Other Computer Hardware

Fiber optics have revolutionized communication. The first fiber optic application or ideology was based upon a theory presented by Alexander Graham Bell in the late 1800s--that light could carry...

The Hewlett-Packard (HP) flash drive is a small device that can connect to a USB port on the computer. The flash drive acts like a hard drive, except the device is removable. A removable flash...

If you have a little time and the room for a machine, you can have your own in-home arcade with 100's of games.

Keeping your processor cool is an important part of system maintenance and performance. An overheated processor can cause damage to the PC and motherboard. With newer processors generating more...

USB cables can be cut and spliced together to create a longer or even a shorter cable depending on your needs. Splicing two USB cables can create a special-purpose cable that can save you from...

Self-built PCs have been increasing in popularity since the beginning of the 21st century. Processor fan installation is an integral part of building your own PC. Maintaining a low core...

Flash memory cards, such as an SD flash memory card, are typically formatted so that they will be automatically recognized by the Windows operating system. However, a flash memory card that is in...

Computers can be used for many things, but they only function properly when they are properly maintained. Your router is an important piece of accompanying equipment. It has the task of connecting...

Cooling is very important to your computer. Processors, video cards, and hard drives are all susceptible to overheating and failure if temperatures inside the case are too high. While computer...

Loading files onto your Kindle is as simple as attaching your USB cable, or sending an email to your personal Kindle email address. Email file loading costs 15 cents per megabyte, but loading the...

Many people have large collections of VHS tapes in their homes, which may be doing nothing but collecting dust in this digital age. Although there are some VHS tape duplication facilities out...

Whether it's a mechanical hard drive or a system fan, the moving parts in a computer will eventually break down. Fortunately, fans are the least expensive components inside a computer case, and...

Movies that are recorded using a Comcast DVR will stay stored on the DVR until they are deleted. If you want to transfer the movie off of the DVR, you will need to record it to your computer and...

Sound cards allow your computer to play music through speakers or headphones. Each sound card has different features and can support better quality sound. ComputerHope.com points out that computer...

One of the most important things to maintain in a computer is the cooling system in order to prevent components from overheating. The CPU is the most important component to keep cool. If the CPU...

As phone system technologies like Voice-over IP have grown in popularity, installation, programming, and troubleshooting have become more challenging tasks. Nortel's PBX systems are complex, and...

Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), which allow you to record TV shows then watch them later, have been popular with consumers since the introduction of the TiVo in 1999. While the TiVo's service is...

A USB cable is constructed in a similar way to a phone cable. There are four small wires in the cable that are attached to a male or female connector. Disassembling a usable USB cable consists of...

Many people are apprehensive about terminating their own video cables for CCTV applications, home video, professional AV, etc. It is actually quite simple, once the proper tools are acquired, and...

There are several different satellite providers located throughout the country, most of which offer a package that includes HBO. If you currently receive HBO via your satellite provider you have...

At the heart of most electronics devices lies a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB holds the components and the connections between them, negating the need for large amounts of wires in modern...

Computer products are one of the industry sectors that presented a challenge for me, as I studied markets in South America. The challenge comes from the technical nature of the products, and the...

Attaching your personal computer to your television grants you several advantages. Aside from simply watching TV on your computer, you can record shows and watch them later, or transfer them to a...

Air cards allow you to get online with broadband connection speed in most areas in the United States. Popular with rural users with no other access to broadband Internet, RV-users, truck drivers,...

USB and Firewire ports supplanted the serial port, a ubiquitous hardware port on older personal computers, in the early 2000s. While you may find serial port PCI cards that you can install...

So, your computer has crashed? Chances are that you have files on your computer that you want to recover. Well depending on the reason your computer crashed, those files may be recoverable. ...

In modern computer systems, the ATX power switch works by temporarily shorting the connection between two pins on the motherboard. This sends a signal to turn the computer on. In rare instances, a...

The Playstation 3 is great for more than just gaming, as the console can also serve as a digital movie library. Whether it's used for feature films, home movies or TV shows downloaded from the...

If you have an old computer sitting around that you want to use to monitor your home or office, there are some easy things you can do to turn it into a security recorder. This will enable the...

Water-cooling is a great way to make your computer better all around. It can make your computer incredibly quiet during operation, allow you to overclock your equipment, and can help your computer...

SD is short for "secure digital." SD cards are small flash based cards that can store personal data. There are three types of SD cards: miniSD, microSD and the regular SD card. Storage space...

Sound that has suddenly gone missing on a computer can be frustrating. Generally, the sound disappears either because of corrupted sound drivers or because another application has damaged or...

For many people, having a personalized computer is important. You may have changed your background or your screen saver on your computer, but have you ever considered spicing up the case? Neon...

If a computer is unstable, especially if the instability occurs during intensive operations such as displaying high-definition video, it is possible that the issue may be caused by the...

Removing a CPU heat sink is arguably the most difficult and frustrating hardware procedure that most computer owners are likely to perform. Most heat sinks are not designed with user-friendliness...

Replacing the Inverter in Dell Inspiron laptops is a process that requires the handling of small parts. It also requires the ability to replace those parts in the proper order. These...

A capture card is a device that allows the user to record or stream video from the television to the computer. This video can then be shared or edited like any other video file. Capture cards are...

The video BIOS controls how your operating system interacts with your video card. If your video card is your original card, you must update your system BIOS in order to update the video BIOS. If...

Think of a diode as a one-way electronic valve for electricity. When the diode is in forward bias, the diode allows current to flow towards the cathode leg. In a reverse bias current is blocked...

With the advent of cheaper consumer-level surveillance cameras and DVR kits for the PC, setting up a video surveillance system on your home or business PC has never been easier. Typically, the...

When your Gateway computer is switched off, it still keeps track of various system information such as the date and time, thanks to a small battery that never powers off. The size and thickness of...

Most video cards built in recent years follow the PCI Express standard, and if you are in the market for a new PCI Express card, there is a veritable ocean of selections available for you to swim...

PCMCIA is short for the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, which sets standards for computer memory cards. Not to be confused with PCI cards (which are used for connecting...

Hewlett Packard produces the Compaq Presario line of mobility laptops that use the Athlon XP-M series processor. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) manufacturers the Athlon processor in use for all...

An audio device can be an ideal upgrade for a gaming or entertainment computer. It can increase the speed of the computer in some applications and provide greatly upgraded sound quality over the...

This tutorial will teach you how to build a circuit for driving up to 10 LEDs in a sequential "chaser" pattern, repeating endlessly!

In an overclocked computer, thermal efficiency is everything. All modern processors have an aluminum- or nickel-plated cap, called an integrated heat spreader (IHS). This gives the processor heat...

A modem is an older device that uses a dial-up connection to the Internet. The modem connects to a phone line in the home, and dials a number provided by the Internet Service Provider (ISP)....

As video cards tend to be rather expensive, you may benefit by trying to pinpoint what the problem is before buying a new one. If the hardware is damaged, the card may need to be replaced....

Computer fans are essential to keep internal components from overheating. Too much heat can break your hardware. Ideally, there will be a fan in the front of the case, drawing cool air in, and a...