Introduction. xxiv Features of this Book. xxvi Chapter 1: Introduction to the World of IT. 1 Who Needs This Book?.2 Technician Qualities.2 Breaking into IT with the CompTIA A+ Certification.5 Basic Skills for This Course.6 Types of Computers.
9 Basic Computer Hardware.9 Mice and Keyboards.16 Common Peripherals18 1s and 0s.21 Safety Notes.25 Chapter Summary.25 Key Terms.26 Review Questions.27 Exercises.
29 Activities.30 Chapter 2: Connectivity.33 Introduction to Connectivity.34 External Connectivity.34 Mouse and Keyboard Ports.34 Video Ports.35 Audio Ports.50 eSATA Ports.
51 Network Ports.51 Modem and Serial Ports.52 Network Cabling.54 Integrated Motherboard Ports.57 Getting to Know Ports.58 Wireless Connectivity for Input Devices.59 Chapter Summary.61 Key Terms.
62 Review Questions.64 Exercises.65 Activities.67 Chapter 3: On the Motherboard.71 Introduction to the Motherboard.72 Processor Overview.72 Processor Basics.73 Speeding Up Processor Operations Overview.
76 Cache.77 Clocking.78 Threading Technology.79 Connecting to the Processor.79 Multicore Processors80 Graphics Processing Unit (GPU).82 Introduction to Virtualization.82 Intel Processors.83 AMD Processors.
84 CPU Sockets.85 Processor Cooling.86 Installing a Processor.88 Upgrading Processors.90 Overclocking Processors.90 Installing CPU Thermal Solutions.91 Troubleshooting Processor Issues.92 Expansion Slots.
93 PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect).94 AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port).95 PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express).96 Chipsets.100 Types of Motherboards.101 Upgrading and Replacing Motherboards.102 Motherboard Troubleshooting.103 Chapter Summary.
106 Key Terms.108 Review Questions.109 Exercises.111 Activities.113 Chapter 4: Introduction to Configuration. 115 Configuration Overview.116 BIOS Overview.116 The Setup Program.
117 Flash BIOS.118 BIOS/UEFI Configuration Settings.119 CMOS Memory.123 Motherboard Battery.123 Firmware Updates: Flashing the BIOS/UEFI.124 Clearing CMOS.125 Other Configuration Parameters.126 Hardware Configuration Overview.
132 Installing a USB Device.134 Installing an eSATA Card.138 Installing a Network Interface Card.139 Video Overview.140 Video Cards.140 Troubleshooting Configurations.148 Chapter Summary.151 Key Terms.
152 Review Questions.153 Exercises.155 Activities.159 Chapter 5: Disassembly and Power. 161 Disassembly Overview.162 Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).162 Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).165 Tools.
165 Disassembly.167 Reassembly.176 Preventive Maintenance.177 Basic Electronics Overview.180 Power Supply Overview.184 Replacing or Upgrading a Power Supply.193 Power Protection.197 Symptoms of Power Supply Problems.
197 Chapter Summary.202 Key Terms.204 Review Questions.205 Exercises.208 Activities.209 Chapter 6: Memory. 211 Memory Overview.212 Memory Physical Packaging.
213 Planning a Memory Installation.214 Installing Memory Overview.226 Adding More Cache/RAM.228 Windows Disk Caching.229 Monitoring Memory Usage in Windows.231 Older Applications in Windows.233 Troubleshooting Memory Problems.234 Flash Memory.
235 Chapter Summary.238 Key Terms.239 Review Questions.240 Exercises.242 Activities.249 Chapter 7: Storage Devices. 251 Storage Devices Overview.252 Hard Drive Overview.
253 Solid State Drive (SSD) Overview.256 Hard Drive Interfaces Overview.258 M.2 and NVMe.260 PATA, SATA, and SAS Connectivity.261 Storage Device Configuration Overview.265 System BIOS/UEFI Configuration for Hard Drives.271 Hard Drive Preparation Overview.
272 Windows Disk Management.280 Fault Tolerance.282 Removable Drive Storage.