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in it that's overclocked. What is this, and do I need to do anything about it?
Cam

 

As the term implies Cam, overclocking is the practice of making a computer component run

beyond its intended level of performance. This is usually achieved by modifying a motherboard’s

settings, either changing the values in the mainboard’s BIOS or physically resetting switches on

it to ‘push’ a component to perform faster than usual.

In the past, overclocking was most commonly used to speed up the central processor. Now that

other system parts - video cards and RAM - can take advantage of customized settings, they

too can be boosted. In the case of overclocked memory, the speed at which it accesses the

front side bus, the data channel leading into a CPU, is increased by changing a the BIOS value during 

startup, a one time operation.

 

The net result of all this can increase a part’s performance by as much as 10% or 15% - an

attractive dividend when all that is required is a single setting change. But - and this is important -

there are serious risks to consider, notably voided warranties and excessive heat buildups that cause

programs to crash.

 

So this is like souping up your car engine - definitely not recommended unless your computer is a

hobby system you like to tinker with for fun. When upgrading it's much better to buy parts that are

known to be compatible, and set your motherboard to drive them at recommended speeds. In your

case Cam, if your system has already been overclocked and is stable and reliable, then fine.

 

But you say you are upgrading so be careful. If its delicate balance is adversely affected by

the new parts, get a competent tech to reset all components to  factory approved levels.

 

 

Hi Jim:
I was wondering if solid-state flash memory has a lifespan ? Is it possible to leave a memory

card for a long period of time without the data on it being corrupted?
Patrick

These keys do have a lifespan Patrick but it’s related to use, not time. As you probably know,

Flash memory keys are small, versatile and easy to use. They work like portable hard drives, plugging

right into a computer's USB port. Most are encryptable and provide convenient drag and drop transfers

to and from your PC. They can store virtually any kind of digital data and offer substantial amounts

of shelf space. Two Gigabyte models are now common, providing enough room for hundreds,

even thousands of photos, documents, text and Mpeg files.

 

The memory employed in these keys has a life span that depends on the number of times it is used.

This is because the insulation that coats the charge storage mechanism in them loses a tiny bit of

its capability with each erase/write cycle. In simple terms: a key just wears out after a certain

number of operations. How many? Quite a lot, so don't worry. Current products are rated between

10,000 and 100,000 Erase/Write cycles. In terms of time, according to research done by Toshiba,

a pioneer of this technology, a 10,000 endurance cycle provides for a complete erase and

rewrite once every day for 27 years - well beyond the expected life of the hardware.

In addition, manufacturers employ technology which spreads wear across all memory cells in a key,

extending its life even further. 

 

So Patrick, probably more important will be the lower tech problems of misplacing the thing

or forgetting your password to it. Guard against these issues by backing up regularly to other

media, and writing your password down. After all, you can fit an awful lot of hard work on one of

these little things, so give some thought to keeping it safe.

 

Hi Jim

I’m thinking of buying a laptop and there seem to be quite a lot of things to consider

so I'm getting a bit frustrated. Any advice?

Carol

I’ll do my best Carol - I know this can be confusing. The laptop marketplace is

filled with overheated hype and new technologies that seem to change every month.

But it’s also filled with a lot of great products at great prices, so here are a couple of observations

I hope will help.

First, do you have specific programs you need to run?

If so, check the recommended specifications and operating system they need, 

this will immediately narrow your choices. Otherwise, for general specifications: a 60 GB hard

drive and 512 MB of RAM are recommended minimums these days, and an upgrade to 1 Gigabyte

of RAM is one of the first extras to consider. Processor selection can be a long and involved

discussion but simply put, Intel Mobile Celerons, AMD Sempron and their equivalents are suitable

for light and medium users. Intel Centrino, Pentium 4 Mobile, and AMD Turion and Athlon

equivalents are recommended for IT professionals, power users, graphics and audio visual applications.

Second, be sure to check out physically the systems that made it onto your shortlist  because of

their specifications and your budget. This may seem an obvious suggestion, but the new PC

marketplace is so oriented to online marketing and ordering it is sometimes overlooked.

Try out the systems in a store and note especially their display size and brightness, keyboard feel

and carry weight. After all, these are going to be your main points of interaction with the thing.

Other notes: most laptops now include a combo drive to read from and write to
CD's and DVD's but confirm this in entry level models. Some do not allow you to write to DVDs.

The ability to store data in the much larger (4 GB+ ) format is growing increasingly important.

Finally some observations about  manufacturers:
Laptops from smaller companies usually cost less because they are built from generic

parts and do not include the manufacturing controls and depth of support
provided by bigger builders like Toshiba, HP/Compaq, and IBM.
If you choose a smaller, less known manufacturer consider purchasing

extra warranty. Laptop replacement parts can be expensive.
Hope that helps Carol – good luck with your new system!