Computer – The Big Words Blog Site

Building Your Own Computer From Scratch

A key focus of my blog is Technology. While many users purchase their computers from the store already assembled, some have the skills to build their units. The following contributed post is entitled, Building Your Own Computer From Scratch.

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If you have always wanted to build your own computer from scratch, you are certainly not alone. Many people are keen to do this, and there is a good reason why you might want to – after all, it is likely going to result in you having exactly the computer that you would hope to have in your possession, and that can be useful in a lot of situations. So what do you need to do in order to build your own computer? It’s actually easier than you might think. Here are some of the major steps you’ll need to follow.

The Motherboard

One of the most central parts that you will need to think about is the motherboard. This is the main circuit board that all of the other elements will be attached to or be peripherals for, so you need to make sure that it is the right choice. If you are particularly knowledgeable in circuitry, you might be able to create your own using the EDA software (such as the one we link here) and a soldering iron. Otherwise, it’s just a case of grabbing one that will suit your needs, taking on board whether it fits with your choice of CPU.

The CPU

Speaking of which, the CPU might often actually be your very first choice, as you need to make sure that the motherboard will fit in. Choosing a CPU is generally a simple case of knowing what your needs are going to be, and finding one that is sufficient. If you wanted to build the most powerful computer you could, you’d simply go for the most powerful CPU you can afford, but in reality that’s not always the goal. So make your choice, install it – and remember the CPU cooler as well, otherwise it may melt through continued usage.

RAM

RAM memory is the memory that your computer uses in order to be able to process basic tasks. Essentially, it temporarily stores data so that it can perform tasks – which means that, the more RAM you have, the quicker your machine will be able to perform those tasks. You should basically aim to install as much RAM as you can, and you will be limited here by how many RAM slots there are on your motherboard. However, you can generally hope to install a fair few GBs this way, which should be sufficient for everyone’s needs.

Power Supply

Next up is the power supply. This has a lot of cables and connectors, as well as a fan, and it can therefore look daunting at first, especially to the newbie. But with the right power supply in place, you are going to find that the whole machine works much more effectively, so it’s important that you are choosing the right one – and installing it correctly.

After that, it’s all about the other peripherals, such as a graphics card and sound card, should you want them. Of course, you’ll also need a hard drive as well, so make sure to choose an appropriate one.

Stop your PC From Lagging with This Step by Step Guide

A key focus of my blog is Technology. If you own a PC, you want to get the most out of it in terms of performance. The most common metric users associate with high performance is speed. The following contributed post is entitled, Stop your PC From Lagging with This Step by Step Guide.

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Waiting for a computer to turn on is one of the biggest annoyances in life. If you want to make sure that your PC is running properly and that it is also not taking hours to load, then you can find some great tips to help you with that right here.

Uninstall some Programs

When you buy a new computer, there will be a lot of programs installed onto it. Older PCs tend to accumulate them over time and the best thing that you can do is stop them from running in the background. If you want to remove these programs, then you need to go to Start and then onto the Control Panel. You can then go onto Programs and Features. At this point, you can scroll through the list and uninstall any of the ones you don’t use.

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Delete your Temporary Files

Whenever you use the internet, your browsing history will stay on your PC. It’s like ordering a product and then not disposing of the packaging. If you want to get rid of all of this clutter then you need to click on My Computer and then click on the Windows folder. You can then open the Temp folder. Use your mouse to right-click on this folder and then in the “view” option, click on details. When you have done this, click on all of the files that are older than the current date and press delete.

Invest in a Solid State Drive

If your PC takes forever to turn on, then you may find that your hard drive is at fault. Typically your hard drive will have a lot of moving components and it can take a very long time for it to load up. A solid state drive will use flash memory which is very similar to a huge USB stick. It can read data way faster and this will speed up your start-up in general

Use a Mouse Sensitivity Calculator

Another thing that you can do is use a mouse sensitivity calculator. If you feel as though it’s taking a while to turn your character around, or to point and shoot at an enemy then the problem may not lie with lag. It may be that you need to turn up your mouse sensitivity to accommodate the game. If you are using your PC to play games then try and use this CS GO mouse sensitivity calculator to improve your performance.

Get More Storage

It doesn’t matter how tidy you keep your computer sometimes because if you know that your hard drive is getting too full then this will almost certainly affect the overall speed of your computer. If you use your system for heavy tasks such as video recording or even media, then there is a chance that your HDD is full. You can easily get storage drives which are well over 1TB in this day and age, so you don’t have to worry about that at all now.

Stop Start-ups that Aren’t Necessary

Whenever you turn on your PC, you may find that some programs automatically run in the background. Things like Spotify and even Skype are very guilty of this. All of the applications that run will be using up your computer memory so you need to try and ditch the ones that you are not using. If you want to do this then go to start-up and then type “run”. When you see a box come up, type in MSConfig. At the top of the new list, click on Start Up and this will list all of the applications that start up when your computer loads. Manually untick the ones that are not required, but always keep necessary ones like antivirus running.

Get some More RAM

Have you ever noticed that when you try and run a lot of different programs at once, such as your internet, email and MS Word, that your computer struggles to flick between them all? This means that your PC is having a hard time going between all the programs. If you want to help your computer here, then you need to try and make sure that you install more RAM if you can. This is the only way to solve issues such as this.

Defragment

You should never be scared of things like this. It’s a great way for you to optimise your hard drive and its efficiency overall. If you want to go ahead with this then click on “my computer” and then select the hard drive. When you have done this, you then need to click on “properties” and under the “tools” tab, you can then click on “defragment now”. This is an incredibly easy way for you to boost your PC’s performance overall and you would be surprised at how easy it is for you to really get a great result out of your PC’s hardware.

Computer Network Security Tips

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Pretty much every business today uses some sort of computer network. As such the security of your network is absolutely critical. The following contributed post is entitled, Computer Network Security Tips.

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Most companies have a computer network that is shared amongst employees to offer helpful collaboration and access to important files. When planning to open a business or make changes to a current one, the network should be a focus of your interest.

Today we want to take a look at computer networks and think about helpful tips you can use for effective working as a business. Whether you filter out spam, use Managed Services or restrict access to your network, there are many ways to ensure the safety of your data.

Seal the doors

The most crucial thing to think about in terms of your network is the entry point. Think of your network as a house. The easiest way for a hacker to gain entry to your network is through the doors and windows, and this is the first thing you need to protect. Make sure to explore your network and find any weaknesses or entry points that could be used by hackers. Once you have identified these areas you can fix them and make them stronger.

Think on a device basis

When thinking about the safety of your network, it is important for you to consider every device that houses a gateway to the network. If you have a large business, there will likely be many computers and laptops that have access to the network. Weaknesses can lie in every device and a hacker might take advantage of a singular device. This is why you should install antivirus software on every single device that has access to the network. This will provide a protective cushion and ensure the safety of your network.

Eradicate spam

Spam emails seem to be the norm these days. Since the early 2000’s people have tried to scam others by sending emails with the deception of being from someone else. Of course, as technology has advanced and we have become more savvy, hackers have also increased their ability. This is why it is important for you to filter spam and create blocks and rules for any and all emails that aren’t from a known source. As a business it is also important to educate staff, especially older staff, to not click on links or open attachments they don’t recognise.

Passwords

A good password is one of the best weapons you can have when it comes to security. If your aim is to keep the business safe and the network secure, it is crucial for you to choose strong passwords and ensure that everyone in your company does the same. A strong password should contain letters, numbers and special characters. For extra support, make sure that your workers change their password every 3 months to reduce the risk of them being hacked.

Restrict Full Access

Did you know you can change the access each individual has to your network? If you have a network that shares files such as invoices and employee information, it is a good idea to restrict certain parts of the network to only allow authorised personnel. This is a good way to keep your network safe and always ensure that data stays in safe hands.

Interface: Creating A Computer Literate Team

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, computer literacy is critical to working on any staff in any organization. It therefore becomes very important to create a computer literate team. The following contributed post is thus entitled; Interface: Creating A Computer Literate Team.

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As time goes on, computers are playing an increasingly central role in the work which businesses have to do. With most of the data your company uses being stored on machines like this, and all of the software you need to do your job having to have them to run, it’s impossible to avoid filling your offices and back rooms with devices like this. Of course, though, it isn’t enough to simply have the hardware. Along with this, you also need to have a team of people who all have the skills to do their jobs. To help you in achieving this goal, this post will be exploring the steps which have to be taken to make someone computer literate.

Learning

This all hard to start with some learning, as these sorts of machines aren’t exactly easy to use when you first get started. Thankfully, there are loads of companies out there offering basic computer courses in a range of different topics. This makes it possible to tailor the learning your employees go through to the work which it will be applied to when all is said and done. There aren’t many fields out there which allow you to be so specific.

Practice

Practice is important when it comes to learning anything, and technology is no exception. If your employees don’t have computers at home, they need a chance to have some fun and explore them properly while they are at work. Nothing is scarier than the unknown, and this can quickly be wiped away once your team all know how they’re supposed to do their jobs. Of course, this is the same with most of the tools your company uses.

Confidence

It’s easy to become worried about using computers when you’re told that viruses are dangerous, files can be lost, and the machines are fragile. While all of this is true, though, it doesn’t mean that they will break when you’re using them for normal jobs. It’s worth working hard to make sure that your employees have the right skills when it comes to computers, but it’s also crucial that they feel confident enough to use them.

Support

Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about the support your teams can get while they are working. There is nothing which boosts confidence more than knowing that you have a professional waiting to give you a hand whenever you need it, and outsourced IT support has become a huge market because of it. Of course, though, you need to read plenty of reviews before choosing a company like this, as they will all offer different levels of service.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to get started on the time you put into building a computer literate team for your business. A lot of companies struggle in this area, finding it hard to know where to turn when their teams are bad with these machines. Of course, though, this never has to be the case, especially when you’re willing to put some time into making it better.

How to Encourage Your Kid’s Computer Interest

Two of the focuses of my blog are General Education and Technology. The current younger generations and those that will follow them will all come of age in a digital world. With all of the distractions available online, it will also be important encourage their constructive use of the computers around them. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How to Encourage Your Kid’s Computer Interest.

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Sure, most teenagers wouldn’t need much encouragement when it comes to sitting around in front of the computer all day. Yet, browsing for cat memes and watching funny videos on YouTube isn’t quite what you have in mind for your kids’ career in terms of computer science – and there is a lot more to computers than just popular culture, after all.

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If you’d like to help your teenager out with understanding complex computer issues and building up under their interest, you have definitely come to the right place.

Here is a handful of ways to encourage your teenager’s or child’s computer interest and make sure that they stay up to date on everything that is going on in the world of computer science.

First: Make it a social activity

A lot of children who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s didn’t have many people who help them out with understanding computers. Perhaps you had it the same way – and building your own computer or learning to code was something you had to do on your own.

This doesn’t mean that your kid has to have it the same way, though, and just because you had to learn it this way doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily the best way to learn a new skill. When learning how to code is a social activity rather than something they have to do alone in their room, it’s suddenly a lot more fun – and definitely a lot easier to learn.

These days, there are a ton of people who know a lot about the subject and you can easily find someone to help your kid out in case you’re not a computer nerd yourself. Find a mentor, for example, who can guide your kid – or see if there are any courses around in case one of their friends would like to join them.

It’s going to be a lot easier for them to stick to it when they’re learning together with a friend, after all, and they will learn it a lot faster as well.

Next: Tap into you kid’s passion

Coding is, as we know, applied to a lot of different things and you should try to help and guide your kid in the right direction if they don’t know what their passion is quite yet.

Your kid might enjoy game design more than building and operating a small robot, for example, or perhaps it’s the other way around. They might enjoy building a website instead – or just read up on everything around cyber security.

No matter what they prefer, there are vast resources that you can use to help them explore their way to their talents. Here are some excellent hacker movies you can watch together, by the way, so that you get to be involved in their interest even if you’re not that into computer science yourself.

Another excellent way to encourage your child’s interests can be through introducing educational resources and working on personal development with the help of Principal David Krakoff. Looking into new concepts and content can be just what is needed to spark your child’s passion!

Being young is all about finding your path in life and becoming better at what you enjoy. Help your kid out with finding his or her way and you’ll have built a great foundation for them and their future careers.

Learning To Solve Computer Problems Before They Happen

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Whichever business or enterprise you’re in, management of your Information Technology (IT) systems is critical, and it’s also critical to figure out how to solve computer-related problems before they happen. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Learning To Solve Computer Problems Before They Happen.

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It’s practically impossible for a modern business to get away with not using computers, nowadays. These machines have truly taken over this field, and this means that people simply have to learn to get used to them, even if they don’t find them very easy to use. Of course, though, their popularity doesn’t make it any easier to deal with problems with them. Instead, when you have an issue with a machine you need, you have to pay someone to fix it for you. To get around this and help you out, this post will be exploring some of the work which is going into solving problems like this before they even happen.

Machine Learning

One of the keys to achieving a goal like this is being able to spot the common factors between various computer faults. If a CPU is generally killed very quickly by excessive heat, for example, knowing which temperatures they can safely operate at is very important. This has lead to a lot of companies dedicating their time to this sort of learning, running near constant tests to figure out the connections between various hardware and software flaws, drastically improving the chances of spotting them before they cause problems.

Remote Monitoring

As a more direct approach to the work above, remote monitoring is often used to help with viruses and other attempts to damage the integrity of a system. Device and system monitoring can be a great way to solve this, with services available which can stop malicious software in its tracks without your users ever noticing a thing. This gives you the power to keep an eye on all of your machines without having to lift a finger.

Automated Protection

People can make mistakes, though, and this makes it worth having a second line of defense when it comes to protecting your computers. In the case of a hot computer, having the right settings in place to power off the machine before the CPU gets damaged is a good idea. While this may seem simply, a lot of people fail to take advantage of protection methods like this, making it far harder to keep their machines safe.

Simple Methods

Most of the work above will require the help of another company to get set up. There are jobs which you can do for yourself which will make this even better, though, like refreshing your hardware once in awhile to make sure that it is up to the right standards. A lot of people struggle with this, finding it hard to know what they need to do to keep their computers alive, even though they are like any other machines, and simply need to be treated correctly to keep running for a long time.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start working harder on the time which goes into your company’s computer problems. A lot of people find this sort of work very challenging, but it will be worth putting some time towards it, even if is hard.

The Benefits Of Running IT As Intended

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“Computers are a key component of most businesses today. Mismanaging your Information Technology (IT) services can cost your business money and stagnate.”

Buffer

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Businesses/Entrepreneurship, and Technology. Computers are a key component of most businesses today. Mismanaging your Information Technology (IT) services can cost your business money and stagnate. Properly managing it can help it grow and thrive. The following contributed post is thus entitled, The Benefits Of Running IT As Intended.

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Computers have been taking an increasingly central position in the world of business, especially when you’re working in a field which relies on these machines, such as IT consulting to immigration law firms or marketing. As time goes on, more and more companies are adopting measures which make it possible to handle their work digitally, and this is only set to continue into the future. Of course, though, this area is often handled incorrectly. Not only does this leave businesses without the tools they need, but it can also be very expensive to set right, making it worth running your IT as intended by the engineers.

Resources: The first area to consider in all of this is resource management. When you are running a large network with a lot of devices on it, knowing which machine needs the right level of bandwidth is very challenging, and the whole system can be slowed down by this challenge. By using managed IT services for businesses, you can put this job into someone else’s hands. Using methods which have been tried and tested, companies like this are very good at this job, and will be able to handle all of your routing needs.

Security: When you don’t know how to setup a service system or computer properly, it can be very easy to overlook crucial areas which will impact the security of the end result. With data laws tightening around the world, and more and more companies getting in trouble for being too relaxed in this area, this isn’t something you want to deal with. Instead, it will be worth hiring a company with the skills to handle this work for you. If you’re unsure about your current state, you can have an audit performed to figure out where you need to improve.

Updates: Keeping computers up to date is one of the most important areas to consider when you’re thinking about IT in business. When you have a large number of machines, deploying updates one device at a time doesn’t make much sense, and it will be a good idea to have this setup with a software management system. A lot of tools, like Windows, have this sort of feature built-in, making it nice and easy to keep yourself on the right versions. Some tools, though, will require a more hands-on approach.

Versatility: Ideally, the computer system you have for your business will be able to handle a very wide range of tasks. Ensuring that your business IT is suitably versatile to meet your needs is dependent on areas like system specifications, application availability, and even the way that your office is layed out. To help you with this, there are loads of services on the market which are designed to help companies to find the best setup for their needs, and you can often borrow all of the hardware you need to do it.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start looking outside of your business when it comes to the IT systems which you need to have in place. This area is very complex, with loads of pitfalls and problems which company owners can find themselves in.