, such as AMD and Cyrix, are sticking
with Socket 7, and are developing an enhanced version. Socket 7 is 321Pins
& support CPU from 75Mhz to200Mhz P54C or P54CS CPU.
ATX motherboard superseded
the widely-used Baby AT design. ATX rotates the CPU and memory 90 degrees,
allowing full-length boards in all sockets. The power supply blows air over
the CPU rather than pulling air through the chassis.
The Micro ATX is a
smaller version of the ATX with fewer slots.
The modern-day shape and
layout of PC motherboards. It improves on the previous standard, the Baby
AT form factor, by rotating the orientation of the board 90 degrees. This
allows for a more efficient design, with disk drive cable connectors nearer to
the drive bays and the CPU closer to the power supply and cooling fan.
The physical size of a
device as measured by outside dimensions. With regard to a disk drive, the
form factor is the overall diameter of the platters and case, such as
3.5" or 5.25", not the size in terms of storage capacity.
Universal Serial
Bus is a new external bus
standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single
USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices,
such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports Plug-
and-Play installation and hot plugging. With USB, you can add and
remove devices to a computer while the computer is running and have
the operating system automatically recognize the change. You can
plug in a device and play with it, without worrying about setting
DIP switches, jumpers, and other configuration
elements.
*: max
(Basic Input Output
System) An essential set of routines in a PC, which is stored on a chip
and provides an interface between the operating system and the hardware. The
BIOS supports all peripheral technologies and internal services such as the
realtime clock (time and date).
On startup, the BIOS tests the system and prepares the computer for operation
by querying its own small CMOS memory bank for drive and other configuration
settings. It searches for other BIOS's on the plug-in boards and sets up
pointers (interrupt vectors) in memory to access those routines. It then loads
the operating system and passes control to it. The BIOS accepts requests from
the drivers as well as the application programs.
BIOS's must periodically be updated to keep pace with new peripheral
technologies. If the BIOS is stored on a ROM chip (ROM BIOS), it must be
replaced. Newer BIOSs are stored on a flash memory chip that can be upgraded
via software.
DMI (Desktop Management
Interface) is an industry framework for managing and keeping track of
hardware and software components in a system of personal computers from a
central location. DMI was created by the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF)
to automate system management and is particularly beneficial in a network
computing environment where dozens or more computers are managed. DMI is
hardware and operating system-independent, independent of specific management
protocols, easy for vendors to adopt, mappable to existing management
protocols such as the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and used on
network and non-network computers.
(Accelerated Graphics
Port) A high-speed graphics port from Intel that provides a direct
connection between the display adapter and memory. AGP is faster than PCI, and
only one AGP slot is provided on AGP-equipped motherboards. The PCI slot that
would normally hold the display adapter can be used for another device. The
brown AGP slot is slightly shorter than the white PCI slot and is located
about an inch farther back. Designed to speed up 3-D graphics performance, AGP
transfers data at 264 MBytes/sec (1x AGP), 528 Mbytes/sec (2x AGP) and 1
Gbytes/sec (4xAGP).
(1) (COder-DECoder)
Hardware or software that converts analog sound, speech or video to digital
code (analog to digital) and vice versa (digital to analog). Hardware codecs
(chips) are built into devices such as digital telephones and
videoconferencing stations. Software codecs are used to record and play audio
and video over the Web utilizing the CPU for processing. Although hardware
codecs are faster than software routines, as desktop machines become more
powerful, they can more adequately handle the processing load required for the
conversion.
(2) (COmpressor/DECompressor)
Hardware or software that compresses digital data into a smaller binary format
than the original. It generally refers to software routines that
compress/decompress and possibly encrypt/decrypt data. However, the codec as
described in definition #1 above is also often called a compressor/decompressor,
because compression is an inherent part of the algorithms that produce the
digital code.
AC'97 Codec enables software audio and modem by using the processor to run
sound and modem software. By reusing existing system resources, this feature
adds flexibility, improves sound quality, and lowers the system BOM cost by
eliminating components.
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