Posts in Category: guides

How to Choose the Right Storage for Your Gaming PC

M.2 SATA, M.2 NVME, SSD, HDD—if any of those abbreviations make your head spin faster than a hard drive platter, look no further. This article outlines the different storage options on the market today, highlighting the best use-cases for each and recommending the best product in every class.

Upgrading an older storage drive to an SSD is one of the surest (and cheapest) ways to give a boost to an older PC, but where should you begin? There are three main options on the market today: HDDs, SATA SSDs, and M.2 SSDs. Here’s a look at each.

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Motherboard VRMs: What are Power Phases, and How Many Should I Have?

Motherboard VRM Power Phases Explanation

Often, motherboard product pages and online forum users mention a motherboard’s VRM and how many power phases it has. Being a somewhat technical topic, VRMs aren’t an easy topic to get into. So today, we will introduce the concept of the VRM and these so-called power phases as simple and straightforward as possible, so that you can easily discern what a motherboard product page is telling you (and when it matters).

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The Newbie’s Guide to PC Cooling Fans

beginner's guide to PC case fans

So, you’re building a PC; with modern components running faster (and hotter) than ever, you’ll need at least one fan. Searches reveal thousands of models bragging about their CFM or noise levels or bearing type. How do you cut through the marketing jargon? This guide for beginners should demystify computer cooling!

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Choosing the Right Monitor: Size, Resolution, Price – and Sitting Distance!

monitor-size-resolution-sitting-distance

If you peruse sites like this, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the monitor discussion. “I’m buying a monitor, what size/resolution/refresh rate should I get?” Choosing the right monitor can be as important as (or, in some situations, even more important than) anything else in your build.

After all, your monitor is how you experience your build. The best graphics card and CPU don’t mean much if the monitor you’re using can’t show you the benefits of those parts.

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4 Troubleshooting Tips for Overclocking Your PC

Often, PC enthusiasts will speak of overclocking the way car enthusiasts discuss high-performance engines, with megahertz and voltage taking the place of horsepower and torque. Overclocking is often a relatively simple way to squeeze out extra performance from computer components; however, problems sometimes do arise. Luckily, most problems faced with overclocking are easily fixed with some basic troubleshooting techniques.

For our purposes, we’ll look at issues affecting the components that are overclocked the most: the CPU and GPU.

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Types of VRAM Explained: HBM vs. GDDR5 vs. GDDR5X

SEC VRAM - Different Kinds of VRAM Explained—HBM vs. GDDR5 vs. GDDR5X

Some Samsung VRAM

All graphics cards need both a GPU and VRAM to function properly. While the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) does the actual processing of data to output images on your monitor, the data it is processing and providing is stored and accessed from the chips of VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) surrounding it.

Outputting high-resolution graphics at a quick rate requires both a beefy GPU and a large quantity of high-bandwidth VRAM working in tandem. For most of the past decade, VRAM design was fairly stagnant, and focused on using more power to achieve greater VRAM clock speeds.

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The Ultimate Guide to Computer RAM

what is ram copy

RAM (short for Random Access Memory) is an essential part of every computer, because it holds all of the data your computer is currently using. Think of it as your computer’s short-term memory, whereas the hard drive is more like long-term memory. If you use your computer whilst at work though then it might be a good idea to check out something like this least privilege manager
software, to make sure that your computer is safe.

Why is RAM important? How much RAM do you need, and how fast does it need to be? We’re going to answer those questions, and hopefully clear up some common myths about RAM along the way. If this question and other tech related issues cause confusion or if your business’s computer systems aren’t acting in the way you want, it’s best you get in touch with an IT Support Company.

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What is a Mechanical Keyboard? Guide to Buying a Mechanical Keyboard

mechanicalkeyboard

Your keyboard is the part of your computer with which you have the most contact. But despite all the time many people spend with their keyboards, very few consider the variety of choices available.

So, what options are there for your keyboard, and how do you know when you’ve found the right keyboard for you? Are you looking for the best cheap mechanical keyboard or a gaming keyboard? And what are these “mechanical” keyboards you keep hearing about?

Read on to get an intro to mechanical keyboards, or just watch this video:

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The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Computer Mouse

The average PC user spends several hours a day touching a computer mouse, making it one of the most critical computer peripherals. And yet, few PC users spend much time considering mice before purchasing one that they’ll end up using for years. It can be interesting to learn more about specific models of a mouse at places similar to Review Loft, check them out.

Today, PC users have an enormous variety of mice to choose from, as well as numerous factors to consider before choosing the best mouse for them. Everyone’s hand is a little different, so it makes sense that different hands may prefer different mice.

This guide should serve as a primer to help find your hand the best possible mouse companion. We’ve separated the guide into four sections based on the four main criteria to consider when selecting a mouse: comfort, precision, button layout, and extra features.

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