Layers and abstraction
This looks at Linux gaming, and how they get Windows games working and how the systems interact with the hardware through the different stages of abstraction. GCSE and A-level students should have a watch to see about drivers and APIs.
How Crash Bandicoot Hacked The Original Playstation
This video looks at not only the game design principles, but also the tricks the developers used to get every bit of performance and push boundaries to make Crash Bandicoot a really ground breaking game for it’s time. Contains a nice section which compares the CPU and GPU. Also comparing RAM to secondary storage (CD)
PC building mistakes
A lot of my students consider building their own computer at some point. It’s a fantastic exercise for multiple reasons. This series of videos (this is just number 3, it’s worth going back through the others) give you a few good tips on what to look out for. My advice would be the PSU part. …. Read More
Meltdown and Spectre
Interesting video about some vulnerabilities. What GCSE students need to take from it is the carving up on the RAM for different programs, that’s part of the operating systems job in the system software lessons.
Hard drive disassembly
Want to take a hard drive apart and put it back together again? Want to take the data from a broken hard drive and put it into a working hard drive? Don’t. This video shows how an independent repair shop does it properly. A great look at the inside of a working disc. You can …. Read More