You also can work this checklist in reverse when shopping. Instead of asking if your old parts work with the new motherboard, find a new motherboard that works with the old parts. It won’t always be possible but it’s worth a l

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

Computers are complex, however, and this can lead to headaches when trying to upgrade. Nothing is more frustrating than finding out that you have a compatibility issue while you’re in the process of installing new hardware. Let’s review 4 potential trouble spots you should check before digging into your desktop’s intern

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

Western Digital Green 500 GB 3.5-inch SATA III 64 MB hard drive : I wanted to find a cheap hard drive that would still offer a decent amount of storage. I absolutely love Western Digital hard drives (and absolutely despise Seagate hard drives), so I went with a Green 500 GB. Since loading times are going to be reduced anyways, might as well save some power while we're at

You’ll also need to install your preferred Raspberry Pi operating system. While there are several alternatives of varying degrees of suitability , we recommend the latest Raspbian Jessie with the PIXEL desktop environment . Also consider a hard disk drive and other storage if you’re planning to try using the Pi as a standard desktop long-t

Operating systems generally are not a limitation when you are upgrading hardware, which is why the topic shows up last in this article. This doesn’t mean they are never an issue. It’s possible that you may find yourself with a hardware upgrade that is physically compatible with your system in every way but still doesn’t w

If you've noticed, this custom budget gaming streaming PC Setup|https://pcbuildinsight.com/ build does not include a copy of Windows. I did this to reduce the overall cost of the build (Windows licenses can go up to almost $100!) and allow the winner of the build better flexibility when it comes to the operating system. Some people are still on the fence about Windows 8, so offering the option to choose whether they'd like to install Windows 8 or Windows 7 onto the machine is pretty nice. All necessary drivers could be downloaded from the Internet beforehand. Additionally, as Linux has suddenly become a viable gaming platform (hey, Alienware offers multiple models that ship with Ubuntu) you are also free to install a form of Linux onto the sys

To keep costs down you can aim for one of the less impressive options or an older product. The Crucial M4, which was once considered cutting-edge, is now pretty mundane. And that means you can buy a 128GB model for just

The default browser in Raspbian is Chromium, which is more or less able to run pages with Javascript, AJAX and Flash. Alternatives are available, but the this version of the browser is optimised for the Pi, so using it makes sense. If you're experiencing performance issues, however, try disabling JavaScr

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

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

You can use this list as a guide to switch to a faster ISP. While a new ISP might still throttle data, if the upper speed limit is faster, and the bandwidth is available, throttling shouldn't impact gaming on St

Cleaning a modern LCD screen isn't the same as cleaning an old-fashioned CRT monitor. That is because CRTs are covered with glass, while LCD displays have a softer plastic-based surface. To clean your LCD without damaging it, you need a lint-free cloth, distilled water (for dust) or isopropyl alcohol or white vinegar (for oily stains) and a bottle, ideally an atomizer. Spray your cloth with water or a 1:1 isopropyl alcohol : water mixture. Then carefully wipe the screen with the damp cl