5 min read
Can My PC Run VR? Requirements Checked
VR is far less forgiving than flat gaming, because dropped frames make people feel ill. Here is what each headset actually needs.
Guides
Practical PC building guides: picking parts that work together, avoiding CPU and GPU bottlenecks, sizing a power supply and getting more frames per pound.
12 articles on this page
5 min read
Does PCIe 5.0 Matter for Gaming?
PCIe 5.0 doubles the bandwidth of 4.0. For graphics cards in games, that headroom mostly sits unused - here is when it does not.
5 min read
Do Faster SSDs Load Games Faster?
Moving from a hard drive to an SSD transforms load times. Moving from a fast SSD to a faster one usually does not. Here is why.
5 min read
Is DisplayHDR 400 Worth It? HDR Tiers Explained
Most monitors advertised as HDR are DisplayHDR 400, and most of them barely look different from SDR. Here is what each tier actually requires.
5 min read
Is an Ultrawide Monitor Worth It for Gaming?
An ultrawide gives you a wider field of view and a real graphics card cost. Whether that trade is worth it depends on what you play.
5 min read
How Far Should You Sit From Your Monitor?
The right distance depends on screen size and resolution, not preference. Here are the numbers for common monitors, and why 4K changes them.
5 min read
How Much VRAM Do You Need to Run a Local LLM?
A language model that does not fit in your graphics card does not run slowly. It usually does not run at all. Here is the arithmetic.
5 min read
What PC Do You Need for 4K Video Editing?
Choppy 4K playback is usually a memory or storage problem, not a processor problem. Here is what to spend on, in order.
5 min read
How to Speed Up Blender Render Times
Most slow renders are a settings problem, not a hardware problem. Here is what to change first, and what to buy only if that is not enough.
6 min read
How Much Electricity Does a Gaming PC Use?
A gaming PC is not the power hog people claim, but it is not free either. Here are real monthly figures for three builds, and how to work out your own.
5 min read
Do You Need a UPS for a Gaming PC?
A UPS is a battery that keeps your PC running when the power cuts. Whether you need one depends on your electricity supply, not your build.
5 min read
What Upload Speed Do You Need to Stream on Twitch?
Streaming needs upload speed, not download speed, and the two are rarely the same. Here is exactly how much you need, and how to check yours.