Articles about PC

Businesses often envision the modern desktop computer as being a boring piece of kit, one that not only costs a lot of money but also doesn’t offer much in terms of innovation.

The reality is slightly different; between dongle PCs, mini and micro PCs as well as all-in-ones, there’s plenty of innovation around if you know where to look.

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When you are a PC gamer that seemingly already owns everything for gaming, what is left to buy? Besides your hardcore gaming rig, you probably already have a mechanical keyboard, mouse, and headset, right? Heck, you may even have a fancy mousepad. But does your pad even glow, bro?

Today, SteelSeries launches the QcK Prism dual-surface RGB illuminated premium gaming mousepad. Yeah, it is a gaming mousepad that glows thanks to RGB lighting. While not the first RGB mousepad, SteelSeries says it is the first-ever dual-sided variant. You see, one side is cloth, while the other is hard plastic.

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Fujitsu has announced six new enterprise devices on six different product series, offering faster machines and more security. There's the new 10.1-inch Arrows Tab Q507/P-SP tablet, a new Notebook Lifebook, two ESPRIMO models, a 17.3-inch Celsius H970 mobile workstation, and the Futro MU937 mobile notebook device (which Fujitsu claims is the world's lightest).

What's particularly interesting about the Arrows device is that, for the first time, it comes with Fujitsu's Biometric Authentication Slide Passport functionality. This biometric authentication service allows users to log in using the palm of their hand.

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With the launch of AMD's Polaris-based Radeon 400 series of graphics cards, the company did something amazing -- it targeted the average consumer (the "every man"). While NVIDIA often targets the expensive high end, AMD instead opted to cater to realistic budgets. The company's focus paid off, as many budget and mid-range gamers had positive experiences from the cards.

Now, the company is back with the newer Radeon 500 series -- the second generation of Polaris. While the performance increase from 400 to 500 series will be modest, pricing remains virtually identical. In other words, owners of, say, an RX 480, will probably not want to bother upgrading to an RX 580. For owners of older cards, however, these new 500 series cards will offer solid performance at very affordable prices. With these cards, AMD is also introducing a new feature called "Radeon Chill" which allows the user to decrease performance for lower temperatures.

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If you are a PC gamer, there is a good chance that you enjoy building your own computers. After all, building them yourself guarantees that you select every single component that goes inside. Not only can you pick the parts from a performance perspective, but aesthetically too -- for some folks, looks matter.

While a self-built gaming rig can be rewarding, it can be an expensive headache too. If something goes wrong, you have to reach out to each component manufacturer for support and warranty purposes. Alternatively, when you buy a pre-built machine, you have a single company to contact. Today, PC component maker CORSAIR announces an all-new gaming computer series -- its first ever. Simply called "ONE," it is designed to be both svelte and powerful. The hardcore mini PC is rather pricey, however, as it starts at $1,800 -- there are several "PRO" variants which will increase the cost dramatically. Unfortunately for AMD fans, this is an Intel/NVIDIA-only affair.

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Windows Vista is probably the least-liked version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released, but, fact of the matter is, the 10 year old operating system has its fans, as it still runs on many PCs today. And that's a problem if you're part of the crowd, because next month it will stop receiving any kind of official support, leaving you exposed.

Mainstream support for Windows Vista actually ended on April 10, 2012, but Microsoft has since continued to offer support options and updates as part of its extended support phase. That will come to an end in less than 30 days from now -- on April 11. Here's what happens after that.

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HP today expands the Elite line of devices, adding three new Windows 10 PCs to the fold: the EliteOne 800 G3 all-in-one, EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower and the EliteDesk 800 G3 Desktop Mini. Their claim to fame?

HP says that the EliteOne 800 G3 is the first device of its kind to feature dual-facing cameras and also the first all-in-one with a non-glare touchscreen. The EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is said to be the most-configurable, most-powerful and first VR-certified commercial PC. The EliteDesk 800 G3 Desktop Mini is the world's most powerful and smallest business-grade desktop in its class.

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Are you a PC gamer? If yes, you should really get yourself a gaming headset. When playing multiplayer games online, a big part of the experience is trash-talking opponents. Not to mention, for those of you that live with other people, a headset can prevent arguments over late-night gaming marathons that keep folks awake. It is common courtesy to game with a headset or headphones.

Back in October of 2016, Mad Catz launched the Tritton ARK 100 stereo gaming headset for consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Today, the company begins shipping the PC variant to retailers. This model can connect using USB for a special 7.1 surround mode. If you prefer to use 3.5mm, do not worry --  it has that connectivity too, but only for stereo.

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Mobile devices might be the hottest thing nowadays, but PCs are still important for many people, and Intel knows it. The company has announced new series of processors aimed at desktop computers and performance laptops.

The S series is designed for desktops. The H series is meant for high-end laptops and mobile workstations. The Y-series is for ultra-thin machines, and the U-series for ultraportables. As one might expect from new processors, these chips are expected to be faster, and consume less energy.

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Even though more and more people are choosing laptops and tablets for their computing needs nowadays, there is still a place for desktops. All-in-one machines in particular can be a cost-effective way to get both a PC and monitor. This design will also save space on a desk or table -- a good thing for those without a lot of space.

Today, Acer announces its Aspire C Series all-in-one desktops. The machines come in two screen sizes, both with 1080p resolution -- 21.5-inch (22) and 23.8-inch (24). What is particularly cool, however, is the operating system that they run. Of course, Windows 10 Home is available as default, but if a consumer prefers, they can opt to have a Linux-based OS instead (Linpus Linux). How cool is that?

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Microsoft can be surprising at times. After ditching Windows RT, the software giant has announced that it is working with Qualcomm to bring ARM support to Windows 10. In practice, that means that we will see Snapdragon-powered machines running Microsoft's latest operating system which, and this is key, can run proper x86 software.

Windows RT did not have that, as it was limited to apps available from Windows Store. And we all know how that worked out. However, x86 software on Snapdragon-powered Windows 10 devices can be seen as a game-changer as, in theory, it could pave the way to running resource-intensive programs, like Adobe Photoshop, on smartphones. And I am talking about the true Photoshop, not some dumbed-down mobile version. That could be huge, no doubt.

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At the Windows Hardware Engineering Community event (WinHEC) in Shenzhen, China, Microsoft made several announcements, including news that it is working with Intel on a new venture, called "Project Evo".

The aim of this, according to Microsoft, is to "deliver all-new ways for devices to light up with the latest in advanced security, artificial intelligence and Cortana, mixed reality, and gaming".

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PC shipments will continue to decline in 2016, according to a new IDC forecast, but the drop will be slightly lower than previously expected. What's more, things will improve even more in 2017.

IDC expects PC vendors to ship a total of 258.2 million units this year, a figure which would be 6.4 percent lower than last year. The previous estimate was a 7.2 percent fall, which IDC announced in August. Growth will still be negative in 2017, but shipments are expected to decrease by just 2.6 percent compared to this year.

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Virtual reality is rather cool, although it requires money and commitment. To truly experience VR on a PC, you need a powerful computer and, sometimes, a room to be dedicated to it too. After all, the VR mask usually has to be tethered to the desktop PC -- a messy experience, leading to tangled wires. Sadly, it is these wires that really limit the fun of VR on PC.

Thankfully, some PC manufacturers have wisely created backpack computers -- a PC designed to be worn on the user's back. This creates greater mobility while experiencing VR, although it does have the downside of requiring batteries (which ultimately need charging). Today, ZOTAC unveils a new backpack PC, and it looks amazing. Called 'VR GO' it is equipped with two 6600 mAh batteries, allowing up to two hours of game play. You can buy additional batteries and swap them for even longer gaming sessions, however.

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When building a computer, many people focus on performance and cooling. There is another aspect that is important to some consumers, however -- noise. Sometimes builders get so caught up in benchmarks, that they forget about how loud the tower may be. As a result, the computer could sound like a jet engine. This is unfortunate, as it can negatively impact the overall computing experience.

Luckily, more and more manufacturers are focusing on developing quiet products. Today, famed chassis manufacturer BitFenix unveils a high-quality quiet power supply unit. Dubbed "Whisper M", it should deliver a good balance of performance and quiet operation. The unit is fully modular, and is available in wattage ranging from 450 to 850. Best of all, it is very efficient (92 percent) too.

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