Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Which is better for gaming, a more powerful CPU or a discrete video card?

Posted on August 26, 2016

(#ad)

Question from Eric P.: My dad is going to help me build a gaming PC. He’s already built one before so he knows what he’s doing, but we’re both confused about something.

The money I’ve saved is just enough to buy one of the following:

1 – An Intel Core i5 CPU (#ad) and a discrete video card

2 – A Core i7 CPU (#ad) with no video card

Basically, if I go with the i7 I’ll have to use the motherboard’s integrated video.

My question is which CPU should I buy for the best gaming performance given the fact that if I go with the i5 I’ll be able to add a stand-alone video card?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Review: Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545 20B20011US 15.6-Inch Laptop

Posted on August 26, 2016

I’m often asked if it’s still possible to buy a new PC that comes with Windows 7, and the answer is yes. A perfect example is the excellent Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545 20B20011US (#ad) laptop.

Actually, this laptop gives you a choice between two operating systems: Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

It comes with Windows 7 Pro pre-installed, but it also comes with a Windows 8 installation DVD and license. You can always replace Windows 7 with Windows 8 at no additional charge, then update Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 for free.

But the flexibility you get in terms of the operating system isn’t the only great thing about this machine. The hardware is quite capable (and expandable) as well. In a nutshell, this is what you get: [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I buy an external USB Solid State Drive or an external USB Hard Drive?

Posted on August 25, 2016

External USB Solid State Drive (SSD) — (#ad)

Question from Calvin T.: I use a Gateway DX4860-UB20P desktop computer at work and I just purchased a brand new Dell Ultrabook to use at home and while I’m out on the road.

I’d like your opinion on the best way to transfer large files between these two PCs.

I’d rather not use a large USB flash drive because I’ve had a lot of trouble with files getting corrupted on them in the past, and I really need something that’s more reliable.

I was planning to buy a 1TB external USB hard drive, but I happened to stop in at Office Depot yesterday and noticed that they now sell external USB Solid State Drives.

It seems to me like an external SSD would be the perfect solution. Do you agree, or is there some reason why you’d recommend an external hard drive instead?

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Review: Truffol Station 7 Aluminum Desktop USB 3.0 Hub and Charger

Posted on August 21, 2016

truffol-station-7-port-usb-hub-and-charger-1 Now that virtually all new external USB hard drives and USB flash drives can connect at blazing USB 3.0 speeds, a quality USB 3.0 hub is now pretty much a necessity.

And if you own an ultrabook or other small device that has just a single USB 3.0 port, it’s virtually impossible to get along without one.

And since we all seem to have multiple mobile devices these days, we also need a handy way to keep them all charged up and ready for use.

In an effort to simplify things and keep my desk from becoming cluttered with a dozen boxes of various types, I’ve been on the lookout for a high-quality USB 3.0 hub and charger combo unit. Well, I recently found exactly what I’ve been looking for, and more. [Read more…]