Guides

Once the domain of external, bus-powered hard drives, these days the market for external storage has been almost completely consumed by portable SSDs. Rapid technological advancements in NAND flash technology (including the advent of 3D NAND) has allowed their capacity to eclipse 2.5-inch HDDs, all the while multiple improvements in host interface speeds (such as the move from USB 2.0 to 3.0, and onwards to 3.2 Gen 2 / Gen 2x2 / USB4) has made portable SSDs faster and more reliable than the hard drives they replace. All of which has helped to make portable SSDs the go-to solution for external storage, both big and small. For our latest storage buyer's guide, we've rounded up some of the best portable SSDs we've looked at in...

System Buyers Guide: PCs under $825

Entry, Budget, or HTPC - $825 can buy a lot more PC these days. It can even buy a decent gaming rig.

66 by Wesley Fink on 5/14/2009

Phenom II Buyers Guide: 955BE Edition

The new 3.2GHz 955BE is generating excitement for all PC buyers. We detail the latest Phenom II systems built for budget, best value, and top performance.

61 by Wesley Fink on 4/24/2009

Deal of the Weekend - AMD Phenom II X4 940, Kingston DDR3, and more stuff...

A short story for those looking to shop this weekend for a new processor, video card, or memory.

18 by Gary Key on 4/18/2009

System Buyers Guide: $800 to $1800

We assemble four systems geared for value and performance using AMD Phenom II, Intel Core 2, and Core i7 processors. The $800 to $1800 price range covers a lot...

74 by Wesley Fink on 4/7/2009

Video Card Buyer's Guide - Spring 2009

It's been since the holidays that we've done a GPU buyers guide. It never seems like the right time to do a new GPU buyers guide, as NVIDIA and...

93 by Derek Wilson on 3/30/2009

System Buyers Guide: PCs under $800

Entry, Bargain, or HTPC - $800 can buy a lot of PC these days.

66 by Wesley Fink on 3/16/2009

Phenom II System Buyers' Guide

Phenom II is generating new excitement for AMD Buyers. We look at Phenom II systems built for value, maximum overclocking, and top performance.

50 by Wesley Fink on 3/2/2009

Core i7 System Buyers Guide

Intel Core i7 is the only real high-end choice today. We take a closer look at Core i7 Systems built for value, maximum overclocking, and "go for the gold".

107 by Wesley Fink on 2/5/2009

System Buyers Guide: $1000 to $2000

With four systems geared for value and performance from AMD Phenom II to Intel Core i7, the $1000 to $2000 price range covers a lot of computer real estate.

78 by Wesley Fink on 1/12/2009

System Buyers Guide: PCs for Under $1000

Entry, Budget, or HTPC: $1000 can buy a lot of PC these days.

39 by Wesley Fink on 12/29/2008

Holiday Storage Guide

We take a look at our favorite hard disks and optical drives for the desktop.

24 by Gary Key on 12/19/2008

Holiday Pre-Built Systems Guide

There are a huge number of PC suppliers out there, and everyone has different needs when it comes to a desktop system. In this guide, provide our recommendations for...

21 by Matt Campbell on 12/19/2008

Holiday 2008 Display Guide

Has your CRT finally given its last gasp of electrons? Perhaps you just upgraded to an HD 4870X2 and now need a display with a resolution that can justify...

51 by Jarred Walton on 12/18/2008

Holiday 2008 GPU Guide: Price Cuts Galore

The past 30 days have seen significant price cuts on GPUs from both AMD and NVIDIA. If you're still looking to upgrade your video card, now may be...

37 by Derek Wilson on 12/18/2008

Holiday Case and Power Supply Guide

Choosing a Case and Power Supply can be a source of heartburn. This guide will help you navigate the choices.

32 by Wesley Fink on 12/16/2008

Holiday Memory Guide

We take a look at the hottest memory products available today for both DDR2 and DDR3 users.

22 by Gary Key on 12/16/2008

Holiday Motherboard Guide

Looking to build or upgrade systems during the holiday season? We've got motherboard recommendations for any and all price points.

24 by Gary Key on 12/15/2008

Audiophile Journeys with a PC

Ever thought of making the move to digital audio on a PC for all your listening needs? Prices may not be for the faint of heart, but the end...

115 by Rajinder Gill on 12/1/2008

Mobile Buyer's Guide

Laptops are one of the fastest growing segments of computer purchases these days, so we felt it was high time we provided a guide for getting the most bang...

29 by Jarred Walton on 7/11/2008

uATX System Buildup: Choosing Components

In part one we purchase components from Patriot, Zotac, Jetway, and others for two uATX systems. Following a budget can be a very difficult thing to do...

33 by Gary Key on 5/27/2008

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