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Week 6 Posting - Removing Temporary and Untouched Files

     The longer you use your computer the more and more it can be bogged down by temporary files, cached data, and files or downloads you have not touched in a while building up in the background. These files start to take up valuable space on your drives and can start to affect performance. Thankfully most modern operating systems have tools that can help you clean up your system. For Windows you have the "Disk Cleanup" option that scans your files, browser caches, and old system updates that you do not need anymore. MacOS has "Storage Management", which offers a similar service. Both will give you the option to remove the files you want to without having to lose anything you think you will need.    There are also other options that are not prebuilt into the system. You can manually go through and clear out your download folder. You can sort your files by "last accessed" or "last modified" and see what files have been untouched and probably wo...
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Week 5 Posting - PC Building Process

            When building the computer, it is particularly important to approach it in a certain way so that you can avoid unnecessary mistakes, and back tracking. First you need to choose a nice space to work in, have good light, clean surfaces, and remove any possible ways to build up static if possible. I know most people starting would think of putting the motherboard in first, but that can really restrict your space to work in. Instead put everything you can onto the motherboard minus the GPU before putting it in the case. So put the CPU in first thermal paste if necessary, then attach the cooler you have selected. If youre unsure it will fit, you can rest it in the case and try to put the side of the case on. Next you can install your RAM and any M.2 SSDs that you have.      Once you have these things installed on the motherboard you can then mount the motherboard into the case. Line it up with the pre-installed standoffs and scr...
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Week 4 Posting

  Choosing a Power Supply      Choosing the correct power supply for your system is a very important step that can affect performance, stability, and lifespan. The PSU is the part that is supposed to give consistent power to your whole system, so choosing a bad option can lead to major issues with your computer. Once you have all your other component you need to calculate how much power it will need. There are a few reliable calculators online you can use, or you can use PCPartPicker and build your system, and it will tell your needs. Once you have a rough idea of the minimum power necessary it is usually a good idea to give yourself like 20-30% over that amount. This way you have some futureproofing space and will reduce stress on the PSU.                  The power of the unit is not the only thing to consider. Things like the quality and efficiency are equally important. You always want to buy...
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Week 3 Posting

  SATA SSDs vs M.2 SSDs      The two forms of SSDs you will encounter when shopping for a computer are mainly the older SATA drives and the newer M.2 cards. The differences are in storage size, speed, and the method of connection. SATA SSD's like in the name use the SATA interface which is older, and can limit the speed to around 550 MB/s. They are usually a little bigger than M.2 drives and have to be attached with a power and data cable. They are a very good upgrade past hard drives, but wont be the quickest option. They will work in almost any build that still has the older connection types, and can be acquired really cheaply.      M.2 drives on the other hand are a much smaller size and connect directly to the motherboard through a PCIe slot. They also use the NVMe protocol which in this configuration allows for speeds of up to 3000 MB/s or more in some cases. They are an ideal component for better gaming, or other intensive task like video editing...
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Week 2 Posting

 Motherboards and Their Many Shapes      Motherboards come in a few different form factors that can fit into different computing needs. The 3 major ones you will come across are ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX. ATX boards are the standard full size and have the most options for expansion slots. This allows them to be extremely useful in all kinds of different computers, if space is not an issue. Micro-ATX boards are more compact. They usually have fewer slots but work just the same way to handle most tasks. They usually work well for budget builds or office computers. Mini-ITX boards are the smallest. They are the perfect options for small form computers, though they do have limited expandability. Each of these forms balances the options and ultimately comes down to the needs you have.                   Choosing the right motherboard form depends on your specific needs for your build of computer . What is it being use...
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Stop Snooze Buttoning the Updates      You don't have to lie here, we have all clicked the "Remind Me Later" when that pesky little popup happens reminding you to update your systems software. Those reminders though are not just there to be annoying, but are trying to keep your system updated and secured. No matter what operating system you are running whether it be Windows, MacOS, or Linux, these updates often contain important patches for security vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Ignoring this minor inconvenience can leave you open to attack.      As I have been learning more in my journey to a degree in cybersecurity, I have seen that many big breaches could have easily been avoided if systems had been properly updated. Even if you removed the added security aspect updates also provide boosted performance, and fix crashing issues or system slowdowns.  So please the next time that little notification shows up, DO NOT SNOOZE IT, install tha...
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