Computers & Technology

5 PC UPGRADES ALMOST EVERYONE DOES WRONG (AND HOW TO DO THEM RIGHT) Many newbs flub upgrades through inexperience, but it's just as common to see a hardcore system builder throw caution to the wind while swapping out a CPU, snapping in some RAM, or swapping out a hard drive or graphics card. Adding RAM, swapping out a processor (CPU), or installing a new hard drive can be very simple tasks. But following basic precautions can safeguard your system and save you money, time, and frustration. And taking a few extra minutes (or spending a few extra dollars) to route cables well and to ensure that your power supply is up to the greater demands of new components can make your upgraded PC perform better. The most common error failing to use static protection. Novices typically don't even realize that static electricity in their body can discharge into a PC's components with just a light touch, potentially damaging sensitive circuitry. Old hats, on the other ...

UNSORTED IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING YOUR OWN PC Building PCs is a hobby that many tech enthu siasts enjoy. Even if building PCs is not your hobby, it is sometimes the only way to get a machine that exactly meets your needs, or meets them at a reasonable price.  1.     SSD VS. MECHANICAL DRIVES At this point in time, I think the drive selections have more to do with performance than the CPU choice does. Modern CPUs have more than enough power for typical loads, but as the applications we use get bigger, and the data they handle gets larger (video games, multimedia editing, giant-size Outlook PSTs, etc.), the drives can become the bottleneck. Solid state drives (SSDs) are lightning quick, especially for accessing lots of small files at a time (like when the system boots). The price to pay is in the cost-per-gigabyte: They are many times more expensive on a per-GB basis than traditional drives. While there i...