Quick Guide on Buying Personal Computers

Are you planning to buy your first PC or you would like to purchase a new one? There are hundreds of brands and models available online and on traditional PC stores which makes choosing a computer an overwhelming task. Computers are definitely an investment so be careful on choosing because you don't want to spend your money to end up with something unreliable or those loaded with features that you wouldn't need anyway. Below are quick tips and guides on buying a Personal computer;


1. What is your alloted budget? You could dream of having the most high end personal computer but will your fund tally with it's price tag? Set a range for the amount that you are willing to spend, keep in mind that you will be buying an investment so don't be too frugal but at the same time do not overspend.

2. Decide whether you need a desktop or a laptop. Will you need it for computer works that can be done at home or do you need a portable laptop which you can bring at the office, school or almost everywhere.

3. Determine the features that you want in your computer. Will you need something with basic specs or do you need a customized PC that can cater to your gaming or multimedia needs. Do you want a PC with built-in web cam or would you want to buy it separately.

4. Have a short list of PC manufacturers that you want and trust your money on. You can research online for reviews and testimonials about PC lines.

5. Choose the Operating System(OS) for your computer. Most PCs are Windows-based because of the popularity of Microsoft's OS & most software are compatible with their OS. On the other hand their main rival is Mac, who boasts their speed and performance. It is highly recommended for multimedia creation which involves graphics or video editing. But the main disadvantage is most popular softwares do not support Mac's OS.

6. If possible, select the software that will be included and make sure that those that will be installed are the applications that really need because often times you would pay for additional costs for installed software that you don't even use.

7. Check out the technical support offered by the company. It will be handy to have a reliable and accessible sales support if your computer breaks down .

Before buying a PC and after reading these quick tips, you can browse online for product reviews, price comparison and more! As mentioned earlier, personal computers are investments so it won't hurt to research a thing or two before deciding what PC to buy.

By Mei Galang

Speed up your PC with more Memory

One of the factors that will determine how fast your PC runs is the amount of RAM (Random Access Memory) that is in your system. The reason for this is because if you have a small amount of memory for the application programs you are running, the PC will be spending time (processor time) swapping information in and out of the limited amount of memory to your hard drive. Processor time spent swapping data in and out of memory is time that could be spent performing the activities of your running applications. If more memory is added to the system (assuming space is available) then more applications and or their data can remain in memory, reducing the amount of time wasted swapping information in and out of memory.

If your PC is a few years old and now appears to be running slower than it did when it was new, this is probably because new software or software upgrades that you have added to the system are putting evermore demands on the available memory.

If you want to get some idea if memory might be a problem for your slow PC, then check your PC's RAM usage by opening the Windows Task Manager. You can start the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del at the same time (Vista users will have to click Start Task Manager) and then click the Performance tab. If the figure next to 'Available' (or 'Free' in Vista) in the 'Physical Memory' section is getting close to zero, for example if only 10% or so of your PC memory is available, you probably need more RAM.

In general a standard Windows XP user will find that 1GB of RAM should give them satisfactory system performance. For users who run lots of demanding applications simultaneously or they do a lot of working with digital video or other large graphics files then they should have 2GB of RAM or more.

If you are planning to upgrade your PC to run Windows Vista, you can run this operating system with 1GB of RAM, but for a better Windows Vista experience then 2GB of RAM is recommend.

Having decided that you need to increase the amount of RAM in your system to improve its performance you then have the following questions to answer:-

1. Are there any empty memory card slots available in your system?

2. Will I have to remove some of the current memory to make room for new memory?

3. What type of memory does your system require?

4. Is your PC using dual-channel memory, if so then you must install a pair of memory cards for maximum performance?

You could read your PC's manual to answer these questions and others, but the easiest thing to try first is to surf to one of the reliable RAM manufacturer's website using the PC you wish to upgrade. The main RAM supplier websites have online tools for identifying the right RAM for the PC you are using to surf to their website. These tools can tell you what memory you are currently using, if you have any empty memory slots and what upgrade options are available.

Using these online tools can clearly show you your upgrade options and really helps your to know that you are buying the correct memory for your system.

When you receive your new memory you will then have to read your PC manual to understand how to open up your PC and correctly insert the new memory. One thing you should be aware of when handling memory is that static electrical can damage these memory items and your PC's other delicate circuits. That is why you should read your manual as it should explain that you must earth yourself to the metalwork inside your PC, before removing your new memory from its protective covering and adding or removing items inside your PC.

by Jim Hamilton

How to Install a Graphics Card

It is very easy to install a graphics card, all it needs is only 15 mins of your time and you can get your gaming computer booting up with the new graphics card.

AGP slot was the standard for graphics card interface with the motherboard. As technology advances, the newer PCI-Express has taken over and many graphics card nowadays use PCI-E slot as its interface with the motherboard.

Before you can install the graphics card, you need to identify which type of slot does your graphics card uses.

If you are not sure which slot does your graphics card use, check out the user manual that comes with the graphics card.

Once you are ready to install your graphics card, follow these four steps...

Step 1: Uninstall the current graphics card drivers

Before you install your new card, you have to uninstall your current card driver. This is because the current driver might not be compatible with the new graphics card and it might result in hardware conflict.

On your Windows desktop, click 'Start' -> 'Control Panel'. In the new window that pops up, search for the 'System' icon and double click on it. Look for the 'hardware' tab. Click on the 'Device Manager'. This will pop up a new window showing your entire hardware configuration. Your graphics card should be listed under the 'Display Adapter' heading. Double-click the name of your graphics card. In the next window, go to 'Driver' tab and right below, there is an 'Uninstall' button. Click the Uninstall button. Once it is done, close all the windows and shut down your computer.

Step 2: Remove old graphics card

Now, unplug the power socket from the wall and remove the casing of your computer. Locate the AGP slot (short brown color slot above the rows of long white PCI slot) with your old graphics card. To prevent static charge from damaging your computer parts, touch a metal part of the case to ground yourself. Remove the screw on the back plate of the graphics card and unplug the graphics card from the slot.

Step 3: Install new card.

Align the new card correctly with the AGP slot (align with the PCI-e slot if your graphics card is of the PCI express type). Applying even forces on both end of the card, slowly push the new graphics card into the slot. Secure it to the back plate with a screw.

Step 4: Install new drivers.

Plug in all cables and boot up your Windows. Your operating system should now automatically recognize the new hardware and walk you through the installation wizard. Most of the time, you will need to insert the driver CD that come with the graphics card into the CD-ROM. Locate the 'setup.exe' file in the driver CD and double click on it. It will then walk you through the installation process. If your graphics card is not the latest model, then most probably there is a newer version of the driver on the Internet. Check out the manufacturer's website and download the latest drivers. Install it. Once done, reboot your PC. Now, you're ready to start gaming.

Author: Damien Oh

overclock your CPU to the extreme

I would like to say I have been into computer's as long as I remember, I am a gamer at heart and I believe the best platform to play games is the PC. They carry more depth and are more replayable than there console counterpart.

If you look at some of today's PC games like Medieval 2 and Supreme Commander, these are the true man's thinking games. You won't find these's games on any other platform, neither will you see Cryis or Alan Wake coming to a "so called" next gen console near you. This is because they just cannot cut the mustard compared to a PC and yes I am talking about the Playstation 3 as well.

How to overclock your CPU to the extreme!

The sad fact is that console's are always playing catching up, here's the facts:

The Playstation 3 is using a souped up version of a 7800GTX for there GPU (graphics processing unit) witch was a outstanding graphic's card for PC 2 years ago!

All the next gen consoles are raving on about High Definition gaming and watching movies which was brilliant again but PC's was capable High Definition 10 years ago!

The consoles are starting to build momentum with there online features and are starting to mature but when it comes to the PC, it's not even comparable!

How to overclock your CPU to the extreme!

But the catch is...

But as good as these games are I must admit you do need a ninja PC to play these games at there best. Just to tot it up in your head to build a monster PC is a daunting thought alone. A top of a range CPU can cost you around $1000 if not more! You have to ask yourself is really worth it?

Well I can answer this for you if you still haven't made your mind up. The answer is definitely a NO! I'll let you into a little secret, you might be thinking I'm sat here typing this on my Titan PC witch you may be thinking is on par with the Deathstar. Well truth be known it look's more like a clapped-out banger than anything the Empire can throw at you but it goes like s*%t of a stick though!!!

And guess what, this was all done through overclocking my CPU...

I would of carried on rabbling away but I ran out of space. See you on the other side.

By James Scholes

Top 10 Ways To Make A Computer Run Faster

Today I am going to be talking about different ways you can make a computer run faster. There is actually a lot you can do yourself that will boost your PC's performance. So lets take a look at different ways we can remedy that slow computer of yours!

1. Free Up Disk Space

A great way to make a computer run faster is to free up some disk space. Windows comes with a disk cleanup tool that helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete without messing anything up, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

How to use disk cleanup tool.

* Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. If several drives are available, you might be prompted to specify which drive you want to clean.

* In the Disk Cleanup for dialog box, scroll through the content of the Files to delete list. (If you have multiple hard drives you will have to select which one to scan.)

* Clear the check boxes for files that you don't want to delete, and then click OK.

* When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the specified files, click OK.

2. Use Defrag Tool

When you add a file or a new program to a new computer, the hard drive is relatively empty so new data is saved to the hard drive in one whole block. When you need to use that information, the computer can quickly access it because it is all in one place. Defragging your system is definitely a way to make a computer run faster.

How to use defrag tool.

* From the start menu point to "all programs"
* Point to "Accessories"
* Point to "System Tools"
* Click on "Disk Defragmenter"
* The disk defragmenter will display the hard drives on your computer. Just select and click Defragment.

3. Get rid of spyware

Definition

Spyware is software with malicious intent - by design; it does something bad to your computer. Usually, it gets installed without your knowledge. It sometimes takes advantage of the fact that most people click "I Agree" to software licenses without reading them.

The only way to get rid of spyware is to have some kind of scanner, sort of like an anti-virus. In order to make a computer run faster and keep it safer your going to need an anti-spyware program. This is tricky, a lot of the spyware programs out there are malicious and will actually add viruses and spyware to your computer by using the "spyware scanner and blocker". So please remember to be very careful when choosing your anti-spyware program.

4. Find and repair disk errors

Detect and Repair Disk Errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

How to run the error checking utility.

* Click Start, and then click My Computer.
* In the My Computer window, right-click the hard disk you want to search for bad sectors, and then click Properties.
* In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab.
* Click the Check Now button.
* In the Check Disk dialog box, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then click Start.
* If bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.

Tip: Only select the Automatically fix file system errors check box if you think that your disk contains bad sectors.


5. Get an external hard drive

Adding an External Hard Drive to your computer will allow you to clear out a lot of the things you don't need to be storing on your normal hard drive.

A great example would be your music or pictures. All those songs and pictures are sitting on your computer making it go slower. You will see a decline in your computers performance as soon as you use over half of your hard drive space.

Moving all your songs or pictures to your external hard drive will free up a lot of space on your main hard drive. You can even move applications such as photoshop or games.

An external hard drive is also handy because it is portable. You can unplug it from your computer and take it to a friends house and plug it in there, sharing photos and pictures very easily.

This is truly a great way to make a computer run faster.

by: Brooks Carver