CPU, Graphics & Memory

The Importance of Cache in Modern Processors

Where you hear about a new processor coming to market, the first things that you're probably told are the number of cores it has and its clock speed. But there are other factors that affect performance, and one is the cache. But what is cache memory, and why does it matter?

Published by M.S. Smith (33855 pts) on Nov 12, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
The Best AM3 Motherboards: Choosing Your Phenom II Mothership

AM3 is a relatively new socket, but as with X58 motherboards, some products are already standing out from the crowd. This includes the usual suspects of Gigabyte and ASUS, but MSI also comes out swinging with its 790FX motherboard.

Published by M.S. Smith (33855 pts) on Nov 11, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
How to Overclock your Video Card?

Want some extra performance from your current machine? Overclocking your video card can squeeze extra frames from your existing hardware, and is remarkably easy to do.

Published by M.S. Smith (33855 pts) on Nov 9, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles

Asus Express Gate - Asus Motherboard Software

Express Gate is a new software package that ships with newer Asus motherboards. Based on the popular "instant on" Linux distribution - Splashtop, Express Gate gives you access to your most often used software applications 5 seconds after pressing the power button on your PC. Learn more.

Published by Jesma (23995 pts) on Nov 9, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
DDR2 vs. DDR3 Memory

With so many types of memory available, it’s difficult to tell which is better or even which one is most compatible with your machine. If you’re considering upgrading your computer’s current memory, or just want to know what the difference between the two is, read on.

Published by Matthew Becker (5234 pts) on Nov 8, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
Core i5 vs. Core i7: What's the Difference?

Since it's release in early September, 2009, the Core i5 is being branded as the mainstream version of Intel's Core i7. So what are the real differences between Core i5 and Core i7, and how do Intel's two product lines compare?

Published by M.S. Smith (33855 pts) on Nov 8, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles

Nvidia’s CUDA: The Slow Trickle of GPGPU Apps

Nvidia has hyped CUDA a lot, and there have been practical results. But these have been in terms of HPC and workstation computing. The mainstream side hasn’t seen many applications, but there is some development.

Published by J. F. Amprimoz (18602 pts) on Nov 7, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
An Introduction to Hardware for Beginners: The Central Processing Unit

The Computer is all about processing data. The CPU does all of that and more. The CPU is the heart of the computer and works relentlessly to produce the results we have come to depend on. Although its actual workings are far too difficult to pack in an article, a head start can do no harm. Read on.

Published by Ashwin Satyanarayana (11855 pts) on Nov 7, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
Tweaking nVidia Video Cards

Nvidia has established itself as one of the top video card makers in the world over the last few years, battling with competitors for the top spot. Nvidia’s ability to keep its place towards the top of the video card heap is largely due to an ability to make the ultimate in tweakable cards.

Published by Jermaine S (1197 pts) on Nov 5, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles
The Best P55 Micro-ATX Motherboards: Core i5 for Less

While Core i5 is overpowered for basic tasks, it uses less power than most processors on the market and is great at tasks like manipulating video. This makes Core i5 great for desktops, HTPCs, and other small PCs - and these 3 mATX P55 motherboards are great picks for a small Core i5 system.

Published by M.S. Smith (33855 pts) on Nov 4, 2009 to
Computer Hardware Articles