Many of the recommended tools made it into our top anti-malware programs list and we agree with the recommendations given. Once you’ve removed the malware, you should fix any issues present on your PC and then take steps to protect your PC from future attacks. A good start can be made by reading the PC Security Handbook.

What steps do you recommend when removing malware? How else can you protect your PC from infections?

Malware Removal Guide for Windows | Real Security via Windows Forums

If you’ve used PCs for years or haven’t used some of the older versions of Windows, you might appreciate The Restart Page—a site that displays the restart sequence for many of the older operating systems including Windows 1.1, 2000, XP, NeXT, and Apple operating systems.

Check out The Restart Page

Which restart sequence is your favorite?

Note: As you increase the number of tabs to open, the time it takes to launch Internet Explorer will increase.

Add a Page to Your Home Page Tabs

1. Browse to a website you want to add to your home pages

2. Click the drop-down arrow on the Home Button and click Add or Change Home Page…

3. Select Add this webpage to your home page tabs and click Yes

Manage Home Page Tabs

To add and remove tabs:

1. In IE, click Tools > Internet Options

2. On the General tab, under Home page, delete any pages you don’t want to include

3. Add sites (one per line) that you’d like to open at each launch

4. Click OK

Now restart Internet Explorer and verify the tabs you want to launch load successfully.

Terabyte vs. Tebibyte

Hard drive manufacturers use the International System of Units (SI) convention to when listing hard drive capacity. Kilo-, mega-, giga-, and tera- are some of the prefixes used in accordance with the SI and are base-10 (decimal.) “Tera” means trillion so a terabyte is one trillion, 1,000,000,000,000, or 10²⁰ bytes.

When Windows shows the drive’s capacity, it lists it as “less” because it’s calculating the size using a base-2 (binary numeral) system. Windows is really listing the sizes in tebibytes not terabytes. A tebibyte is 1,099,511,627,776 or 2⁴⁰ bytes.

The words kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte are used interchangeably with kibibyte (kilo binary byte), mebibyte (mega binary byte), gibibyte, and tebibyte respectively; however, there is a difference and this difference gets bigger at each order of magnitude.

In 1999, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) came together to help clear up the ambiguity between the base-10 and base-2 systems by providing us with a different set of prefixes to identify base-2 byte prefixes in computing. This chart shows the percentage difference between a kilobyte and kibibyte etc. as we progress through orders of magnitude:

A 1 TB drive is 1000GB. A 1TB drive is also 931 gibibytes (GiB) or 0.91 tebibytes (TiB.)

It really doesn’t matter what unit of measurement is used as the hard drive will always have the same capacity regardless of the numbering convention used to quantify it. The fact is a “terabyte”, according to standards, is a trillion bytes or a thousand gigabytes. Although many may use 1 TB to mean 1024 GB, the standard (which helps alleviate confusion for all of us) states that only 1 TiB is 1024 GiB and that 1 TB is 1000 GB.

We’ve been using “kilo” to mean 1024 bytes for so long that it really is quite a struggle to think of it differently (or accept the prefix “kibi” at all.) Adoption of this terminology is slow but, correct use shows you’ve really done your homework and that you’ve paid attention to detail!

Hopefully this guide has cleared up some ambiguity for Windows users who are wondering where all that extra hard drive space went. If you’re using OS X Leopard or a newer release of many Linux versions, you may have noticed that space is reported in base-10, which was primarily done to clear up any confusion.

Over time, dust and dirt build up inside your laptop; thereby, restricting airflow, increasing heat, and putting a strain on your laptop’s fans. A hot laptop is not a happy laptop. In fact, most modern processors (CPUs) reduce their clock speed when temperatures get close to 80C (think of it as a “survival mode” for your CPU), which is generally accepted as the highest temperature you should let your CPU reach. The dirtier the airways in your laptop, the quicker your CPU’s temperature can jump to dangerous levels—especially when the airways are further restricted by a pillow, your jeans etc.

To help stop your laptop overheating, consider clearing the channels by which air is designed to flow through your hardware. This guide provides a few tips to help you keep your laptop’s airways free of dust and dirt.

I use 3M “Dust Remover” but any can of compressed air should work. Here are a few more I saw at a local store:

Important Notes:

• I don’t recommend using an air compressor as many air compressors are too powerful and may do damage to your laptop’s internals.
• A small can of compressed air goes a long way. Spray a little, check the airway and spray a little more if necessary.
• Don’t spray too closely. Compressed air is cold air and cold air in contact with your laptop’s surface may lower the temperature enough for condensation to form (looks like white powder.) It’s quite possible you could go so far over the top that a small amount of condensation can reside until power up time and cause a short.
• Test the can before hand to ensure the air is clean and no dirt is stuck in the nozzle.
• Before using compressed air, your laptop should be off with no power source. Follow steps 1 & 2 below to be completely safe. You might not do any damage while your PC is running but is it really worth the risk?
• Resist the urge to permanently remove case panels from your laptop (not as easy to do as a desktop.) I’ve seen countless desktops with no case side. By removing panels, you disturb the convection system and impede airflow, which will probably make any heat problems worse.

Clean Your Laptop with Compressed Air

Please read the notes listed above before following the steps below. To clean your laptop with compressed air:

1. Shut down your laptop, remove the power cable, and remove the battery

2. Hold the power button for a few seconds to remove any residual power from your laptop’s components

3. Hold the can 10 cm (4 inches) from your laptop’s first vent and blast air through the vent

If you have two vents on the corners (like they are on my laptop in the screenshot), aim the spray through both vents (i.e. at a 45 degree angle to the laptop) to get the most dust out

4. Wipe away any dust trapped on the exit vents

That’s it. Your laptop will thank you for it and your hardware will last longer because it’s not overheating and your fans are not bearing any unnecessary load.

If you’re using an older computer or a computer that came without a dedicated graphics card (GPU – Graphics processing unit), you may have considered getting a more powerful GPU. An upgraded GPU will let you:

• Play games at higher resolution, detail, and frame rate
• Play HD video without stutter
• Use two or more monitors (helpful if you can only use one with your current setup)
• Speed up photo and video editing

In this guide, I’ll show you the basics of finding out what your upgrade options are and how to install a new graphics card.

Research Your Upgrade Options

Before you purchase an upgraded GPU, you should first gather some information:

1. Find your hardware capabilities:
• Motherboard graphics interface type
• Current GPU model (if any)
• Power supply
2. Physical space in your PC
3. Find the best value upgrade within your price range

Find Your Hardware Capabilities

Before you look for a graphics card, you’ll need to know which interface(s) your PC’s mother board supports. You should also know the model number of your current GPU (if you have one) so you can research the differences in capabilities between your current GPU and the one you intend to buy.

The easiest way to find the graphics interface type and current graphics card on your PC is to use a utility called CPU-Z:

1. Download CPU-Z here (the download links are in the right-hand column)

2. Install and launch CPU-Z
Note: CPU-Z comes bundled with the Ask Toolbar, which is optional during installation.

3. Click on the Mainboard tab and make note of the Graphic Interface:

4. On the Graphics tab, make note of the installed graphics card (if any):

I’ve noted that I have a PCI-Express x16 interface and my current graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460.

If the Graphic Interface is greyed out (see screenshot below), it’s unlikely your PC supports a dedicated graphics card (some low profile desktops fall into this category as well as most laptops.) Your best option from here is to search the web for the make and model of your PC and add the words “graphics upgrade” i.e. “HP Pavillion a1310n graphics upgrade”. There is still hope you can upgrade and that someone has listed the available options online.

Power Supply

If you haven’t opened your PC’s case before and you don’t know the peak power output of your power supply unit (PSU) (not something usually listed on a spec sheet for an off-the-shelf PC), now is a good time to open your PC and take a look around.

Note: Before you open your PCs case: power down your PC, disconnect the power cable, and hold the power button for a few seconds to remove any residual power from your PC’s components

Locate your PSU (where the PC power cable connects) and check the labels for the maximum (peak) power output. If you don’t find the power output of your PSU, check the manual that came with your PC or search online.

Most good retailers and products list the minimum PSU wattage required to operate their card on a standard PC setup (motherboard, hard drives, optical drives etc.)  so knowing your current limitation will help you determine whether you want a more powerful card (and have to upgrade your PSU) or a less powerful card that will happily run on your current PSU.

As an example, a 450W minimum power supply is recommended for the GTX460. I’m using a 550W power supply so an upgrade to this card is within the limitations of my power supply:

Physical Space in Your PC

While you have your PC open from the previous step, you should check how much room you have for a graphics card. I recommend this because some graphics cards are big! Most desktops, built in or after 2004 have at least one PCI-express slot and I suspect that’s what your data gathering led you to find out you have in your PC. This diagram should help if you have more than one spare slot when you open up your PC:

Over the slot you plan to use, measure the distance between the case edge and the first obstacle. In the Gateway PC I am using for this example, I have 255mm (~10 inches) of space. That might seem like a lot of room; however, knowing the maximum length of a card may save you a trip back to the store/return shipping when you find the card is too big for your PC. When you start to narrow down your options, look for size specifications to ensure the card will fit in the allotted space.

Find the Best Value Upgrade within Your Price Range

As technology changes quicker that I can even write this guide, I may make a suggestion now that’s outdated by the time I publish this guide. However, here’s a list of a few things you should always look for when purchasing a graphics card:

• Narrow your search by interface type
• Will it fit in my PC? (see above)
• Does my current PSU have enough headroom to support this card? Am I willing to spend more money on an upgraded PSU? (see above)
• What kind of warranty comes with the card?
• Does the retailer/vendor provide good customer support? i.e. returns policy and warranty coverage
• If I’m upgrading my card, what gains will I see from the upgrade?
• Will this card work for the games I want to play/software I want to use?

If you’re in the US, sites like NewEgg.com do an excellent job of helping you narrow down your search results. They also provide a 30-day exchange policy for most items sold on their site. Outside the US, I recommend using a local store. Often stores will run sales that outperform online retailers and it’s a lot easier to return the card should you run into issues.

To see expected performance gains from your graphics card, search the web for benchmarking tests. i.e. if you’re upgrading from a GTS 250 to a GTX 460, search the web for “GTS 250 vs GTX 460 crysis”. That search result came up with a helpful chart showing I can expect to go from 15 FPS average with the GTS 250 to 31 FPS average with the GTX 460 (at 1680×1050 “Enthusiast” settings.) In other words: from unplayable to pretty smooth playing. Running a few searches like this should give you the confidence your upgrade is worth the expense.

If you’re upgrading from integrated graphics, any card will likely make a big difference!

If you still don’t know what graphics card to purchase, stop by Windows Forums and ask the community. We can help you find an option that suits your needs and budget.

Note: Systems are only as strong as their weakest link (known as a “bottleneck”.) If your budget for a graphics card is $300 but you’re running older hardware that might not benefit from such a gain, consider splitting your purchase and buying a lower priced graphics card and an SSD—for example. To get an idea of what other upgrades are useful, check out Mike’s article on the best bang for your buck upgrades.

Install Your Graphics Card

Now you’ve chosen the graphics card that’s right for you, it’s time to install it. First, I recommend you run a benchmark of your current setup. You can either use the Windows Experience Index (instructions) or a tool like FurMark.

To install your graphics card:

1. Power down your PC, disconnect the power cable, and hold the power button for a few seconds to remove any residual power from your PC’s components

2. Open your PC’s case

3a. If adding a new card (if upgrading skip to step 3b.) locate the open slot in which the graphics card will reside (mine’s a PCI-E x16, which is the green slot):

3b. If you’re upgrading your card, disconnect the power supply from your current card:

4. Remove the slot’s retaining screw on the outside of the case:

5. Place the card carefully in the slot

6. Connect the power cable(s) to the card. If you’re not upgrading, look for a spare connector coming from the PSU or if you’re using a modular supply, check the box for additional cables

Note: Refer to the installation instructions of your new graphics card at this point. Some graphics cards use a separate, smaller power supply for the fan that usually connects to the motherboard

7. Secure the new card in place by tightening the retaining screw

8. Ensure no cables are obstructing the fans and power on your PC to test it under the new configuration

Here’s my before and after score when upgrading from a GTS 250 to a GTX 460:

Before: 

After:

Having trouble upgrading? We’re ready to help over at Windows Forums.

The computers I work on every day are cooled by an on-board water cooled heat exchanger—without water cooling (WC), they’d either run slowly (best case) or overheat and shut down (worst case.) Outside the enterprise, liquid cooling isn’t as necessary but, for around $100 US, you too can enjoy liquid cooling technology on your overclocked home rig. In this guide, we’ll cover the basics on liquid cooling  and explain why liquid cooling is superior to air cooling. We’ll then look into why you really don’t need liquid cooling for your home PC—but don’t let that stop you!

Disclaimer:

Reader Dustin Harper says it better than I can:

Watercooling may sound simple and sweet, but gets complicated real quick. Soon, you’ll have parts everywhere, and want to upgrade to a better part and then go with a new water additive, then maybe a larger radiator, then a new waterclock. Soon, you’re $500 in the hole and still wanting more – point being that it’s very addictive! :)

Liquid and Electronics? What Kind of Liquid?

Generally, a water-based solution is used due to it’s high thermal conductivity. Yes, water is ionized and electronically conductive so your best protection against accidents is good planning for and careful testing of your liquid cooling system.

Distilled water is a good choice if your CPU block doesn’t come with a solution. I recommend using a liquid-cooling specific solution because you really don’t need very much and these solutions are formulated to inhibit microbial growth in your system.

This guide will refer to “water” throughout but you can use any liquid like alcohol, oil, glycol etc. As your system is sealed tightly, a water-based solution is always the best option because of its excellent thermal conductivity (23 times more so than air) relative to other liquids—bettered only by mercury, which is really not a good liquid to use!

What is Liquid Cooling?

Because water is an excellent thermal conductor, it’s ideal for dissipating heat from a CPU. Liquid cooling is the process of exchanging heat from a hot processor into water and circulating the heated water to a radiator (where the heat is exchanged from the water to the outside air.) The liquid cooling mechanism forms a circuit (more about that coming up) so the liquid is constantly drawing heat from the CPU—keeping your PC’s internals nearly as cool as the ambient temperature in your room.

Note: You can also cool other hardware like the Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), hard drives, the northbridge (NB)*, and the southbridge*.

*If your CPU setup utilizes them (Sandy Bridge processors, for example, integrate the CPU with the northbridge.)

What Components Make up a Liquid Cooling System?

A liquid cooling system is composed of five essential components:

1. CPU Water block: in direct contact with your CPU a thin piece of (usually) copper sits between the cool water and your hot CPU
2. Water pump: Keeps the water flowing around the system/circuit
3. Radiator: Radiates heat from the water outside your PC case. Usually assisted by a fan to be effective
4. Tubing: Keeps the (conductive) water from spilling on your shiny, expensive equipment
5. Fillport/reservoir: Not shown in the diagram below (many radiators come with one.) This is how you get water into the system

Optionally, you can install a liquid level and flow indicator to ensure enough water is in your system and that it’s actually flowing. It’s not necessary, but they do look pretty cool if placed visibly in your PC tower. Here’s a diagram showing the flow between the components. The arrows represent tubing; blue for cool water; red for warmed water:

The CPU water block is so effective because the water is drawn back and forth in a “maze” like pattern before leaving the CPU block and heading to the radiator. This helps the water pick up the most heat from the CPU before it’s cooled and circulated back to the CPU.

How Do I Make a Good Liquid Cooling System?

Just like any other PC hardware, you get what you pay for. Go too fancy and you experience the law of diminishing returns. I have a couple of recommendations if you’re looking to purchase a liquid cooling system:

• Unless you think you’ll really need it, use 1/4 -3/8 inch ID (inner diameter) tubing. 1/2 inch requires a bigger pump and is more difficult to integrate into tighter spaces so look for equipment that has 3/8 inch or smaller connectors.
• Don’t under-estimate the need for good tubing: PVC will kink easily and is prone to deterioration over time. There are some good options for tubing—Tygon is highly recommended.
• Ensure your pump can move at least 80 gal/hr. Unless you’re cooling many components, anything over 300 gal/hr is just overkill. Furthermore, a high volume pump will push the water too quickly and wont adequately pick up heat in the process. At worst, a high powered pump may lead to leaks and will usually be louder.

If you’re serious about buying a liquid cooling system, you probably know more than I can articulate in this guide. If you’re really stuck, we can help you over at Windows Forums. FrozenCPU and Danger Garden are suppliers of kits and components and are a good resources for equipment.

Is Liquid Cooling Really Worth it?

No consumer-grade CPU, sold today, requires liquid cooling to operate out of the box. However, there are a few reasons you might want to use liquid cooling:

1. To cool your overclocked CPU
2. To reduce/eliminate audible fan noise
3. Because, no matter how long we’ve been using this technology, it’s still pretty cool and is worth major geek points

Even with a heavily overclocked CPU, you can keep heat under control using proper forced ventilation (fans); however, if you’re really pushing your hardware (perhaps you like to watch FurMark), liquid cooling will help your CPU perform optimally.

You will probably never really benefit from liquid cooling but don’t let me stop you investing in some sweet equipment if that’s what you want to do. Have fun and test your setup for a few hours (or days) before placing it in your PC to ensure not even the tiniest leak forms.

Update: Tips on Water Cooling

• Be careful when threading your tubes. If you cross-thread and don’t test your system extensively, you might find a slow leak forms over time. Enough of a leak to do irreversible damage.
• Research hardware that overclocks well. Find a forum where people have taken the time to find the best OC processors for your budget.
• Some cases are good for water-cooled setups and some are not. See what others are using and base your purchasing decisions off them
• WC becomes more useful when you OC your CPU and GPU/2x GPUs. If you want to cool more than your CPU (why not?) go in this order:
• Northbridge (if your CPU doesn’t have it integrated)
• GPU
• HDD
• SSD
• Reservoirs provide increased volume for liquid; thereby increasing thermal capacity. For this reason, they’re a better option than a  fillport
• i7′s run very hot when overclocked. Use a 220 – 320 size radiator (RAD)
• Test your system for 3-48 hours before putting it in your case. Place it on a grey t-shirt or paper so you can easily spot leaks
• If you get a leak during testing, reconfigure your setup and change the t-shirt/paper so you’re absolutely sure there’s not a single leak
• If you get water on your motherboard (MB):
• Not much water: hang it and put a slow blowing fan on it for 24 hours/air compress it dry. Leave the board for another 24 hours and then attempt to power on. Increase the drying time to three days in climates with RH >50%
• A lot of water: rinse it with distilled water, hang it and put a slow blowing fan on it for 48 hours/air compress it dry. Leave the board for another 24 hours and then attempt to power on. Increase the drying time to five days in climates with RH >50%
• Setting up a successful water cooling system is fairly easy but don’t rush the process (see next point)
• Take your time if you’re a first-time buyer. It’s unlikely you know exactly what you want right now. Do some reading and take your time on this project

Are the WWW and Internet the same thing?

If you’ve ever questioned the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web, this guide will explain.

A few key terms in context of this guide:

• Computer: An electronic device with a central processing unit. A computer may have one or more network interface cards
• Network interface card (NIC): A computer component with a unique address referred to as a MAC or media access control address. Used to communicate with other network interfaces
• Network: For this guide, a network refers to two or more computers in communication. A network is formed through wires (Cat x Ethernet; Coaxial; Fiber Optic etc.) and wireless protocols (802.11 x; WiMax; Bluetooth etc.)
• Protocol: A digital communications standard with its own rules, authentication methods, etc.
• Internet Protocol (IP):  Currently two versions are in use; IPv4 (most common); IPv6 (becoming popular but largely unsupported at vital points in networks.) IP governs the transport of data—mostly viewed as web pages in browsers
• Hypertext: Data, organised as information, viewable through a Web browser. Right click this page and click “View Source” to see some hypertext markup language (HTML.)

The Internet

Just like roads and railroads provide paths for vehicles, the Internet provides paths for data across millions of sub-networks world-wide. The Internet does not contain any data like the World Wide Web does; the Internet is the channel for delivery.

The World Wide Web

Coined in 1989, the World Wide Web is the collection of all publicly available data, or hypertext viewable via the Internet Protocol. Web pages usually travel to your computer through IP port 80—reserved for Web data.

That’s all for today.

If you’re subscribed to one or more email newsletters and you change your email address, it can be a pain send an email to the owner of each newsletter asking them to make the switch.

This guide will show you how to update your email address for most newsletters.

Step 1. Unsubscribe Your Old Email Address

Note: All reputable newsletters offer an unsubscribe button. The fewer clicks you have to make to unsubscribe, the better. 

To remove your old address from the site’s subscription list:

1. Log in to your old email account
2. Open a recent newsletter
3. Scroll to the bottom of the email and click Unsubscribe Now (or similar wording)

Step 2. Subscribe Your New Address

Now go to the site’s main page and look for an “email subscription” button or a mail icon. Click the icon to subscribe with your new address.

Here’s how to subscribe on mintywhite.com:

1. Go to mintywhite.com and click the mail icon:

2. Type in your address, type the verification code, and click Complete Subscription Request:

3. Now go to your email and follow the instructions sent to you by the newsletter owners.

You can always send the site newsletter owner(s) an email anyway; we really like to hear from you and like taking suggestions.

[I'd like] an explanation on i3, i5, i7 Operating Systems, and how they compare with Core 2 and Quad Core CPUs.

Update: Manuel commented asking the following:

It seems core2 duo CPUs have not been included and where they belong.  Are core 2 duo CPUs comparable with i3s or even i5s?  thanks.

Scroll down or click here for the answer.

If you’re in the market to buy a PC and you’re looking for the best value for money, you’ve likely asked yourself: “what’s the difference between Dual and Quad Core and what about i3, i5, and i7?”

This guide offers a basic explanation of these five types of processors and will help you determine the best for your needs.

This guide will answer the following questions:

• What is a processor?
• What is a core?
• What is a multi-core processor?
• Why do I need multiple cores?
• How many cores do i3, i5, and i7′s have?
• How Do Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Compare with Core i3, i5, and i7?
• What Does the “i” Stand for in i3, i5, and i7?
• Do I need a Dual/Quad core or an i3/i5/i7?

What is a Processor?

The Processor or Central Processing Unit (CPU) component of your PC that carries out instructions given to it by your Operating System (Windows.) Think of the processor as a brain that receives instructions and messages (i.e. “HOT HOT HOT Burning!!!”) and sends out instructions to other hardware (i.e. “Arm: lift hand” or “mouth: open; vocal chords: scream”.)

What is a Core?

A standard processor has one core (single-core.) Single core processors only process one instruction at a time (although they do use pipelines internally, which allow several instructions to be processed together; however, they are still run one at a time.)

What is a Multi-Core Processor?

A multi-core processor is composed of two or more independent cores, each capable of processing individual instructions. A dual-core processor contains two cores, a quad-core processor contains four cores, and a hexa-core processor contains six cores.

Why do I Need Multiple Cores?

Multiple cores can be used to run two programs side by side and when an intensive program is running (AV Scan, Video conversion, CD ripping etc.) you can utilize another core to run your browser to check your email etc.

Multiple cores really shine when you’re using a program that can utilize more than one core (called Parallelization) to improve the program’s efficiency. Programs such as graphic software, games etc. can run multiple instructions at the same time and deliver faster, smoother results.

So if you use CPU-intensive software, multiple cores will likely provide a better experience when using your PC. If you use your PC to check emails and watch the occasional video, you really don’t need a multi-core processor.

How many cores do i3, i5, and i7′s have?

• A Dual-core processor has two cores.
• A Quad-core processor has four cores.
• An i3 processor has 2 cores.
• An i5 processor has 2 or 4 cores (depending on the model you have.)
• An i7 processor has 2, 4 or 6 cores (depending on the model you have.)

How Do Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Compare with Core i3, i5, and i7?

Added 2012/01/21:

If you’re looking for a good value PC and have decided on a Core 2 Duo, Core i3, or Core i5 (all best in value for casual computer use), please read on:

Core 2 Duo processors run two threads; i3′s and i5′s run four threads. Core 2 Duo processors are socket 775 (45/65nm); Core i3 and i5 processors are socket 1156 (nm) but only work with DDR3 RAM (Some Core 2 Duo’s work with both DDR2 and DDR3.)

For desktops, I’d stay clear of core 2 duos; for laptops, it all depends on your usage. As laptops aren’t as easy to upgrade, buying dated technology might burn you in the future when you find your Core 2 Duo PC’s motherboard only supports 4GB RAM–for example.

i5′s come with “turbo boost”; however, i3′s overclock very well if that’s your thing. That’s where I’d put my money if you’re considering Core 2 Duo, i3, and i5: the i3 provides the best value for most casual PC users.

While I focused on i3, i5, and Core 2 Duo to answer a reader’s question, the principles apply when comparing i5, i7, and Core 2 Quad. I’d go for the i5 unless you are willing to pay a premium for a little more performance.

What Does the “i” Stand for in i3, i5, and i7?

Added 2012/03/03:

I searched around the web and found speculation that the “i” stands for “Intel”; however, there’s no substantiation to that claim. After coming up with no explanation, I sent an email to Intel tech support. Here’s what they had to say (emphasis added):

Hello Rich,

Thank you for contact Intel(R) Technical Support.

We have received your request. Please be informed that the letter ‘i’ on the model number of the Processor does not stand for any particular detail, technology or feature presented on the product.

This is just a marketing brand name decision. For any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Thank you for your understading (sic).

Sincerely,

Alvaro A.
Intel Customer Support

The i# processors are just branded that way with no special meaning.

Do I need a Dual/Quad core or an i3/i5/i7?

The reason you’re reading this guide is to find out which type of processor you need. I want to give a simple answer and, if you have more to add, please let us know in the comments. As with all computer hardware, the type of processor you need depends on your needs, for how long you want your computer to stay current, and your budget.

Here’s a very simple breakdown of what you should look to buy depending on your computing needs. All suggestions assume you are buying a pre-built PC (so you don’t have to worry about motherboard and RAM specs and so you don’t have to worry about upgrade compatibility.)

If you:

• Browse the internet, check email, and play the occasional flash game (like Farmville): Get a single core netbook or desktop (and don’t spend more than $300 USD — Updated 12/01/21.)
• Do your word processing, spreadsheets etc. on your PC, listen to music often, and watch movies, get a dual core or i3.
• Play the occasional game and are happy with lower resolution and lower quality graphics (my suggestion assumes the graphics processor on the pre-built PC will be well-matched for the processor suggestions), watch HD movies etc., get a dual core or i5.
• If you do graphic publishing, music creation, programming (and compilation), watch HD movies, and like to play visually appealing games, get a Quad core, i5, or i7.
• If you like to have the very best hardware and play the most graphically intense games, get an i7 Extreme.

I realise my suggestions are somewhat generic but should point you in the right direction. If you have a specific question, ask in the forums or leave a comment below.

So… What Computer Should I Purchase?

Added 2012/03/02:

Recently, a number of you have commented asking what computer to buy. As I’m not familiar with all brands, models, and current pricing, I ask that you post your question in Windows Forums where our group of helpful PC geeks will assist in making the choice that’s best for you. Not sure how to use a forum? Start here: How to get great help from Windows Forums.