TIPS & TRICKS BLOG

The monitor will likely be one of the most expensive parts of your computer, so you'll need all the advice you can get on making your purchase. This guide will explain the different factors you should consider when buying your gaming monitor. A few years ago, the biggest decision you needed to make when choosing the best gaming monitor was whether to get an LCD or CRT monitor. Nowadays, that argument is dead. CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors have been around for a very long time, and were once the standard displays for desktop computers. When LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors entered the desktop computer world, they were very expensive. LCD monitors have many advantages over their CRT counterparts, and these days they have totally taken over the desktop display market, and their prices have plummeted over recent years to become affordable to everyone. Here are the advantages of LCD monitors over the old-style CRT monitors, in case you wanted to know: * Less power usa

The computer power supply is vital to the operation of any computer, yet it is an often overlooked component. Without a power supply, your computer would just be a box full of plastic and metal. What the Computer Power Supply Does In a PC, the computer power supply is the metal box usually located in the corner of the computer case. In many systems the power supply is visible from the back of the case because it contains the power-cord receptacle and the cooling fan. The main purpose of the power supply is to convert AC power from the mains to usable low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. The power supply gives out three different DC voltages to your computer, 12VDC, 5VCD, and 3VDC. These three voltages are used for different components in your system. For example, the 5VDC voltage powers the motherboard, voltage regulators, serial and parallel ports, and PCI and AGP ports. How Much Power Do You Need? Each power supply has a certain wattage based

A CD or DVD burner is an important part of the storage and backup of data on your computer. Without one you won't be able to read and write CDs or DVDs. DVD drives have become a standard feature in home computers, and are forever coming down in price.What Drive Speed? One factor you consider when buying a CD or DVD burner is the drive speed. This refers to the speed that the drive can read and write data. For a CD writer, aim for a drive speed of at least 48X. 8X should be your minimum for DVD burners, although if you want the best dvd burner possible get 16X or higher. Drive Compatability There is a range of different dvd formats available out there, for example DVD+R, DVD-R, and DVD+R DL. You need to consider what formats your DVD burner supports, as not all DVD drives can read all types of DVDs. I would recommend getting a DVD drive that supports both DVD+R and DVD-R, as these are common formats. Internal or External? CD and DVD burners come in two different forms, i

The hard drive is where all your files and programs are stored. The three main features to look out for in a hard drive is the speed, size, and the type of interface. But first, let’s take a little look into how hard drives work. How Hard Drives Store Data In a nutshell, hard drives store information by manipulating magnetic fields over the moving surface of a disk coated with a magnetic material. This use of magnetism to store information is very similar to how tape or video recorders work. A hard drive stores digital data as magnetic variations on the surface of the disk. A bit (binary digit, the building block of all data within a PC) represents a 0 when magnetized in one orientation, and a 1 when magnetized in another. Each individual disk inside a hard drive is called a platter. Large hard drives contain several platters and use both sides of each platter for storage. The drive contains a motor that spins the platters at speeds from 5400 to 15,000 rotations per minute (r

We will look at the various factors you should take into account when choosing your gaming motherboard, to ensure that you choose the best motherboard for your needs.If you think of the processor as the brain of a computer, then the motherboard could be described as the central nervous system, responsible for relaying information between all the internal components. In other words, it’s the hub of the computer, where all other components connect to. Since the motherboard is so crucial to your system, buying the best motherboard you can afford is a good investment. Select Your CPU First Before choosing your motherboard, you should have already chosen your CPU. If you haven’t already doneA motherboard will generally only support one type of processor, such as a Pentium 4 or Athlon 64. Different CPUs have connectors that vary physically from one another. So you can’t accidentally plug in the wrong processor into the wrong motherboard. Also, take note that many motherboards

Picking the latest, fastest or most expensive processor on the market won’t always result in the right CPU for your particular system. Some processors are designed to work with certain motherboards, so the CPU you choose will limit the type of motherboard you can get. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is one of the most important components in any computer system. The CPU could be described as the brains of a computer. It contains the logic circuitry that performs the instructions of the software you run. The performance of your games and other applications will be directly related to this tiny little microprocessor. The Major Players: Intel and AMD Two companies dominate the CPU market, Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). Both companies make a range of different processor models.  For example, Intel have the Core i7 and Core i5 processor models, while AMD have the Athlon and Phenom series.  The Best CPU for Gaming If you’re a basic computer user and you don’t

This article helps you choose the best computer memory (RAM) for your gaming computer. RAM (Random Access Memory) is the memory in a computer used to store running programs. The more RAM you have, the faster your games and other programs will run.Investing in a decent amount of RAM from a trusted company is a smart idea. The performance of your gaming computer will be greatly affected by the type and amount of RAM you have on-board. Firstly, let's take a look at the different types of RAM available to you. Types of RAM There are different types of RAM you can buy for your computer, such as SDRAM, DDR2 RAM, and DDR3 RAM. The memory type you select will depend on which type is supported by your motherboard. * SDRAM. This is an older form of memory that was superseded by DDR SDRAM. These days it has been taken over by better and faster forms of memory, so you won't need to worry about this type of RAM. * DDR2 RAM. DDR (Double Data Rate 2) RAM is very fast, and has been t