Term of the Moment
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Definition: modding
Making custom modifications to hardware or software. The term may refer to creating a unique artistic case for a PC, increasing its speed by overclocking the CPU or adding a more powerful cooling system. It may also refer to revising software in some unusual manner, typically dealing with open-source software. See overclock and mod.
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For the True Enthusiast
After 45 years in the business, in 2004, Alan Freedman, creator of this encyclopedia, finally became a modder, although a mild one. He used a Zalman water cooling system to remove the heat from his computer not to overclock the CPU and run at high temperatures but to use a slower, and thus quieter, fan. See CPU cooler.
The Banchetto 101 PC case (top) may look strange, but it looks even more odd when fitted out with a motherboard, CPU, memory and drives (bottom), which are always exposed. At CES 2013, Kingston Technology used a Banchetto 101 to showcase its new, high-speed HyperX memory for gamers. (Top image courtesy of MICROCOOL.)