Build a PC or buy a console? The debate rages on…
With the release of the PlayStation 4 Pro over the holidays, the debate over the performance needed for 4K gaming on PC has been fierce. With games like Last of Us Remastered running in the PlayStation 4 Pro’s 4K 60 FPS mode, it is a testament to the level of optimization that can be achieved when working to a single specification. Yet what sort of performance can a PC builder get for the same $400?
By far the most overlooked component in new builds is the power supply unit, or PSU. Ironically, it’s one of the most important. Your power supply will be pumping the lifeblood of precious volts to each and every electronic part in your fancy new computer.
A catastrophic failure of a power supply can fry every other part in your PC, or in rare cases even start a life-threatening fire at 2:00 in the morning. Why risk a disaster like this to save the equivalent of four grande mochaccinos from that fancy coffee shop?
You’ve got all your PC parts together. How do you ensure building them is a smooth process? Start by reading this.
Building a PC is generally not too difficult, though it can certainly feel daunting the first time. With a good guide and a screwdriver, it should only take a matter of hours — or even less — to transform a bunch of carefully selected parts into the system of your dreams.
When building a PC, there are definitely certain parts that are harder than others. Here, we describe four of the most challenging aspects of building a PC (suggested by our social media communities on Facebook and Twitter), and then provide some tips for how to avoid them.
Novabench, one of many popular PC benchmarking tools.
Benchmarking is the act of running a computer through a series of predetermined tests or program operations to assess its overall performance. With benchmarking, you can gauge the performance of your PC hardware to ensure everything is performing as designed. Think of it as putting your computer through a test that assigns a score, so that you can compare your hardware’s performance relative to other computers.
Benchmarking your PC can also help you to identify any potential vulnerabilities, it is no secret that cybercrime is on the rise, so for peace of mind, if you use your computer for personal or business purposes it is wise to do everything in your power to keep your technology secure.
There are a variety of ways to benchmark a PC, with specific methods focusing on the PC as a whole, or specific components, such as the graphics card, CPU, or SSD. Broadly speaking, benchmarking methods fall into one of two categories: Synthetic or Real World.
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.
One of our most-requested topics for a build guide has been a guide to building a PC for game streaming on services such as Twitch.
So, we present you with our newest guide: Building a PC for Twitch and Game Streaming
You’ve built your gaming PC that possibly features an SSD for speed, you probably know the difference between WD Green vs Blue, and now you want to start streaming on Twitch. We’re here to help. (If you haven’t built yourself a streaming PC, read our Guide to Building a PC for Game Streaming.)
This quick guide should take you from a streaming novice to confident broadcaster. Don’t forget that if you’re using a public internet connection, find the best vpn for streaming so that you’re secure.
Thermaltake Core V1
When putting this build together, I wanted to build a Mini ITX PC that can play almost any game at 1440p at 60 FPS with Ultra settings. I allocated a budget of $1,200 and picked parts accordingly.
This is a Haswell build, but I’ve provided alternative options for Skylake, at a slightly higher price.
Gonzo65’s 901 Build
Inspired by the Holiday sales, I decided to put together a quiet, clean, small Mini ITX build to handle any current game at max settings at 2560×1440. Total build price: $1,750.
It’s a little more expensive and harder to put together than a comparable full-sized build, but it turns out gorgeous and powerful.
Build complete, but can it handle the stress?
Very few things in life are more satisfying than assembling all the parts to a new PC, hitting the power button, and watching it boot up properly. That’s what we at Logical Increments are all about!
But even if your build starts up and seems to work without problems, you might want to make sure all the components are fully functional. Does your graphics card pump out pretty pictures at the level promised by the manufacturer? Does your RAM operate consistently for hours on end? Does your CPU process the desired number of ones and zeroes under intense loads without overheating?
To answer these questions, we turn to stress testing: Making sure that all of your parts can handle the work that they’re designed to do (or overclocked to do). They might be fine under normal use, but you want to know that they’ll be able to handle heavier tasks down the road, such as high-end gaming or media editing.