As SATA III (6Gbps) becomes the standard used on hard drives, is a 6Gbps controller on the motherboard required to get full performance? Is the answer the same for solid-state drives? And how do Intel 6Gbps ports compare against add-on chips like those from Marvell? Read on for the answers!
H67, P67, and Z68 – Which one is right for you?
Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor architecture is turning 6 months old in July, and has been a major seller in the PC market in these few short months. There was a slight hiccup a month after it was released, when it was found that there was a defect in the SATA controller of the chipsets designed to work with these processors, but that has long since been resolved and no further problems have arisen.
Computer does not turn on
This troubleshooting guide will help you to fix the most common problems that keep your computer from turning on. Answer each question carefully, even though the questions are very simple in the beginning!
How is the Tablet Market Affecting Puget Systems?
Yesterday Gartner released a report that worldwide PC shipments fell in the first quarter of 2011. As I read over the article I couldn’t help but compare this current state of the PC industry as a whole to that of Puget Systems.
Custom vs. Closed Loop Liquid Cooling
As a custom computer manufacturer, we’ve sold liquid-cooled systems from well before I joined the company. A water-based coolant is able to transfer heat away from hot components like the processor (CPU) and video card (GPU) more quickly than air alone would. That added cooling is appealing for folks who want to push their systems beyond design specifications. Overclocking ability is perhaps the most the most tangible benefit of liquid-cooling, but there are other reasons some folks are interested in it: liquid-cooling can make a computer look very stylish, for example, or allow operation of more hot-running components than a chassis could normally keep cool.
Information about the Intel Sandy Bridge Flaw
You may have heard about the flaw announced today with Intel’s Sandy Bridge platform. What does this mean for Puget Systems customers?
Windows 7 64-bit: Running 32-bit Applications
Windows 7 has taken root in the PC community over the last year, a great improvement from the little-liked Windows Vista, and we’ve made the 64-bit version the de facto standard on the computers we sell – to the point where we no longer even list the 32-bit version on our website. We can special-order it still, though, and I find that I am often asked by customers if they would be better off with that because they need to run older programs. This makes me think there may be some misunderstandings about 64-bit Windows out there, so let me set the record straight.
Technology Primer – Sandy Bridge
Intel has announced a new line of processors, which follow in the footsteps of the socket 1156 chips which have been popular in mainstream systems for the last year. While the role of the CPU is not changing, there are several differences from Intel’s previous generations. This article will explore the technology involved, in terms everyone can understand.
Home Theater PC – Richard’s Approach
This is the second in a series of blog posts about Home Theater Computers (aka HTPCs), where several Puget employees get a chance to explain their approach to home theater computing. You can read William’s entry here.
If I had to sum up the goals of my home theater with a single word, it would be “Convenience”. I actually don’t spent that much time in my living room, but when I do, I really want to minimize hassle. I don’t mind a lot of work setting things up the first time, but I just don’t want to waste my precious R&R time juggling five remotes, three pointing devices, and a keyboard.