Page 30 - Tech Takes

An underpowered GPU will impact performance and lead to a lackluster visual experience for gaming, photo and video editing, and other visual tasks. If you don’t know where to start, our graphics card buying guide will help you make the right decisions when it comes to choosing your next graphics card and taking control of the graphics performance on your PC.

Along with a computer's central processing unit (CPU), the graphics processing unit (GPU) has the most significant effect on your computer’s performance. This is because the GPU processes data from the CPU and renders it visually on your display. However, it can be confusing to know all the details that come with knowing when to upgrade your GPU, and selecting the right graphics card for your needs.

If you don’t want to connect two monitors but need more screen-power at work, an ultrawide monitor is another option. These elongated monitors deliver widescreen (16:9) and ultra widescreen (21:9) aspect ratios so you can have more screen real estate in one display. However, the ultrawide monitor isn’t without its flaws. Because it is still only a single monitor, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to open multiple programs in their full-screen mode, one of the major draws of a dual monitor setup. Plus, because of the wide viewing angle, information at the edges of the screen can be a strain for the eyes to see and colors can become distorted.

A printer driver is a piece of software that translates your computer data into a format your printer can understand. Each printer is built with different hardware and software, so your computer needs to learn how to give instructions to each particular machine.

Whichever operating system you use, it’s recommended that you first back up your system. Even if you plan to resell your device or you don’t foresee yourself needing a backup, it’s good to have one just in case you need to reload files or put them on a new device. You can even schedule regular backups so you don’t have to worry about losing important data if there are problems loading your OS. You may also want to make sure that these backups are sent to a location other than your hard drive, such as cloud storage, just in case something goes wrong and your hard drive crashes.

Smartphones, computers, and television are as popular as ever, so it’s no wonder why there have been so many amazing developments in display technology over the last decade. AMOLED is one of the newest breakthroughs.

What exactly is an AMOLED display, and why should you get one? Let’s answer your questions. An AMOLED display is a modified version of an OLED display, which begs the question: what is an OLED display?

OLED stands for “organic light-emitting diode.” Here’s how an OLED display works. Each pixel is composed of three things: a tiny light, a liquid crystal, and a color filter.

A liquid crystal is a chemical substance that contains properties of both a liquid and a solid. When the liquid crystals assume their liquid form, they block light from passing through. But light can pass through a liquid crystal when it’s in a solid form because the solid is less dense.

Liquid pixels basically work as an aperture. When a pixel needs to display a certain color, an

For those who like to use their laptop computers both on the road and at home, it can be a bit of a challenge to transition from one scenario to the other.

Laptops are designed to be portable and used when away from a desktop. However, when you only own a desktop, you’re unable to take your work with you to more easily collaborate with others.

Docking stations for laptops are meant to bridge the gap between portability and having a stationary place to work and play.

With a docking station, you can get the best of both worlds with a system that allows your laptop to work for both purposes.

There’s nothing worse than pulling the trigger on that new laptop you’ve been eyeing, only to find that its price dropped by a few hundred dollars a month or so later.

Like most products, there are certain times during the year when new laptops are released and the older models are removed to make room on the shelves. Now, you may be thinking that retail “holidays” like Diwali or any particular festivals are the ideal time to buy a laptop, but we’ll tell you this straight out of the gate: you don’t have to wait in ridiculously long lines to get a good deal.

That being said, we know buying a laptop isn’t a throwaway decision, either. In most cases, you’ve done your research and there are a couple of models that you’ve set your sights on. So then, when is the best time of year to buy a laptop?

While it varies to some extent, manufacturers tend to release new products in the spring, the middle of the year, and at the beginning of the holiday season.

Whether

PCIe slots allow your motherboard to connect with your PC’s most critical components and provide key functionality. They also supply you with numerous customization and upgrade options when you’re ready to venture beyond preloaded features like graphics and storage.

If you’re looking to build or upgrade your PC or simply want to learn more about the basics of PC hardware, it’s wise to start with PCIe. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of this piece of tech and offer an outline of the popular upgrade options and components you can add to your setup.

PCIe is short for “peripheral component interconnect express” and it’s primarily used as a standardized interface for motherboard components including graphics, memory, and storage.

PCIe gets the “peripheral component interconnect” part of its name because it’s designed to handle point-to-point connections for non-core components. Manufacturers added “express” to distinguish the new standard from older PCI