Hack Your Own PC!

Messing with the Registry can be risky, but it can also yield impressive results. Wayne Williams presents the 27 best Registry tweaks to customise, enhance and speed up Windows

Many PC users deliberately avoid fiddling with the Registry, preferring to leave system tweaks to software such as CCleaner. But provided you’re careful and know how to undo any changes you make, there are plenty of benefits to delving under the bonnet of your computer, such as customising Windows to make it look and behave the way you want, speeding up your PC and turning off features you don’t need. In this feature, we’ve rounded up 27 of the best secret Registry hacks for boosting the performance of your PC without messing it up.

Sony KD-65S8505C

Sony proves to John Archer that Samsung isn’t the only curved LCD TV game in town

While some love the look of curved TVs, others worry about the impact curved screens can have on the viewing experience in the form of issues like viewing angles, onscreen refl ections and distorted geometry. Cue the Sony KD-65S8505C: a 65in TV that tries to balance curved aesthetics with less controversial picture characteristics by using a markedly shallower curve than rival screens.

DALI Zensor Pico 5.1

Pico is a scaled-down version of DALI’s impressive Zensor 1 standmount, cramming the same driver technology into a box that’s around 30 per cent smaller. With its dinky dimensions and attractive design, it could be a good bet if you want to squeeze a full 5.1 system into a small or medium-sized living room.

Two pairs of Picos are used as the front and rear speakers in this 5.1 package, with the matching Zensor Pico Vokal on centre channel duties and the E-9 F subwoofer bulking up the bottom end.

Cambridge Audio CXU

Cambridge Audio punts Blu-ray with the right degree of pomp and attention to sonic detail, says Steve May

With its union flag branding and prim brushed fascia there’s something of the Last Night of the Proms about Cambridge Audio’s top-ranking CXU Blu-ray player. The Great British Sound branding reflects the company's UK research and design operation, but is indicative of a lofty approach to audio that explains why you won’t see much change out of a grand.

Canton DM100

Canton has strengthened its soundbase lineup with a newer, larger model that suits Adrian Justins' audio ambitions

All soundbases pretend they're ready for the task of doubling up as a plinth for your flatscreen TV, yet some tend to be quite narrow, making them inelegant – and sometimes impractical – partners for larger-sized screens. The introduction of Canton's lengthy DM100 is therefore a welcome move.