What Specification Is Required For Gaming?

Games really push today's PCs, so we look at what even the most modest gamer needs to have in their system

Games have always been a great benchmark of home computing power. Although the mighty CG mainframes we read about or powerful servers with multiple CPUs may take the cake in terms of pure mathematical muscle or rendering capability, when it comes home PCs, it's videogames that often push the platform. Indeed, the advance in PC power in general may have never come as far as it has without gaming pushing the envelope. Thanks in part to this entertainment hobby, we're graced with powerful video cards, masses of RAM and much better audio quality, so much so that many believe the home PC is the ultimate gaming platform. Indeed, in terms of technology, that really can't be denied.

Swift Playgrounds For The Apple iPad

David Briddock reviews Apple's new interactive coding experience for the iPad generation

For many, the act of creating apps simply by typing code statements into an editor can seem somewhat magical. Yet coding isn't just for software wizards or a gifted minority. With modern tools and computing platforms, it's something anyone can do.

The importance of coding as a fundamental skill is finally being realised by the educational community and government bodies. Indeed, coding is now a key part of the educational curriculum. It's also an essential ingredient in the 'constructional thinking' movement - something that encompasses computing systems and electronic hardware hacking.

36 Low Cost Ways To Speed Up Your PC

Is your PC running slower than a snail? Here's what you can do

Your PC is running slowly, stuttering to a halt every now and then, and taking ages to load apps. Your games are moving at a snail's pace, and you feel at your wits end as simple tasks take far longer than they should. It's time, you think, to throw the machine in the bin and get yourself a new one. But is that drastic measure really the answer? In many cases, no, it's not. You could simply look at ways to enhance the speed, and the best news is that is won't cost you that much money to do.

When Will Your PC Die?

No matter how healthy it seems now, your PC will eventually grind to a halt. Mike Plant explains how to calculate its life expectancy and put a few extra miles on its clock

Time and tide wait for no man, they say, and sadly the same is true of your PC. After years of use even the most robust of PCs will start to feel its age and succumb to errors, freezes and the dreaded Blue Screen of Death. Each new setback brings it inexorably closer to the scrapheap.

We always show you how to breathe new life into your PC. But there comes a time when even our advice can no longer keep your trusty PC up and running. Sadly, there will always come a day when you’ll have to pull the plug one last time and think about a replacement.

37 Reasons Why Your Computer Might Be Crashing (And What To Do About It)

Freezing, weird noises and the blue screen of death Is your PC gasping its last breath?

Imagine spending hours on an important document or presentation, getting towards the end and then watching in horror as the computer seizes, the screen goes blue and the machine resets. With non-autosaving programs that could easily spell disaster, and yet most of us have been there at some point in the past, with our computer seemingly giving us no warning of the impending doom it’s about to bring upon us.