How to tell what motherboard you have

How to tell what motherboard you have

Your motherboard determines how much you can upgrade your PC. It also determines what upgrades will and won’t work in your PC. Here’s how to tell what motherboard you have, possibly without even opening your computer.

You can check which motherboard you have by running a WMI command in Windows, dmidecode in Linux, or looking for visual cues on the motherboard itself.

Read more

Windows 10 not recognizing new CPU: The fix

Windows 10 not recognizing new CPU: The fix

I helped my son replace the i5 CPU in his PC with an i7 to hopefully solve some occasional performance problems he was having. But when we booted the upgraded machine for the first time and pulled up task manager, Windows 10 still thought it was an i5. Here’s how to fix Windows 10 not recognizing a new CPU.

Read more

Disk cache vs memory cache

Disk cache vs memory cache

It’s understandable if the concept of disk cache vs memory cache is confusing. They have distinct similarities though they are not interchangeable with one another. But let’s talk about the concept and how it works.

Read more

Roku remote stopped working? Try this

Roku remote stopped working? Try this

We hadn’t used the Roku in one of our rooms in a couple of months, and when we went to use it the other day, the remote didn’t work. Not even after changing batteries. If your Roku remote stopped working, here’s how to fix it.

Read more

Why aren’t computers getting cheaper?

Why aren’t computers getting cheaper?

When you study the history of computers, one recurring theme is that computers get smaller, cheaper, and faster over time. So why is there a floor on computer prices? Why aren’t computers getting cheaper anymore, especially at retail?

Read more

Why is it so hard to find computer parts?

Why is it so hard to find computer parts?

Back in July, I went to Micro Center to get a video card for my son. The selection wasn’t great. They had a few $50 cards. They had three $110 cards. Not three different ones. Three GT 1030s. Total. And nothing else under $2,500. And they didn’t have a ton of those either. Other parts were less scarce, but not what I’m used to. So why is it so hard to find computer parts?

Read more

Can a computer last 10 years? It depends

Can a computer last 10 years? It depends

Can a computer last 10 years? People tend to have very strong opinions about that. It is a matter of perspective in some ways. And a lot of it depends on the type of hardware you buy, and what you expect it to do. And at one time, that was an absurd idea. But not so much anymore.

Read more

IBM Model M vs Cherry MX Blue

IBM Model M vs Cherry MX Blue

To say the IBM Model M keyboard has a cult following is an understatement. Although it fell out of favor for a time, it’s made a comeback in recent years. Mechanical keyboards as a whole have also made a comeback in recent years. Cherry MX Blue switches are popular because some say they have a clicky IBM like feel. So let’s take a look at the IBM Model M vs Cherry MX Blue.

Read more

Should you update your BIOS? The pros and cons

Should you update your BIOS? The pros and cons

Back when the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities came to light, we had a spirited discussion after work about the mitigations. On some systems, The mitigations required a BIOS update. My boss asked, who updates their BIOS? Fair question. So should you update your BIOS?

I said I wanted to start using that as a job interview question. I could be convinced either way, but I want someone to be able to defend their answer. So let’s go over the pros and cons of updating your BIOS.

Read more

How to clean a membrane gaming keyboard

How to clean a membrane gaming keyboard

Membrane gaming keyboards cost less than mechanical keyboards, but they’re expensive enough that they’re worth fixing. Here’s how to clean a membrane gaming keyboard when it gets fouled with debris.

Read more