The RAM support is a bit lacking with a maximum of 8 GB and supported speed of 1333 MHz (or 1866 MHz when overclocking), but it’s a sacrifice I had to make. You’re always welcome to overclock the RAM if you’d like, but I enjoy hardware longevity and decided not to enable it as long as I have it. The SATA ports also only go up to 3 Gbps, but that’s fairly irrelevant when it comes to actual gaming performance — it will only affect loading times. On a side note, the motherboard also includes dedicated Radeon graphics that are built onto the motherboard itself, which is nice, but irrelevant since we’ll be using a more powerful dedicated graphics card anyw
In part 1 of this checklist, I will take you through the physical cleaning checkpoints of your desktop computer or laptop. In part 2 I will follow up with a list of things you can do to purge obsolete files, unused programs, crapware and more from your Windows mach
Install the CPU fan by removing the plastic from the bottom (careful, thermal paste is applied that needs to go directly onto the CPU!) and place it onto the CPU. There should be braces on the motherboard surrounding the CPU holder where you can lock the fan into place. Connect the CPU fan to the motherboard (see manu
Don’t take this too far, however. Downgrading from one product line to another will result in a performance difference. There’s nothing wrong with a Core i3 but don’t buy it under the illusion that it’s about the same as a Core
You also can work this checklist in reverse when shopping. Instead of asking if your old parts work with the new motherboard, find a new motherboard that works with the old parts. It won’t always be possible but it’s worth a l
If your keyboard is dirty, obviously so is your mouse. You can clean the top surface with a lint-free cloth. Also make sure to give the light diode at the bottom a careful wipe with a Q-tip. If you have an old mechanical ball mouse, take out the ball to remove dust, hair, and partic
Some of the power connections in desktops have remained the same over time, but some haven’t. The most recent examples of new connections are SATA and PCI Express. If you own a computer that is more than five years old it may not support them, and that means you won’t be able to use a SATA hard drive or a PCI Express video card without an adapter. Always makes sure that your power supply has the connectors required to accept any new hardware you might purch
Before installing you’ll need to know if your desktop has 2.5″ drive bay inside it. This can be hard to determine if no solid state drive is already installed. It will simple be a small, think bracket 2.5 inches in width. Don’t be surprised if there isn’t one. Even new desktops often lack this feat
Technology moves quickly. Except when it doesn’t. Processors continue to advance at a blistering pace but mechanical hard drives, optical drives, sound cards, network adapters and power supplies have experienced less progress. It’s possible, even likely, that your existing PC has several components that can still be u
The measurement is the size of the fan on each side. Just break out a tape measure if you’re not sure what size you need. Fans for purchase should be clearly labeled by size and the size is universal, which means fans from different companies will fit into the same mounting bracket as long as the size matc
Also make sure that you have the fan mounted so it blows in the proper direction. The fan should have a printed or molded arrow that shows the direction air flows. Fans can be installed as either an intake (air blowing in) or exhaust (air blowing out). There may also be an arrow that shows the direction of s
To keep costs down you can aim for one of the less impressive options or an older product. The Crucial M4, which was once considered cutting-edge, is now pretty mundane. And that means you can buy a 128GB model for just
Computers are complex, however, and this can lead to headaches when trying to upgrade. Nothing is more frustrating than finding out that you have a compatibility issue while you’re in the process of installing new hardware. Let’s review 4 potential trouble spots you should check before digging into your desktop’s intern
Whether you have a desktop computer or a laptop, your CPU (central processing unit) and GPU (graphics processing unit) need cooling. This is generally achieved through a fan that cools a heat sink, which disperses heat from the processor/s. When the air intake grills, the fan/s or the vents are blocked by dust, the cooling is less efficient. Consequently, the processor/s run/s hot faster and more frequently, which can cause the processor/s to become slower or even break prematurely. Hence, it is in your best interest to give the fan/s, intake grills, and vents a good cleaning to ensure optimal air flow and cool
There are a lot of good options in the $100 to $150 range for any given processor and, if budget is your concern, it’s wise not to stray too far from them. Top brands like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI offer plenty of choice for budget gaming PC|Https://pcbuildinsight.com/ shopp