This book is a visual, practical and comprehensive guide to computer devices and components. At the same time, both the most recent developments (for 2011) and the products of previous versions and series that have not lost their relevance at the moment are considered. The comparative characteristics are given, the principles of operation of certain devices are described, recommendations for the use and solution of possible problems are given, special attention is paid to compatibility issues. All this will allow you to understand what is hidden behind a particular number, parameter, technology, and effectively use the acquired knowledge to choose the most profitable configuration of the new computer, upgrade the old one, solve emerging problems, etc. d. In the course of the presentation, tips, useful solutions, tricks (for example, how to unlock hidden kernels in an AMD processor, etc.) p. ). At the same time, the book contains a lot of background information: a comparative catalog of Intel and AMD processors, an expanded guide to video cards and much more. The information in the book is presented in a convenient form, in a simple and accessible language, which allows even an unprepared reader to quickly and effectively get into the course of business. In the course of the presentation, all terms are explained. It will be useful to all users of computers .