Before you pick a motherboard, you need to choose how much RAM you want your computer to have. RAM stands for 'Random Access Memory' and essentially translates to your computer's short term memory. RAM is where basic computer operations are stored and carried out.
DDR and DDR2 are the two main types of RAM you can choose. A good amount of RAM cannot be understated; more than anything, RAM is going to be the one thing to splurge on for your home PC.
Determining how much RAM you need depends on a few factors:
1. What you are going to use the computer for primarily
2. What operating system you are running
3. Which motherboard you choose
Are you using your computer for video editing, 3D animation, watching movies/TV, or gaming? Then you need more RAM. Look for 6+GB of RAM.
If you're running Windows XP, you can get away with 1GB of RAM. Vista and Windows 7 are going to need more RAM to function properly; look for anywhere between 4-16GB.
The last factor to consider is whether or not your motherboard of choice supports the type and size of RAM you want. Make sure that your motherboard and RAM are compatible before purchasing either one. Ideally you should use identical RAM sticks to ensure stability and smooth operation. Going higher than the figures listed here will probably not do much for your system performance.
Tip: If you're using a 32-bit OS, don't get more than 4GB RAM because 32-bit systems can only use up to about 3.5GB; anything above that is wasting money.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Registry Cleaners: Effective or Not?
For a while now, registry cleaning programs have been around to help users who are less familiar with system hardware troubleshoot basic PC problems. Registry cleaning software has a good bit of controversy surrounding it; some people say it's worthless, and some people get a lot out of it. For my part, because I've dealt with a myriad of computer problems, I've found them to be useful in some ways, but only under specific circumstances.
What registry cleaners are
Registry cleaning programs essentially go into your computer's registry, find all the weird stuff from malware and spyware programs and every other change that's been made to your system. Some also have virus protection/elimination, or other little bonuses to help you keep your system's core running strong.
Why they can help
Registry cleaning software can help your PC run faster by getting rid of small, invasive operations that interfere with its basic execution of tasks. Over time, your system registry gradually becomes clogged with small files from software and hardware you've installed, as well as invasive malware that you can get just by browsing the internet if you aren't properly protected. Even with a great malware program, there's no guarantee that you're protected from everything, because spyware and malware is constantly changing to get around anti-malware defenders.
Worth buying or not
If you're considering a registry cleaner, it basically comes down to one question: Why is your computer running slowly? If it's malware, get a malware cleaner or do a system reformat. If it is legitimately a registry problem and your computer has been giving you errors to indicate something's wrong with the registry, there are two solutions: try to clean it on your own or get a registry cleaning program. Most of the software runs for around $30 and usually comes with a virus protection package; my personal favorite program which I've used on multiple computers to do registry backups and cleans includes several bonuses to help you speed up your PC. So it's a question of time and money; either invest time learning how to fix it yourself, or just get a program that'll do the work for you.
Have a look at my personal favorite registry cleaner here.
What registry cleaners are
Registry cleaning programs essentially go into your computer's registry, find all the weird stuff from malware and spyware programs and every other change that's been made to your system. Some also have virus protection/elimination, or other little bonuses to help you keep your system's core running strong.
Why they can help
Registry cleaning software can help your PC run faster by getting rid of small, invasive operations that interfere with its basic execution of tasks. Over time, your system registry gradually becomes clogged with small files from software and hardware you've installed, as well as invasive malware that you can get just by browsing the internet if you aren't properly protected. Even with a great malware program, there's no guarantee that you're protected from everything, because spyware and malware is constantly changing to get around anti-malware defenders.
Worth buying or not
If you're considering a registry cleaner, it basically comes down to one question: Why is your computer running slowly? If it's malware, get a malware cleaner or do a system reformat. If it is legitimately a registry problem and your computer has been giving you errors to indicate something's wrong with the registry, there are two solutions: try to clean it on your own or get a registry cleaning program. Most of the software runs for around $30 and usually comes with a virus protection package; my personal favorite program which I've used on multiple computers to do registry backups and cleans includes several bonuses to help you speed up your PC. So it's a question of time and money; either invest time learning how to fix it yourself, or just get a program that'll do the work for you.
Have a look at my personal favorite registry cleaner here.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Building a Gaming PC vs. Buying Pre-built
When you're thinking about getting a new PC, especially a desktop, the decision of whether to build or buy can be a tough one.
For this reason, it makes sense to compare the benefits of each.
Building Advantages
Buying a Prebuilt PC
Advantages
It is also possible to find pre-built PCs from Ebay and Amazon.com which will give you free shipping - and Amazon doesn't charge tax. So you can often get a decent PC for $600-1000 and avoid having to pay shipping/tax if you go through Amazon.
Again, the downside there is the lack of customizability.
So before you make your decision, think about your personal gaming and computing needs. If you are a hardcore gamer who has very specific power requirements, and you have money and time to spend building a PC, that's going to be your best bet. If you don't have as much to spend and would prefer to have your PC already put together, or just don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to compile individual parts, a pre-built PC is more than likely going to be a wiser choice.
For this reason, it makes sense to compare the benefits of each.
Building Advantages
- All parts customizable
- Potentially more budget friendly
- Learn about PC components and computer building in the process
- Can be tailored exclusively to your computing/gaming needs
- No warranty or support
- All parts come individually from various manufacturers
- Higher possibility of component failure
Buying a Prebuilt PC
Advantages
- Comes already built, so less setup time
- No hassles with installing an operating system
- Warranty and technical support
- Not as customizable
- Probably have to pay tax and shipping, which can add $100 to the price tag - or at least $50
- May end up costing more overall
It is also possible to find pre-built PCs from Ebay and Amazon.com which will give you free shipping - and Amazon doesn't charge tax. So you can often get a decent PC for $600-1000 and avoid having to pay shipping/tax if you go through Amazon.
Again, the downside there is the lack of customizability.
So before you make your decision, think about your personal gaming and computing needs. If you are a hardcore gamer who has very specific power requirements, and you have money and time to spend building a PC, that's going to be your best bet. If you don't have as much to spend and would prefer to have your PC already put together, or just don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to compile individual parts, a pre-built PC is more than likely going to be a wiser choice.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Review of Acronis Backup and Recovery 10
At some point, PCs are destined to fail. It could be because of OS malfunction, a virus, faulty hard drives; whatever the reason, it's very likely that at some point your computer will crash. This happened to my old Dell just a couple weeks ago, and unfortunately, I was not prepared.
As soon as I purchased a new PC, my first step was to find a program that would save my computer in the instance of another crash. There is a technology known as disk imaging created exactly for this purpose.
Disk imaging programs essentially copy your OS, system settings, installed programs, basic computer setup, etc., and put it onto a separate disk/CD/DVD etc. One such program that does this is Acronis Backup and Recovery. Acronis is known for their PC backup/recovery software, as well as other tools for backing up and saving system settings.
The installation for Acronis is very short, taking about 3-5 minutes depending on your OS. I tested this product with Vista 32-bit. It's worth it to note that for some reason, the product doesn't fully install on Windows Vista Home Premium.
For around 100 GB of data, it takes 30 minutes to an hour for Acronis to complete a full system backup. This was after a fresh install of Windows. It's also possible to program the software to do regular system backups at a scheduled date, much like a virus scan.
Testing the actual restore was a slightly different matter. I had some initial difficulty getting the restore to load. I tested it on two different machines (one laptop and one desktop, both with Intel Pentium 4 processors). While my laptop had no problem running the virtual OS from Acronis, my desktop did encounter some error messages about volume mapping. Bypassing those and consulting the help guide got me through successfully, though. So all in all, about 2 hours to get the full restored setup running.
Bottom line for Acronis Backup and Recovery 10:
If, like me, you struggle with boot disc programs (even though many of those are free), Acronis is a great resort for a full system backup. Unlike Norton Ghost and a couple other PC backup tools I tried out, this one worked almost flawlessly and was undeniably the fastest in terms of installation and final load of the restored system.
All-in-all, a very decent system recovery tool.
As soon as I purchased a new PC, my first step was to find a program that would save my computer in the instance of another crash. There is a technology known as disk imaging created exactly for this purpose.
Disk imaging programs essentially copy your OS, system settings, installed programs, basic computer setup, etc., and put it onto a separate disk/CD/DVD etc. One such program that does this is Acronis Backup and Recovery. Acronis is known for their PC backup/recovery software, as well as other tools for backing up and saving system settings.
The installation for Acronis is very short, taking about 3-5 minutes depending on your OS. I tested this product with Vista 32-bit. It's worth it to note that for some reason, the product doesn't fully install on Windows Vista Home Premium.
For around 100 GB of data, it takes 30 minutes to an hour for Acronis to complete a full system backup. This was after a fresh install of Windows. It's also possible to program the software to do regular system backups at a scheduled date, much like a virus scan.
Testing the actual restore was a slightly different matter. I had some initial difficulty getting the restore to load. I tested it on two different machines (one laptop and one desktop, both with Intel Pentium 4 processors). While my laptop had no problem running the virtual OS from Acronis, my desktop did encounter some error messages about volume mapping. Bypassing those and consulting the help guide got me through successfully, though. So all in all, about 2 hours to get the full restored setup running.
Bottom line for Acronis Backup and Recovery 10:
If, like me, you struggle with boot disc programs (even though many of those are free), Acronis is a great resort for a full system backup. Unlike Norton Ghost and a couple other PC backup tools I tried out, this one worked almost flawlessly and was undeniably the fastest in terms of installation and final load of the restored system.
All-in-all, a very decent system recovery tool.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Author's Pick for Custom Gaming PC: Velocity Micro
If budget is not a problem for you when you're building a custom gaming PC, Velocity Micro is a good option. This company designs sleek, custom-built computers for high intensity gaming. Their prices tend to be on the higher end, but if you plan a good, solid build, you can get a great deal from this company.
I've read a lot of mixed reviews about them, and I won't say I haven't had my share of problems with the laptop I got from them. However, I didn't want to get another Dell laptop - my old one had overheating problems from the get go, and still does to this day. Of course it's also about 4 years old and has seen a lot of use.
Velocity Micro offers custom gaming laptops and desktops; so far I can only comment on their laptops. The typical experience of their desktop consumers seems to be a rocky start (bluescreens and random OS issues in the beginning), and then once they get up and running, they're great systems. My own experience with the customer service of VM was good. I had a fan issue and talked to someone who got me a replacement part within just a few days.
The one problem is the lack of testing they do on these PCs after they're built. Dell is pretty thorough about that from what I understand, and I've never had any bluescreen issues with Dell PCs after getting them. VM PCs pretty much come freshly built, so the possibilities of having problems from the start are higher. Prepare to do some testing and allow for testing and setup time if you order a desktop from them. That said, the laptop I got had no issues from the start, though I'm now running into some overheating problems which seem to be common amongst laptops in general.
Bottom line for Velocity Micro systems? 4/5 stars. I like their website and how easy it is to put together a good system. Their prices are a little higher, but I can deal with that since it means getting a good system that will last several years.
I've read a lot of mixed reviews about them, and I won't say I haven't had my share of problems with the laptop I got from them. However, I didn't want to get another Dell laptop - my old one had overheating problems from the get go, and still does to this day. Of course it's also about 4 years old and has seen a lot of use.
Velocity Micro offers custom gaming laptops and desktops; so far I can only comment on their laptops. The typical experience of their desktop consumers seems to be a rocky start (bluescreens and random OS issues in the beginning), and then once they get up and running, they're great systems. My own experience with the customer service of VM was good. I had a fan issue and talked to someone who got me a replacement part within just a few days.
The one problem is the lack of testing they do on these PCs after they're built. Dell is pretty thorough about that from what I understand, and I've never had any bluescreen issues with Dell PCs after getting them. VM PCs pretty much come freshly built, so the possibilities of having problems from the start are higher. Prepare to do some testing and allow for testing and setup time if you order a desktop from them. That said, the laptop I got had no issues from the start, though I'm now running into some overheating problems which seem to be common amongst laptops in general.
Bottom line for Velocity Micro systems? 4/5 stars. I like their website and how easy it is to put together a good system. Their prices are a little higher, but I can deal with that since it means getting a good system that will last several years.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Laptop or PC for Gaming?
This is often a tough decision for gamers and regular computer users alike. Laptops offer portability and convenience, but are often more expensive and much less customizable than desktop PCs. Desktops give you more power for the price, but can't be easily moved around, and are completely impractical for traveling. So when it comes to the decision of whether to get a laptop or a desktop, there are a few things to take into account.
1. Portability.
Laptops are portable - that's why they're called laptops. If you're on the go a lot (a busy college student, for example), laptops are ideal. You can pull up Microsoft Word to work on a paper and then fire up HL2 - all from Starbucks. However, a PC powerful enough to handle higher end games is going to require a lot of power, and run you into the $1500+ range, most likely. PC gaming companies offer customizable laptops, like the Alienware M15x laptops, that are made for gaming. These are powerful enough to handle most games, but not necessarily on the highest settings.
2. Upgradability.
Because of their size (or lack of), laptops can't fit the large amount of components that gaming desktops can. This makes them much less upgradable. It's easy to replace laptop parts, but getting a bigger, better processor or video card is nearly impossible. And at the rate technology advances, you're going to need new components to keep up with games.
Because laptops are so hard to upgrade, they don't last very long if you want to use them for gaming, so you'll probably have to look at replacing your gaming laptop in a couple years.
3. Price.
This is obviously the deciding factor. If you are independently wealthy or just have plenty of cash to spare, get a decent gaming laptop - and then a desktop to go with it. Many gaming PC retailers offer laptop/desktop packages so you get a better rate.
If you don't plan to be on the go much and want a high end gaming PC, get a desktop.
If you will be traveling a lot or need the portability of a laptop, get a good gaming laptop and plan on replacing it in a couple years.
1. Portability.
Laptops are portable - that's why they're called laptops. If you're on the go a lot (a busy college student, for example), laptops are ideal. You can pull up Microsoft Word to work on a paper and then fire up HL2 - all from Starbucks. However, a PC powerful enough to handle higher end games is going to require a lot of power, and run you into the $1500+ range, most likely. PC gaming companies offer customizable laptops, like the Alienware M15x laptops, that are made for gaming. These are powerful enough to handle most games, but not necessarily on the highest settings.
2. Upgradability.
Because of their size (or lack of), laptops can't fit the large amount of components that gaming desktops can. This makes them much less upgradable. It's easy to replace laptop parts, but getting a bigger, better processor or video card is nearly impossible. And at the rate technology advances, you're going to need new components to keep up with games.
Because laptops are so hard to upgrade, they don't last very long if you want to use them for gaming, so you'll probably have to look at replacing your gaming laptop in a couple years.
3. Price.
This is obviously the deciding factor. If you are independently wealthy or just have plenty of cash to spare, get a decent gaming laptop - and then a desktop to go with it. Many gaming PC retailers offer laptop/desktop packages so you get a better rate.
If you don't plan to be on the go much and want a high end gaming PC, get a desktop.
If you will be traveling a lot or need the portability of a laptop, get a good gaming laptop and plan on replacing it in a couple years.
Friday, January 1, 2010
PC Cases: How to Select a Case for Your Computer
A PC's case is one of the most important parts of a well-constructed computer, but often overlooked. The case you choose needs to fit a few requirements: it has to be large enough to house your selected components, and of course compatible with them. Another thing to consider is the space you plan to put the PC in; tower cases are ideal for comfortable component housing, but if you have limited space, mini cases are also a good consideration.
Motherboard support
Obviously this is a key factor, because if your case doesn't support your motherboard, it won't work. For this reason, it's usually best to ask an expert or the case retailer to find out what motherboards are supported. Or just do a search for the case's model and brand and find out which components it supports, and make sure your motherboard of choice is included.
Power supply and fans
Usually a minimum of 400w for a power supply is necessary these days. Ideally you should have 450-600w for your power supply - sometimes more if you have a lot of components to power. Fans and cooling are essential; liquid cooled PCs are the most efficient, but also more costly. Either way, make sure you have adequate cooling for your PC components to avoid overheating. Especially if you plan to overclock.
Appearance
There are all kinds of nifty cases out there today. Whether you want something futuristic and fancy-looking or just a simple black box, there will be a suitable, affordable case out there that can house your computer. Most computers, including pre-built ones, come in multiple colors.
Taking all these factors into account will get you started on your search for the perfect PC case. If you are an average computer user who only needs to use the PC for basic tasks, a simple design will probably work best for you. If you're a hardcore gamer or PC enthusiast, you'll probably want to opt for a larger, more detailed case.
Obviously this is a key factor, because if your case doesn't support your motherboard, it won't work. For this reason, it's usually best to ask an expert or the case retailer to find out what motherboards are supported. Or just do a search for the case's model and brand and find out which components it supports, and make sure your motherboard of choice is included.
Power supply and fans
Usually a minimum of 400w for a power supply is necessary these days. Ideally you should have 450-600w for your power supply - sometimes more if you have a lot of components to power. Fans and cooling are essential; liquid cooled PCs are the most efficient, but also more costly. Either way, make sure you have adequate cooling for your PC components to avoid overheating. Especially if you plan to overclock.
Appearance
There are all kinds of nifty cases out there today. Whether you want something futuristic and fancy-looking or just a simple black box, there will be a suitable, affordable case out there that can house your computer. Most computers, including pre-built ones, come in multiple colors.
Taking all these factors into account will get you started on your search for the perfect PC case. If you are an average computer user who only needs to use the PC for basic tasks, a simple design will probably work best for you. If you're a hardcore gamer or PC enthusiast, you'll probably want to opt for a larger, more detailed case.
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