Upgrading and Repairing PCs (Upgrading & repairing) (Hardcover)

As you would expect, this edition is updated to include information about the latest hardware developments, including the Intel Pentium 4 and Itanium parts, as well as advances in optical storage technology. Mueller, aware that no computer ever really goes extinct, has kept his page count under control without sacrificing his depth of legacy coverage by putting older material--including the complete text of five previous editions--in Adobe Acrobat format on the CD-ROM. Other refinements include clearer line drawings and other illustrations, and an increase in the amount of how-to video (in Windows Media Player format) on the CD-ROM. The series of videos walks the viewer through the process of building a PC from the case up, and though it's sometimes hard to pick up on details (He plugged that thing into what?), the videos do inspire confidence. The volume of data is staggering, and it's surprisingly easy to navigate.

Gamers and others concerned with extracting every last bit of speed by overclocking and otherwise stressing their machines will probably be happier with the information they find on the Web. Mueller is mostly concerned with building fast but reliable systems, and doesn't touch on really out-there hardware--such as water-cooling systems for AMD Athlon processors--at all. That's fine, because he covers the hardware mainstream with near-absolute thoroughness. Buying this book is like buying a library; every hardware enthusiast needs one. --David Wall

Topics covered: Intel-compatible personal computer hardware (and, to some extent, the operating systems that run on it) from the dawn of PC time (about 1985 through the present day). Processors , motherboards, video systems, storage devices, peripherals--everything that goes inside, attaches t o, or communicates with a personal computer chassis is covered here. Readers become more than qualified to build systems from bare metal, and to diagnose and replace components.

Scott Mueller also has improved his SCSI coverage by including the most complete documentation of SCSI-1, SCSI-2 and SCSI-3, as well as explanations of the pseudonyms by which those technologies go (Wide SCSI, Ultra Wide SCSI, Fast SCSI and so on)--something that's harder to find than you might think. He also includes tables of SCSI signals for troubleshooting purposes, which is rare to find in print anywhere else.

As he always has, Mueller earns points for his clear statements of what connects with what and how. There are tables that correlate standard processor receptacles with the chips (from Intel, AMD, and Cyrix) that fit into them. There are thorough and well annotated lists of memory addresses, beep codes and hard disk specifications. He's used clear line drawings instead of the murky photos that damage many hardware books. Furthermore, he has an excellent writing style that's a pleasure to read. Mostly, you'll value Upgrading and Repairing PCs as a reference, but it includes tutorials on certain topics, including the assembly of a custom PC. --David Wall, Amazon.com

Topics covered: New RAM technologies, new motherboard standards (including ATX), new ATA bus specifications; peripheral goodies such as SuperDisk, re-writable CD drives, DVD drives, and LCD monitors; and SCSI (SCSI-1, SCSI-2 and SCSI-3). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.