Common mistakes to avoid when building a mini-ITX PC

Fractal Building a mini-ITX PC can be an exciting challenge offering the promise of a compact, yet powerful computing solution. However, amid the excitement of assembling your system, it’s crucial to tread carefully and avoid common pitfalls that can derail your build. From compatibility issues to space constraints, navigating the intricacies of building a mini-ITX … Read more

How to build a PC from scratch: a beginner’s guide

Building a PC from scratch might seem like a daunting task. From motherboards and CPUs to GPUs and cooling systems, there are a lot of moving pieces to consider. But despite all these fancy components, building a desktop computer is surprisingly simple. In fact, if you know how to handle a screwdriver and aren’t afraid … Read more

The 5 best portable power inverters for cars in 2024

Whether there’s a power outage locally or you’re driving to a remote location, sometimes we just need portable power. While you could lug around one of the best portable power stations to get your remote electricity fix, your best bet may be one of the best portable power inverters instead. These devices draw energy directly … Read more

How to measure PC power consumption

Do you have any clue how much power your PC consumes when you’re playing video games? Or how about when it’s just sitting idly? Whether you’re trying to figure out how to cut down on energy costs, or simply want to know how much toil your PC endures when running Abode Creative Suite, you’ll want … Read more

How to install a CPU cooler

Installing a CPU cooler might feel a little scary since you’re interacting directly with chips and paste and metal and some pretty delicate components. But it doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve done it a few times, changing a CPU cooler is one of the most straightforward PC upgrades you can complete. Here’s how to … Read more

What Is SATA? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About It

What is SATA? In short, it’s how almost everything storage-related connects to your motherboard. If you’ve owned a desktop PC or laptop in the past decade and a half, you can be confident it was a Serial ATA (SATA) compatible piece of hardware. Whether it was a hard drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), or … Read more

Why OLED beats mini-LED for gaming every time

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends The two major innovations in gaming displays over the past few years have been OLED and mini-LED. These two types of displays have transformed the rather dire state of HDR for PC gamers, and now, you can find OLED and mini-LED options across gaming monitors, laptops, and TVs. From my … Read more

The 6 Best XLR Cables for Microphones in 2024

An XLR cable is an essential addition when dealing with professional audio, video, or stage lighting equipment. It’s also pretty important even when using one of the best microphones for streaming such as if you’ve recently become a pro streamer or video editor. Maybe not the most exciting of tools to buy, you really need … Read more

How to enable XMP to run your RAM at full speed

Pushing your hardware to its full potential — such as by enabling XMP — ensures that you get the best performance which is crucial for all sorts of heavy tasks including gaming. Memory is one of the key components that can bring a noticeable improvement in performance. Surprisingly, in most cases, your RAM isn’t running … Read more

The 11 best USB-C cables for 2024

USB-C is the port of the future. We’re seeing more and more devices changing to the new standard, and it’s now almost impossible to find an Android phone above $300 that’s still using the outdated Micro USB charging cable. And while the Apple iPhone continues to use the Lightning cable, there are rumors every year … Read more