You should not have to compromise when it comes to speed. When it comes to computers, the faster the better. Like many things in life they too become slow as time goes on.

Basically, the more files you build up and eat up the hard drive the harder it becomes for your computer to index the information for faster processing. What that means is that it becomes harder for your computer to find what you are looking for. But there is always a remedy for any computer problem. There is nothing that can’t be fixed.

These are the two speeds you can currently get a hard drive in. You can get them in either 7200rpm or 5400rpm. Guess which one is faster? Before answering that, let me first explain what rmp stands for. RPM stands for revolutions per minute. It is how fast the hard drive spins per minute. The answer is too obvious now. So one thing you can do ahead of time when buying a hard drive is to get one with a fast revolution per minute. The faster it spins the faster your data is processed. But keep in mind this alone will not make a huge difference although it plays a part. There is more to be done.

Keeping your disk healthy is essential. You don’t want your hard drive to get so stuffed up with unnecessary information that it starts to run slow. So, run the disk clean up utility at least once a month. I recommend once every two weeks but once a month for light users is fine. It cleans up all the unnecessary files stored in your computer like post set up files, temporary internet files, compressed old files and more. It is already built into every windows operating system. Make use of it.

This utility is also already built into windows operating system. What does it do? It physically organizes your mass storage device i.e hard drive and stores its content into as small regions as possible. Think of it this way, is it harder to find a friend in a large crowd (lots of files) or in a smaller crowd (smaller organized files) i.e fragment. Not only that, it tries to keep files in similar directory if possible that way they are easier to find and thus increase the speed of your computer.

You can do all of the things I list above but were you will see a significant difference is in a memory upgrade. Memory upgrades can bring a old computer back to life. A memory upgrade is perhaps one of the most important thing you can do for your computer; however, it is not the only important thing. When it is coupled with the list above, your computer will run like nobodies business.

All of these steps work together. Together is always better than alone. Computers have become essential to daily life. They are as important as automobiles so when you go to get that tune for your care next time, think of your computer too. You will only get from it what you put into it. Of course these are not the only things you can do to speed up your computer but I am curious what do you do to get a little speed out of your pc?

Without it you don’t have a computer. Nothing in your computer will be functional without a motherboard. A common tech name for a motherboard is “mobo”. It is the heart of your computer that causes the rest of the parts in your computer to work. However, your motherboard cannot turn on without a power supply and without a motherboard your power supply is useless. But the power supply will be covered in another article.

In this article, I want to focus on the component that everything plugs into in your computer. The definition of a motherboard (or again, “mobo”) cannot be more clear than that; if it is not plugged into the motherboard, it will not work. The picture below is that of a motherboard.

It is arguably the most important component in a computer. However, every component in a computer is very important. It would be a mistake to think otherwise. And all components serve different purpose in a unifying way that makes a computer what it is; and because there are different manufacturers, there are different form factors. Form factor is just a geeky word for a different type or the “physical size” that works with the same but different type of components based on their size.

Here is the break down.
Form factors
There is the ATX, which basically means, if you buy a motherboard that is in the ATX form factor, your case and power supply must match that form factor. ATX is the most popular.
The Micro ATX, it’s just a smaller version of the ATX form factor. However, ATX cases have been known to accommodate Micro ATX mobos.
Full AT and Slimline form factors were the old form factors still used however.

As if figuring out what form factor your computer uses wasn’t enough trouble, you might find it more of a challenge deciding if you want a AMD based or an Intel motherboard before you want to switch out motherboards in case it goes bad. But never fear, that is why there are PC Technician to worry about that stuff for you.

There is not really much else I can say about the motherboard. It is an essential component in the PC. If it fails or starts to cause trouble, it is best to just replace it. When doing so, beware of the form factor that it uses. Knowing that simple fact can save you a lot of trouble at your local tech store. If all else fails, log on and ask us.

Do you know your motherboard form factor? What would you like to know about computers but don’t have the time for the study?