Monthly Archives: August 2022
Building A Computer – Picking the Components
Building A Computer – Picking the Components
Building A Computer – Picking Components
Picking the parts for your computer is one of the most important things in building a computer, because you cant assemble a computer without the parts! Picking parts for computers has become much easier than before, because things have been standardized, however, you need to make sure everything will fit. The first thing to think about when choosing the components for your computer is what you are going to be using it for. If you are creating a computer for just checking your eMail and using word, you are going to need much diffrent parts than a computer that you are going to be using for gaming.
CPU
The first thing you should pick out about your computer is what CPU you are going to use, because it determines what motherboard you are going to get, which determines what other components you get. There are two main CPU manufactruers, Intel and AMD. Both have their Pros and Cons, but they are pretty similar. I would suggest using AMD, because they give you a little more bang for the buck.
Here is a brief overview of the diffrent Intel and AMD CPUs:
Budget: AMD: Sempron
Intel: Celeron D
Midrange: AMD: Athlon 64
Intel: Pentium 4
High End: AMD: Athlon64 X2
Intel: Pentium D
If you are spending below 0, I would suggest a budget proccesor, Between 0 and 00, midrange and 00 and above I would suggest a high end proccessor.
Motherboard
Choosing the right motherboard is vital to building your computer. First, make sure you find a motherboard that has the right socket type for your CPU. Then, check the diffrent features of the motherboards you are looking at. If you arent going to buy a video or sound card, make sure your motherboard has onboard video and/or sound. Other things to check for on your motherboard are the hard drive interface, graphics card interface, expansion slots, the memory size and speed. Also, check for the chipset. There are too many to talk about, but generally Intel and nVidia chipsets are better than the other ones. Now that you picked out your motherboard, you know what to look for in your other components.
RAM
Getting the right speed and amount of RAM is vital to the speed and stability of your system. If you are running XP, you will probably need at least 256 or 512Mb of RAM. If you are going to be doing anything memory intensive, gaming, rendering or just want a faster computer, you should get 1Gb. Make sure your motherboard has enough DIMMs and the right type of DIMMs for your RAM. Also, be sure to check the speed and CAS Latency.
Hard Drive
Now its time to pick your hard drive. There are few variables in picking a hard drive. The first, and most important is size, 120Gb is usually enough for most people unless, you are going to be storing alot of pictures and video. Also, make sure you get an HD with the right interace that fits your motherboard. Almost all motherboards have IDE, but some have SATA (Serial ATA) Which is a much faster hard drive interface and uses a thinner cable which helps with airflow in your case. There is even SATAII now, which is twice as fast. Also look at speed, almost all desktop HDs are 7200RPM and Cache, most are 8Mb, dont buy a HD below those standards. If you want to spend some money, you can get 2 HDs and run them in RAID which increases performance.
Video Cards
If you are going to be doing any gaming, be sure to buy a video card, if youre not, onboard video is fine. The first thing to check for is the interface, most are AGP or PCI-E. I personally like nVidia cards better. If you are going to be doing graphic intensive games, I would suggest at least a 6600. If you have alot to spend, go with a 7800.
Optical/Floppy drives
Another thing you are going to is a CD drive, most are IDE. Get a DVD Burner if you are going to use it. Also, you should get a floppy drive, they are only ish and you might need it to install drivers when building your computer.
Case and Power Supply
Make sure you have a sufficient power supply!! If you have a high end computer, you should get a 450W PSU. Otherwise, 350W should be fine for most people. Most cases are ATX, but make sure it is the same type as your motherboard (ATX, MicroATX, BTX, etc…).
Be sure to make sure all your components are compatible!
Replace Your Video Game System: Buy the Latest Video Game Console for Maximum Enjoyment
Replace Your Video Game System: Buy the Latest Video Game Console for Maximum Enjoyment
Technology is constantly changing and improving. In fact, just over two years ago, what you considered fast is now considered to be very slow today. This is true for personal computers and laptops. Innovation and the fast advancement of technology improve everything in a matter of months or even weeks.
One day you see the latest innovation in technology and it becomes obsolete in just a few weeks. This is true when it comes to video game systems.
In just a short span of time, video game systems have improved dramatically. Today, the latest video game systems doesn’t just let you play exciting games, but it will virtually take you inside the video game with the improved interactive feature of the game. The future of video gaming is already here with the latest video gaming system innovation that is already available in the market today.
And, the great thing about the video games today is that everyone can play. From kids to adults to senior citizens, you can be sure that everyone will have fun. Today, even your grandparents can now play video games.
If you take a look at the video gaming system industry, you will find three big companies that are considered to be top sellers of video gaming systems. The first is Nintendo, the second is Sony, and the third is Microsoft.
Whatever video gaming system you choose, you will find that each offers a very unique feature which can really be confusing for someone who wants to buy a video game system. With the unique features that each of the video gaming system has, you will have a hard time making a decision on which one you should buy.
In the past, Nintendo really took the world by storm with the NES. It even had a gun for the game called Duck Hunt. Also, to play games, you need to buy those big, gray, plastic cartridges which were so cool to look at back then. Today, DVDs are now used for the video games. The graphics also improved dramatically. In fact, the graphics are so realistic that you will really think that the characters here were real people.
For Microsoft, the Xbox 360 is their latest video game system at the moment. Known to have the largest library of games of the three gaming systems, you will want this gaming system if you love to try out and buy different video games.
For Sony, the PlayStation 3 is what they call their latest video gaming system. It features Blu-ray disc playing capabilities, which means that it has the potential to play games that have better graphics and longer storyline. If you are the type of person who loves action and adventure games, then this video game console is for you. PlayStation 3 also has a wide library of games available, which means that you will virtually never run out of choice when it comes to choosing and buying your favorite video games.
Lastly, Nintendo also released its latest video game system. Called the Nintendo Wii, this is probably the most interactive video gaming console of the three. Instead of your traditional joystick, Nintendo Wii has the Wii-mote, which basically looks like a remote control. This is a great video game system for the entire family. This is also great for people who love to exercise as the highly interactive feature of this gaming system requires the body to move in order to play.
These are the latest innovations in video game systems. If you are planning to replace your old video game console, one of these three video game systems should be in the top of your list. Whatever you choose, you can be sure that you will have hours upon hours of fun and enjoyment playing with your favorite video games.
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Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop
Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop
Gone are the days when a businessperson needed a desktop at work, a desktop at home, and a large, cumbersome laptop for travel. With the steady march of technology come lighter, more portable laptops with higher performance than ever before. Processors are advanced enough on almost any laptop to consider completely doing away with your desktop PC altogether.
For the gamers out there, laptops have always been too slow and too far behind the technological bandwagon to consider replacing your gaming computer with one. Now, however, laptops are being designed with the gamer in mind with faster processors, bigger screens, and high end graphics.
For the student going off to school, a small, lightweight laptop means that you can take your laptop to class with you to take notes as fast as you can type (which is often a lot faster than you can write), and be sure that they will always be legible. Additionally, laptops can have planner features to help you remember when that next assignment is due, and you will never lose your notes or keep them in a disorganized pile. Even if the rest of your life is a little hectic, keeping a laptop as your new PC can help your grades considerably.
If you decide that it is worth the investment to be able to bring your laptop to work and home with you, technology is allowing for easy set-up of your laptop with a docking station that makes time-consuming plugs a thing of the past.
There are so many benefits to consider to using a laptop as your new desktop computer. These include:
1) having your work with you at all times
2) creating far more desk and floor space now that your huge tower and monitor are gone
3) the ability to work from any location with a wireless network set up
With the only negative aspects being: if you feel the need to have the most modern technology available, you will find it difficult to upgrade many laptops, and laptops are more expensive than a desktop because of the size and convenience.
Laptops for the Businessperson:
• Dell Latitude D820
• Acer TravelMate 4650
• HP Compaq nx9420 (2.16GHz, 1GB RAM)
• Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
The Dell laptop is an excellent business portable, and is priced around fifteen hundred dollars. It is one of the highest rated laptops for replacement of a PC, and the reviews call it perfect for the modern businessperson.
The Acer TravelMate is a great value for the price. It has a good battery life and nice processing power with all the features a home-office user will need. The Acer costs around twelve hundred dollars, making it the least expensive laptop on this list.
The third laptop, the HP Compaq, offers corporate caliber security according to the reviews, and has a nicely sized seventeen-inch screen for ease of use for those of us who stare at computer screens all day. This model is a lot more expensive, though, running between two thousand and twenty-two hundred dollars.
Last on our list, the Apple PowerBook delivers the features and power that most users require, but at two thousand dollars is more expensive than comparable Windows laptop. Still, it is a good option for replacing your bulky desktop PC.
Laptops for the Gamer:
• Dell XPS M1710
• Toshiba Satellite P105-S921
• Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513
• HP Pavilion zd8000
Hard core gamers will appreciate the Dell XPS, which will play the newest games at the highest settings. Running at thirty-four hundred dollars, though, this laptop does not come cheap. With all the technology packed into this case, it will at least be a long time before you need an upgrade.
The Toshiba Satellite offers lots of features for an affordable price, but will not play the most intensive games at their highest performance levels. This is still a wonderful machine, and will cost about two thousand dollars.
The Toshiba Qosmio is designed to deliver the most high-quality multimedia experience available in a laptop. The Qosmio combines TV, DVR, stereo, DVD player, and high-performance PC in one big laptop. Replace your entire entertainment system (except maybe the speakers) for anywhere from fourteen hundred to twenty-four hundred. It seems like shopping around for this model might be well in your best interests.
The HP Pavilion’s price is a relief at only twelve hundred dollars, is powerful and can play many of the newer games, if not quite the newest according to reviews.
Accessories to Consider
These laptops are all wonderful replacements for the bulky desktop computer sitting in your home office right now. There are just a few more things you need to make your laptop absolutely perfect for your office or game room.
When you go on the road all you need is your laptop and power cable, but when you bring your computer back home, you might feel more comfortable using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The hook-ups for these can be painful if you have to do it frequently, but a docking port takes away the stress by mirroring all the ports, plugs, and slots on your laptop.
The first accessory that everyone should consider is a docking port. Especially wonderful for business users, these ports hook up to your printer, scanner, keyboard, monitor, mouse, network cables, power source, and any other gadgets you need them to. Instead of connecting a dozen or more wires and cables every time you move your laptop, push the laptop into the docking port and one little connection brings you back online with everything you need.
The rest of the accessories suggested here are just options, so we’ll be brief. An external mouse, keyboard, and monitor might make you more comfortable at your desk, and a joystick or controller of another sort might be essential to the hardcore gamers.
No matter what you are considering your new laptop for, replacing your space-eating desktop PC is a move that you will never regret. Your new laptop will be portable, powerful, and just more fun because of all the things you can do with it. Save yourself some time and effort and consider replacing your PC with a laptop.
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Dangers Of Illegal Computer Disposal
Dangers Of Illegal Computer Disposal
If your computer broke tomorrow and it was beyond repair, what would you do with it? Well chances are that after slamming it against the wall in a fit of rage, you’re going to throw it in the trashcan in your garage. Alongside all the other non-recyclable trash your household created this week, the trash men will come pick it up, condense it in their truck, and dump it into a huge pile of waste. The huge pile of waste will be compacted even more, and then sent out to some island where all the huge piles of your garbage go. Sounds simple, right?
Sure, it’s simple enough; until a bird lands on your crunched piece of laptop and dies from exposure to the acid that leaked out of the battery. Gasp! “Alright,” you say to yourself, “I’ll take the battery out and burn it in my backyard instead of throwing it in the trash.” Well unless you’d like an explosion in your backyard, then no, you should NOT burn any old battery solely because you know is it wrong to throw it in the trash.
So what exactly do you do with this battery? How about all the other parts of the computer that still function? After you consider all of the minute details that go into making a computer work, and you realize that your computer might be broken beyond repair but that the tiny pieces could function perfectly in someone else’s computer, it seems like a big waste to be disposing of the entire thing with one careless toss into the garbage. Not only would you be polluting the environment, adding to the amount of waste your family creates, and putting innocent animals at danger with the improper disposal of your computer, but you would also be wasting hundreds of dollars worth of useful items in a computer that can probably be refurbished anyways.
Aside from the battery leaking acid in a waste heap, other environmental concerns are with toner or ink from printers, glass pieces from tiny light bulbs, and other wires and metal pieces tangled inside every computer. Luckily, there are companies that deal with computer disposal or refurbishing to make your job a lot easier. If you feel the need to bash your computer against the wall in a fit of rage, simply wrap it up and send it to a computer disposal company who will, oftentimes for free, properly dispose of your computer. If your computer stops working or you simply care to invest in an updated version, then there are companies who you can send it to who will pay you for the parts that are still useable and will refurbish the computer so they can re-sell it or donate it to a low-income family or agency once it works again.
One might think, “Well, I know of a charity that could really use my old computer. I will donate it on my own”. Not so fast, buddy. Donating an older computer to an organization that you think could really use it doesn’t always work out so well. In many instances, the computer will cease to work after a couple of months, and the organization might have to spend more money to repair it. It is poor etiquette to donate something when you are not quite sure of its value. If you’d rather not give cash, some businesses will take your old computer and send the cash value of its remaining parts to an organization of your choice.
The bottom line is that there are many different things you can and should do with a computer that you no longer want as your own. For the same reasons that you taught your children how to recycle, that you turn off the lights when you leave a room, and because you try to take only as much food as you are prepared to eat at a buffet table, you should dispose of or recycle your PC properly.
Psp Download Capability Opens Up A Whole New World Of Opportunity
Psp Download Capability Opens Up A Whole New World Of Opportunity
Portable game stations are the hot new craze among the teen and early adult crowd. A surprisingly large percentage of this population is female now that the gaming industry has become wise and started to cater to this large and valuable segment of the gaming market. Anyway these little machines are really quite amazing, using blazing speed and remarkable graphics for the size screen they bear to give the user a believable gaming experience wherever they go. The battery life is and always has been a limiting factor but is constantly getting better and users now enjoy 4-6 hrs of gaming before a recharge is necessary. They also have the capacity to support all of the psp download applications that are available.
Perhaps the neatest thing about these new portable devices (computers really), is the compatible platform with most digital types of media and the large capacity of memory to store it. This really is a trend that encompasses all of the new digital media players including the ipods, pdas, etc. Not only is the psp a portable gaming device that can store thousands of games (which are gotten on any number of the several psp download sites), but it can function as a portable movie player as well as a portable music player (or other audio such as books, lectures, etc.).
So if you have been thinking about getting one or all of these things for your child (or yourself for that matter), than consider the sony psp for the sheer power of its processor and the multiple uses that it can provide. If you don’t believe me about the other types of media than you should go check out one of the psp download web sites. All you do is google for “psp download” and you will find that there are several such sites and that they not only offer the games like you would expect, but they also offer music, music videos, and full length movies too.
Just think if your family likes to travel and would prefer to drive to save money on travel and have freedom once you get to your destination but are leery of putting your kids through torture, this may be your answer. Your kids will love the psp and all of the things that can be done with it via the psp download capability.
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