Home hardware guide

Understanding Your CPU Temperature and How to Cool It Down

We know about overheating during exercise and hot summer days, but how much do you know about computers overheating? Just like us, computers have parts that can get too hot and malfunction. Unfortunately, unlike us, a little bit of water won’t do the trick! Let’s explore how computers overheat, what causes it, and how to check how toasty your CPU is. Why Does CPU Temperature Matter? When computers do their job, the components used to perform said job heat up due to the stress put on them. A lot of components inside a computer can… Read more

How to Reset or Powerwash Your Chromebook

If you’re having problems with your Chromebook, you may need to do a factory reset to return it to its original state. You may also want to wipe all of your data before selling your old machine. This factory reset is known as a powerwash on Chrome OS. A factory reset will erase all the information on your hard drive. Any files that you haven’t backed up to Google Drive or an external hard drive will be lost. If you would rather just remove all the configuration and extensions that you have added to your profile, choose a standard reset rather than a powerwash. This… Read more

The 5 Best PC Sound Cards to Buy in 2019

What do gamers and audiophiles have in common? They both enjoy high-quality audio for an immersive experience. Unfortunately, a stock sound card may not deliver that experience. A stock or integrated sound card is sufficient for the average user. It works great when you’re listening to music, watching movies on PC, and doing other light stuff with background music on. However, if you’re a hardcore gamer or an audiophile, you’re serious about sound. You want something that will deliver a punch – something that will make you feel every bit and heighten your immersion level. Fortunately, achieving that rich sound is easy with the best soundcards of… Read more

Is Your Router Safe? 3 Ways Hackers Can Attack Your Home Routers

Routers are a key source of data transfer in the home. Computers, laptops, tablets, and phones all use routers to transmit data to websites around the world. This, naturally, makes them a valuable target for hackers looking to steal information. Here are some ways hackers can use home routers for their own use. Related: 9 Ways to Reuse Your Old Routers 1. Conscripting Them into Botnets ZDNet reported how hackers would infect home routers with botnet malware, which would then be used in DDoS attacks against web servers. Infected users may not have even realized that their routers were being used in digital attacks…. Read more

Wireless vs. Wired Phone Charging: Which Is Better?

These days a lot of phones come with wireless charging compatibility. This is where you place the phone on a dedicated charging pad and watch the battery fill up “by magic.” This new technology is very exciting, but it also raises a lot of questions. For example, how does wireless charging fare against wired charging? Is wireless charging just a gimmick, or is it time to throw out those five different USB cables you have around the home? Let’s take a look at both and where each one shines. Wired Charging Wired charging has a lot of positives, despite being the less “flashy” variant of… Read more