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How old is your hardware?

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:31:43 +0100

Something that's fascinated me since I became a PC enthusiast in the 1990s is the economy surrounding the hardware industry. It’s incredibly disjointed in some ways, and heavily reliant on other segments of itself in others. For instance, software, such as games or new operating systems, can dramatically drive forward new generations of hardware kit.

Springtime fun with Shaun the Sheep on the Nintendo 3DS! (Advertising Feature)

Sun, 06 May 2012 09:32:54 +0100

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Spring has truly sprung with an all-new series of video adventures featuring a much-loved farmyard favourite from the multi-award winning Aardman Animations. And, the great news is, they are free and exclusive to those with a Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system.

Facebook Photo Albums: A Manifesto

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:34:09 +0100

I'm often frustrated by the dross that comes my way from people's photo albums on Facebook - I can’t understand why people would want to clog up the internet with out of focus, badly shot and repetitive photography.

Some would say I'm taking it all a little too seriously, and they'd be right of course, but I refuse to believe I'm the only one. As a result I'm speaking for all those that are too polite to say anything, those that don't want to cause a stir by suggesting that their best mate, sister or colleague just exercise some restraint with that damn upload button. Share this article, get the word out, and help to make the internet a more pleasant place.

Triple your Dropbox capacity for free

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:02:46 +0100

As I know so many of you out there use Dropbox, I thought these handy little tips to boost your capacity for free would be a godsend - they certainly were for me. If you haven't heard of Dropbox, then let me enlighten you - it's one of those things that instantly makes your life easier. The ability to simply and quickly synchronise your files between PCs within Windows Explorer and have an online backup accessible where ever you are is immensely valuable, especially if you're on the move every day.

Technology Apathy Is Bad For Everyone

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:03:13 +0100

As you’d expect, I’m often sought out by friends and family when they’ve got a PC or laptop buying decision to make - chances are many of you are too, given that you’re here on bit-tech. I don’t mind doing it of course, but I’m always intrigued by the approach some people take when buying a new computer.

The aspect that surprises me the most is the way that many of the people who have sought my advice over the years have a ‘just enough to get me by’ approach to computing - they’re only looking for a PC or laptop that will perform the tasks they do now. This is their prerogative obviously - it’s their money after all - but I’ll always challenge them on it.

I don't deserve a happy Mass Effect 3 ending

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:44:30 +0100

My Mass Effect 3 play through started off so well - so promising, so full of hope. I was going to get the best ending possible, the one where everyone lives happily ever after and nothing was going to stop me. Yes, OK, the reapers were here and they were tearing the earth a new one, but I was confident I had the friends and the ballsy get-it-done attitude to sort them out one way or another. They were messing with the wrong galaxy this time.

Is it time for the hard disk to die?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:36:24 +0000

If you're lucky enough to own a modern SSD, then you'll probably have been quite impressed by how much of a difference it made to every day tasks on your PC.

Compared to hard disks, boot up times are reduced, as are game and application load times, while file transfers can see huge speed boosts. Personally I've found Windows 7 and programs I use regularly such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to be much more responsive too.

All these benefits, of course, point to the fact that hard disks are somewhat of a bottleneck in modern PCs - a fact most of us have known for a while. So why are they still around? Surely if SSDs offer such awesome speed boosts (not to mention the fact they're more robust, quieter and produce less heat) the hard disk should have died a long time ago?

Hardware 29 – We are not Server Admins

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:00:57 +0000

Now that both Intel and AMD have released their next-gen, super-fast processors, James, Clive, Paul and Antony gather in a dingy room to discuss the fall-out. We should stress that this isn’t a server room, so they’re still a bit disappointed by what amounts to a pair of server CPUs in consumer guise.

Gaming 35 – MW3 vs BF3 vs Skyrim

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:09:04 +0000

Clive, Joe and Harry gather to discuss whether Battlefield 3 or Modern Warfare 3 is the better game. Harry even produces actual facts to support his arguments, but it’s all pointless because everyone knows Skyrim is the best game at the moment.

During the discussion, we also talk about whether singleplayer mode is effectively dead with modern FPS games, and whether CoD should be seen more as yearly sports title, such as FIFA or Football Manager.

How Much Does Your PC Cost To Run?

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:09:33 +0000

I’ve recently put together a media PC for playing music in my kitchen. It’s just a simple little Intel Atom-based box, but it does all I need for the 40 minutes or so I usually spend cooking or washing up. Its one negative issue is that it takes a little while to boot up and get into Windows Media Centre - a fact that has put my housemate Jack off using it as he doesn’t tend to spend as long in the kitchen as me. By the time it’s booted up and ready to go, he’s nearly ready to turn it off again.

Is the Age of Massive PCs at an End?

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:26:36 +0000

In the 15-odd years I've been building my own PCs, all my main systems have invariably been housed in large towers. Whether this was because they needed to accommodate multiple hard disks when I was experimenting with RAID, or to fit water-cooling hardware inside, my cases have got perpetually larger.

Games I Own: Painkiller

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:30:00 +0100

Painkiller is a game about frenzy, about being 'in the zone' and about bunny-hopping at 100 miles an hour around gothic castles packed with skeletons and cackling witches. It's a game about violence and speed; the satisfying buzz of a well-executed headshot performed from the hip.

Or, to put it another way, it's a game about 'THUNK!' That's the noise it makes when you fire half a pool-cue across the map and it lands, pinning your enemy's collapsed body to the floor.

THUNK!

Why We Need Origin

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:42:28 +0100

Since its announcement and subsequent inclusion as a pre-requisite to play Battlefield 3, EA’s re-branded online store, Origin, has been causing plenty of discussion. Opponents argue that Steam already serves as an online digital distribution service, as well as a match-making system, day-one DRM system and game browser; with Steam already providing these services, why must EA force Origin on us?

Gaming 34 - The Folly of Microtransactions

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:14:00 +0100

This week Joe and Paul are joined by Craig Lager, Gaming Daily editor and Neptune's Pride flagellant.

We start off the conversation by talking about what each of us was most excited to see at last weekend's Eurogamer Expo. Paul was predictably excited about getting his hands dirty with CS: GO for the first time, while Craig was wary of falling madly in love with Skyrim.

Hardware 28 - Chatting with Corsair

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:30:09 +0100

Paul, James and Harry go a little peripheral crazy in this week's hardware podcast, but that's understandable as they're joined by special guest Reuben Mookerjee, vice president of Corsair's Component division.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of peripheral design, however, we do have time to cover one or two of the most pressing stories of the week. First on the list is Intel's announcement that it will be selling a low-cost liquid cooler for use with its forthcoming LGA2011 CPUs.

Thoughts on Tutorials

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 11:16:12 +0100

When I was offered the chance to review the upcoming game Men of War: Vietnam, I initially leapt at the chance, but with the disc came a warning:

‘These games are bloody hard,' Harry said loudly, repeatedly, while looming behind me and staring at my laptop screen. 'Probably the closest thing to digital masochism I’ve ever seen.’

But I was determined to impress the office with my analytical skill and unbiased opinions and, besides, I had never come across a game that I couldn't bend to my will after a few hours. With anticipation in full flow, I started the game and prepared to give my best.

Three hours later, I still hadn’t completed the first mission. The first mission. I tried lowering the difficulty settings. I tried different approaches. With a mounting sense of failure and humiliation, I considered downloading the demo of the original Men of War so I could practice at home before a second attempt. And it was at that point I realised something...

Gaming 33 - The Mass Effect Pubcast

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:29:33 +0100

Our developer Jamie Cuthill and friend of CPC Joe Percy join Joe, Clive and Paul for another post-pub podcast this week, fielding your questions and discussing the latest gaming news.

We also try to put the over-talked issue of Mass Effect 2 to bed once and for all, with Jamie walking us through his thoughts on playing the first Mass Effect games back to back, while Joe and Paul argue over who is the best squad-member in the game.

Mass Effect 2 isn't the only subject we talk about though - we also find the time to ponder the end of Star Wars Galaxies, as well as Gearbox's announcement that it's working on a new Duke Nukem title.

Hardware 27 - The Biology One

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:28:42 +0100

This week, Clive, Antony, Paul and Harry sit down to diligently ~~avoid work~~ cast a pod about the latest goings on in the PC hardware industry.

First on the agenda, rather predictably, is HP's recent announcement that it's pulling out of the computer hardware market; a move that affects not only its PC manufacturing business, but also its printer and tablet lines. It's a move that shocked the industry, but is it a sign of what's to come?

Gaming 32 - Deus Examined

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:54:49 +0100

Joe and Paul are joined by Black Library and Deus Ex: Human Revolution author James Swallow and BBC Radio's Adam Rosser.

As you would expect from a podcast featuring this particular group of jibber-jabberers, the discussion is dominated by our thoughts on the latest Deus Ex game. However, we also find time to chat about what proved to be Joe's Gamescom highlight, Dishonored. Joe also tells us about Dragon Commander - a crazy game that fuses flight sim, RPG and strategy elements, which he also saw out in Germany.

Good Free Games: 10 Min Space Strategy

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:36:58 +0100

While the name is overly ambitious, and it could be more helpful for novices, 10 Min Space Strategy is a rather good 4X (Expand, Explore, Exterminate and Research, or something like that) game that you can play for free.

Was Skyrim ever going to use Games For Windows Live?

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:59:53 +0100

The news that Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will definitely use Steamworks rather than Games For Windows Live has shot around the Internet today, but (and with the greatest of respect to those reporting the story) it doesn’t appear as if Skyrim was ever going to use GFWL.

Bright new ideas from Seedcamp

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:42:54 +0100

The Guardian brought SeedCamp to my attention the other day, which is like a European KickStarter for entrepreneurs. Lord Sir Alan Sugar would be proud.

The idea is that small startup companies with big ideas can pitch to SeedCamp and get the funding they need to develop or launch their product or service. Or, In SeedCamp’s own words, ‘Seedcamp is an early-stage micro seed investment fund and mentoring programme… For the winning companies of any event where we choose to make an investment, Seedcamp’s standard investment is: €50,000 for 8-10% per cent of the company.’

Gaming 31 – OMFG Hats

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:18:40 +0100

Paul, Clive and Joe discuss the finer points of whats been going on in the world of gaming. With bonus hats.

First on the rather hastily sketched out agenda is the news that Valve is going to allow players to trade TF2 hats for games on Steam. It seems like a bizarre decision on the face of it but Clive wonders if the move could be a preamble to game trading on Steam.

Why so many Core i7-2600 flavours?

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:35:00 +0100

There’s an interesting article over at Ars Technica, titled What processor should I buy: Intel’s crazy pricing makes my head hurt. That might seem a silly question at first: as the author points out, surely you just buy the most expensive CPU in the LGA1155 range. However, Peter Bright is no fool; looking closer at the specs and his requirements, the author struggles to make sense of Intel’s strategy with new features, performance and compatibility.

Hardware 26 - Clouds of Gigaflops

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:27:13 +0100

Aaaand we're back for another enthralling hardware podcast. This week we've got Antony, Paul, Clive and Harry talking everything from fact to complete and utter fiction.

We start with a chat about PCI Express 3, whether we need it and why motherboard manufacturers are bringing PCI-E 3 motherboards to market already. If you're looking at a motherboard upgrade any time soon, should a PCI-E 3 compliant board be a priority?