Guide To Laptop Processors
Mobile processors have some of the largest innovations going on in the computer market. As they gather more of the market, they have to balance the level of performance with their power usage. The type of processor used in a laptop is very dependent upon the size and design of the laptop. This article looks at what some of the various processors are available for the different classifications of laptops to assist those looking at buying a new laptop computer.
Cyberpower's Modest 15-inch Gaming Laptop
Image Courtesy CyberPower Inc.
Cyberpower is a company that specializes in a wide range of customizable computer systems for PC gaming. With the economic downturn, the market for high end gaming systems has shrunk as more and more are looking for affordable alternatives. Cyberpower answered that call with a 15-inch laptop that can be used for PC gaming and with a price just over $1100. Can this laptop really meet the needs of the mobile gamer? Find out in my review of the Cyberpower Xplorer X6-7900 laptop.
Dell Support Profile
Dell is one of the largest computer companies in the world and is considered a bell weather for the tech industry as a whole. Because it is one of the largest computer companies, it also has one of the largest support groups as well. But having a large support group doesn't necessarily translate into the best overall tech experience. Find out what type of support Dell offers for their customers.
Included in the profile are various avenues that users have for support, some published ratings of the their product support, tips and advice. In addition to this information, I have also added a poll so that readers can share their opinion of the companies support. If you have used their support and would like to let others know of their experiences for better or worse, please vote in the survey and share your experience.
How would you rate Dell's support?
Best DVD Burners
Image Courtesy LG Electronics
DVD burners are now a standard feature is just about every desktop computer on the market. While Blu-ray may be gaining in popularity, the cost is still quite expensive and the hardware requirements for video playback can require additional upgrades. One thing that doesn't seem to be slowing down in PC DVD drives is their speeds. Drives topped out at a 16x recording speed for some time, but the manufacturers are pushing recordings speeds higher for the dual-layer media in particular. Serial ATA drives are pretty much standard with fewer companies making the IDE based drives. So, if you are looking to upgrade a drive for faster recording speeds or potentially replace a drive that no longer functions properly, check out my lists for the best current SATA and IDE burners.
A 14-inch Performance Laptop From ASUS
Image Courtesy ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
Performance and compact size are typically two things that don't generally go together often in a laptop system. Higher performance parts typically demand greater levels of power and cooling that add bulk to the system. ASUS has somehow manage to fit some very high performance level parts into their 14-inch laptop system and give it a respectable price tag of just under $1200. Can they really achieve such high performance without making some sacrifices? Find out in my review of the ASUS N81Vp-D2 laptop.
Acer's Affordable 15-inch Laptop With Dedicated Graphics
Image Courtesy Acer
One of the key items that separates thin and light laptops from their similar looking but more affordable budget counterparts is the graphics. Most people looking at systems around $1000 or more want to have some form of graphics processor in them either for playing PC games or doing dedicated graphics work. Acer has put together a laptop that comes equipped with an NVIDIA graphics processor yet still has a price tag of between $750 and $800. Did Acer have to sacrifice other features to keep this system affordable? Find out in my review of the Acer Aspire 5739G laptop.
Upgrade Your Desktop PC for Blu-ray
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Now that the Blu-ray format has won the high definition optical format war, interest in Blu-ray drives for computers is increasing. Prices have come down dramatically for the drives making it an easy and affordable upgrade for a desktop PC for just playing back the movies or even having the ability to burn discs to the format. I've put together a listing of my favorite desktop Blu-ray drives broken down by whether you need simply a writer or a player drive. Be warned that all of current Blu-ray drives use the SATA interface and that there are additional hardware and software requirements for playing back Blu-ray movies on computers.
Averatec's Most Recent Ultraportable Laptop
Image Courtesy Averatec
The 13-inch ultraportable laptop market has been growing dramatically lately and with a number of very affordable options. Much of this growth has been spurred on by the economy and the introduction of Intel's Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage (CULV) platform that provides affordable and very low power consumption options. Averatec is a company that has been specializing in affordable ultraportable laptops. Their most recent product, the N3400, doesn't use this new CULV platform. Does this hurt its ability to be competitive in such a crowded market? Find out in my review of the Averatec N3400 ultraportable.
Best Hard Drives For Upgrading Your Desktop PC
Image Courtesy Western Digital
Hard drive space is one of the easiest ways to upgrade an older desktop computer that is running out of space. With the explosion of digital media including audio, photography and video, the amount of data that the average user generates within a year is staggering. Older computers typically can handle all of the programs without a problem but lack the space to store all the information on them. This is where adding an extra hard drive into a computer can end up saving a lot of money over buying a completely new computer.
Below are links to my lists for internal desktop hard drives that can be purchased as upgrades to older computers that use the IDE or ATA/100 interface and the much more common SATA hard drive interface that has taken off rapidly since its introduction a few years ago.
If you do happen to be considering or have purchased an internal desktop hard drive for upgrading your computer, be sure to check out my tutorials on Installing a SATA Hard Drive and Installing a Second IDE Hard Drive.
Lenovo's New 15-inch Budget Business Laptop
Image Courtesy Lenovo
With Windows 7's release, Lenovo decided it was time to do an update of their budget ThinkPad lineup. The result is the new 15.6-inch ThinkPad SL510 laptop. The major difference here really is the Windows 7 operating system, but with starting prices beginning at $500, it is extremely affordable. Today, I take a look at a more robust configuration priced around $1000. Does this have what it takes to make a good business laptop or is the design a bit too bland? Find out in my review of the Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 business laptop.