While upgrading a mechanical hard disk drive (HDDs) to a faster model (say 5400rpm to 7200rpm) might help, switching to an SSD is a better option. Solid-state drives are based on the same technology as USB thumb drives; as such they're far fas

Whatever the operating system, be sure that the software or process you're trying to close isn't vital. Run a web search to check what it is for and establish if it has any relevance to system stability or your game. If it is irrelevant, proceed to close

Note that the server list is updated automatically as new servers are brought online and old units are retired. As such you should check every few months that your connection has not been updated to a slower ser

Your selected Steam server could be the cause of slow downloads. A massive amount of data is handled by Steams servers, so this shouldn't be a surprise. But the problem might be having the wrong server selec

For those of us experiencing issues with dust or fan noise, fixing either of these issues doesn't require much effort or money at all. Using the two methods outlined in this article, adding a dust filter and lubricating a rattling fan, will improve long-term cooling, ease of maintenance and acoustic qualit

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also throttle traffic from Steam and other providers. They do this to prioritize specific data types, such as online shopping and social networking over high bandwidth activities such as online gaming, downloading, and video stream

I don't suggest greasing a laptop's fans as it requires a great deal of assembly in most models. However, lubrication has had tremendous impact on several of my laptops, you should consider some of these less invasive methods before popping your mobile computer o

This is the difference between the classic ‘square screen’ (3:4) and widescreen (16:9). Like TV-sets, most new displays have been following the trend of widescreen. Although this is a personal choice, I suggest you to go with it. Widescreen displays will prove better when watching a movie, but also when playing a g

Your friends and family will love the fact that whenever they visit you, they can have access to a wide array of great music to listen to - and you protect your music investment, because the server does not allow the downloading of music files, only stream

Another way to speed up Steam is to play over a VPN. The thinking behind this is straightforward: ISPs throttle traffic, but managing encrypted traffic is a different matter. If your Steam download speed is slow, connecting a via a VPN is a smart option. It can even enhance speeds with online gaming and provide access to game servers you wouldn't normally re

Apart from the money, building your own troubleshooting PC builds|https://pcbuildinsight.com/ also comes with customizing options that are never found in store-bought systems. By carefully selecting all your computer’s components, you can create a machine that perfectly matches its purpose, without shortcomings, or abundan

Determining your fan’s compatibility requires only that you remove the sticker covering its back and, in some cases, wedge out the rubber plug. Look closely at the area that was behind the sticker. If you see a raised metal nub, and there’s already applied grease, then this method will work. If not, skip to the second p

Power for system components will come from either a regular molex 4 pin, or SATA style plug for SATA devices. Case fans will often come with daisy chain connectors for regular molex power plugs, like t

You can use this list as a guide to switch to a faster ISP. While a new ISP might still throttle data, if the upper speed limit is faster, and the bandwidth is available, throttling shouldn't impact gaming on St

After all, a massive amount of data is handled by Steams servers---usually the service is up to the task. Just check this live graph of Steam's bandwidth over the past 48 hours . You can drill down through the data to select regions, and even see which ISP provides the biggest bandwi

Some cases have USB ports on the front, which need to be connected to the motherboard to be functional, the pins for which are situated next to the switch pins we just connected. If you're unlucky, you’ll have a bundle of 8 cables which must connected one by one to the matching jum

Once you've removed the sticker and rubber plug on your fan, apply lubricant onto the raised metal nub. Only a small amount is necessary as the rotational forces of the fan will pull the grease into its inner workings, which will then coat the dried-out beari

Your choice of motherboard will not only be limited by your budget, but also by your previous choices of graphics card and CPU. Although most people would do it the other way around, we’d rather limit the massive array of motherboards, than those former two compone

Although a crucial part of your system, you’ve got a really wide choice here. There are a few different classes of displays, but you can follow your personal opinion for 100% here. Although the joy of gaming might be partly visual, it is definitely not a requirement to buy the best display of the market. On the other hand, it’d be a waste to spoil the visuals of your graphics card with a mediocre scr