I’ve had a number of people ask me recently which laptop they should buy. While I don’t typically have specific brand and models recommendation – if that’s even possible – there are a few considerations that will make it a lot easier to pick the right laptop from the vast number of options out there. [...]
Archive for the ‘Hardware’ Category
9 Dec
Asus P7P55D motherboard tips
Here are some of my favorite tips after about eight months of owning a system based on an Asus P7P55D-E.
3 Aug
SSDs: are you experienced?
First reaction after installing an Kingston SSDNow V-Series 128GB SSD as a boot drive in my Core i7-860 PC running Windows 7: awesome. The lowly old spinning-platter hard drive is the primary bottleneck in the modern computer. Though pricey, an SSD is a perfect match for a fast processor.
31 Jul
Intel Matrix RAID-10: down for the count
Intel’s Matrix RAID-10 is cost effective and extremely fast — even with regular old 7200 RPM drives — but it is not a trustworthy solution for a desktop PC.
25 Jul
New Core i7 PC: The Experience
The fans jumped and spun, the motherboard flashed green and amber lights, and the hard drives ticked and began their soft whining climb up to a cruising speed of 7200 RPM. The whole system settled into a muted whirr — not too loud, I thought, even with the case still open.
25 May
New Core i7 PC: The Build
In general, these custom builds went without a hitch. However, there are a few points of advice that might save you a few hours if you’re planning to build your own custom PC.
6 Mar
New Core i7 PC: Selecting the Components
After deciding to build my new computer instead of buy it, the next task was to figure out which components to buy. Armed with a thorough review of the choices and some spare PC parts, I ordered a balanced mix of new components that, for only $600, should make me the owner of one of the faster PCs on the planet.
In this article, I’ll show you what I selected out of everything that’s available today – and why I chose them.
3 Mar
How to Buy a New PC, Part 1
This article is for non-technical folks who need an affordable new computer that will last for at least three to five years. By understanding a few basic concepts, you can significantly increase the odds that the system you’ll buy will still be performing well in five years.
19 Feb
Build or Buy a New Core i7 Supercomputer?
I’m usually a strong proponent of choosing to “buy” standardized computers (e.g. Dell) rather than “build” a custom server. But in this case, the stars are aligned in favor of a building a handcrafted, Core i7-based system that should be a real screamer – and hopefully a lot of fun in the process.
10 Feb
Choosing a new CPU: Intel Core i7-920/930 vs. i7-860/870
The new Intel Core i7-920 and i7-860 processors are extremely close in most aspects, but the i7-920 offers features that only enterprise users, professional videographers, or heavy gamers will need. The i7-860 matches or betters the i7-920 in almost all benchmarks – and uses less power! So unless you have an extreme need, you can save a few bucks with the i7-860 and plow it back into more memory, a faster/bigger/more reliable hard drive, or a better graphics card.
