Summary

Chapter 11: Advanced Personal Computers 13Figure 11-9Adapter CardsWireless NICNICVideo AdapterExamine the computer for an available expansion slot or an open USB port. Purchase eitheran adapter card that will fit an available expansion slot or a USB wireless NIC. Cost, warranty,brand name, and availability are the last factors for you to consider.Select Storage Devices and Hard DrivesYou might need to replace a hard drive when it no longer meets your customer’s needs fordata storage or fails. The signs that a hard drive is failing include■■■Unusual noisesError messagesCorrupt data or applicationsIf your hard drive exhibits any of these symptoms, you should replace it as soon as possible.Figure 11-10 shows Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA), Serial AdvancedTechnology Attachment (SATA), and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) connectors.ATA was renamed Parallel ATA, or PATA, with the introduction of Serial ATA (SATA).PATA hard drives can use a 40-pin, 80-conductor cable or a 40-pin, 40-conductor cable.SATA hard drives connect to the motherboard using a serial interface. SATA hard driveshave a higher data-transfer rate than PATA drives. The smaller data cable allows improvedairflow through the computer case. Early versions of SATA offered a speed of 1.5 Gbps.Current versions offer a speed of 3.0 Gbps.The SCSI standard is typically used for hard drives and for tape storage. However, printers,scanners, CD-ROM drives, and DVD drives can also use SCSI. Today, SCSI devices areused mostly on servers or computers that require high transfer speeds and reliability.