Hardware Archives

Home » Hardware » Page 19

Save money on a PCIe dual NIC

Dave Farquhar Hardware November 18, 2016July 5, 2018Broadcom, dell, hp, intel, PCI Express, pcie

I’ve written before how to get a standard PCI dual NIC for a low, low price–but what about a PCIe dual NIC? PCI Express needs love too, of course.

It turns out it’s not hard to find a good, cheap PCIe dual NIC either.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

dfarq.homeip.net

SSD native command queuing (NCQ)

Dave Farquhar Hardware November 11, 2016July 15, 2017bios settings, NCQ, randomness, UEFI

What is SSD native command queuing (NCQ)? Think of it as a technology to make SSDs more efficient.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Fix a Roland XP 50 with no sound

Dave Farquhar Hardware November 9, 2016October 12, 2017Dollar Tree, leaks

One of my sons wants to learn to play piano. It just so happens I own a Roland XP 50 keyboard that I kept in storage for a number of years. It didn’t work when we hooked it up, but we figured out how to fix a Roland XP 50 with no sound. Spoiler: The problem was the battery. Fortunately, it’s not hard to replace a Roland XP-50 battery.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Fix a Fujitsu Scansnap Code 43 error

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 30, 2016September 29, 2016power button, usb port, Windows 10, windows 7

When you connect a Fujitsu Scansnap scanner to a Windows machine over USB, it usually works fine–until the dreaded Error Code 43 error turns up. Here’s how to fix a Fujitsu Scansnap Code 43 error under Windows 7 or Windows 10.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Lock the function keys on a Lenovo Thinkpad

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 29, 2016March 15, 2021lenovo, thinkpad, wi-fi

Depending on your age and experience with computers, you may need to find you need to lock the function keys on a Lenovo Thinkpad. Or you may find the opposite, that you need to disable the function keys on a Lenovo Thinkpad.

Here’s how to do both.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Lenovo Thinkpad won’t turn on? Fix it easily.

Dave Farquhar Hardware July 18, 2016September 12, 2023

If your Lenovo Thinkpad won’t turn on, I have an easy fix. It takes less time than calling the helpdesk, and less time than going straight to desktop support too. Here’s how to fix your Thinkpad that won’t turn on all by yourself and save. Save time, at least.

Remove your Thinkpad from all power sources, including removing the battery or pressing the emergency reset on the underside, then open the lid back up and hold the power button for a few seconds. Then replace the battery, plug the laptop back in, and try the power button again.
Read more

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

What to look for in a monitor

Dave Farquhar Hardware June 1, 2016August 3, 2017dell, DisplayPort, power brick, power cord, sony, VGA

Most buying guides for monitors assume you’re buying a really expensive monitor for gaming. But there’s a lot more to look for than refresh rate and response time.

A good monitor can last 10 years and multiple computers, so it pays to make a good decision when buying one, even when you’re not spending $500. There can be a significant difference even between two $100 models, or between a $60 model and a $70 model, that will save you money in the long run.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

New computer, old monitor

Dave Farquhar Hardware May 26, 2016October 5, 20191980s, acer, asus, dell, DisplayPort, hp, IBM, lenovo, VGA

New computer, old monitor: I see questions fairly frequently about using a new computer and older monitor together. More often than not, it’s possible to do, but you may need to know where to look for the cables and adapters you’ll need.

Here’s some help.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Fix a chip in an LCD display

Dave Farquhar Hardware May 25, 2016October 22, 2022

If you need to fix a chip, gouge or nick in an LCD display, you can do it with a dab of petroleum jelly and the edge of a credit card.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

A 960 GB SSD for $188

Dave Farquhar Hardware May 7, 2016intel, micron, PNY, toshiba

If you’re in the market for a 960 GB SSD but you’ve been waiting for a deal, here’s one that’s been worth waiting for: an A-Data SP550 for $188. It’s remarkable only for the price, but what a price.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net