puget custom computers

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The Dummy's Guide to Power Supplies

Power supplies - they're probably the most overlooked components in any PC, until they break. A failed power supply is one of the easiest problems to diagnose, but a failing or inadequate one is much more subtle and difficult to catch. This paper is designed to give a better understanding...

Tags: Power Supply, Puget Custom Computers, Dummy

White papers 2007-08-27

The KillerNIC - Is It Worth It?

In the ongoing efforts to squeeze every possible performance improvement out of their computing rig, most folks focus almost exclusively on the two heavy hitters in their system when it comes to generating Frames Per Second FPS: CPU and video card. Is it possible that both consumers and hardware manufacturers...

Tags: Puget Custom Computers, Video Cards, Games, Corporate Communications, Networking, Hardware, Components, Personal Technology, Marketing

White papers 2007-04-23

DirectX 10, What Is All the Fuss?

DirectX is something the average gamer doesn't give much thought. Often they don't even see the word until one of their games complains it is out of date. Even then, the necessary version is usually included, so all they have to do is do a quick, painless install and they're...

Tags: DirectX, Puget Custom Computers, DirectX 10, Games, Personal Technology

White papers 2007-02-28

Why RAID Is (Usually) a Terrible Idea

Puget Custom Computers specializes in selling high performance custom computers, and that naturally brings up the question of RAID often. There is an overwhelming opinion out there that if one has the money and wants a blazing fast and stable computer that should put the hard drives in RAID. It...

Tags: Puget Custom Computers, RAID, Storage, Hardware

White papers 2007-02-05

Windows Media Center Edition 2005

For most of them, the computers and the TVs exist in separate worlds - separated by walls between rooms as well as form, function, and ease of use. But what if the computer could do the same things the TV, maybe even the whole home entertainment system, does? What if...

Tags: Windows Media, Media Center PC, Microsoft Windows Media Center, Computer, Puget Custom Computers, Home Entertainment, Productivity, TVs, Tv & Home Theater, Microsoft Windows, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Operating Systems, Software, Consumer Electronics

White papers 2006-09-29

RAID Explained

Modern hard disks come in sizes as large as 500GB, and continue to expand. Soon they will likely reach 1TB (Terra-Byte = 1000GB) and beyond. However, sometimes even the largest or fastest hard disks are not enough for certain applications. The acronym 'RAID' stands for Redundant Array of Independent (or...

Tags: Puget Custom Computers, RAID, Storage, Hardware

White papers 2006-04-15

Dual Processor Vs Dual Core

As the tasks that computers can perform get more complicated, and as people desire to do more at once, computer manufacturers are trying hard to increase speed in order to keep up with demand. Having a faster CPU has been the traditional way to keep up, since a faster CPU...

Tags: Dual-core, Dual Processor, CPU, Puget Custom Computers, Processors, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components

White papers 2006-03-25

SCSI Vs SATA, Which Is Faster?

When configuring a server or high end custom computer, one is often asked about the performance benefits of SCSI over SATA. Since SCSI is much more expensive, the common perception is that it must be significantly faster. The short answer given to that issue is that with the release of...

Tags: SCSI, Puget Custom Computers, Serial ATA, Storage, Hardware

White papers 2005-02-02

Additional Resources

Puget Systems: Independent PC Building is Very Much Alive

Puget Systems: Independent PC Building is Very Much AliveThat pretty much nails it"The difference is that those customers are not buying to meet their desires. They?re buying to meet their needs?real needs."That pretty much sums up how I feel - okay, maybe some small number of people are now...

Tags: Desktops, Puget Systems, PC

Discussion threads 2009-03-11

Extreme PCs and "Homebrewing": Rest in Peace

A $16,000 custom "Extreme PC" built by Puget Systems. Will custom, home-brew systems go the way of the Dodo or the Duesenberg with the retreating economy? Photo: TomsHardware.com Being a technology writer in times like these can be difficult. In...

Tags: PC, Desktops, Hardware, Jason Perlow

Blog posts 2009-03-09

A closer look at the HTC Shift from Sprint

I've been using an HTC Shift from Sprint for over a week now and as you can see in the more than 140 photos and screenshots found in my image gallery and quick and dirty post yesterday I have had a chance to try out most all aspects of the...

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., Device, Microsoft Windows Vista, Sprint Communications, HTC Shift, SnapVUE 1.8, A/C Adapter Brick, Origami Central Application, Keyboards, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Engineering, Microsoft Windows, Hardware, Peripherals, Operating Systems, Software, Matthew Miller

Blog posts 2008-03-20

Desktop RAID is a bad idea

Jon Bach, who runs Puget Custom Computers in Seattle, explains Why RAID is usually a Terrible Idea in his blog.Breaks way more often than disks doJon notes that for some reason many of his customers come to him convinced that they need RAID on their home or professional workstations, and...

Tags: Uncategorized

Blog posts 2007-04-04