Technically Easy

Category: Desktops

Many different hardware that can be installed in a desktop can be found in this category.

  • How to Determine Whether it is Possible to Repair a Dead Hard Drive Yourself

    How to Determine Whether it is Possible to Repair a Dead Hard Drive Yourself

    Has your hard drive suddenly died and left you high and dry? If there was nothing important on it then it the easiest option is to just buy a new hard drive, but if you have important information that you don’t want to lose you may be thinking about repairing it.

    Unfortunately repairing a dead hard drive is easier said than done, and in some cases it may not even be possible for you to do it yourself.

    But before you get to that though, you first need to identify what the problem is – at least roughly.

    It is important to note that a ‘dead’ hard drive is one that is completely inoperable. Sometimes hard drives may fail for other reasons such as bad sectors that may make them unable to boot up.

    If that is the case you may be able to repair your hard drive using software, and recover information from it by plugging it into a different computer.

    However if your hard drive is dead then there could be several causes. The most common are issues involving the motor, disk head, or PCB board.

    If the motor or disk head of your hard drive are the issue then you should be aware that repairing it is extremely difficult.

    To do so you would have to open up the hard drive and diagnose then fix the problem – which is generally not something that amateurs should attempt.

    In most cases if you try to repair a dead hard drive yourself in this way, you’re likely to permanently damage it and lose whatever data is on it for good.

    On the other hand if the PCB board is the issue then you may be in a bit of luck as you can buy a replacement PCB board and switch it out relatively easily.

    It will still need a bit of technical expertise and you’ll have to make sure that the replacement board that you buy is compatible with your hard drive – but it is at least a possibility.

    The only caveat is that there it is difficult to know beforehand whether the PCB board is the issue. Normally if there are scorch marks near the PCB board then it is likely to be the problem, but they aren’t always present.

    As such your best bet will be to just try replacing it anyway – and see if it works.

    As you may be starting to realize, as much as it may sound like a good idea to repair a hard drive yourself – there is a lot involved in actually attempting to do so.

    If you really want to be sure of salvaging the data on your hard drive it is always best to take it to a professional who has both the tools and the expertise for the job.

    However if you’re feeling adventurous and would like to give it a go for yourself, at least you now know how to determine whether or not that is possible.

  • How to Avoid Expensive Computer Repairs [Infographic]

    How to Avoid Expensive Computer Repairs [Infographic]

    There are many issues that can occur with computers, and most of the time those issues can be a cause of frustration and even anger. Most parts that make up a computer can fail at any time, which can result in an expensive repair bill.

    While not all failures can be prevented all the time, there are many things you can do to prevent some of the more common issues that you may face. Taking care of your computer can go a long way to helping you avoid expensive computer repairs.

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  • You Won’t Believe How Long Your Computer Will Last

    You Won’t Believe How Long Your Computer Will Last

    With Microsoft’s support ending for Windows XP, many people are looking to move to one of the newer versions of Windows – either Windows 7 (my preferred version), or Windows 8. I have been recently looking at helping someone upgrade a Windows XP system to a newer version of Windows, and have run into a bit of a snag. The desktop is old, and isn’t compatible with Windows 8. Windows 8 requires the processor to have the NX (No-eXecute) bit technology, and the processor in the desktop doesn’t have this technology.

    This got me to thinking how long a typical desktop will last if someone was to buy it new today. The thought is that computers go obsolete the moment you bring it home. That is a thought that hasn’t been relevant in probably 10 years. In fact, for many people a new desktop computer can probably last longer than any computing device they may buy.

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  • How to Install a New Larger Hard Drive into an Otherwise Working Windows System

    How to Install a New Larger Hard Drive into an Otherwise Working Windows System

    It may seem like a difficult chore to move your system and all your files from one hard to a newer, larger hard drive. There are tools available that can take much of the work of moving to a larger hard drive out of your hands.

    Below are instructions, provided by Dave Baxter, that explain how he moved from an 80GB hard drive to a 250GB hard drive on Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit.

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  • Tips On Choosing a Processor For Your Trading Computer

    Tips On Choosing a Processor For Your Trading Computer

    When it comes to a trading computer, your central processing unit is literally the brains to the whole operation. Even if every other component is the top of the line, absolute fastest and most powerful thing on the market, if you have a slow CPU then your PC is only going to do so much. Now if you are shopping for a stock trading computer, for just about any system that you look at one of the first things that they will tell you is what type of CPU is in it.

    But what type of processor should you go with? How do you know it’s the best? And what the heck is a GHz? I thought if might be helpful to demystify all of this for you so that you know what to look for in a CPU when buying a trading computer.

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  • Warning: You’re Spending Way Too Much on That Pre-Built Gaming Computer

    Warning: You’re Spending Way Too Much on That Pre-Built Gaming Computer

    In the modern gaming world, no platform is as rich or as rewarding as is PC gaming. Gaming on the PC offers better graphics, superior multi-player options, better gameplay, and overall a better gaming experience. However, one reason why most gamers are still playing on a console is that they believe the cost of getting a computer good enough to play the top games is way too high. And, rightly so…

    If you look at the cost of the “high-end” gaming computers that some manufactures are producing, it’s obvious why more gamers aren’t switching to the PC. They’re too damn expensive.

    For just a smidge over $3,000 you can get a pre-built computer that promises to play any game on the highest settings. It’s not reasonable at all, but people pay those prices. Unfortunately for them, they could’ve saved themselves thousands of dollars if instead of buying their computer pre-built, they instead bought the components and built it themselves…

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  • Three Reasons Why Your Next Upgrade Should Be An SSD

    Three Reasons Why Your Next Upgrade Should Be An SSD

    When our beloved computers start to give us grief by slowing down and struggle to perform the simplest of tasks, many of us have traditionally resigned to the fact that we need to buy a new machine. That was until Solid-state Hard Drives (SSDs) came around.

    You see, the storage inside our computers is often overlooked and taken for granted. As Dong Ngo from CNET puts it, “How many times have we asked ourselves where that Web page we’re viewing (like this one), the movie we’re watching, the song we’re listening to is stored, or even how the iPhone remembers to wake us up at 7 a.m every day?”

    Take that in to consideration and you can start to imagine just how important that one component is. With that in mind, let’s look at three reasons why your next upgrade should be an SSD.

    Reliability

    In context of Dong Ngo’s comments above, reliability could be considered the key benefit of upgrading to an SSD. Where a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) is made up of moving parts and prone to vibrations and physical damage, an SSD isn’t susceptible to mechanical failures because data is stored on microchips. This means that it can withstand tougher conditions without much risk of breaking in to pieces. The lack of moving parts inside SSDs also means that they operate in silence.

    Speed

    This is probably the main reason why most people will make the transformation. Where a HDD has write speeds of 120MBps, a top of the range SSD will write that same file at 500MBps. To put that in perspective, those speed differences translate in to a MacBook Pro’s boot-up time being reduced from 40+ seconds to sub-20 seconds, applications opening in the blink of an eye and significantly faster file-transfer processes.

    Prolonged Product Life

    Because of the significant performance upgrades that the SSD offers, it’s able to prolong the product lifecycle of your existing machine. Even if you own a laptop with a Core 2 Duo processor, the SSD upgrade provides more financial and efficiency value than purchasing a newer model and reduces the amount of effort required in moving files and a brand new set-up.

    The main barrier facing consumers at the moment is the cost associated with SSDs. Although they have dropped in price, a Samsung 840 Pro (256GB) for example sells on Amazon from anywhere between £160-200. In comparison to HDD prices, it is quite expensive and beyond many budgets. Having said that, if your computer is causing you problems and making you consider buying a new one – perhaps an SSD may work out to be the cost-effective option after all.

    Fabio Virgi is the founder of Let’s Talk Tech, a UK based tech blog and self-confessed Tech Geek. You can follow the blog on Twitter @letstalk_tech.

  • Goodbye Keyboard, Goodbye Mouse

    Goodbye Keyboard, Goodbye Mouse

    It’s gonna happen eventually…but when? When are we going to stop using these rudimentary tools – the computer keyboard and mouse. Just look at them. They look like they are straight out of the early 1900’s and well…they are.

    At least, the keyboard is. The Keyboard has its roots in typewriter technology which was first in use in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Video terminals for computing along with keyboards were used in the 1970s. The mouse was first used for personal computers around 1984.

    So here we are almost 30 years later and technology hasn’t changed a whole lot for computer input. Sure – I’ll admit that keyboard and mouse technology has changed a bit with optical mice, wireless keyboards and other minor advancements in technology. But I’m still punching keys to write this article and I’ll roll my mouse around my desk and click the buttons to post the article to this website.

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