How computers work? At the component level?

[xelapond]

I have built several computers, as well as integrated robot controller boards, but have always wondered how complex multi-component computers work, at the component level.

Does anyone know any good books or websites that explain how that kind of stuff works at the component level. I have found a bunch of books that are things like, the HD connects to the motherboard. It stores all of your data. I want more detail, like what the north and south bridge do, how the BIOS works and what it interacts with, EFI, ACPI and all that good stuff.

Anybody have any good resources on stuff like that?

Thanks,

Alex

[Mr. Picklesworth]

Check out this video from Google Tech Talks:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7654043762021156507

It is a very interesting discussion, about a book called The Elements of Computing Systems (http://www1.idc.ac.il/tecs/).
Google Books has a fairly extensive preview (http://books.google.ca/books?id=THie6tt-2z8C) (barring some pages and graphics), which should show you its general feel. Not quite a tome, but not quite light either. Educational, but not for dummies. I think if the authors created a colourful and friendly mass market version of this, it would get a lot of attention and sell in truckloads winning them early retirements.
The MIT press appears to be putting out a reasonably inexpensive soft cover version next month, if you don't like the idea of spending $50.

The talk that fellow gave at Google has really shown me a lot of doors that I did not notice before. It's very interesting stuff! Really looking forward to finally learning about this properly (book still not in yet; I've been tinkering instead), as the intricacies of these machines has always fascinated me, too.

The book essentially steps you through every part of a computer, all the way from the transistor to a basic operating system. There are absolutely no gaps. It provides some very solid software (which is open source and runs on Linux!) with which you can build your very own simulated computer system. Really, really cool stuff.


Edit:
Oops, sort of went on a random tangent there. Modern components are not really in its scope. That stuff would be interesting to know, indeed...

[hhhhhx]

if you already haven't, i'd suggest that you go and over clock you computers. The reason I say is that to do this you haft to know a lot about every part of your com, so that you can make sure you don't fry it. there are some good guides out there

[LaRoza]

http://www.amazon.com/Upgrading-Repairing-PCs-18th/dp/0789736977/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201335130&sr=1-1

How they "think": http://www.planetpdf.com/developer/article.asp?ContentID=6633

[mips]

http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity1.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/digital-electronics.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/oscillator.htm
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/microcontroller.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/microprocessor.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-buses-channel.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-cpu-channel.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-ram-memory-channel.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-hard-drives-disks-channel.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-networking-channel.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-power-supplies-channel.htm
http://mysearch.intel.com/corporate/default.aspx?culture=en-US&q=white+paper&searchsubmit.x=0&searchsubmit.y=0
http://developer.intel.com/technology/itj/
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/TechnicalResources/0,,30_182_739,00.html