Desktop Processor Guide

The first specification listed for all computer systems on the market tends to be the processor that is the heart of the computer. Typically it will say the brand, model and speed of the processor in the spec sheet, but the marketing information may only list its speed rating. This can make it very difficult to determine how good a machine is. After all, one processor running at a specific speed may not run as well as a different model from the same manufacturer. That is why I've pieced together this list of categories to let you know how functional each processor is.



Outdated Processors

Processors that fall into this category are generally no longer in production by the manufacturers and are typically sold in either budget systems or older refurbished systems. Machines with these processors will typically take longer to run application and possibly might not even run some of software on the market today. It is best to try and avoid systems with these processors unless you want to use a computer for the very basic functions such as word processing and general web browsing.

· AMD Athlon 64 (Non-Dual Core/X2 Models)

· AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Older Socket A Models/DDR Memory RAM Models)

· AMD Athlon XP

· AMD Athlon X2

· AMD Phenom X3 and X4 Series

· AMD Sempron LE

· Intel Core 2 Duo

· Intel Core 2 Quad

· Intel Celeron

· Intel Celeron Dual-Core

· Intel Pentium 4

· Intel Pentium D

· Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2000 and E3000 Series

Budget Processors

These are processors that may or may not be in production anymore by the manufacturers but are very inexpensive and functional. There are typically two types of processors that will fall into this category: older high-end processors no longer manufactured and new low end budget processors. Discontinued high-end processors typically provide a better bang for your buck functionally. While they may have a slightly lower clock speed, their architecture of the processor tends to allow them to actually perform better at most computing tasks than newer budget processors.

· AMD Athlon II X2 240 and Higher

· AMD Athlon II X3 440 and Higher

· AMD Athlon II X4 620 and Higher

· AMD Phenom II X2 545 and Higher

· AMD Phenom II X3 705 and Higher

· AMD Phenom II X4 810

· Intel Core i3-2100 and Higher

· Intel Core i3-530 and Higher

· Intel Pentium E5400 and Higher

· Intel Pentium G6950

· Intel Pentium G620 and Higher

Middle Processors

This is the segment of the market that is probably the best overall value for your computing dollar. While they are not the fastest processors on the market, they still perform very well in all aspects of computing. They may not have the total functional lifespan of the highest end processors, but the price to performance ratio tends to outweigh their longevity.

· AMD Phenom II X4 945 and Higher

· AMD Phenom II X6 1045T and Higher

· Intel Core i5-2300 and Higher

· Intel Core i5-650 and Higher

· Intel Core i5-750 and Higher

· Intel Core i7-2600 and Higher

· Intel Core i7-860 and Higher

· Intel Core i7-920 and Higher

Top of the Line Processors

This is the cream of the crop when it comes to processing power. If you absolutely must have the best thing out there for your new computer than this is what you want to look at. It will cost you though. Generally the most recent processors from the manufacturer's come at a price premium of about double that of the middle processors. While the price is over double that of the middle processors, the performance tends to be only about 25-50% more at the best of times from their counterparts in the middle category.

· AMD Phenom II X6 1090T and 1100T Black Edition

· Intel Core i7-2600k

· Intel Core i7-975 Extreme

· Intel Core i7-980X Extreme

Advantages of using CFL lighting

Compact Fluorescent Light or CFL as they are commonly known as have increasing become the lighting of choice - be it in homes or offices. Let's look at the advantages of having CFL lighting over the normal bulbs.

First consider the various environmental impacts of using CFL. I guess around 4 years back an EuropeanUnion ruling compelled all businesses in EU to dispose of most lamps, including fluorescent types in an environmentally considerate manner. This obligation now extends to USA and a host of other countries as well.

Make sure you install 10% more light than you need as the light output falls off with age, also the light output will not reach maximum until they are at running temperature.

Flicker from CFL lamps should not be an issue when they are new as the frequency at which they operate is around 20,000 Hz, however, as they age the smoothing capacitor in the power supply of the lamp circuit looses its capacity and the 50Hz mains flicker may become apparent to some more sensitive people. The solution is to change the lamp OR run them off 240V DIRECT CURRENT from a battery supply charged by your UPS perhaps.

A regular bulb creates light by heating a tungsten wire to white hot. 90% of the energy consumed by the lamp is lost as heat into the surrounding environment. A typical incandescent (ordinary) bulb has an efficiency of 12 to 15 lumens per watt (12 Lm/w). In other words you only get 15 units of light for every unit of electricity you put in. Now compare this with a CFL. This lamp creates light by exciting atoms of mercury vapour, making them give off ultra violet light. This UV then hits the white coating on the inside of the lamp and is converted into the light we see. Very little heat is produced in this process, giving this type of lamp an efficiency of 60 Lm/w which is 4 or 5 times greater than the ordinary bulb. So a 20 watt CFL will give the same light as a 100 watt bulb at one fifth of the cost (or electricity used and lower carbon emissions etc). You can also use them as Shop Work Lights.

Also, CFLs last about 5 times longer than incandescent. In addition to cost savings you're also saving electricity which reduces the demand for new power plants.

There are those that still argue against them based on their mercury content, but it's just silly. The mercury level in bulbs today is so low as to run no risk to the user. Where it is a problem is when they're disposed of, so the best thing to do is recycle them properly.

So yes, they are worth it. LEDs will probably be the ideal light in the future but for now they have many hurdles to overcome (cost, lack of fill lighting). For at least the next 5 years, CFLs are the way to go.

Find Drivers for unknown device from Hardware ID

After formatting computers it is too difficult to trace out drivers if we do not know the model of motherboard. Here is one simple method to find out drivers of unknown devices with the help of hardware ID.

How to find Hardware ID.
Right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware Tab > Device Manager > Right click the device you want to view > Properties > Details Tab > Select Hardware Id from the list.

How to download drivers
Go to www.devid.info copy and paste the Hardware ID and search. You may find a lot of drivers related to your unknown hardware.

Courtesy : http://doputtur.blogspot.com/

A Complete Guide To Laptop Motherboard Repair

One of the worst things that can happen to your laptop is the motherboard failure often resulting into laptop motherboard repair. If the motherboard is damaged and is beyond repair, you would definitely need to consider buying a new laptop. This is of course necessary as the motherboard of a laptop is very expensive and not covered by a warranty, so the better option would be to buy a new laptop.

But before you reach to the conclusion, thoroughly assess the motherboard damage. For you need to decide between two options laptop motherboard repair vs. a new laptop.

Tell tale signs of motherboard failure:

1. You have switched on the computer being indicated by the light and fan also starts to spin. But there is complete black- out on the computer screen with the hard drive not working within 10- 15 sec.
2. The initial start up functions appear like indicative light, fan and hard drive sound, but disappears after a while i.e. 5 – 3 mins.
3. A high pitched sound comes from the laptop when you press the “on” button.
4. Last one can be that even when you have switched on the computer nothing happens.

Cause of Mother Board Failure

There are numerous reasons why a laptop’s motherboard would fail. But some common and often unlooked corners include:

1. Electric and voltage fluctuations
2. Dust particles, smoke, laptops age
3. Fan failure often causing over heating issues
4. Crash or physical damage

Even the signs of motherboard failure mentioned above needs to be looked into, there are some exceptions to be looked when checking for laptop motherboard damage and they include:

1. The black screen could be an indication of a possible back light problem. In-between the hinges there is button as the on/off switch for the laptop’s back light. This buttons automatically get switched off when the lid is closed. However, sometimes it gets stuck. Therefore first pull the laptop’s lid back and forth, if it is still the same then take a pin, find the switch and gently tap it. If even this doesn’t work, possible you need a laptop motherboard repair.
2. If your laptops get switched on for a few seconds and then dies out, it could be due to battery being exhausted. First connected to the power outlet and then switch it on. Also check for connection cables, if it is still not works there could be two reasons. First your adapter might have been damaged, get it checked. If that’s not the case then the possible failure could indicate a laptop motherboard repair.
3. Often re- setting the RAM and CMOS or updating the BIOS could save you from motherboard laptop repair.

As an advice – if you’re no expert in laptop hardware, but you know your motherboard has failed- Always go for a professional Motherboard Laptop Repair.

The author Anna Watson has a great experience in Motherboard Repair and likes computers, video games, gadgets, movies, television, blogs, and web design.

Source : http://www.thewindowsclub.com