MakeUseOf - Hardware Tips

The RAM spec everyone obsesses over matters less than this one most people ignore

Gavin Phillips — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:00:17 GMT

Buying RAM feels like a walking nightmare at times. You're not only competing with the super-high prices that are seemingly refusing to come back down, but also with some of the marketing language used to sell you hardware you might not need.

The only 4 BIOS settings that actually matter for everyday performance (and how to find them)

Gavin Phillips — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:01:16 GMT

Most BIOS guides read like a server admin manual. They're chock-full of settings, abbreviations, and often lack context for what it means for you day-to-day.

This free tool shows if your SSD is quietly failing before it takes your files with it

Gavin Phillips — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:01:18 GMT

Do you know about your solid-state drive's health? The fun problem with most SSDs is that they don't give many warning signs that they're about to give up the ghost and move into the great tech-scrapheap in the sky.

My PC was using electricity even when I turned it off — this is what fixed it

Shaheer Khan — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:17 GMT

I spent multiple thousands of bucks on my PC, and I don't regret it — I just love staying up to date with the latest hardware releases, no matter what it takes. That said, upgrading to newer components has taken a heavy toll on my wallet and a slight one on my electricity bill, because the entire desktop draws an average of 600W for 12 hours a day, which accounts for the time I'm working or playing Crimson Desert at the highest settings.

Your USB-C port might be running at USB 2.0 speeds — here's how to check

Gavin Phillips — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:00:17 GMT

USB-C is fast. Well, that's not entirely true. USB-C is an oval-shaped connector that we associate with much faster transfer speeds and charging for our devices. But that's all USB-C is: a standard that defines the connector shape we all love.

My favorite PC upgrade improved everything, and it wasn’t the GPU

Dave Meikleham — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 13:00:32 GMT

I’m obsessed with PC hardware and adjacent display tech. I didn’t need a super ultrawide monitor until I worked from home with one. On that note, I didn’t realize what I was missing out on until I picked up the coolest PC case I’ve ever laid eyes upon.

5 reasons you should think twice before upgrading your GPU right now

Dave Meikleham — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:22 GMT

This is the least ideal time to be upgrading your GPU that I’ve seen in the past couple of decades. Trust me, I should know. My PC cost more than my car. Due to the influence of AI on the consumer PC hardware market, graphics cards that were launched years ago are currently retailing at higher prices than they initially launched at.

Your next CPU doesn’t need to be new — these older chips are a smarter buy

Dave Meikleham — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 20:30:18 GMT

The AMD Ryzen 9800X3D is the most impressive CPU I’ve ever owned. And it ain’t close. In this current economy, though, I’m not going to suggest you break the bank for a high-end gaming chip that costs over $400.

Your blazing fast SSD means nothing if you plug it into this port

Manuviraj Godara — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:00:18 GMT

Picture this: you spend an obnoxious amount of money on a fast SSD. You benchmark the SSD, only to discover it's performing at speeds well below the advertised ones. Before you pass it off as defective, remember that the advertised speeds on your SSD assume a best-case scenario. And one of the most important factors is the connection interface it's using.

I was using V-Sync wrong for too long — then I made this one game-changing switch

Dave Meikleham — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:18 GMT

Sometimes you just have to throw your hands up and admit the following: you done messed up. In my case, I recently came to the embarrassing conclusion that I’d been using the incorrect V-Sync setting based on my current PC setup for quite some time. And said screw-up had been hampering my favorite Steam games in a way I’m only just realizing.