Design and Stylish Focussed Desktop PCs Becoming More Popular

It is true that in the past, as late as the early 2000's, computers were ugly.  Computers used to be a horrible beige or grey colour that made sure that most PC owners hid their computers away in cupboards or under desks.  Computers back then were desired purely for their functional and practical uses, with the desire for something that was aesthetically pleasing like other household electronics well and truly taking a back seat.

The introduction of Apple Mac's desirable computers, both laptops and desktop machines, meant that many PC manufacturers had to start considering how their machines looked as well as how much they could achieve task-wise.  Suddenly computers were looking different; they were now coming in more attractive colours including piano black, white and some manufacturers even toyed with striking colours such as red or blue as well.  A lot of these design flourishes took inspiration from the culture of hardcore PC owners who customised their own computers with new and interesting colours, Perspex windows exposing the computer's innards and even ultra-violet lighting inside the case.

This trend seems to have passed slightly, with most desktop PCs now looking much sleeker and high-end, no matter how powerful the components are inside.  Most desktop PCs are now much smaller and flexible when it comes to storage or placement in the home, many desktop PCs can fit on a desk and not take up all of the space.  Another subsection of PC users now uses their PCs in conjunction with their home TV sets as well.  

Home Theatre PCs are an extension of one of the most popular uses for desktop PCs and that is watching movies and listening to music.  With smaller form factor PCs now sat underneath the TV along with the DVD player and satellite or cable box you can easily watch movies stored on your computer, listen to music, view photos or check emails all from the couch.

Desktop PCs are now much more attractive and are appliances that owners are not scared to show off or display in their home.  With a number of brands focussing more on how their computers look it means that as customers we are now able to get the best of both worlds.

Desktop PCs are now much more attractive and still have the performance where it counts as well. Whether you are buying a desktop or a cheap laptop, make sure to go online for expert reviews and recommendations along with the best prices.

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About Computer Desktop vs Laptops

In general, you should only consider buying a laptop computer if portability is your main concern, because this is really the only advantage it has over a desktop PC. In addition, this is usually an issue for those who need to use a computer when they travel or attend a meeting, or for a student who wants to take it to the classroom or library.

What you should know about laptops

They are far from weightless, and they are not always easy to carry around, especially when extra storage drivers and other peripherals are added. Also, in general, a laptop outfitted with the same features as a PC, such as Random Access Memory (RAM) costs twice as much, and the Pentium IV model is a prime example. In other words, cheap laptops seem to be an unknown quantity.

Why laptops have limitations

A laptop's components are stored in a small space, and in that situation, it may be impossible to replace the hard drive, which is usually done in a PC by using DIMM chips. Instead, you may have to pay a significant amount for the RAM you need and have it custom-made for your computer. In general, if you want a system you can expand over time according to your needs, a desktop model is really your only option.

Note also that while today's games will be accessible with a laptop, those developed in the future will require more power. A desktop PC can be upgraded with little difficulty, but a laptop video card cannot be replaced. Consequently, when you play a game on a laptop, the control, sound and video all have room for improvement.

Why laptops are harder to use.

Since the keyboard on a laptop computer is surprisingly small, be sure to test it before you decide to buy one. Using the wrong keyboard can undermine your touch-typing skill, so be certain that the keyboard is a model you can use comfortably. Also, laptops have 12-15 inch screens that cannot compete with the rapid refresh rates and vibrant color of today's much larger monitors for desktop PCs, As a result, the images aren't as clear on these LCDs, and with prolonged use, your eyes may even become irritated.

PC advances

By way of contrast, Packard Bell Media points out that 1MB once provided sufficient computer storage, but times have changed. It recently informed its customers that Dell is going to ship a computer that provides 1 Terabyte for storage. This PC is intended for consumers who want to store considerable amounts of photos and more than 1,250 hours of video.

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Lets Know to Your Computer Hardware

There is a personal computer in almost every home and office and yet there are still people confused about computer hardware. You can define a personal computer as a system that was built for one person to use but there come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The tower size was the most common when they first became popular, but today people are more prone to purchase a midi or mini tower to save on space. The difference in size mainly dictates the amount of bays that are available for drives and the type of motherboard that will fit into the case.

The computer contains multiple components that are placed inside to create the unit. You can have all the hardware in place, all in working order but without software, mainly an operating system you are left with a dumb computer. The operating system will manage the hardware inside the computer and determine how it is utilized and also allows the user to control the way the system operates. You may have heard the term firmware and it has been associated with computer hardware, it is not considered hardware, just a program that is embedded into the hardware itself. The firmware in the hardware can be updated to help your hardware work properly with different operating systems and other software on your computer.

The hardware is considered all parts that are inside or connected to the outside of the computer. The computer case, mouse, keyboard, monitor and speakers are considered hardware. Inside the computer you have parts such as the motherboard, CPU, memory, hard drive, ROM drives, video card, sound card, Ethernet card and power supply. The computer hardware in each system may vary by type, brand or even size but the main components are always the same in order for the system to work. If you go to purchase a bare bone system it will come complete with case, power supply, mother board and CPU, memory, video, sound and sometimes hard drive. This is the basic components to get the tower to operate; you can then add ROM drives, speakers, keyboard, and mouse and monitor to have a working dumb computer. In order to have a computer that is completely operational you have to install an operating system and the necessary drivers for the hardware to work.

Each piece of hardware in your computer is different; some will require drivers while others will not. The memory for instance requires no drivers and is simply plug_and_play and most ROM drives and hard drives act the same way. But, other hardware inside your system such as your Ethernet card, video card or sound card will require drivers to be loaded once the operating system is installed to operate correctly. Many times the operating system you use will pick up the computer hardware drivers without having you install them manually. Once you boot your system up for the first time your operating system will detect the new hardware and begin searching for the necessary drivers.

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Build Your Own PC Game

If you are just starting to tinker around with computers and want to build your own gaming PC without having to spend the thousands of dollars that hard core gamers spend on their rigs, then you have come to the right place. Gamers of the wealthy kind or even the addicted spender who would rather have the newest graphics card than have a presentable apartment have all the inside information on the newest, fastest and greatest PC parts that have yet to hit the market, and they are also very exclusive, so let us not go there. Here, we are going to talk about how a regular guy, with a healthy gaming hobby and a sensible mind builds a gaming PC that he can play the latest games with without having to shell out serious cash.

First off, a gaming computer is so far removed from a regular or office computer in the sense that it is built to enhance the gaming experience in its entirety. What this means is that you have to take into consideration the visual, auditory and ease of control factors when you build a gaming PC. Sure, it will still be able to do all of the stuff that you do with a regular computer, but much, much faster and with richer sensory stimuli. And the good thing about putting up a high performance PC is that you can also use its resources for heavier software like photo and video editing programs that you can tinker with or make money off of. That said, let us look at the three basic things that you need when you want to build a gaming PC on a budget.

First off, you need to get a good CPU. The CPU or processor determines the speed at which your computer can handle data. But don't waste your CPU's juice; get RAM sticks that maximize its performance. The newer 64 bit systems allow up to 16gigs of RAM and this ensures that your rig can handle huge amounts of data. 

Next, pickup a proper gaming mother board. You can pass on those dual video card models because for a lot of the newer games, if you are not going to be playing them on a 54-inch 3D LED monitor, a single, good, high performance video card will do. Make sure that you get a good mother board because those cheap ones do not maximize your CPU's and video card's processing powers. Lastly, the video card. As we have said, a good, middle of the pack video card can handle the newest games. And since there are just too many manufacturers and models to choose from, it would be best if you read the latest reviews before you build your gaming PC.

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Look For In Computer Game

When it comes to technology, people can really get obsessed. We see that a lot in this hyper-connected society of ours where mere hours from the release of the newest gadget, the flashiest piece of electronics, the people who have waited in line outside the company's stores and resellers start buying every piece of the equipment that the stocks run out so quickly.

We see in tech magazines, blogs and websites that leak new models of the greatest gadgets and get every techie all riled up about computers. But when it comes to real, hard core gamers, the tech fan goes into overdrive. Every serious gamer wants to have the best gaming computer and scours the latest gaming computer review from their trusted website. A graphics card can get old real quick once a developer comes out with a new one that has, say, the newest 3D engine. But, if you are asking yourself what you need to look for in the best gaming computer, let us tackle this question here.

First, some limits. The most hardcore gamers spend thousands of dollars on their rig to get it as fast as they can. Over using, or using your CPU beyond its factory settings is the norm. But, you would not be reading this if you are one of those people who crank up their PC, sacrificing product life for performance. So let's keep things basic. 

When you want the best gaming computer within your price range, just look at two things really: the mother board and graphics card. The 3D LED monitors and fancy control tools can follow suit, but if you are building your rig from the ground up, these two things should take center stage. 

First, the motherboard. The most common mistake for beginners is that they buy the best graphics card, stock their rigs with enough RAM to run a supercomputer only to cut corners with the board. A board for gaming standard should support the newest connections, make full use of your RAM and support upgrades for the future. A cheap board cannot do that, so you end up wasting money on a so-so board only to replace it as you learn the lesson.

The next, if not the biggest thing that you should look out for in something that claims to be the best gaming computer is its graphics card. A good gaming board can support up to two identical graphics cards and if you buy a quality board, then, most often than not, it will only take a good graphics card. The opinions differ as to the best graphics card around and the companies churn them out so quickly that the best thing to do is hit the review websites before you put up your rig.

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