Video gaming is an entertainment for all ages. The main demographic is 18-34 years, but those 34-54 are another big segment – even larger than the under-18 group – although the youngest group may spend the most hours gaming, especially during a pandemic. Regardless, PC gamers of any age want the most powerful, fastest computer they can get.
It’s difficult to beat the Boss Level of that favorite game if your computer is lagging. The horror! If you’re serious about gaming, consider the ideas in this article to achieve your next personal best.
The gaming industry is moving to Triple-A titles. Think Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. These AAA video games are the equivalent of blockbuster movies. They take months to years for massive teams of people to develop, everything about such games is ambitious (even the price!). The graphics and animation are more immersive, the storylines offer hours of content and encourage open exploration, and the games have a grander scale and improved sound design, too.
All that requires more from your computer. Depending on the age of your computer, you may not need to replace it to power the latest, greatest games. Or you could upgrade to a more powerful video card. Adding more random access memory (RAM) might also take a computer up to the Triple-A level.
Troubleshooting the Home-Gaming PC
Whether you’re trying the Triple A game or not, you may run into other problems. A screen locks up, a system crashes, or you see weird graphics or wonky textures in a game. You shoot an opponent with a direct hit, and he takes the win. Any of these problems can ruin your gaming experience.
Various issues cause these headaches for home gamers. Regrettably, they can be difficult to diagnose. The problems might be tied to:
Overheating – Modify your power settings, and make sure the computer is getting enough air flow;
Driver issues – Games crashing could mean the latest video drivers aren’t installed;
File corruption – Reinstalling the game could help;
Unstable internet connection – Consider moving to a wired Ethernet connection.
Running too many programs on your PC can also cause games to run less smoothly. Close out other programs. Free up disk space if you can. Also, putting the game’s graphics on a lower setting can make them less resource-intensive.
Build Your Own Gaming PC
If you decide it’s time to get a new gaming PC, a popular option now is to custom-build your own. Our experts can do that for you! When you customize your own gaming PC, you get a computer that matches exactly what you’re trying to do.
Don’t settle for a sale computer using lower-quality parts and offering limited upgradability. Avoid buying a brand-name computer pre-loaded with bloatware. Instead, our technicians can help you pick the processing and other parts to personalize your system, even down to the color of the fans or console lights.
Our IT experts can bring your PC up to speed, get you back in the game at full power, and build you the perfect customized PC. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655! Or, visit our Contact page.
Laptop battery… Is it time to replace? – Your laptop computer may feel like a lifeline. It has everything important on it, both personal and professional! Regrettably, the time does come when you need to replace it. Yet, some computer problems could be solved instead by replacing the laptop battery.
Some computers now come with a variation on the car dashboard indicator light. You may see a red X on the icon that shows you the power level for your battery. Those with computer models with Windows 7 and up get a message saying, “consider replacing your battery.” But not all of us have this useful warning, in which case you’ll want to be on the lookout for these sure signs that battery replacement is needed.
#1 You Have to Charge the Computer Often
When you buy a battery-powered device the marketing boasts of the many hours it can hold its charge. Expect a fully charged laptop battery to last six hours (depending on the programs used). But as the laptop battery ages, it doesn’t hold its charge for as long.
You might plug it in overnight and wake up to find it still has charging to do. Your solution may be to keep your laptop plugged in at all times, but this cuts into the very mobility a laptop promises, plus, it can be a fire risk.
#2 Your Lap Is Heating Up
You’re working away on your tasks and the computer becomes an unexpected warming blanket in your lap. That didn’t used to happen! Now, your battery is having to work harder to power applications. This causes your computer to overheat, which can strain your computer. Plus, it can be a fire risk (yep, that again).
#3 Your Laptop Keeps Shutting Down
This one is going to get you worried really quickly. You’ll be seeing the dollar signs associated with buying a new computer in your eyes. This may be a sign instead that your battery needs to be replaced. A bad battery doesn’t hold charge for very long, and your computer will unexpectedly power off.
#4 Time Is Not on Your Side
You know your laptop is more than five years old. Don’t be surprised if you experience power issues. Did you know that laptop batteries are typically meant to last only 400 charges? That’s one or two years! So, your laptop battery might already have been living on borrowed time for years.
Be Nice to Your Laptop Battery
Before you buy a new computer, think about whether it could be the battery instead. Laptop batteries are not manufactured for eternal recharging. You might think you’re doing the right thing by keeping it plugged into a wall charger all of the time, but you’re actually doing your battery a favor by unplugging it every once in a while.
One other suggestion: don’t let the computer get below 20% charge before plugging it back in. This can help preserve battery life.
With many of today’s laptops, batteries are no longer accessible and replacing a laptop battery isn’t always straightforward. Don’t worry. We can find the right battery for your laptop and replace it for you. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
Setting Your Scholar Up for Online Learning – Schools around the world have closed their doors during the COVID-19 crisis, students from kindergarten through graduate school are being asked to learn online. It’s a change for everyone, but having the right technology in place can help with the transition.
Your student may have been using the Microsoft Office suite of software at school. If you don’t have Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint at home, check if your school is providing licenses or free software.
If not, buying a subscription to the online Microsoft 365 package allows you to pay monthly or yearly, and it’s much more affordable than in the past. One month is about the cost of two cafe coffees.
Otherwise, your student may be able to get work done using Google’s suite of tools. Teachers may accept links to Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. These free options are also useful when your student needs to work on a group project. People can collaborate online in real-time using the G-Suite software.
Teleconferencing with Teachers and Peers
Your student is likely to need to download teleconferencing software such as Zoom or Skype. Beware! Cyber-criminals take advantage of every opportunity. Noticing the increased demand for these services, they’ve set up bogus sites. Make sure that you are downloading from the legitimate sources: www.skype.com or www.zoom.us.
While we’re talking about teleconferencing, you might pass on these best practices:
Use headphones to limit audio distractions.
Join calls from a low-traffic setting with simple backgrounds.
Ask others at home to avoid downloading, streaming, or backing up while the student is live online.
Connect to the router with a network cable, or at least be as close to the wireless router as possible during the call.
Considering Cyber-security
In addition to setting up fake teleconferencing sites, cyber-criminals have other ways to exploit the situation.
Remind any students learning from home that they need to keep their username and password private. This is a lesson that never gets old.
Are you still using Windows 7 on a home computer? This popular operating system (OS) reached the end of its life in January 2020. Yes, it may still work, but it is no longer receiving security updates from Microsoft, and the bad guys know Windows 7 is vulnerable. Continuing to use this OS puts you at risk. Without new upgrades, you’re no longer protected from vulnerabilities or exploits.
You probably already know to avoid using public wireless networks. Although your students can’t go to a coffee shop or public library right now to get online, reminding students to secure their online activity is critical.
This is a good time to review your WiFi setup. Too many homeowners don’t change the default username and password on their routers. Big mistake. You should also:
hide your WiFi network from public view;
set your network up to encrypt transmissions;
update router software regularly.
A Focus on Learning
There’s one more thing parents and guardians might consider. At school, the computers prevent students from going to certain sites or downloading files, but you may not have the same blocking and filtering set up on your home devices. This can be addressed in settings.
If you have to share a computer, set up a student-specific user profile to:
prevent your student from getting distracted during learning;
limit exposure to malware and cyber-threats;
avoid them accessing any of your work files.
You may feel isolated during the coronavirus quarantine, but you’re not alone. Our tech experts can help you set up and secure your technology for work or school from home. Give us a call today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
Keep in Touch While Social Distancing – Quarantine doesn’t have to mean you’re on your own all the time. Sure, back in the days of the plague or pox, people were stuck. But now, we have technology to let us remain connected even while social distancing. Here’s a roundup of top options for fun with family and friends.
You can’t have an actual party at your home right now, but a virtual house party could be fun.
The Houseparty app (houseparty.com) allows up to eight people to connect online in a video chat “room.” There’s no need to call people (like on FaceTime) – you get a notification when friends are online. Plus, you can switch between rooms easily. It’s like wandering from the kitchen into the backyard.
Zoom (zoom.us) is another app that lets you have a virtual get-together. Only the host needs to have a Zoom account, and the other participants follow the link to the video conference. Free meetings are capped at 40 minutes, though, for groups of three or more.
If your friends and family are on Google, you can bring up to 150 of them together in a Google Hangout (hangout.google.com). Long a go-to for international calling, Skype is another video chat option.
Social Distancing Chat
Maybe you want to catch up but really don’t need to see each other’s faces. Perhaps you don’t want to have to get dressed!
Take texting up a notch with Slack (slack.com), which can keep clubs and teams together during quarantine. You can easily share files, instant message, share gifs, and also jump on a video call.
Discord (discordapp.com) is another app that combines text chat, voice chat, video chat, and more. A favorite already with gamers, Discord offers helpful templates to get started. People also use this app to live-stream art creation, read stories, play music together, and even host digital conventions.
Nextdoor (nextdoor.com) helps you connect with your neighbors. Did you see a coyote? Want to know when garbage pickup is coming this week? Hosting a virtual garage sale? This is social media specific to your ‘hood – and you don’t have to go out of doors to get caught up.
Movies with Friends
Another way to chill together online is by enjoying a movie or binge watching a TV series.
With Watch2Gether (watch2gether.com) you can create a room and invite friends and family to watch YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, and SoundCloud. You could even use this app to replicate the group gym class experience. PopSugar, for instance, offers a wide range of free videos available on YouTube.
If you have a Netflix account and a Google Chrome browser, you can tune in together with Netflix Party (netflixparty.com). The app lets you chat back and forth while viewing. The best thing is that all party members are watching the video in sync. No one ruins that big moment by texting a response a few seconds early!
Other Great Options
Looking for more active virtual fun? With Rave (rave.io) you can host a virtual dance party. You can sync music videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Reddit, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Viki with friends in real-time, or create a playlist of songs, then text and video chat simultaneously.
If you’re wishing you could meet someone new, try Quarantine Together (quarantinetogether.com). This dating app starts out by asking you if you’ve washed your hands today. Then, it will match you with someone else for a text chat. After 20 minutes of texting, you’ll be sent a video chat URL.
Really, there’s no excuse for being a hermit during quarantine – unless you want to be, of course!
If you need help setting your devices up with any of these apps or the video or voice technology, our experts can help – remotely. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page!
Steer Clear of Coronavirus Scams (4/9/2020) – With the world grappling with a health pandemic, scams are shocking. Regrettably, bad actors are everywhere, always looking for opportunities, and they’re seeing one in the Coronavirus. This article outlines what you need to watch out for and how to stay cyber safe.
The last thing you want to read right now is that there’s another threat out there – sorry, but it’s true. Cybercriminals take advantage of fear. They take timely concerns and use them to target victims. Using the anxiety and upheaval around Coronavirus is their mission.
So far, several Coronavirus-related attempts to cyber-scam people have been reported. There are examples of:
emails that appear to come from government health departments;
offering a tax refund to get people to click on malicious links;
memos to staff that appear to come from large employers;
COVID-19 test offerings from private companies;
fake websites promising to sell face masks or hand sanitizer;
soliciting donations to help fund a vaccine.
What to Watch Out For
Another concern is the number of bogus websites registered with names relating to COVID-19. The site can look legit but is set up to steal information or infect the victim’s computer with malware.
You may get an email promising the attached information offers Coronavirus safety measures, or information shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) if you click on the link, or a similar email pretending to be from a reputable news source, such as the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
In another example, an email impersonating a healthcare company’s IT team asked people to register for a seminar “about this deadly virus.” Anyone who didn’t question why IT was organizing the meeting clicked to register. By filling out the form, they gave their details to hackers.
What to Do
Be cautious. It’s understandable that you’re anxious, but don’t let that stop you from taking cyber precautions. You should still:
be wary of anything that tries to play on your emotions and urges immediate action;
question where emails are coming from – remain vigilant even if the communication appears to come from a reliable source;
hover over links before clicking them to see where they will take you – for example, in the WSJ example, the Web address was for the “worldstreetjournal”;
avoid downloading anything you didn’t ask for;
doubt any deals that sound too good to be true (“a mask that stops the virus 99.7% of the time!”);
ignore any communications requesting your personal information;
don’t be suckered by fraudulent pleas for charity.
Global health organizations generally do not send out emails with advice. Instead, navigate directly to that reputable health institution for real news.
If you’re still not sure about the validity of the communication, check it out. Do so by calling or using another medium to get in touch with the “source” of the received message.
While there is not yet a vaccine for COVID-19, you can put anti-virus protection on your computer. Also, make sure that you’ve applied all available security updates to keep your software safe.
We hope you’ll take care and stay healthy both physically and online in these tough times.
Need help installing security software and keeping your technology safe? Our cyber-security experts can give your home a tech immunization. Contact us today at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page!
Requesting Service During Minnesota’s COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Order – Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, has ordered Minnesotans to stay home except for essential needs during the period of March 27th – April 10th. Department of Homeland Security CISA has classified IT Support Providers as Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.
During this unprecedented time, your home PC is considered an essential tool. Many are using their home PCs to work from home, for child education, home banking, shopping, paying bills, etc. That being said, Twin Cities PC Repair will remain open to serve our clients in the event you have issues with your PC..
For more information on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, visit the DHS HERE.
Due to limited secretarial staffing at our offices, If you require sales or support, we are asking our clients to do one of the following prior to visiting our offices:.
1.) Call our office at (651) 456-8655 to arrange a pick up, drop off or remote support session.
Thank you for your business and the opportunity to serve you. I wanted to personally share an update on our efforts to help keep our operations up and running during the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Twin Cities PC Repair is closely monitoring the latest reports from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and we are taking a number of precautionary measures for the health and safety of our customers and associates. Our goal is to do everything we can to help you keep your computers up and running and people safe during this unprecedented and evolving situation.
We are taking extra precautions to maintain a clean & safe work environment. This includes the wearing of protective gloves as well as thoroughly disinfecting your device before and after we work on it.
We are continuously disinfecting all tools, equipment and work surfaces within our offices.
We have implemented a ticket workflow triage process to determine if a device can be diagnosed and repaired via our secure remote access tools. This could potentially prevent a trip to our office.
All residential onsite visits will be evaluated on a case by case basis before they are scheduled. We reserve the right to halt onsite service calls until the pandemic is under control.
As for now, it’s business as usual until further notice. We certainly don’t want to prevent you from visiting our office. We believe that by following the recommendations of the CDC and our medical professionals, we can all work together to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please take precaution, practice extra personal hygiene measures, and be safe out there.
This crisis is demonstrating that online capabilities are more critical than ever – and so is the high level of support you’ve come to expect from us. If you have any questions or concerns pertaining to our COVID-19 precautionary measures, please don’t hesitate to call (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
Sincerely,
Patrick Jensen
Owner/Technician
Twin Cities PC Repair
860 Blue Gentian Rd.
Suite 200
Eagan, MN 55121 www.twincitiespcrepair.com
A Custom-Built Computer Can Be a Good Deal – Big-box stores have big names and aisles of computers on offer. They post tempting deals on pre-built computers. But how does buying one of those computers compare to purchasing a custom-built one?
When you shop in a big-box store, you are one of the many people those salespeople are going to work with in a day. If you’re lucky, you may get to speak with someone actually assigned to the computer area on a regular basis.
Working with us to customize a computer, you get individualized expert service. Our specialists know computer users have different needs. You deserve a computer that matches what you’re trying to do. You might want to run the latest-and-greatest games at full graphic quality. Someone else wants something basic to support only email and Web surfing. Or how about a stock day trader who doesn’t need a fast computer but wants to run six screens at once?
It may be easier to walk into a big-box store and walk out with a desktop computer, but the big-box computer aims to appeal to everyone; it isn’t customized to each of these different aims.
Problems with Pre-Built Computers
The computers sold for less in big-box stores have cut corners to bring down costs. They can use lower-quality parts. There’s also limit to upgradability of the parts. Prebuilt brand-name systems often use proprietary parts unique to that manufacturer. This makes it difficult and expensive to replace a part.
You could end up saving money by paying for a system that has only 4 GB of RAM. Sure, the sticker price was lower, but your computer won’t run as well. Today, you need a computer with at least 8 GB of RAM. Depending on how you plan to use the computer, we might even suggest 16 GB.
The big-box stores sell computers from brand-name manufacturers pre-loaded with bloatware. The manufacturer keeps prices down by installing unwanted software in return for kickbacks. So, you paid less, but your computer runs slower from day one because it’s brimming with software you didn’t want. A customized computer comes only with what you need.
Our specialists can explain the benefits of the processing, power supply, and other parts. Picking every part of your computer, you can also count on high-quality parts that are easy to upgrade.
A Personal, Expert Relationship
Another selling point for big-box stores is the warranty. This is one more way they’re making money off the sale of your computer. But keep in mind that most of these stores aren’t going to fix your computer on-site. You explain your problem to a retail employee – again, maybe someone knowledgeable about computers (fingers crossed). Then you wait as the computer gets sent into a central repair base, where someone you haven’t spoken with is working on your computer. Then you wait for the computer to come back, hopefully fixed. Something that would take our experts 30 minutes to fix has you waiting a week. That’s a big deal if you depend on that computer on a daily basis.
When you buy from computer specialists, you’re working with a qualified computer technician. You’re building a relationship with someone who knows you and your computer, and you’ll always know where your computer is during the repair process. Additionally, since all parts are hand-picked, you might enjoy individual part warranties.
Building your own computer in the past was expensive, but today there are many more high-quality parts available. Your computer customizer can offer you affordable, reliable cases, RAM, hard drives, fans, GPUs, CPUs, and cooling, and they can help you weigh the benefits of each.
Whether you’re looking for an entry-level or high-end gaming machine, we can customize the best computer for you.
Why settle for a standard, pre-built option made to appeal to the largest number of people? Contact our experts today to start putting together your purpose-built, personalized computer. Call (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page.
The Advantages of Ad Blocking – Unless you’re in the advertising business, you probably try to avoid ads. You pay extra to stream ad-free content online. You leave the room if you are actually watching live TV shows with ads. You filter spam out of your inbox. You immediately click out of ads on the Web pages you visit. But are you actively blocking online ads? You should be. They are more than an annoyance. They could be a security risk.
Cyber-criminals are smart and savvy crooks. They don’t advertise what they are doing, and it’s not that easy to spot, but they do buy legitimate ad space to lure users to malicious sites.
Malvertising uses legitimate online advertising networks to target you with malicious code. Sites you know and trust that use legitimate ad networks can end up serving up the malicious ads. Cyber-criminals have run ads on the New York Times, Spotify, and the London Stock Exchange redirecting to malicious websites.
Adware is another risk. Packaged with legitimate software, adware runs on your computer without your knowledge. It displays unwanted advertising, redirects search requests to ad websites, and mines your data.
The cyber-criminal wants to steal your ID, or your financial and contact data, or to encrypt your information, spy on, or hijack your computer.
They can do this with exciting ads ($9 iPads?!) or alerts (often warning about infections) to get your click. But they can also take a drive-by download approach. In these cases, you don’t even need to click on anything. You load the Web page hosting the ad (or malicious pop-up window). You’re directed to a page that finds browser or software security vulnerabilities to access your machine.
Protecting Against Malvertising
Keep your software up to date, and run antivirus checks to protect against downloads and malicious code. Avoiding Flash and Java helps too, as they are commonly exploited by malvertisers.
Cyber-criminals mostly target Windows users, because the huge user base gives them the best return on investment. But Macs are just as vulnerable to malvertising attacks. — MalwareBytes
Installing an ad blocker plugin prevents the ad loading in the first place. These take away the annoyance of ads and help you avoid falling victim to a malicious attack hidden in an ad.
At the same time, you will enjoy cleaner Web browsing, and you won’t have to worry about distracting ads flashing at you while you read.
Your pages will also load faster. The ads often run a lot of code on top of the website code your computer needs to read and load. The images or video, for instance, can make a difference to data usage. So, the less you have to load, the faster you’ll get to the content you wanted. This can also help to preserve the battery life of your mobile devices!
There are some other considerations, though. For one, not all ad blocker plugins can be trusted. Some will mine your data and sell it to advertisers, which is exactly what you don’t want happening.
Also, some websites won’t load correctly without the ad code. You can turn off ads on a site-by-site basis. After all, some free sites that you frequent might rely on ad revenue, so there may be sites you trust that you want to support by turning off your ad blocker just for those sites.
Always think before you click. Updating browsers and plugins and installing ad blockers can also help.
For the peace of mind that comes with ad blocking and keeping your computer security current, give us a call at (651) 456-8655 or visit our Contact page. We can help set you up to enjoy a safer online experience.
Is Your Printer an Ink-Sucking Monster? – How long have you had your home printer? Maybe you have a printer that came as a package deal with your desktop or free with your laptop purchase. Look in many home offices and you’ll probably see a less-expensive inkjet printer sitting beside even the swankiest monitor. Here’s why it’s time for an upgrade.
You should know that printers are often sold at cost or even as a loss leader (below cost to get your business). After all, once you get that cheap/free inkjet printer, you’ll pay for ink cartridges for the life of the printer. To make sure they get your money, manufacturers often sell new printers with half-empty ink cartridges from the start!
You’ve heard “you get what you paid for,” right? Well, that’s definitely true for low-cost printers. Manufacturers are cutting production costs to keep the price down. These printers are not built with longevity in mind. Printer owners encounter all kinds of problems:
multiple sheets pulled from the paper tray at once;
paper jams;
slow printer response;
drop off in print quality;
ink smearing.
Frustrated customers soon discover they’ll pay more to fix their printer than they would to buy a new one.
Upgrading to an office-grade printer
Our solution? High-performance commercial printers. Office-grade printers are designed as work horses. These robust printers are built to withstand heavy use with speed and reliably. Yes, they cost more, but they are also less prone to problems and more likely to be a long-term valuable addition to your home office.
You’ll have many printer profiles to choose from. You might select a printer based on its pages-per-minute printing speed. Or maybe you want a larger paper tray capacity and bigger ink cartridges. Depending on your needs, you might want a printer that allows for simultaneous operation. That would let one person print while another is able to scan or copy. Built-in Wi-Fi could also be useful in small home offices if you’re tired of tripping over so many unsightly cords.
While you’re in the market for a new printer, know that we recommend laser printers over inkjet. Laser printers use a dry toner rather than wet ink. The toner cartridges are more expensive, but they print more sheets per cartridge than inkjets, plus, toner doesn’t dry up like ink. And you don’t have to worry about the printer heads getting blocked.
Lasers print faster, and you’ll have fewer problems, which means these printers are typically less expensive to operate long-term.
Inkjet printers typically have a minimum life span of three years, whereas you can expect a laser printer to last five years, although this will depend on frequency of use, of course.
When looking at laser printers, give serious thought to whether you need a color printer. How many times do you actually use color? Does it merit the added expense of that option? People who are printing photos at home only occasionally could probably get their images printed professionally for less overall cost.
Prioritize your printer
Even in our increasingly digital world, there are still times when we want to print. Whether it’s a family photo, school report, resume, or slide deck, you want to count on your printer for high quality and reliable performance.
There are many, many office-grade printers to choose from, and it can become overwhelming. What and how much you print should factor into your decision.
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