Overclocking Overclocking is the process of increasing the clock speed of a processor beyond its stock setting. It can increase a processor’s performance, but at the cost of increased power usage, heat generation, and the possibility of system instability or physical damage. Power users who enjoy tinkering with their computers often overclock their CPUs (and …
Parallel Port A parallel port is an external interface commonly found on PCs from the early 1980s to early 2000s. It was used to connect peripheral devices such as printers and external storage devices. It was eventually superseded by USB, which provides a smaller connection and significantly faster data transfer rates. The parallel port is …
Passive-Matrix Passive-matrix is an LCD technology that uses a grid of vertical and horizontal wires to display an image on the screen. Each pixel is controlled by an intersection of two wires in the grid. By altering the electrical charge at a given intersection, the color and brightness of the corresponding pixel can be changed. …
Passthrough Passthrough is an option available on various electronic devices. It allows a signal to “pass through” the device unaltered. Different types of passthrough include HDMI, USB, and network passthrough. HDMI Passthrough A digital receiver (or AVR), processes input, such as digital audio, received through one or more HDMI ports. It may alter the audio …
PBX Stands for “Private Branch Exchange.” A PBX is a local telephone system designed for a business or organization. It allows a large number of users to share only a few external phone numbers. A private branch exchange is an internal telephony solution that also enables users to communicate externally through outside “POTS” phone lines. …
PCI Express Stands for “Peripheral Component Interconnect Express,” and is abbreviated “PCIe” or “PCI-e.” PCI Express is the standard expansion bus on modern computer motherboards. It replaced several previous standards, including PCI and AGP. Most computer motherboards include a set of PCIe expansion slots allowing users to install expansion cards to add new and improved …
Peripheral A peripheral is any external device that connects to a computer for input or output. A peripheral connects either physically or wirelessly, and it is controlled by the computer when connected. Peripherals may also be called “I/O devices” or simply “accessories.” Peripherals can be classified by whether they provide input, receive output, or do …
Pipeline A pipeline in the context of computer processing is a technique for executing multiple instructions at once. Computer processors can handle millions of instructions per second. Every instruction goes through several stages, each processed by a different part of the processor. With each clock cycle, an instruction moves from one stage to the next, …
Plotter A plotter is a printer designed for printing vector graphics. Instead of printing individual dots on the paper, plotters draw continuous lines. This makes plotters ideal for printing architectural blueprints, engineering designs, and other CAD drawings. There are two main types of plotters – drum and flatbed plotters. Drum plotters (also called roller plotters) …
Plug and Play Plug and Play, often abbreviated as “PnP,” is an automatic process that configures computer peripherals as soon as they are connected. The user does not need to manually install drivers or configure device settings, as those tasks are handled instead by the operating system. Plug and play is the standard behavior for …