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
Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500W power supply : Cooler Master is a respected brand for power supplies and cooling, so I gravitated towards their products. With a decent CPU and GPU, I predicted that 500 watts should be more than enough to power the entire system. I could’ve probably gone with a 400 watt power supply without any issues, but I wanted to be completely sure. At just under $45, it’s not a bad price anyways. If you’re unsure about which power supply to get for your custom budget gaming rig, Matt explains everything you need to know about power supplies and how to pick o
Whatever electronic equipment you are cleaning, do not clean it while it is turned on! Do turn the device off and remove the power source. Do not use dripping wet sponges or cloths. Do use damp cloths and alcohol-based cleaners as they will dry faster. Do not attempt to dismantle a device if you are unsure whether or not you will be able to put it back together. Do consult a manual or instructions from the manufactu
Rosewill Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case FBM-01 : This case was chosen as more of an afterthought, as the case really doesn’t matter as long as it can house the components you picked out. It’s cheap, it’s sturdy, and it’s not terrible looking. It certainly doesn’t scream “gaming”, but if you’re on such a tight budget, that doesn’t quite matter. Cover it with cool stickers if you feel like
Component prices on Amazon fluctuate depending on the vendor, but generally, the total should float around the $500 mark. According to today’s prices, I exceeded my budget by about $4 but at the time of purchase, it only costed $
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
Originally, I wanted to just get a 4-core processor, but it was pretty much at the same price as this 6-core model, so I just opted for more cores because I didn’t really have to pay more anyway. I didn’t get a more powerful CPU cooling solution because it would have made me go over my budget, plus I don’t plan on overclocking the CPU. If you plan on overclocking, I’d definitely recommend a bigger fan or a water-cooling solut
With the arrival of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, houses across the globe get a nice cleaning to rid them of dirt and clutter that has accumulated over the past year. Dust and junk also settle on our computer. Whether your PC is suffering from a clocked up fan or an overloaded hard drive, it is time to give it a thorough spring cleaning. With the following checklist this will be a bre
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
Even if these components can handle your upgrade you may still run in to trouble if it won’t fit in your enclosure. This has always been a common problem, but it’s even more common today. Computers are becoming smaller, which means a lack of physical space is more of a conc
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
Install the graphics card by fully pressing it into the PCI-Express slot. Screw the back metal plate into the case, and make sure that the 6-pin power connector is attached on the other end of the graphics card to power it fu
So, is it worth it to build your own gaming monitor reviews|https://pcbuildinsight.com/ rig? Absolutely! Not only can you save money by not paying the “Alienware” tax (or insert the name of any other brand you’re looking at), but you can set your own budget and ensure that all of the components that you use are of high quality. As you can see, I ended up spending less money for arguably more gaming performance. When buying a preassembled computer, you’re most likely not told what brands they use aside from the CPU and