pace it - laptop expansion options

Laptop expansion options.

Instructor, PACE-IT Program – Edmonds Community College

Areas of Expertise Industry Certifications

PC Hardware

Network Administration

IT Project Management

Network Design

User Training

IT Troubleshooting

Qualifications Summary

Education

M.B.A., IT Management, Western Governor’s University

B.S., IT Security, Western Governor’s University

Entrepreneur, executive leader, and proven manger with 10+ years of experience turning complex issues into efficient and effective solutions.

Strengths include developing and mentoring diverse workforces, improving processes, analyzing business needs and creating the solutions required— with a focus on technology.

Brian K. Ferrill, M.B.A.


– Expansion cards.

– Random access memory.

– Flash memory.

PACE-IT.

Expansion cards.Laptop expansion options.

Expansion cards.

The laptop’s small form factor, and sometimes its method of manufacturing, can make its functionality more difficult to expand.

If increased functionality in a laptop is desired, in most cases, a technician doesn’t have the option of just opening the case and inserting the new hardware. However, in many cases, the increased capabilities can be achieved through other means.


Expansion cards.

– PCMCIA Card.» Introduced by the Personal Computer Memory Card

Industry Association in 1990.• Also known as the PC Card and later as the CardBus.

» Originally, it was developed as a means expanding the storage capacity of very small form factor devices.

» After its initial development, additional capabilities were added to the standards.

» It used either a 16-bit or 32-bit data path and it came in three types.

– Types of PCMCIA Cards.» Type I: 3.3 mm thick with a 16-bit data path.

• Commonly used as additional RAM, Flash, or SRAM.» Type II: 5 mm thick with a 16 or 32-bit data path.

• Introduced input/output support to the card. Commonly, these were used as modems or network interface cards.

» Type III: 10.5 mm thick with a 32-bit data path (CardBus).

• More robust and allowed for full size interfaces.• External hard drives were also developed.


Expansion cards.

– ExpressCard.» Developed by the PCMCIA, and introduced in 2003, as

the replacement for the CardBus.» Has all of the functionality of the earlier PCMCIA Card,

but offers additional performance.• Can take advantage of internal connections to either

the PCIe or USB bus. This allows for possible transfer rates of 280 Mbps in USB2 mode and up to 3.2 Gbps in either USB3 or PCIe 2 mode.

» As the PCMCIA disbanded in 2009, this standard is no longer being developed; however, it is being maintained by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF).

– ExpressCard formats.» ExpressCard/34.

• 34 mm wide and 75 mm long with a 26 pin connector.» ExpressCard/54.

• 54 mm wide and 75 mm long with a 26 pin connector.• Easily recognized by its L shape.• ExpressCard/54 slots could accept either ExpressCard

format.


Random access memory.Laptop expansion options.

Random access memory.

– Small outline dual inline memory module (SO-DIMM).

» Developed as a random access memory (RAM) solution for the smaller form factor applications.

» In many cases, it is an easily performed expansion option used to increase the performance of the laptop.

» So-DIMMs come in different versions.• 100 pin SDRAM.• 144 pin SDRAM. • 200 pin DDR.• 200 pin DDR2.• 204 pin DDR3.• 260 pin DDR4.

– SO-DIMM expansion.» Increasing the amount of SO-DIMM in a laptop can

increase performance, just as increasing the amount of RAM in a PC does.

• It is not uncommon for current laptops to come with the SO-DIMMs soldered in place, making it un-upgradeable in the field.


Flash memory.Laptop expansion options.

Flash memory.

– Flash.» It is a type of non-volatile computer memory that was

developed by Toshiba.• Non-volatile means that it doesn’t require an electrical

charge to maintain the state of the data.» It is commonly used as a highly portable method of

storing data and applications.» The most common form factor is the USB flash drive.» It is reasonably inexpensive and it can operate at high

speeds. » Some operating systems can use flash as RAM.

• Microsoft developed ReadyBoost as a means of caching data on flash, effectively extending RAM to the flash memory module. This often leads to an increase in the performance of the laptop.

» Due to the nature of its construction and operation, flash memory performance does degrade over time and it will eventually wear out.


What was covered.Laptop expansion options.

The PCMCIA Card was introduced in 1990. Initially it was deployed with a 16-bit bus and was most often used as means of creating portable storage. With the development of Type II and III cards, increased functionality was added to the PC Card. These were superseded by the ExpressCard, which came in two formats: ExpressCard/34 and ExpressCard/54.

Topic

Expansion cards.

Summary

The small form factor of the laptop lead to the creation of the SO-DIMM, which is a smaller form factor of RAM. Increasing the amount of SO-DIMM in a system can be an easy method of improving performance. Over time, SO-DIMM has come in many different versions: 200 pin DDR, 200 pin DDR2, 204 pin DDR3, and 260 pin DDR4.

Random access memory.

Flash memory is a type of non-volatile computer memory. This means that an electrical charge is not needed to maintain the stored contents. It is relatively inexpensive and fast. It is commonly used to create highly portable storage for data and applications. The most common form factor for flash memory is the USB drive. Microsoft developed ReadyBoost as a method of using flash as an extension of RAM.

Flash memory.

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