Learn how to upgrade your computer; discover the most economical solutions to achieving high performance; optimize your PC to handle Windows 95 and more!

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

The 1997 Computer Buyer's Guide contains the most current hardware information available to assist the customer in making the right purchasing decisions. The first half of the book contains basic equipment information and common-sense suggestions. The comparison charts in the second half feature tables showing the results of numerous product tests conducted at PC Magazine, providing buyers with all the information they need.

“…a comprehensive resource for PC enthusiasts and professionals alike. Packed with the latest speeds and feeds, you’ll want to keep this book on-hand as an authoritative technology reference.” –Chris Angelini, Managing Editor, Tom’s Hardware For 20 years, Upgrading and Repairing PCs has been the world’s #1 guide to PC hardware: the single source for reliable information on troubleshooting and fixing problems, adding hardware, optimizing performance, and building new PCs. Now, better than ever, this 20th Edition offers beefed-up coverage of the newest hardware innovations and maintenance techniques, plus more than 90 minutes of new DVD video. Scott Mueller delivers practical answers about PC processors, motherboards, buses, BIOSes, memory, storage, video, audio, I/O, input devices, networks, Internet connectivity, power, and much more. You’ll find the industry’s best coverage of diagnostics, testing, and repair–plus cutting-edge discussions of improving performance via overclocking and other techniques. Mueller has taught thousands of professionals in person and millions more through his books and videos–nobody knows more about keeping PCs running perfectly. Whether you’re a professional technician, a small business owner trying to save money, or a home PC enthusiast, this is the only PC hardware book you need! NEW IN THIS EDITION The newest processors, including Intel’s 2nd generation Core i3, i5, i7 plus the Atom, and AMD’s new VISION series CPUs 3TB (and larger) disks, 4K sectoring, partition alignment, faster SATA disk interfaces, and SSD (Solid State Drive) hard drive replacements New firmware innovations, from full UEFI BIOS support to built-in motherboard flash BIOS upgrade utilities Integrated video and audio, including 5.1/7.1 surround sound, HDMI, and DisplayPort connections Updated PCI Express and Power Supply specifications for powering high-end video cards Emerging interfaces such as USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt Updated coverage of building PCs from scratch–from choosing and assembling hardware through BIOS setup and troubleshooting ON THE DVD Get more than 90 minutes of up-to-the minute, studio quality how-to videos–all playable on your DVD player or computer! In this edition, Scott Mueller offers true insider information about several of the key components in a PC, including hard disk drives, power supplies, motherboards, and more. You will see hard drives completely dissected–even see an open hard drive in operation–so you can observe exactly what happens under the covers. One of the most common causes of failure in modern motherboards, power supplies, and many other PC components are bad capacitors–otherwise known as the capacitor plague. Mueller will show several real-world examples of this “disease,” so you can easily identify and perhaps even repair the problem. Finally, because external hard drives are now commonly used for supplementary storage and backups, you’ll find a complete discussion of several alternatives on the market. This includes tips and tricks for building or assembling your own flexible, high performance and highly reliable external storage drives, with several examples shown. This DVD also contains the complete 19th edition of this book in printable form, plus extensive technical reference material, a comprehensive glossary, and more!

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

PC Magazine contributing editor Alfred Poor guides readers through preventive maintenance, diagnosing the most common hardware problems and the most common upgrades and repairs users will want to perform on their systems. Topics include installing multimedia components, adding more RAM, upgrading the processor, and getting your hardware ready for Windows 95.