TechGassed

       Fiber optics are a technology that allows for the transfer of data through pulses of light in strands of glass or plastic fibers. Unlike with older copper cables that use electrical signals, fiber optics use light to carry the information, which makes them faster and more efficient. These fibers are bundled together and put into protective layers to keep them safe and undamaged over long distances. Fiber optics very often used in high-speed internet, and used to be used more in telephone and cable T.V. systems. They ability to transfer large data over high speeds with little interference has made them very important with modern communications.      The way these fibers work is using a principle called total internal reflection. Each fiber has a core that carries the light signals, and a layer of cladding around it that reflects the light back at it, letting it go long distances without escaping. A laser or LED source shoots rapid flashes of ligh...

       A recovery environment is a tool that is built into most new PCs, it lets you troubleshoot, fix, and roll back your system to an unbroken state. It can let you use safe mode, do a complete restore of the system, use command-line tools, or even do a full reinstall of Windows when necessary. Even if your system is affected by malware, broken drivers, or various corrupt files, recovery is your go to defense against these issues. Making sure you have this fall back can alleviate significant headaches down the road. It is a critical tool for you to understand and maintain.      To make sure that your environment is ready to be used, first make sure it is enabled. In Windows, you can do a Command Prompt if you’re the administrator and type reagent /info. This brings up a window showing if the Windows Recovery Environment is enabled. It is also a particularly good idea to make a recovery drive on a USB. There should be an option listed for “Create a re...

     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...

            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...

  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...

  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...

 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...