Guides
23 guides, grouped by the catalog each one covers.
RAM
4 guidesHow much RAM you actually needHow to size memory from the pressure your machine is under now, why running short quietly costs speed, and when a matched pair beats one stick.RAM speed and latency, and when they matterWhat a kit's MT/s and CAS latency each measure, why true latency is the two together, and the machines where the numbers actually change anything.SO-DIMM vs DIMM: the memory a laptop takesWhy laptop memory is a different module from desktop memory, how DDR4 and DDR5 are keyed apart, and why some machines take no module at all.What is ECC memory, and when you need itWhat error-correcting memory actually catches, how registered and load-reduced modules differ from unbuffered ones, and why the platform decides.
SSD
10 guidesHow to choose an SSDFour questions decide almost every SSD purchase — what fits, how big, how fast, and how much it should cost.NVMe or SATAWhich interface your machine takes, how to tell without opening it, and what the speed difference actually buys you.How much SSD capacity you actually needHow to size a drive from what you already use, why leaving headroom matters, and when one bigger drive beats two small ones.M.2 sizes and SSD form factorsWhat 2280, 2242, and 2.5-inch mean, which one your machine takes, and how to check the keying before you buy.What SSD speed numbers actually tell youSequential versus random performance, why the number on the box describes the rarer case, and how to read it without being misled.PCIe generations for SSDsWhat Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 change, why a newer drive always works in an older slot, and when the extra speed is worth paying for.TLC, QLC, and DRAM-less SSDsWhat the NAND type and the controller's cache change about how a drive behaves, and when either is worth caring about.SSD endurance and warrantiesWhat TBW and DWPD actually promise, how much a normal machine writes, and when endurance is worth paying extra for.How to install an SSDFitting an M.2 or 2.5-inch drive, choosing between cloning and a clean install, and what to check on the first boot.When an SSD price is actually goodWhy price per terabyte beats any discount percentage, and why a good price on one capacity says nothing about the others.
Hard Drives
2 guidesHow much hard drive you actually needWhat a mechanical drive is still for beside an SSD, how to size it for the pile you are offloading, and why a cheap high-capacity drive can be slow.Portable vs desktop hard driveWhat the enclosure decides between a bus-powered 2.5-inch drive and a mains-powered 3.5-inch one, and why an external listing carries fewer numbers.
CPU
4 guidesHow to choose a desktop CPUA chip's socket decides what it can go into; cores, cache and TDP decide what you actually get once it's installed.How many CPU cores you actually needWhy more cores is not more speed, how gaming and productivity ask for cores differently, and why a core count alone never ranks two chips.When a CPU price is actually goodWhy a chip's list price and discount percentage tell you little, what a processor's price does over its life, and how to read its tracked history.Laptop CPU vs desktop CPUA mobile chip with the same core count is not the same processor — what the power envelope changes, and why these parts carry no price.