Welcome to the Computer Hardware section of our blog, the go-to resource for enthusiasts, professionals, and everyone in between who wants to get the most out of their computing experience. Whether you’re looking to upgrade a specific component or planning to build a PC from scratch, this category delves into the essential hardware elements that define the performance and functionality of your computer.
CPUs (Central Processing Units)
Relevant Brands: Intel, AMD
The CPU is the brain of your computer, where most calculations take place. From Intel’s Core series to AMD’s Ryzen line-up, we examine the specifications, performance benchmarks, and power efficiency to help you choose the right processor for your needs.
GPUs (Graphics Processing Units)
Relevant Brands: NVIDIA, AMD
Whether you’re gaming, rendering video, or running complex simulations, a powerful GPU is essential. NVIDIA’s GeForce series and AMD’s Radeon cards are the primary contenders, each with their unique features and capabilities.
Power Supplies
Relevant Brands: Corsair, EVGA, Seasonic
A robust and efficient power supply is the backbone of any stable system. We discuss the importance of wattage, efficiency ratings, and brand reliability, focusing on leading manufacturers like Corsair, EVGA, and Seasonic.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
Relevant Brands: Kingston, Corsair, G.Skill
RAM is where your computer stores data for quick read and write access. We look into speed, capacity, and compatibility, highlighting top brands such as Kingston, Corsair, and G.Skill that offer a range of options to suit various needs.
PC Cases
Relevant Brands: NZXT, Cooler Master, Fractal Design
The PC case is not just an aesthetic choice; it impacts cooling, upgradeability, and system layout. Brands like NZXT and Cooler Master offer various designs and form factors, from minimalist to RGB-heavy, that cater to different tastes and requirements.
Motherboards
Relevant Brands: ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte
The motherboard is the central hub connecting all your components. We delve into form factors, chipsets, and expandability, focusing on reputable brands like ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte.
Storage: NVMe, SSD, Hard Drives
Relevant Brands: Samsung, Western Digital, Seagate, Crucial
Your storage solution influences not only how much data you can keep but also how fast you can access it. We cover the speed advantages of NVMe drives, the reliability of SSDs, and the capacity benefits of traditional hard drives, examining offerings from brands like Samsung, Western Digital, and Seagate.
As we venture deeper into this digital age, understanding the hardware that powers your computing experience has never been more critical. This category aims to provide you with the essential information, objective comparisons, and expert insights needed to make well-informed decisions on your computer hardware. So go ahead, explore, and build the machine of your dreams!
November 2021 Update highlights: Black Friday deals added Originally, this post focussed on Amazon reviews as a key factor in the decision to recommend systems. However, Amazon, and companies that use it, keep messing around with things, merging products, having multiple products on one page etc. Then reviews themselves are not always reliable. 2021 Black…
Network Attached Storage (NAS) may be the preferable solution for many people, but Direct Attached Storage (DAS) storage offers improved and more reliable throughput, especially with Thunderbolt 3, which is capable of 40 Gbps with daisy-chaining. Most people don’t work directly from their mounted NAS drives, but you will from a DAS drive, and this…
Announced back in August, the Sades Battle Ram combo is an affordable keyboard, mouse and mouse mat set that would make a good gift for novice gamers getting into PC gaming. Specification / Features Keyboard Keyboard Type : Membrane-Switch Technology Keyboard Layout : 104-Key US layout Switch Lifespan : 10 Million Cycles Dimensions : 471*195*37…
The FRITZ!Box 7530 AX is one of the first WiFi 6 routers from AVM FRITZ!Box. To make things a little confusing, they have retained the same model number as the WiFi 5 AVM FRITZ!Box 7530 but added the AX extension associated with WiFi 6. As you might have guessed, this is therefore essentially the same…
Last month, Netgear announced the £1500 quad-band RBKE960 Orbi Mesh WiFi 6E System. Yesterday they continued their roll of premium-priced networking gear with the announcement of Netgear Orbi NBK752, which is a tri-band mesh WiFi 6 system with a 5G modem built-in, for the bargain price of £1099.99. Spending a grand on a mesh system…
I have previously reviewed the Twelve South StayGo USB-C Hub and found it to be excellent. While it wasn’t cheap, it has all the ports I could need and has been 100% reliable since I initially reviewed it. This is being marketed for the iPad or MacBook. However, there is no reason why this won’t…
Virgin Media is one of the best options on the market for ultra-fast internet. Most fibre internet running over phones lines caps out at 76Mbps, but Virgin offers up to 500Mbps in most areas and gigabit for some lucky few. However, from time to time, those speeds are nothing like what you see in real…
Acer has announced three projectors today, two gaming focussed projectors and now the Acer L811, which is a an ultra-short throw projector that offers HDR10-compatible 4K resolution and 3,000 lumens of brightness for an incredible home-theater experience. Capable of offering a 120-inch projection from only 0.312 meters (1.02 feet) the projector defeats the traditional space…
Intel has not formally announced the Alder Lake (12th-gen) CPUs yet, and it is expected they will announce them at the Intel Innovation event will take place on 27-28 October. Today, Acer is getting out ahead of this news with the announcement of the new Predator Orion 7000, which will feature the latest unlocked 12th Gen…
Netgear has gone all out for their latest mesh WiFi 6 system. Featuring the new WiFi 6E standard, the mesh system utilizes three different frequencies, 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz and 6Ghz. The problem with a WiFi 6E mesh system is that you need to use one band for the backhaul. If the system shares a backhaul channel…
I have been a fan of the Raspberry Pi for years now, originally building a cheap Kodi media player and later using it for low powered server functionality and a dedicated Pi-Hole DNS adblocker. I have always used normal peripherals and monitors with it, and once the initial set-up is done, move over to SSH/command…
I previously reviewed the superb but extremely expensive Netgear Orbi Pro SXK80, which basically took the flagship consumer Orbi RBK852 hardware and upgraded it with Netgear Insight cloud management. Netgear has now released the smaller SXK30 system which is considerably more affordable, making it appealing for small businesses. Similar to the larger model, the SXK30…
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