PC Hardware A Beginner’s Guide

ABCDEF represents 11,259,375 in decimal. It is unlikely that you will see hex numbers

like 101 or ABCDEF; it is far more likely you will see something like 12C3F (76,863).

As you read this book, especially the chapters covering storage and system resources,

you will encounter references to hexadecimal and binary values. Should you have trou-

blelaterwiththenumbersystems,justreturnhereandreview,butrememberthatitisnot

mandatory that you have an advanced degree in binary or hexadecimal to understand

and work with the hardware of the PC. However, a good understanding of them will

certainly help you.

Working with Number Systems on the PC

Here’s a tip: when working with numbers on the computer, a very valuable tool to know

and use is the Windows Calculator in its Scientific view, shown in Figure 2-4. This tool

allows you to enter a hexadecimal number and then change the base to decimal and get

its equivalent value.

Chapter 2: Basic PC Concepts and Terminology^31

Figure 2-3. The values of the hexadecimal number system

Figure 2-4. The Windows Calculator in its scientific view