If you've got a gaming PC, I hope you like the one you've got. Because upgrading it - or even buying a pre-built one - is going to cost you a veritable fortune right now. Blame bitcoin.
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If the last week has led you to be wary of having an Intel CPU powering your PC then you might want to get excited, because it seems like AMD might have started actually making CPUs you'd want instead of having Intel inside.
Last autumn Intel released Intel Optane memory. It was a smart use of a cool new memory type - the first memory type announced in decades, and it allowed you to double the speed of the clunky old hard drive you find in cheap computers. Now Intel is announcing a new variant of Intel Optane, the Intel Optane 800P. It's a tiny bootable drive that could make your computer ridiculously fast.
Intel and AMD might be fierce competitors for decades, but that hasn't stopped the two chip makers from teaming up to create a new mobile CPU with souped up integrated GPU that will soon be found in gaming and professional laptops from many major computer makers. We've known about this plan since November, but now we have the details.
It's been a whirlwind year in the PC market, in no small part thanks to the return of AMD. But things just got a whole lot more insane of late, with AMD and Intel - of all companies - announcing a partnership.
Computer specs can be a baffling mix of acronyms and numbers at the best of times, but it's worth learning something about them: It will help you choose a new computer, troubleshoot your old computer, and generally understand more about the relationship between the specs on the page and the experience you're getting.
It's a crucial component in any laptop or desktop computer, but very few computer owners actually know what a motherboard is or what it does. There's a motherboard (often called a logic board in smaller more mobile devices) sitting in every computer system: the processor, RAM, hard drives, graphics card, and other bits and pieces all plug straight into it.
The most cost-effective way to upgrade a PC is usually to swap out the RAM. If it's been a while since you last purchased computer memory, the various options available can be a little confusing. This video from TED-Ed breaks down all the random access memory essentials that you need to know about.
I have built every computer I've used since I was eight. Motherboards are still my least favourite component to buy. This video helps break down what to look for in a main board.
No one who takes their hardware seriously buys an off-the-shelf machine; they pick and choose the best components that fit their needs -- the right graphics card and CPU, and perhaps a crazy water-cooling system to keep it chilled. Here to discuss PC building is Linus Sebastian, who you may know from LinusTechTips.
