HDD vs SSD

   Which Is Better?

      Is the Solid-State Drive actually better then the Hard Drive? In this blog, we will go over the pros and cons of each type of storage device for your PC.

What Do They Do?

      The common storage drive is an essential part within your computer. All data is kept on the drive for either you or a program to access at a later time. From movies and music, to programs and common data files, all of it is stored on the storage drive.  

                                                                 Hard Drive (HDD)

     The hard drive, or HDD, has been used as the main storage component for an extremely long time in the computer industry. Hard drives are essentially metal platters with a magnetic coating. That coating stores your data, whether that data consists of weather reports from the last century, a high-definition copy of the Star Wars trilogy, or your digital music collection. A read/write head on an arm accesses the data while the platters are spinning in a hard drive enclosure. - PCMAG.com. 

          Pros

• Low price - $0.05 per average gigabyte

          Cons

• Large possibility for data loss
• Slow transfer rate (50Mb/s - 120Mb/s average read/write speed)
• Noisy
• High heat
• Moving components within (Will wear down over time)
• Long warm-up time

Solid State Drive (SSD)

      The solid state drive, or SSD, is a new and rising addition for your computer. Just like the HDD, it is the main storage component in your computer. Like a memory stick, there are no moving parts to an SSD. Rather, information is stored in microchips. Conversely, a hard disk drive uses a mechanical arm with a read/write head to move around and read information from the right location on a storage platter. This difference is what makes SSD so much faster. - http://www.storagereview.com/ssd_vs_hdd


        Pros

• Up to 15x faster than a standard HDD (200Mb/s - 550Mb/s average read/write speed)
• No noise
• Low heat
• No moving components
• Very little possibility for data loss
• No warm-up required

        Cons

• Expensive - $0.22 per average gigabyte

Which One is For You?

So there you have it! You now know the difference between the two main storage devices within computers today, but which one is for you? Well, if you plan to use your computer for things such as gaming or video editing, the SSD is more in your favor. Loading screens during gameplay are now cut down to about 10% of the time that it takes for an HDD to do the same, and the same goes

Ad Blocking

       Do you hate waiting for those annoying video ads to load before watching YouTube? How about those ads that you accidentally click when a website loads? Let's talk about that.

                                                  Blocking Those Annoying Ads!

       Luckily, there isn't much work involved with this topic. There are a few types of ad blockers out there that work in a variety of ways, so we will go through the options.

        Ad Block Plus: This ad blocker is, by far, the most simple and easiest to use. This option works by using constantly updated ad filters to remove any ads that have no relevance to your search topic. You can go to there main website at adblockplus.org, or you can visit your browser's web store and download it from there. For both options, one-click to install and you're browsing ad free. This blocker also allows you to be able to tweak things such as the type of ad filters used and more.  So far, this type of blocker only works with some of our most popular browser's such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera. (Microsoft Edge is not supported)
      Flash Control: This ad blocker operates with a more brutal force than Ad Block Plus. Instead of filtering out ads from your internet browsing, it blocks all flash player activities, including ones that may be necessary for the site. Due to its aggressiveness, this type of ad blocking is only recommended for experienced users.

        So there you have it! The two most popular types of ad blocking are at your freedom. You can finally take control and surf the internet freely!  As always, if you have any questions, you can reach us by email at SoFloTechnology@gmail.com or visit our Contact Page for more information.

Basics of Building a Computer (Part 8)

Power Supply Unit

       The final component for your computer is your Power Supply Unit or PSU. This unit will be responsible for distributing all of the power to each individual component within your PC. For an average PC user, your power supply will be a lot more simple than the advanced power supplies for gaming or strenuous use computers. Each PSU is set to distribute a certain amount of wattage through it and to your components. Some are eco-friendly with smart power usage while others are meant for constant and consistent current for gamers and heavy multi-taskers. The best and easiest way to choose your power supply is through a PSU calculator. Here are some calculator websites that I recommend. Just enter the type and specs of each of your components and the calculator will do the rest.

http://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator

http://www.coolermaster.com/power-supply-calculator/

Terms To Be Aware Of

Modular: This means that the cables are not permanently attached to it and can be disconnected. Ex. My PSU is Fully Modular, meaning all of the cables can be disconnected. PSUs are either Fully Modular, Modular (Semi-modular), or not modular.  

Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Titanium Certified: This only determines the all around quality of the PSU. As you go higher, they become better on energy savings, performance, reliability, compatibility, and more. For gamers, you are going to want a good quality PSU, so decide based on that.

Basics of Building a Computer (Part 7)

Motherboard

       After you choose your processor, you can move onto the motherboard. Go back and look at the specs of your chosen processor. You will need the name/number of the type of port that it uses. This is the port that must be on your chosen motherboard so that it will fit. ex. The newer model AMD processors use a port called AM3(+). The plus just adds additional functionality, especially for gamers, but you can match up a + model port with a non + model CPU and vice versa without a problem as long as the numbers/letters before the + are the same. When researching motherboards, you will need to know what brands are the most reliable and best suited for what you wish to use it for. Some of the top brands include ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, and EVGA. For gamers, I would suggest you go with ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, or EVGA. Be sure to check out the reviews and compare before purchasing.
           Now, looking back at the paragraph on ram cards, we will use the specs on the ram to help shape our motherboard search. Which DDR ram did you choose? What was its clock speed? When looking at motherboards, it will tell you what type of ram it supports and how fast it can run the cards. Now before you think the motherboard can increase your ram cards clocked speed (over-clock), that is not generally true. If your ram cards say that they run at 2400MHz, and your motherboard says 2800MHz, it just means that it can support any card up to the speed. Your ram cards will still work of course. Now lets say that your ram cards run at 1800MHz and your motherboard can only support up to 1600MHz, your ram cards will still work here as well .The motherboard will just run the ram cards slower than what they are capable of. It won't hurt the cards at all. Be sure to double check the type of ram you use so you are sure that it will fit in your motherboard.

        Next, you must look at what type of PCI port your graphics card uses (Explained in part 4). Some graphics cards will use PCI-Express x 16 while others may use the standard PCI. Choose how many PCI and what type you will need for your PC. 

       Next is deciding the type of ports you wish to have on the rear of your motherboard. These ports will sit flush with the rear of your PC case so you can plug in all of your components. Ex. mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. So choose how many USB ports and such that you wish to have on it. Every motherboard will have USB port(s), an Ethernet port (For wired internet), an auxiliary port (For audio), and other ports for added uses. Some motherboards will also come with an integrated graphics card, so they will have a port to connect your monitor too, either VGA or DVI. Only some motherboards have integrated graphics and I only recommend using it for extremely lenient work. Multiple monitors, heavy multi-tasking, and gaming will not work, if at the very least not well, with the integrated graphics. 

     

         

Basics of Building a Computer (Part 6)

      CPU Coolers

      After you've chosen your processor, you must also pick a cooling fan for it. Don't get these confused with your case fans as they are quite different from each other. These fans sit right on top of the processor to keep it nice and cool while you use your PC. Luckily, it is pretty easy to choose one. Some fans will come with adapters to work with both AMD and Intel processors, but not all, so choose carefully. If you are not certain of the type of fan you should choose, decide based on what your PC is for. If your processor was chosen for gaming purposes, choose a fan with high cfm and a lot of surface area for adequate heat distribution from the CPU. You will notice that some fans may not have a big base with a lot of surface area, which is completely fine as some fans may utilize other ways to distribute the heat, such as multiple cooling pipes or larger fans.
      There is another way to cool your CPU if you really want to make sure that your processor never over-heats during heavy gaming or intense use. Some PC users use a water cooler instead of a fan. These tend to be a lot more expensive than your typical fan, but you will get more bang for your buck. A water cooler (shown below), utilizes water lines to transport cooled water from one or two case fans to the surface of your CPU. The fluid within these lines is generally water, but some really advanced coolers will use a special, easily cooled liquid instead. This is almost never necessary. Water does such a fantastic job that it is not needed.




                                                                Water Cooler


                                          


                                                                  Fan Cooler


                                      

Basics of Building a Computer (Part 5)

                                                          Central Processing Unit

        The central processing unit, or CPU, is what processes everything in your computer. Each motherboard uses either an AMD or an Intel processor, neither of which will fit the opposite ports, so choose carefully. For the money savers, go with AMD. AMD is much cheaper than Intel and in most cases, tends to be much faster than Intel, compared to its opposing processor through Intel. If you don't care about money and wish to have a glitch free PC, go with Intel. Intel is the most simple, straight forward, and most reliable processor out there. Intel processors produce much less heat than AMD, so choosing a processor fan or cooler is much easier for Intel. You can check out each website link provided to browse new processors. For advanced gamers, choose a processor that has at least 4 cores and will run at a speed of atleast 3.0GHz. For expert gamers, choose a processor with 8 cores and a clock speed of atleast 4.0GHz. For standard use, a dual-core processor will do just fine with a speed of 2.0GHz and higher to support new operating systems. Ex. My PC utilizes an 8 core, AMD processor with a clock speed of 4.3GHz for extremely heavy multi-tasking and gaming.
   



                                       

   

Basics of Building a Computer (Part 4)

PCI Expansion Slots

    

        PCI expansion slots do just as you may think, they expand your motherboard, adding extra ports, fans, coolers, SSDs, and more. Most people will use these expansion slots to add additional ports, such as USB. If you choose to make use of this function, there are only a few things to look out for; PCI vs PCI-Express. A standard PCI card uses a long port (Called a PCI Slot, shown below) to pop into the motherboard. When using a PCI-Express card, you will notice that the port is much shorter than the standard, therefore you must choose based on the type of port in your motherboard. If your part uses a PCI-Express x 16, you must also keep an eye out for a motherboard that has this port, as it is not used as often as a standard PCI port. This port is generally designed for your graphics cards, however, some companies do utilize it for other things as well.

 If you do decide to add additional parts via PCI, keep in mind that these very same ports are also the same ports that are used by your graphics card. So when choosing your motherboard (Explained in Part 7), keep in mind how many PCI or PCI-Express ports you will need.