Answers To Users’ Most Common Questions About Desktop & Laptop Processors

Q. What’s the difference between desktop and laptop processors?

Although desktop and laptop processors are designed for their respective devices, compact desktop PCs and AIO (All-In-One) PCs often use laptop processors, and some large desktop replacement laptops use desktop processors. The biggest difference between the two is that laptop processors have much less power to work with and as a result run slower, but they support more mobile features. For example, the Intel Core i7-2760QM laptop processor and the Intel Core i7-2600K desktop processor are both quad-core chips, but the former has a 2.4GHz clock speed compared to the latter’s 3.4GHz core clock. The laptop variant also operates with a 45-watt TDP (thermal design power; the maximum amount of power the device will need to be able to support the processor). The desktop variant has a 95-watt TDP.

. . . laptop processors have much less power to work with and as a result run slower, but they support more mobile features.

Q. What features do laptop processors have that desktop processors don’t?

In the case of the desktop and laptop processors we contrasted above, the laptop variant supports Intel’s (WiDi) Wireless Display technology, which lets you wirelessly transmit photos, videos, and Web to your TV for viewing (requires Intel WiDi TV adapter). Some other technologies exclusive to mobile processors include anti-theft features that enable you to remotely disable your notebook if it is stolen and support for 4G WiMAX, which lets your laptop connect to a citywide wireless network for Web access. Laptop processors also tend to have much more aggressive power-saving technologies.

QWhat can desktop processors do that laptop processors can’t?

Because they have much higher thermal tolerances, desktop processors can support higher clock speeds and more discrete cores. Six- and even eight-core processors are available on desktops, whereas quad-core processors are still the peak in laptop performance. Desktop processors are also much more tolerant of overclocking, or raising the core clock of the processor so that it crunches numbers that much faster. That said, overclocking a processor entails completely disregarding the rated TDP, so extra attention must be paid to keeping the processor cool.

Q.Desktop and laptop processors both have integrated graphics, right?

True, graphics processors have begun appearing in processors in recent years. Laptops in particular benefit from this configuration because separate graphics chips of older laptops require dedicated cooling and power, which adds to the battery burden and tends to contribute to the laptop’s overall bulk. Ultrabooks, the new wave of super-thin and portable laptops, can still be used for light gaming thanks to graphics integrated into the processor. Desktop processors with integrated graphics processors can also run without discrete graphics cards or chips on the motherboard.

One of the biggest advantages for desktops, at least with regard to Intel’s latest desktop processors, is their support for Quick Sync, which harnesses the power of the processor’s integrated graphics processor to transcode video. This can make a huge difference in the amount of time it takes to prep videos for Youtube, Facebook, or your smartphone, tablet, and home network. Incidentally, many of Intel’s latest notebook processors also support Quick Sync.

Q. Can I upgrade my desktop or laptop processor?

The short answer is yes, for both, but laptops are much more difficult to upgrade. On desktops, as long as the processor fits into the mother board’s CPU socket, and the motherboard supports the processor, then you can upgrade with little fuss and virtually no Windows-related tweaks. The same CPU socket and laptop motherboard requirements exist for mobile processors, but just getting access to the processor will often void your warranty and require detailed instructions for your particular laptop. It’s generally not advisable to upgrade your laptop processor unless you’re very comfortable working with the hardware.

10 Ways To Get More From Windows Phone 7.5 Mango

The Mango update is a huge leap forward, but there are a few settings you'll want to change to make the most of it. Here are our ten recommended tweaks.

1- Multiple Tabs In IE9

Mango includes the mobile version of IE9 so you can now load just about any website, but if you follow a few links from your tweets section and then open the tabs, you won't see anything except the last page. Annoyingly, by default the browser loads all the links from other apps in a single tab. Change the setting in Internet Explorer for 'Open links from other applications in' to 'A new tab' and you can have multiple pages load in the background.

Follow a link then press and hold the back key to jump back while the page is still loading, and instead of waiting you can read some more updates, click some more links and then go back to IE9 and read the pages that have loaded in the background.

Improved Browsing To have multiple web pages load in separate tabs you need to set this up yourself. It's a simple change and one that makes your browsing experience much better

2- Turn Off Live Chat

If you want to use Messenger and Facebook chat like text messages then you're in luck, as it's built-in on Mango. You can swap between SMS and Facebook chat or Messenger IMs in the same conversation using the Switch button and swipe across to see which contacts are online.

It's a great feature, but it does use up battery life - even if you don't use it and you can't see any online contacts. If you're not planning on using it, then check Settings > Applications > Messaging and slide Facebook Chat to Off to eke out a bit more battery.

BATTERY EATER Facebook chat is on by default in Mango. Turn it off to save battery

3- Don't Share Everything

You don't want to automatically share every picture you take on your mobile - especially if you're snapping an expenses receipt or a credit card statement that you want to save. You can still save all your photos to Windows Live SkyDrive if you want, but now you have to turn it on using 'Settings > Applications > Pictures + Camera > Automatically upload to SkyDrive'. You can also pick whether you want to see a shortcut for Twitter, Facebook or SkyDrive on the menu for individual photos.

IN YOUR IMAGE Configure picture sharing so your images get sent only to the places you want them to go

4- Choose Mango-Ready Apps

One reason we like the AppFlow app more than the official Marketplace app for browsing new programs is the way it highlights apps that take advantage of the best Mango features, with useful live tiles and background multitasking.

Whether you're pinning an exchange rate to work out your holiday money, the weather in a specific city you're about to travel to or your journey home to check for delays, live tiles make apps that are designed specially so that Mango is more useful. This is even more the case when the tile itself gives you so much information that you don't even have to launch them to get what you need. It's definitely worth taking a moment when buying to check that you'll be able to get this functionality with any app you choose. It'll make using your phone that bit more intuitive.

5- Turn On Battery Saver

There are now more things included in the Mango operating system that can use up your battery, such as background apps and GPS. Handily though, there's an automatic power saving feature that's not switched on by default - Battery Saver. You can turn it on by going to 'Settings > Battery Saver'. When you get down to 20 per cent battery, email will stop syncing automatically, live tiles won't update and apps won't run in the background, although you still get fast switching and you can still sync email manually if you're expecting to be sent an important message.

GOT THE POWER You might see a prompt to turn on Battery Saver when your battery first starts to run low, or just do it earlier

6- Set Up Web App Installs

If you read about a cool app when you're using a computer, you don't have to pull out your phone to get it. Instead, browse the Windows Phone Marketplace in the Zune software on your PC, and set apps to install when you next connect your phone. Or you can browse the web version of the Marketplace at www.windowsphone.com and send apps directly to your mobile - you just need to fill in your phone number and accept the terms.

If your mobile network isn't feeling helpful, you'll get an email with a link to the app in Marketplace. But if everything is working right, a text you never see tells your phone to install the app straight away.

7- Wireless Sync

It's not new to Mango, but wireless sync is so useful it's worth mentioning again. Connect your handset to your home Wi-Fi network and choose 'Settings > Wireless Sync' in the Zune software while your computer is connected to the same wireless network. The Zune software will pair with your phone and whenever it's plugged in and on your Wi-Fi network (and you're not using it) it will sync photographs and music (as long as your computer is on too). Set up sync lists of dynamic playlists such as Smart DJ lists and you'll get new music delivered automatically.

GET SYNCED Syncing your phone with your home PC is simple

8- Take Control Of Multi-Tasking

With apps that are written to run in the background in Mango 7.5, you get to switch back from another app instantly and things carry on in the background - such as music playing and settings syncing. But just because an app can run in the background doesn't mean that you want it to. Good apps will have a setting to enable you to choose, and you can also turn them off from 'Settings > Applications > Background Tasks'. Check the 'Advanced' button for a list of all apps that do background processing, whether or not you can control that. At this point your only option is to uninstall them, but at least you know which apps will carry on running and can make that choice.

9- Install More Apps

In 7.5 Mango, installed apps are still arranged alphabetically, but you can also tap on any letter to bring up an on-screen alphabet so you can get to them quicker. However, the letters dividing your apps only appear if you have 43 or more programs installed so it's worth aiming for that number for easier navigation. There's a trial version of most apps in the Marketplace, so try out everything that looks interesting. While you're at it, install more games. Once you have 20 games installed, the Games Hub puts the games you've played most recently at the top of the list.

MORE IS BETTER The more apps you have, the easier Windows Phone 7.5 makes it to navigate through them quickly

10- Pin Wi-Fi Settings

One of the little annoyances with the original Windows Phone OS was having to go all the way into Settings whenever you wanted to turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on and off - such as when you wanted to save some battery life and didn't need the connectivity. Mango now gives apps more access and lets you pin tiles for features within an app. There are several apps that let you pin a link to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth settings directly to your Start screen - our favourite is Toggle, which also lets you pin tiles for data, airplane mode and reminders.

Should You Buy or Stream Music?

Why it’s full stream ahead for the future of music listening

Like it or not, the concept of consumers 'owning' music is a dying dream. The likelihood is that the next generation in your family will never buy a CD or spin a record. There will be no walls in houses dedicated to music collections. It's on the way out and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Nothing.

There are many reasons for the decline of physical media formats, but it comes down to a few key causes. Availability, convenience and piracy are the key ones if you'll excuse us boiling down a highly contentious subject into three words.

So, given that physical formats are on the way out, should you be buying MP3s online or paying for a streaming, from the likes of Spotify or Napster?

We reckon it's time to step into the cloud and go for streaming. It's economical and brings with it delights never dreamed of in the analogue music world. Let's say the average conservative music fan buys one album a month, with an average cost of £10. That £10 nets you as many listens as you like of those - let's say 12 - songs. But pay £10 a month to Spotify or Napster, and you'll bag yourself streaming access to tens of millions of songs in high quality, and as many times as you like.

Of course, with these services you don't actually own any music, you're merely renting it on a monthly basis. But if you're spending £10 a month anyway, why not have access to as much music as you can handle instead of one album?

With Spotify you can still download any songs you like, so you'll still have access to your favourite music when you're offline. But of course, if you end your subscription it'll all disappear, so you're making a commitment when you sign up.

There are other issues to address, such as sound quality. Audiophiles will be buying CDs until the very last second they're available, but sound quality matters to us regular folk as well. With a Spotify Premium subscription your music can be streamed and downloaded at 320kbps, which is about as good as it gets for compressed music files. Napster on the other hand has a slightly larger catalogue of music, but the streaming quality is significantly lower (just 64kbps is you're on a mobile device). It's noticeable even to the undiscerning ear.

So make no mistake, in 10 years' time, we'll all be streaming music to our mobile devices, to our homes and to our cars. The cloud is where music will be stored in the future. In that future, you're going to pay a subscription, so you might as well start now. Any album you pay to download today will be available on those future streaming services, and we can't think of a single reason to pay twice.

Manage Passwords On Your Mobile Devices

It’s difficult enough to remember all your passwords in the office (where you can keep handy reminder notes for your various logins), but now, many of us also need to remember and enter passwords on our mobile devices while on the go. Fortunately, you can use password management software to gain secure remote access to your personal logins and other information.

What Is A Password Manager?

A password manager is an application that lets you securely store your sensitive data—such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, and PINs—in a database that encrypts the information behind a single password. Thus, you’ll only need to remember one login and password for your password manager application. Most password managers also include a random password generation tool that will create passwords that would be nearly impossible for hackers to guess. Because the randomly generated passwords will be hard to remember, password managers typically offer a way to integrate with your mobile device’s Web browser to automatically enter the long passwords on websites.

SplashID Safe for Android lets you secure passwords and sensitive information to your Android based phone

How Do Password Managers Work?

Typically, password managers are sold as a service that consists of a cloud service for storing your personal info, a PC application, and apps for your mobile devices. The smartphone apps are often a free add-on because you’re paying for a service to store all of your personal information in the cloud.

Standalone apps are also available and make an ideal option if you only have one mobile device that you use to remotely access your authentications.

For example, SplashData (www.splashdata.com) offers its SplashID Safe password manager as a standalone application for Android ($9.99), iPad/iPhone/iPod touch ($9.99), and BlackBerry ($9.95), as well as for Windows PCs ($19.95) or Mac OS X ($19.95). If you invest in both a smartphone and Windows/Mac desktop version of SplashID Safe, you can sync password information between the two devices.

With SplashID Safe for iPad, your password can be automatically entered for your favorite websites.

Binary Domain Preview

Squad-based games have been around for a while, but none brought the genre to prominence like Brothers In Arms did. Players enjoy the thought of issuing orders to AI members of the squad, which brought with it the ability to control their movements and direct fire. Brothers In Arms almost revolutionised a genre, and Sega’s Binary Domain is hoping that it will do the same a bit later this year. But the squad-based third person shooter might have some scepticism to fight off, in the sense that it’s being developed by a newly-formed studio.

The game is also being developed by Toshihiro Nagoshi, who created the Yakuza video game series - which could either be a good thing or a very bad move. The title plays off in Tokyo in 2080, in the middle of a huge robot invasion. Just like a typical anime story, the entire city has been overrun by machines and it’s up to the humans to fight for their city and ultimately their lives.

The player will be in charge of an international squad of peacekeepers who have been tasked with eradicating the robots from the streets. But naturally thing don’t go according to plan and the group starts to question their leader and humanity’s resilience against the mechanical influence. A major draw card for Binary Domain is the new Consequence System that has been built into the title. With the new system, the AI will judge the players, and each action will have consequences (naturally). If the player performs badly, the squad will start to doubt the player’s ability to lead, while good actions will earn their trust. The outcomes of the Consequence System will affect both the storyline and the gameplay.

For issuing commands to the AI characters, players will be able to make use of the on-screen menu or by simple saying the command through a headset. The title has been tweaked with international players in mind, and will be able to recognise up to six languages.

The title should be fun for squad-based fans, but it could also turn out to be an incredibly Japanese-influenced title, which not everybody loves. While the Yakuza games are good in their own right, they’re not for everyone - and the same might be said for Binary Domain. Although, judging from the trailer that has been released, it will be an intense title with lots of drama and careful planning. It could be incredibly fun and though-provoking to see a modern squad-based title from and set in Japan, so we are keeping our eyes peeled for the release.

Verdict:

Set in Japan in 2080, the title should provide a lot of action and drama.

Developer: Yakuza Studio

Publisher: Sega

Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Release Date:

Feb 2012

Platform:

Xbox 360

PS3

Answers to Users’ Most Common Questions About Hard Drives

If you find yourself considering using both an HDD and SSD in your computer, don’t make the mistake of using them interchangeably.

What is the difference between an HDD (hard disk drive) and an SSD (solid-state drive)?

Hard drives and SSDs are both used for PC storage, but the former is composed of discs, called platters, and a metal arm, called an actuator arm that reads and writes data as it moves over the surface of the spinning platters. As their name suggests, solid-state drives have no moving parts. Hard drives are much more commonplace, relatively inexpensive, and come in massive capacities, up to 4TB (terabytes). SSDs are a newer technology, generally cost more than hard drives, but are capable of achieving significantly faster read and write speeds.

Hard drives are most commonly 3.5-inch devices, though 2.5-inch hard drives are also common and used for notebooks and compact PCs. SSDs are almost exclusively sold in the 2.5-inch form factor.

Hard drives also come in 1.8-inch form factors, but these are fairly uncommon.

How does a hard drive interface with a PC?

Hard drives for sale today most likely feature the SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) interface, which uses a narrow L-shaped plug for data communication and a wider L-shaped connector for power. Older hard drives, called EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics), use a 39-pin interface for data communications and a 4-pin power connector. The data cables for EIDE hard drives are typically wide and flat, which is why they’re typically referred to as ribbon cables.

What is the difference between SATA 2 and SATA 3?

Like most standards, SATA is constantly evolving. Of the hard drives you can buy today, SATA 2 and SATA 3 are your main options. SATA 2-based hard drives have a peak throughput of 3.0Gbps (gigabits per second). SATA 3-based hard drives can achieve up to 6Gbps throughputs. Keep in mind that to support these speeds, the hard drive must be plugged into a SATA port on the motherboard that is capable of supporting the same speed. For SATA 3 hard drives, it’s also important to use cables that are designated for 6Gbps throughput.

What are RPMs, and why should I care?

Hard drives read and write data as the platters inside spin. The faster the platters spin, the more quickly the required disc sector will arrive at the actuator arm and the read/write head. High RPM (revolutions per minute) hard drives offer lower latency and faster overall performance.

The most common speed for hard drives is currently 7,200rpm. Hard drives that spin at 5,400rpm are also very common.

Hard drives that target the enterprise market or enthusiasts can spin at 10,000rpm and 15,000rpm, but such hard drives are significantly more expensive than the slower-spinning alternatives.

When should I use an HDD or SSD?

As previously mentioned, hard drives have an advantage over SSDs when it comes to capacity and price, but SSDs are quickly catching up in those areas. If you find yourself considering using both an HDD and SSD in your computer, don’t make the mistake of using them interchangeably. Due to HDD’s slower performance and higher capacity, it makes the most sense to use them as photo, music, and video storage, largely because those files don’t require massive throughput to display or play back. Storing the operating system and a few frequently used applications on an SSD can significantly speed your overall computing experience.