Best Books on Computer Hardware

When you want to understand how computer hardware works and how to fix and upgrade it, I’ve found only one author who generally understands the engineering, is comprehensive, and is a clear writer for intelligent readers.

Scott Mueller writes books I understand and they appear to cover more than most other authors try to. You could read online articles, but having all of the important content in one book with an index and all written by one expert author is an asset. I like Upgrading and Repairing PCs, which has had many editions and often runs over 1,000 pages long. The author also covers Microsoft Windows. If you’re using an old computer, you can save money by getting a used edition that was published shortly after, as it’ll likely have the most information about your computer type. But a newer edition may also have old information on an optical disc in the book. And if you own a new edition you can ask questions on his forum, where he has weighed in often.