AGP
In short, AGP uses the main PC memory to hold 3D images. In effect, this gives the AGP video card an unlimited amount of video memory. Learn more in this article.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

All About Partitioning
Partitioning is one of the necessary steps to prepare a drive for use. This document contains vital information on partitioning.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

All About Plug-and-Play
Plug-and-play, or PnP, is a system built into newer systems so that you can install devices built for it with ease. All of the settings, like IRQs and drivers, are taken care of so that, theoretically, you can have your new hardware working for you in a couple minutes. This article covers the ins and outs of Plug and Play.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

AMD Family Chips
The AMD K-Series chips started it all for AMD. Check the K-series.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

AMD K6-2: Overclocking Woes
Chip manufacturers often discourage overclocking by saying it's dangerous and bad for the CPU, but many of us want to squeeze every possible ounce of strength out of our chips, with the notion that we're getting "real" value for money. Let's find out why people are kicking up a fuss about the K6-2, then.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Beep Codes
Demystifying the cryptic System beep codes on startup. Learn exactly what your computer is trying to tell you when it starts up in this document.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Build Your Own PC
Learn how to build your own PC as we take you through the process step-by-step!
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Building the Perfect PC
Everyone wants the perfect PC, including you, right? Well now you can get it with this easy tutorial!
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:27:55 PM EST

Celeron 300A Overclocking Guide
Get the most for your money! A guide to overclocking the Celeron 300A.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Chipsets
The chipset controls the system and its capabilities. It is the hub of all data transfer. It is a series of chips on the motherboard, easily identified as the largest chips on the board with the exception of the CPU. And they are integrated which means they are soldered onto the board and are not upgradeable without buying a whole new motherboard.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Choosing a Computer Case
This document contains information you should consider when buying a computer case.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Cooling Tools
Your system temperature is too high? Do you have twenty high-power fans in your system but they still can't prevent your system from locking up halfway through the boot-up? We take a look at some of the readily available means of bringing your system temperature down to acceptable levels.
Monday, September 27, 1999 11:16:22 AM EST

CPU Installation
Things to consider when installing a new CPU, including Heat Sinks and explanations of Upgrades, as well as a step-by-step guide to install your new processor.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

CPU Overclocking
A guide to overclocking your processor. Includes the ethics and reasons NOT to perform this sometimes dangerous procedure.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

CPU Voltage: What's the Big Deal?
In today's processors, voltage is a major concern. In the pre-486DX66 days, everything was 5 volt, so there was no question on voltage, and nobody cared. Today, voltage concern plague every CPU buyer.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Create a System Disk
A good, valid system disk is invaluable in the event of an emergency. Taking a few minutes to create a good one is a good idea. With this tutorial, you'll learn how.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Cyrix 6x86 Family Chips
The 6x86 is Cyrix's sixth generation processor, also nicknamed the M1. Learn about it and other Processors from Cyrix.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Desktop Video: A Starter's Guide to Video Editing
So you want to be the next George Lucas, but lack the direction or know-how to get started? In this tutorial, we take you through the wonderful world of desktop video editing--teaching you the basics, how it works, what to look for, what you need and general tips on how you can create professional quality desktop videos on your PC.
Thursday, August 19, 1999 10:10:10 AM EST

Elements of 3D
No doubt, if you are a gamer, you want realistic 3D images and you want them fast. You've heard terms like DirectX and OpenGL thrown around, and you might know what they mean. Read this article to find out.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Elements of a Good Video Card
All the elements to look out for when searching for a good Video Card.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Expansion Cards
All about expansion cards, including slot types, card types, definitions, IRQ and DMA example settings, memory addressing, and card installation.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

File Structure
In this article, file structure on a hard drive will be covered -- tracks, sectors, cylinders, etc., plus you'll find out what happens when you format and partition a drive.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

File Transfer - Old Drive to New Drive
Worried that you'll lose all your valuable data when you upgrade to you new hard drive? This tutorial covers how to transfer files from your old drive to your new drive.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Floppy Drives
The floppy drive is one of the easiest parts of the computer to work with. And, considering other parts, there isn't that much to know about floppy drives. Nonetheless, they are very important to the operation of a complete computer. Basically every computer has one, even if they always use a ZIP drive, or even a Super LS-120 120MB floppy drive.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Fooling With Cooling
In the market for a decent heatsink? Want to learn more about the qualities that makes one better than the other? Sander gives a brief tutorial on coolers and recommends what's best.
Wednesday, June 9, 1999 12:25:12 PM EST

Fooling with Cooling - Part II
A lot has changed these last couple of months, the Pentium III has gone mainstream and the Pentium II and Slot1 Celerons have slowly been phased out, and heatsink manufactures have released their Pentium III SECC2 heatsinks. We take a look at a couple of popular Pentium III heatsinks from Alpha, Vantec and 3DfxCOOL.
Thursday, September 2, 1999 01:05:26 PM EST

Formatting
Formatting is another necessary step to hard drive preparation. In most cases, when installing a new hard drive, all you need to do is a high-level format. It is usually the final step in preparation.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Free System Resources
Many people cram their PCs so full of gadgets that they find that they are simply out of room or have used all the resources available. Making optimal use of the resources makes a lot of sense.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Free Windows Resources
An article that mostly concerns Windows 3.1 users -- freeing Windows resources.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Freeing Disk Space
How to free up extra disk space without the need to buy a new Hard Drive.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Freeing Up Memory
There are a number of ways you can increase the amount of conventional memory available to you. This article examines all of them.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Hacking Intel's CPU ID
How to hack Intel's CPU ID
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Hard Drive Configuration
After doing the physical installation, your HD won't automatically work. Your first step in making your system use the new hard drive is to configure the computer to it.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Hard Drive Problems
This document covers problems you may get with your Hard Drive.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

IDE Interface
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is really a misnomer in the way we use it today. IDE really refers to any drive with the controller built-in.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Increasing External Modem Speed
Many of us have been buying newer, faster modems. Some of us have bought external modems, and many prefer them. But, while these modems allow us to surf faster, they bring up a new bottleneck to worry about: the serial port.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing a Battery
If your computer is forgetting important information about itself, chances are it needs a new system battery. This document contains information on how to go about installing a new system battery.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Installing a CD-ROM
So, you've bought your new CD-ROM. All you have to do now is install it. It's not a hard task at all if you follow the quick and easy instructions listed here.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing a Hard Drive
Installing a hard drive is a medium level job. You can do it, but it might not be fun. If you are confident in yourself and would like to save the money a computer guy would charge to do it, go ahead and do it yourself. It won't be that bad.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Installing a Sound Card
Before installing a sound card, there are a few things you should do.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing an External Modem
Installing an external modem is relatively easy; you don't even have to open the case. All you need is a flathead screwdriver and a modem cable. Your modem may not come with a modem cable, so check the packaging.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing an Internal Modem
Installing an internal modem can be very easy or your biggest nightmare. Either way, being an internal card, it is harder to install than an external modem.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing BIOS
If you have an old computer that needs an upgrade, such as a CD-ROM drive or 3½ floppy drive, you need to know how to change your BIOS.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing Motherboards
How to install your new motherboard, a step by step guide.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Installing RAM
How to install new memory in your Computer, a step-by-step guide.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Installing Video Cards
Installing a Video Card is pretty simple. You can do it yourself easily. All you need is a screwdriver and your Video Card installation instructions. Learn more in this article.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Installing Video RAM
A step by step tutorial on the process required to install VRAM.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Intel's Latest Chips
Information about the Intel family of processors, including Pentium, Pentium Pro and Pentium II.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Internal Hard Drive Parts
All about the inner workings of a Hard Drive.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Keep Your CPU Cool
Advice and theory behind CPU cooling techniques, and why its essential to keep your CPU cool under pressure.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Memory Packaging
The packaging is simply the entire makeup of a unit of memory, in most cases, the SIMM. Since the memory chips themselves are way too small, they must be combined and put on a medium that can be worked with and added to a system.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Memory Types
Explanations of the different technologies and types in memory today.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Modem Standards
Modem standards, from the old 300 bps to ISDN. Also discusses a few terms common to all modems.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Motherboard Basics
Covers all the essential components and their related pieces on a typical motherboard.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Motherboard Buying Tips
Some general things to look for when buying a motherboard.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Motherboard Form Factors
Motherboards come in different styles: AT and ATX. This article describes both what they mean, and how they influence performance and price.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Multimedia Basics
In this section, CD-ROMs and Sound Cards will be explored. These two parts may not have a lot in common, but they are usually linked together. With these two devices, the fun associated with multimedia comes to the computer.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Obsolete Video Cards
All about the Obsolete Video Cards.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Operating System Performance
Of course there are ways to improve performance by playing with the hardware settings, but there are also ways of tweaking the Operating System. The OS is very tightly knitted with the hardware's performance. Tweaking it really helps.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Overclocking the Asus V3800
We found out that the Asus V3800 is operating far below its potential as a 3D graphics accelerator. Running it at 125/150 is just doing an injustice to the card. We actually managed to run the card with impeccable stability at 170/160. Here's how to overclock your own ASUS V3800 TNT2!
Saturday, May 1, 1999 12:50:00 PM EST

Performance Tweaking Through BIOS Settings
There are a number of BIOS settings in your system which affect the overall performance of the machine. When these are tweaked correctly, performance can increase quite a bit.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Pipelining, pushing the Clockspeed Envelope
Confused about the deep pipelining architecture of Intel's Willamette? How about AMD's Athlon? Lost in all the technical jargon? This tutorial will cover some of the basics of pipelining and explores some of the background and prospects of using deep pipelining on a CPU.
Friday, October 6, 2000 12:00:00 PM EST

Processor History
Take a walk down memory lane as the older chips created by IBM and others are revealed in this reflective tutorial.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Removable Storage
Without data storage, a computer is useless. And there is no such thing as too much storage. Today, with the heavy use of computers, data storage and data safety is of the utmost importance. An analysis of the removable drives on the market, including tips, and considerations.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

SCSI
SCSI is an entirely different interface than the more popular IDE. It is more of a system level interface, meaning that it does not only deal with disk drives.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

SCSI Versus IDE
The popularity of SCSI is increasing rapidly, but this may be attributed to a misunderstanding. This article sets the record straight.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

SDRAM Considerations
As mentioned before, SDRAM is the new developing standard. But, in buying SDRAM for you system, there is some information you must consider.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Speeding Up the Boot Process
If you use your computer a lot, you may grow impatient waiting for the system to boot up. Here's some tips to improve boot speed.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

ST-506/412 & ESDI Interface
Explanations of the ESDI Hard Drive Interface.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Supercool to a GigaHertz
Supercooling seems to be the hottest new thing around since overclocking. Don't know what it is or how you can gain by it? This tutorial covers what it is, the popular supercooling methods, and the insane things you can do with it, like breaking the 1 GHz barrier!
Tuesday, June 1, 1999 12:39:58 PM EST

The i-opener Hack: The $200 PC!
When Netpliance launched its Internet appliance, the i-opener, chances are they never saw this one coming. Ken Segler found a way to turn the $99 i-opener into a fully functional PC. Here's how...
Saturday, March 18, 2000 08:30:00 PM EST

Troubleshooting CD-ROM
This document covers problems you may get with you CD-ROM.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Memory
This guide covers problems you may encounter with your Memory or RAM.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Modems
This tutorial covers problems you may encounter with your CD-ROM.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Motherboards
In many cases, the motherboard is blamed for problems that are really the work of another piece of hardware. Actual motherboard failure is rather rare, so the best thing to do is look for an error that is not a true motherboard failure. Check connections and other hardware connected to the motherboard.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Printers
This helper covers problems you may encounter with your printer.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Start-Up Problems
This document covers problems you may encounter with your start-up or boot-up sequence.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Troubleshooting Video
This document covers problems you may encounter with the video ascpect of your computer.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Ultimate Guide to Networking: Part One
Does the world of networking have you confused? Learn everything you've always wanted to know in Part One of HardwareCentral's Ultimate Networking Guide!
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Ultimate Guide to Networking: Part Three
This week, we learn how to add a MacOS-based computer to our Windows peer-to-peer network, and how to share Internet Access over a LAN.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 06:39:27 PM EST

Ultimate Guide to Networking: Part Two
Welcome to the Second part of our Networking Guide! This week, we'll learn how to setup a peer-to-peer Network!
Tuesday, May 11, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Understanding the Hype: Under the Hood
Take a look under the hood of latest Processors to reveal what all the Jargon really means to you.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Unlocking the Multiplier - Part I
A lot of people have put their supercooling and overclocking projects on hold because of the bottleneck the multiplier lock on CPUs creates. This tutorial covers the various aspects of the multiplier and a brief glimpse into how to unlock it.
Wednesday, June 23, 1999 02:31:30 PM EST

Unlocking the Multiplier - Part II
This is part II of the 'Unlocking the Multiplier' series, in which we take a close look at the way 'remarkers' unlock or change the multiplier lock and manage to sell CPUs originally rated at much lower speeds. Also, we re-open the discussion as to whether the multiplier lock is on the PCB or in the CPU-core.
Saturday, August 7, 1999 08:35:55 AM EST

USB Explained
Find out how USB works, how it will benefit you and why it is quickly becoming the industry standard for adding devices to your system!
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:28:23 PM EST

VGA & SVGA
VGA and SVGA Video Cards explanation and documentation.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Video Cards: Sorting the Mess
Explore all the possibilities when you are buying your next Video card with this informative new article. Whether you already have a 3D card or not, this one will help you decide what you need to buy. Check back often, as this will be updated frequently.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Video Cards: Sorting the Mess Again
Buying a video card has never been easy, but with the next wave of pre-holiday cards, the choice gets harder. Read this article which sorts out the growing mess of video cards.
Saturday, May 29, 1999 01:36:47 PM EST

Video Memory
All you need to know about Video memory.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Video Optimization
Your video settings can influence the performance the entire machine. But also there are factors of video performance and video quality. For this reason, Video optimization is essential.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:26:23 PM EST

Voodoo2 Primer
A Voodoo2 Chipset Primer - Voodoo2: The latest craze for 3D Gaming Technology. List of cards, reviews, articles, and more.
Monday, May 31, 1999 07:27:11 PM EST