Make Your PC Live Much Longer

What’s really going on inside your PC? Jonathan Parkyn reveals how to scan your computer’s components to diagnose and fix your PC’s health

When we talk about fixing PC problems or extending its lifespan, the focus is often on software – removing junk files, uninstalling programs or using tools to clean up and speed up your computer. But that’s only half the story. The health of your computer’s hardware is just as fundamental to its smooth running and longevity. Physical hardware failures can make your PC behave erratically, slow it down or even stop it working altogether. If you check now that your PC’s components are fit and well, you can help your PC work well and run fast for years to come.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact

Small can still be beautiful

Remember when mobile phones were hilariously enormous? As technology improved, they scaled down to the size of a landline phone. Then they kept going, becoming small enough to slip in a shirt pocket. When the iPhone arrived, it made a virtue of being just as small and slim. But unlike other phones, the iPhone consisted almost entirely of a screen. And if we’d learned anything from the history of TVs, it was that a bigger screen is better.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7

South Korea’s answer to the iPad Air 2

Poor old Samsung. When it isn’t in court losing lawsuits to Apple over ‘copying’ iPhones and iPads, it’s winning them for the wrong reasons. Back in 2012, a British judge ruled that its Galaxy Tab wouldn’t be mistaken for Apple’s tablet – not because it wasn’t virtually identical, but because it was ‘not as cool’.

Asus N551JX

Great design and powerful components, but the screen mars an otherwise labs

winning effort

The Asus N551JX’s powerful internals place it at the non-portable end of the spectrum. It’s 32mm thick and weighs a wince-inducing 2.7kg, even without its large power adapter. You won’t tip over backwards if you sling it into a backpack, but it will definitely alter your centre of gravity.

D-Link PowerLine AV2 2000 Gigabit Network Kit

Most impressive performance

While Wi-Fi hardware vendors continue to make bold claims about ever-increasing speeds of wireless connectivity, a rival method of setting up a SOHO network has continued to quietly evolve in the background. Ethernet over Power, or EoP for short, uses your home or o€ffice’s electrical wiring to deliver data between two power points. In the early days of EoP, reliability and performance were both extremely lacking, but these issues have long since been solved. D-Link’s newest EoP kit is a prime example of how far the technology has come, promising to deliver Gigabit speeds if your home’s wiring is good enough.