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Here's a question: you know who made the processor in your PC? I'm betting you do. But 10 years from now, you won't know and you won't care.

As for the average punter, in just a few years' time they will pay no more attention to the brand of computer chips inside PCs than they do to those in their HDTV. Which is to say, no attention at all.

The reason is this: even entry-level PCs today are good enough for nearly everybody, almost all of the time.

Think about it. When was the last time your PC couldn't open a document or play back a video stream because the processor wasn't fast enough or your video card didn't have enough stream shaders? That's assuming you even know what stream shaders are. If you've avoided finding out, I doff my GeForce GTX 480 to you.

It's useless information. It was likely many years and systems ago that your hardware last let you down. Put simply, modern PCs are plenty powerful enough.

More to the point, when people do have problems, it's likely thanks to an operating system riddled with viruses, trojans and spyware rather than a lack of CPU cores, graphics memory or bus bandwidth.

End of an era of enthusiasts?

It's not just mainstream hardware that's feeling the pinch: the wind has gone out of the enthusiast market, too. Whether it's graphics cards or motherboards, high-end kit seems ever-more futile. The ramifications of this are becoming more and more apparent.

For some companies, it means a change of emphasis. Motherboard maker DFI, for instance, appears to be giving up on enthusiast models. It will probably revert to making unbranded boards for OEM customers.

For a graphics chip maker like Nvidia, it's even more of a challenge. I'm not sure ultra-high-end graphics cards have ever made sense. Today, they're laughably irrelevant to all but a tiny minority of pathologically hardcore enthusiasts.

In fact, these enthusiasts aren't really even gamers – most gamers have consoles. Like me, only freaks who enjoy high-end hardware for the sake of it care about performance GPUs.

Admittedly, there is one exception to all this, and it's to do with bandwidth. By that I mean bandwidth of nearly all kinds – in and out of drives, on and off external storage devices and even to and from internal PC components.

Commoditised industry

However, with SSDs getting cheaper and interfaces such as SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 on the cusp of ubiquity, it will only be a few more years before that final frontier is conquered. When that happens, the hardware industry truly will become commoditised.

Exactly what impact all this will have on the major players is a fascinating question. Already you can see this is something Intel, for instance, is really struggling to come to terms with. Deep down, Intel knows that the $1,000 CPU is not long for this world. It needs new revenue streams.

Probably the best case study here is the Atom processor. At launch, Intel was keen to big up Atom's capability, proclaiming it had squeezed the full x86 computing experience into a tiny, super-efficient chip. Soon after, Intel seemed to realise that Atom made its heavyweight – and higher margin – CPUs look pointless.

So the story changed and Intel executives began bad-mouthing their own product, effectively saying that the Atom processor wasn't the real x86 deal. At the same time, Intel is desperately trying to expand its repertoire into smartphones, set-top boxes and even cars.

Core dilemma

Intriguingly, however, none of those applications will solve Intel's core dilemma. Nobody cares what CPU is powering their sat-nav system. Today, I would wager, a lot more people know the brand of CPU in their PC than their phone or set-top box. However, in a decade's time, Intel will be all but invisible to consumers.

For AMD, on the other hand, that may be no bad thing. It has always struggled to compete with Intel's marketing dollars. AMD would be all too happy to drop its ineffectual efforts to get into the minds of the buying public and get on with the job of supplying hardware manufacturers with 'good enough' chips.

As for what will replace the traditional list of componentry as the differentiator between one PC or laptop and another at the retail level, I say look to the smartphone. That means interfaces, apps, software and services – the ecosystem, as it's known.

More generally, I think PCs will increasingly be sold on the basis of presentation, polish and ease of use, not cores and clocks. But then, what do I know? I'm a hardware guy predicting his own demise.

There are a scary number of ways of playing back your library of movies and music through a TV screen. You can stream them over the LAN via a games console, play them directly from the cloud on an Internet ready TV or simply hook up your laptop via an HDMI cable. You can even play directly off of your iPod.

Many go down the route of least resistance and opt for a do-it-all entertainment on demand set-top box, such as Sky+ or BT Vision, paying a monthly subscription so they never have to get their hands the slightest bit dirty with an extra cable or two.

Nothing, however, has yet displaced building your own media centre to sit at the side of your TV as the ultimate symbol of home hackery. Since the days when phrases like 'digital home' still sounded far reaching, we've been inundated with devices that are supposed to make media streaming easier, but they all add either an extra layer of complexity or force you to relinquish some important level of control.

In the case of a set-top streamer, for example, you still need a separate server, running up your electricity bill and presenting a low to medium fire hazard, somewhere in the house or garden.

Set-top PVRs such as Virgin's V-Box are great, but they are limited for storage space and there's not a lot you can do with recordings once they're made.

No, the only truly efficient, flexible way to get the right setup is to put together a tiny PC to sit by your TV and make it the centre piece of a hi-def audio and video set-up that puts you in complete control of what you watch and listen to. Just don't be surprised if friends call you a geek, because you have to wait for it to boot before they can watch the footie.

So you've decided to build a media centre? Where do you start? It's fairly obvious that your first decision is going to be the case. There are few lounges that have room for a PC tower, even a diminutive mid-rise one, and any large chassis that runs quietly enough is going to be huge.

At the other end of the scale, small-form factor Mini-ITX cases aren't just for low-power Via CPUs any more, you can squash a top-end system into one if you try. Gigabyte even has a board based on Intel's H55 chipset for Core i3/i5/i7 processors that includes USB 3.0 support.

Barely the size of a Nintendo Wii, it gives you the potential for putting a supercomputer in a matchbox. Unfortunately, you'll still need a full-size ATX power supply for the desktop chip, and there's not a lot of room inside a Mini-ITX for a graphics card and internal TV tuners.

For the heat issues alone, we're going to avoid them. Instead, we're sticking with a full-size ATX case, but one of the many that have been designed for living room use (in this instance by Zalman). That means it looks good and some thought has been given to keeping it quiet too – although we're going to improve its acoustics by replacing the two small case fans with a 12cm one.

Kitted out with components

The Zalman case means is that we have plenty of room for extra storage, a twin-tuner TV card and a discrete graphics processor to speed up video encoding. Even with the quad core Intel i5 750 CPU that we've chosen as our processor, it can take a long time to rip a DVD to file using Handbrake.

If you're looking to save money, a dual-core i3 CPU and integrated graphics will still outperform many media centres of yesteryear and is more than capable of pausing live TV and recording two streams at once.

In our extravagance, we've added a small SSD drive to act as our system disk. That should help our media centre boot up or restore from hibernate quickly, and keeping a separate drive for our recordings makes it easy to swap in or add extra capacity later on.

There's a terabyte and a half in there to start, mounted in a silent hard drive from Quiet PC. An alternative option would be to forgo a large internal drive altogether and dump all your audio and video files onto a NAS box for easy streaming anywhere. You'll still need some space for working with video files locally, just not as much.

Inside the media machine, you'll also need an optical drive. We've gone for a combined DVD and Blu-ray burner, which means HD movies and lots of back-up space. It's a corner you can cut by just going for a regular DVD-RW if you like.

Quiet your noise

The final internal component worth noting is the power supply. In the last few PC builds I've put together, the power supply has consistently been the noisiest component, while at the same time being the one you can't do anything to shut up (I'm not brave enough to go prodding around the capacitors inside a 700 to 1,000W PSU).

Silent PSUs, on the other hand, are notoriously unreliable. There's no way you can run a large transformer without generating heat – so we've opted for an intelligently cooled Zalman model, which should provide enough juice for the other components without drowning them out.

Outside of the case, Logitech is the undisputed master of living room peripherals with its awesome, yet relatively inexpensive, Z5500 surround sound system and the excellent Dinovo Mini keyboard controller.

The obvious temptation is to go for a traditional looking remote control, rather than this tiny Bluetooth keyboard with built-in mouse pad, but the thinking here is that if you plan to use your media centre to do anything other than watch TV – such as surf the web or read an email – then a remote won't be enough.

The Dinovo Mini is a gorgeous compromise that does keyboard, mouse and remote in one and folds up to a discrete compact style when not in use. Again, though, it is pricey so if you want to shave £50 or so off of our build price any wireless keyboard and mouse will do.

As far as software goes, the main choice concerns what operating system to use. Windows 7 is excellent for a media centre box, not just because it has good driver support and a TV-style menu screen built-in, but because it's just about the only OS that has effective DPI scaling.

Having a 'ten foot interface' so that the main media menu is usable from the couch is one thing, but in Windows' Display control panel you can compensate for the lack of pixels on a large TV screen by scaling the desktop rendering up so that web pages and dialogue boxes are visible too.

Bill of materials: Cash or card, sir?

Zalman HD501 - £115, quietpc.com

Asus P7P55-M - £66, uk.asus.com

Intel Core i5 750 - £157, www.intel.com

Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 7 - £18, quietpc.com

4GB Patriot DDR3 - £90, www.patriotmemory.com

Zalman ZM500-ST - £51, quietpc.com

Kingston SSDNow V+ 128GB - £210, www.kingston.com

Samsung Spinpoint Eco Green F2 1.5TB - £80, quietpc.com

Plextor PXB940 - £170, www.plextor-europe.com

HIS HD5550 Silence - £60, www.hisdigital.com

KWORLD PCI-E PE355-2T - £50, www.novatech.com

Logitech Dinovo Mini - £100, www.logitech.co.uk

Logitech Z5500 Digital - £235, www.logitech.co.uk

Total: £1,352

1. Debox the motherboard

We're going to assemble some basic components before we put them inside the PC case, because it's a hell of a lot easier to do it now before things start to get cramped.

2. Slip in your CPU

Open up the processor socket by lifting the metal retaining arm and folding back the rectangular cover. Hold the CPU by its edges, there are two notches on the sides.

3. Easy tiger, don't force it

The notches on the CPU match up with the shape of the plastic socket. Sit the chip gently on the pins, taking care not to bend any, so that the notches on the socket and processor match up. It should ease neatly into place, allowing you to fold over the metal cover and push the retaining lever back without exerting any pressure.

4. RAM it in (gently now)

Memory modules use the same method of matching up notches to make sure chips can't be inserted the wrong way round. Align the notches and open up the clip on the edge of the port.

5. The second channel

As you gently push the memory module into place, the clip should slowly lock down on itself securely, holding the chip down. To ensure that you get dual channel performance, you'll need two sticks of RAM, in this case they are slotted into similarly coloured ports – although be aware not all motherboards use the same colour coding.

6. Get primed for the heatsink

Before we fit the motherboard into the chassis, we need to attach the plastic mounting bracket for the heatsink. Use a pair of long-nose pliers, if you have them, as you will need to push the white plugs into the middle holes and lock them in place with the black pins.

7. Two fans – bad, one big'un – good

Now you need to open up the chassis. Make sure you put the lid to one side where it won't get scratched. We're going to remove the two small fans located at the back of the case. We're going to place one much larger 12cm fan in the side mount above the CPU, which will provide just as much airflow with a lot less noise..

8. Shields up, gentlemen

With the fans out of the way, take the RF shield (it should be in the mobo box) and push it through the slim rectangular hole beneath the case fan slots. The shield is the metal strip that's pierced with cutouts for the rear ports. Make sure it goes in the right way up…

9. Mount the motherboard

With the RF shield in the right way round, it's time to slide the motherboard into place. The board must not touch the case or you'll create a short and bork the board, so you'll have to move the brass risers into the holes in the tray that match up with the pattern of pre-drilled holes in the motherboard.

10. Stop, Hammer time

If everything has been aligned correctly, the motherboard should simply drop into place and slide into the holes in the RF shield. Check all the risers match up one last time and screw the motherboard into position with the large screws supplied with the case.

11. Heatsinking the CPU

While there's still room in the case we'll fit the CPU heatsink. Screw it on top of the plastic bracket we fitted in step six, taking care not to disturb the square of thermal paste.

12. Start your fans please

Attach the fan power supply to the CPU fan header pins and move on to the hard drives – you'll find an adaptor for the slimline SSD drive in the case accessories. The drive sits inside and is locked into position with small screws.

13. Strip out the caddy shack

Now remove the hard drive caddy in the chassis by releasing the large thumbscrew. There's space for three regular drives – more if you're using SSDs. For now, fix the SSD into its adaptor and put it into one of the removable trays before putting the caddy back into place.

14. Swappable shoppable

Our largest drive, the Samsung Spinpoint 1.5TB is going to go in the hotswap bay in the front of the chassis. To fit it, just open the lower door on the front and pull out the plastic tray. The hard drive should fit snugly in the retainers. Note: before you put the tray back in, we'll need to fit the Blu-ray drive.

15. Blu-ray me so fa

Remove the optical drive and hotswap bay by loosening the thumbscrew inside the front of the chassis and the bolt on top. Like the hard drive caddy, it lifts out for easy access. Slide the Blu-ray drive into the top bay until it clicks, then screw it into position.

16. Exhaust port

With the caddy out of the way, pop off the side of the case nearest the processor by releasing the plastic clips on the inside and unscrewing the back, then slide the 12cm fan into place behind the grill. Make sure that the fan is oriented to blow air out of the case, not to suck it in (or you'll be in for a surprise), and bolt it down from the outside.

17. Hook up and shut up

You can hook the fan power cable up to the chassis fan header on the mobo or the throttled controls behind the hotswap bay – it's your choice. Now push the side of the case back on.

18. Buckle it down, buddy

After you've put the caddy back in, you can slide the hotswap drive back through the front and begin cabling all three drives up. Just take a SATA cable for each and attach it to the ports on the motherboard. The hotswap drive port is on the back of the caddy.

19. Fit for PCI positioning

To fit the GPU card and the TV tuner, you'll need to remove two of the silver expansion covers from the back of the case. Take out the cover that lines up to the top 16 lane PCI-e port, and one that lines up with a smaller slot lower down.

20. TV and video in

Push the two cards firmly into the expansion ports on the motherboard and secure them with screws at the rear of the case. Don't worry about the half-height adaptors that are included with both. You won't need them for this build.

21. Supplying the power

The final component is the power supply. This fits into the space beneath the motherboard so that the three-pin connector is facing out the back. Align it so that the holes in the rear match the pattern around the slot, and bolt it into position from the outside of the case.

22. Pinning the power supply

You'll need to connect the motherboard's 2-pin ATX power supply as a second four-pin adaptor near the CPU socket. Now string a SATA cable to the optical and SSD drives – the hot swap drive and fans will need four-pin Molex connectors attached to the rear of the bay.

23. Front panel fun

Finally, all that's left to do is attach the front panel connectors. This can be a bit fiddly, but if you follow the guide in the motherboard manual you should be able to hook up the power switch, indicator lights, audio and USB connectors without too many problems.

24. The turn of the screw

With all the cabling done and tucked away neatly, it's now time to close up the chassis by sliding on the lid and doing up the thumbscrews at the rear. Now you need to hook up your peripherals, power leads and your monitor. You may need an old cabled keyboard for the next part of the build.

25. Installing Windows

Installing Windows is simple. On the first bootup press [DEL] to get into the BIOS and navigate to Boot > Boot order. Now set the Blu-ray drive as your first boot device, put your Windows 7 DVD in and just follow the onscreen instructions. Make sure that you install the Windows operating system to the smaller SSD drive if you're using it.

26. Install the drivers

Install the drivers for your keyboard, mobo and and graphics card. Don't use the Quick Setup program for the TV card – we'll be using Media Centre, so launch 'E:\Driver\Setup.exe'.

27. Set up the software

Now you can start up Windows Media Centre. On the first run through, it'll want to set up your hardware. This is a pretty straightforward process, and you will need to give it control over both tuners in your TV card. It can take a bit of time, though – don't panic if nothing seems to be happening.

28. TV shenanigans and aerial antics

Nine times out of ten, the first automated set-up you try won't work properly. If you click through the manual options for TV setup, there's a better chance you'll find channels, otherwise you may want to invest in a signal booster (Maplin sells them for £15).

29. Get the right drive

Before you go any further, scroll down the main Media Centre menu to Task and choose 'Settings'. Then click TV > Recorder > Recorder storage and change the drive for files to your larger data drive.

30. For your viewing pleasure

If everything has gone according to plan, you should now have a live electronic program guide in Media Centre's TV screen, from which you can click to a current channel, schedule recording and find out information about programs.

31. Pause and record

From the Media Centre screen you can go to full screen view, pause (but we advise not pausing on James May's mug that'd be horrible) and record live TV and change channel with the cursor keys. Anything you decide to record will be saved in a folder called 'Recorded TV', which is automatically linked to your library folders in Windows Explorer.

32. Sharing your favourite shows

Because everything is logged straight into you Windows Media Player libraries, you can stream shows to other devices around the house. In order to burn them to DVD, though, you'll need to convert them to DVR-MS files (Right-click the show file) first.

33. Feed me more content

You can access a fairly limited supply of online channels and TV shows from Microsoft's online video player, but for a larger number of streams you're better off installing a third party program, such as Boxee, for example.

The world of gaming systems is driven by the expressions of power. It's all swirling graphics and butch names, usually from Greek mythology. All a little adolescent really.

Now, however, being green is becoming sexy in an odd sort of way. It shows you care and can get you chicks (tongue + cheek).

Of course, big business has always been interested in low-power consumption; mainly because it saves money. Now the target of economy has been repackaged and resold as green to the rest of us, with all the moral overtones that entails.

It's no longer a dull business machine; it's a shiny green eco-model with logos to prove it. Sorry if this sounds cynical, it's our job to be. Whether you are a full-blown believer in the impending doom or not, there is an awful lot of being 'green' which doesn't wash well.

That games system you covet, replete with monster GPU, power supply and over-specified everything else with pleasing LED glowy bits, has started to look a little irresponsible - similar to huge 4x4s, flying to Switzerland for the weekend, heated swimming pools and all the other things that used to be merely decadent, not morally reprehensible. Can we have our cake and eat though?

Obviously we are not going to stop playing games, that's just crazy talk.

Power consumption of all

How much power does your PC use? And don't think the number on the PSU has anything to do with it, that's just the absolute maximum the power supply can manage reliably.

Armed with a plug-in energy monitor (about a tenner from Maplins) we took two systems from opposite ends of the power curve and had a look.

First, we tried an unassuming Dell business machine running a Celeron, which had Intel integrated graphics. During boot it peaked at 109W then settled down to 67W at the Windows desktop. We gave it a few meaty tasks, but couldn't get it to use more than 120W, thrashing the hard drive had the biggest effect. Meanwhile, setting the machine into standby mode it consumes only 3W.

Next, we tried something tasty running on a high-end motherboard. We know it is high-end because it has pointless lights and flashy fins all over it. Graphics came thanks to a ludicrously large and hot Radeon 5970. Booting peaked at 250W and even doing nothing much in particular at the desktop it consumed a healthy 170W.

Start running a DirectX 11 benchmark and it jumps to 200W as the 2.0TB hard drive spins up. When the 3D really started to do its stuff, it topped out at over 350W. This is a big beast of a rig, and even on standby it managed to be greedy at 9W.

These don't compare terribly well with the new generation of Green PCs especially developed and sold with their green credentials to the fore. A typical example consumes about 30W at the desktop. The question is: can we modify our gaming system to be both capable and green?

What can I save?

Some quick calculation on watts and prices reveal that saving money – and money is power – isn't going to be easy. The trouble is that electricity is just so cheap relatively speaking. Just twelve pennies will run an average PC for about ten hours.

The only reason you might grumble at your electricity bill is that we've all been seduced into buying loads and loads of electrical items and then using them all the time, like the wasteful beasts we are, instead of being content with candles and mangles.

How much can you actually save by cutting your PC's power consumption? Taking peak rate at 12p and running your PC for an average of five hours a day, every day for a year, and having shaved 10W off its power consumption, saves… wait for it: £2.20. Which sounds, er, spectacularly mediocre. Still, it's a start. And if everybody did it, it would be a goodly thing to do.

Running though the options for the major components we start with…

Processor

Chips can be pretty power hungry at full blast. If you look at your processor specifications you'll find the TDP, Thermal Design Power, which is quoted in watts. For desktop chips this runs from about 45 to 140W.

This isn't the power consumption though, it's the maximum heat dispersion required, and it is an absolute maximum too, it's useful only as a rough guide. Actual power consumption can be tricky to ascertain, as it is dependent on what your system is doing.

Modern processors are pretty good at throttling back and switching off cores, so picking a high performance one won't necessarily mean a such a huge increase in overall power consumption. Bare in mind that when idling CPUs can drop to as little as 10W. The more energy efficient chips tend to be the more mature designs running on a smaller process.

Many older designs now appear in low voltage flavours. Intel has a 1GHz Pentium M which has a TDP of just 7W. Nice, but it's not quite got the oomph we'll want.

AMD's top Phenoms come in at 140W TDP, but drop to 125 or even 95W fairly quickly. Even relatively new chips such as the Deneb core Phenom II have low power 'e' versions. The Phenom II X4 910e offers 2.6GHz four core fun at 65W.

Top choices from Intel include the Clarksfield-based i3s which run at 73W. Basically if you want power you pays the watts.

Since the point of this piece is keeping the power while trying to be green there is no point suggesting you cripple such an important component. That said, if the choice is between two chips at the cusp of the TDP categories, well lower might not hurt.

As for cooling: a typical fan might consume six watts or so and be able to idle at less, not much really. Going passive will save you that, of course, and all those copper pipes and aluminium fins look dead cool [Could you sound any older? – Ed].

But this on it's own isn't going to save you that much, and passive cooling can introduce all kinds of problems.

Memory

PC memory uses about 8W a stick for 1.8V. The simple way to reduce power is to reduce the voltage, which has been dropping steadily anyway. DDR started out at 2.5V, DDR2 at 1.8V and DDR3 at 1.5V. DDR4, due anytime 2012ish, should start out at running at 1.2V. Fitting fewer larger sticks doesn't hurt either as long as you keep your channels populated.

In the meantime we have low voltage DDR3 modules appearing which can run at as low as 1.25V. These are a trifle expensive though and quite frankly unless you are running some sort of server farm aren't worth the special investment. When the low voltage sticks become readily affordable then it is an obvious way to shave off some watts.

If you've been toying with the idea of fitting more memory though then go for it, as this will stop Windows hitting the swap file as much and spinning up the hard drive. Talking of which, we move onto…

Hard drive

Power and consumption here is pretty much directly linked to the spin speed, access time and the capacity. A typical drive burns between 10 to 15W at full chat and half that at idle. Obviously two drives means more power, so always go for one big drive.

There are a few clever things the manufacturers can do here, and are beginning to. Hitachi has a new energy efficient Deskstar range, which still runs at 7,200rpm but manages under 5W at idle and an impressive 7W or so at full bore. The price paid is sluggish access times, over 18ms, and like going back to 90s.

Western Digital has released what it terms its 'GreenPower' series, which runs at a more leisurely 5,200rpm and boasts a reduction of four or five watts. A saving, but again performance takes a hit.

What is clear from these greener drives is that you don't get owt for nowt. There is just not enough wriggle room to make significant saving without reducing performance.

How about solid state drives then? No motor to spin here. We were expecting some savings, and were disappointed.

Using our high-end test system we swapped out the 2.0TB traditional drive and fitted a 40GB SSD. Power consumption at the desktop dropped from 170W to 162W, putting a heavy load on the drive it managed a tad over 185W against around 200W. A saving, but nothing spectacular.

In fact one of the major disappointments of SSDs, particularly for laptops, is the minimal power savings, when compared to 2.5-inch laptop drive there's not much in it. The trouble is when SSDs are active they always draw their maximum power, unlike traditional drives, which only use maximum power when moving rapidly.

It's a developing technology though, and power saving modes have yet to be sorted out. Perhaps somebody could have a word with Microsoft about the way Windows seemingly insists on hammering the drive at every opportunity. But now for the real culprit…

Graphics card

Any 3D card that requires its own connection to your PC's power supply has to be up to something. If it has multiple GPUs, lots of RAM and is widely lauded as desirable then it's also a power hungry beast.

Among the real bad boys here are the GeForce GTX 480 and the Radeon HD 5970. The former can touch 200W and the latter over 250W when pushing lots of pixels, which is likely to be more than the rest of your whole PC.

Further down the scale things get more reasonable, just about. Even fairly humble cards, such as the GeForce 7900 GT or Radeon X1800 GTO draw 60W in full 3D fly, and still need about half that when you are sitting about at the desktop in plain old 2D.

If gaming is part of your thing then is it worth downgrading your 3D card for the sake of power consumption? Of course not, are you mad? If you are putting together a system that isn't going to run 3D to the max then here is where you can save heaps of watts.

If you are changing cards anyway, then it is worth doing a little digging to see what can give you the performance you need at a reasonable rate, single GPU cards for a start. Whilst the green credentials for many components are easy to find, graphics cards tend to be quiet about this side of things, understandably perhaps.

Power supply

Finally, we have a component where it might actually be worth upgrading simply to reduce your power consumption. A typical non-branded PSU is only about 75 to 80 per cent efficient – ouch. Older ones can be even worse.

If your PC is burning 200W then a 75 per cent efficient PSU is actually drawing 250W and using 50W of that to heat your room. Switch to an 85 per cent efficient model and you've saved a commendable 15W, without any compromise in performance. That's the beauty of this saving, it makes no difference to anything other than the power used.

The wattage quoted on PC power supplies is a maximum, what it actually puts out depends on what your PC requires, so there's no point in worrying about having a high rating if it isn't needed. In fact running a much more powerful PSU means running it at well below its capacity, which is often less efficient than running a smaller PSU at a higher load.

You also need a factor in this efficiency when picking a suitable wattage too. A 500W supply at 80 per cent efficiency can only supply 400W for your system. Somewhere on your PSU you'll find a little label which tells you the amperage available at 12V, multiply this out to get an idea of the output available.

Help is at hand here, an initiative called 80 PLUS comprehensively tests power supplies for efficiency. Anything managing over 80 per cent earns a bronze standard, go better and it's a silver, gold or even platinum award where efficiencies are a minimum of 90 per cent across the load ranges tested.

A comprehensive list of tested PSUs is on the www.80plus.org website and it is well worth checking any potential purchase here (Enermax looks to be particularly good and EarthWatts good value).

Will you get your money back though if you swap when you're existing PSU isn't kaput yet? Maybe if you make heavy use of your PC, switching could save 20W or so then at a usage of ten hours a day or more and you'll get back your £50 in five to six years. Woo.

That covers your major components. There are other draws on power. Optical drives are much of a muchness and it's only a few watts anyway even when there are at full spin. Switching back to wired networks saves a few more watts. Using motherboards with laptop chipsets saves you more, but at a considerable cost.

Are we green yet?

Well sort of. As the figures show buying new kit to try and reduce the power consumption is mostly a waste of time. Even when hammering your PC all day every day, getting your money back before your PC is retired from active service is next to impossible.

The only really big savings you can make easily are to take out your 3D card (no thank you) and maybe getting a super-efficient power supply. With some research and careful choices, you can build a PC that is cheaper to run without being too dull.

You can start by simply not over specifying. If it doesn't need too fancy a graphics card or such a capacious hard drive. Don't just pick ultra low power components either, many of these come at quite a premium, you may be better off with cheaper standard models. It's performance per watt we want, not just the lowest possible wattage.

In moderation

The specifications of the typical PC marketed under the green banner are a good guide, as these tend towards the same idea – moderate power CPU, no specialist 3D card, passive cooling, not too much RAM and a low speed, smaller hard drive. This is hardly the blueprint for a modern games machine though; a decent media player at best.

Hardcore greens, and if you consider yourself one then you've obviously found this magazine in somebody else's recycling bin, might well scoff at what we have covered here. The solution is simple, turn your PC off, apart from the hours you spend posting self-satisfied messages on forums about how much you've lowered your 'carbon footprint' of course (now we're scoffing, sorry).

It's not all about saving money you say, that's just a peripheral consideration, lowering the wattage is all. This reduces the load on power stations and means we burn less fuel. A valid point, but once something has been made, needlessly replacing it usually doesn't help in the long run.

The off switch is the first and best way to save power. Don't forget to make sure you get rid of any PC kit responsibly too, preferably passing it on to make the most of it.

Gartner (respected IT research and advisory firm) reckon that 70 per cent of the natural resources consumed by a PC over its life is used during its manufacture. A constant cycle of upgrading it not good news environmentally.

The message then is buy responsibly and keep kit in use. You really want to go proper green? Don't buy a PC or peripheral, there are loads lurking under people's beds and at the back of cupboards. Never upgrade and learn to love integrated graphics. Then switch it on only in case of emergencies, and give yourself a hard time about it afterwards. Are we having fun yet?

The trouble here is, well, you can't do all the wonderful stuff a really buzzing PC can do, not least of all the 3D wonderment that is modern gaming, if you go all out for 'greenness', which can be, like anything that is uncompromising – a right pain. Perhaps the simplest, and certainly the cheapest way, to help save the planet, is to change behaviour first.

Using a little thought and effort you can reduce your power consumption without compromising all the chocolatey goodness. What you can't do is simply go shopping for new components and think that'll be enough to be 'green'. You'll pay out more than you'll ever recover, cause yet more kit to be manufactured and lower performance. Do you want to merely look green, or actually be green?

Enjoy a decent games system and turn the thing off when you leave the room (or at the least switch to standby). Remember your parents telling you to turn off the lights? They were not only being annoying, they had a point.

Fears are mounting that PC sales have dropped off significantly, with Intel and AMD shares both falling this week.

The PC market has been buoyant, but news from the Far East markets is apparently not good.

"Checks in Taiwan indicate PC orders falling off a cliff," JP Morgan analyst Christopher Danely stated.

"We believe a host of PC companies pushed out orders throughout the supply chain."

Sharp deceleration

Baird analyst Tristan Gerra added "Our checks point to a sharp deceleration in PC order trends continuing into August, after a below-expectation July month.

"Hopes of a meaningful recovery for the September month are less and less likely, in our view, leading to a likely below-expectation third quarter."

Despite the economic uncertainty of recent years, the PC market has been remarkably buoyant.

But even with a round of upgrades for Windows 7 and the explosive growth of the mobile computing market, some are now worried that the bubble has burst.

Memory is quick and easy to change, and because the result of buying new RAM is often a performance gain, it's one of the most common upgrades carried out on a PC.

But things don't always go smoothly, and faulty RAM causes its fair share of heartache. Repeated 'Stop' errors, freezes and other crashes may well be caused by duff memory.

Even if you've never upgraded your RAM, if your PC has difficulties like these, memory may still be the problem. Substituting it with some new RAM may help, but if your memory isn't actually the culprit, the expense may not be worth it.

To make sure that the RAM is at fault, you need to run some tests. The most efficient is MemTest86 – grab it from www.memtest.org.

Go to the Memtest site, choose 'Free Download' and opt for the latest version in ISO image form. This will be downloaded as a ZIP archive, so browse to it and double-
click the file. Choose 'Extract All Files in Windows Explorer', then follow the wizard to extract the ISO file.

Use a free CD-burning program like CD Burner XP to burn the ISO image to CD. Launch the program and go to 
'File' > 'Write Disc from ISO File' before finally browsing to the ISO image and clicking 'Write Disc'.

See the walkthrough below for details on how to run the program.

Memtest86 is very thorough, and because it runs outside Windows you can be sure that you're checking RAM addresses that might normally be occupied by Windows components (and thus are likely to produce crashes).

Running continuous testing for a couple of hours should ensure that you've checked each address multiple times. The longer you run the test, the more accurate your results will be.

If you get errors reported and you have multiple RAM modules, remove all but one and run Memtest86 again. Swap your other modules in and retest to confirm which is causing the issue. This will save you from replacing more memory than necessary.

Once you've identified the faulty module(s), you can start looking for replacements. Your motherboard manual or PC documentation should tell you the specification of the RAM you need, but useful paperwork isn't always to hand.

Memory specialist Crucial provides a useful online tool to identify the type of RAM you need. You can either use its scanner tool (if you use Internet Explorer and you don't mind having your system probed or the possible privacy implications that this might have) or you can use Crucial's own Memory Advisor product.

This is a simple database in which you select the manufacturer, product line and model number of your off-the-
peg PC, laptop or motherboard. Once you've found out the specification for the memory modules needed, you can shop with Crucial if you like, or you can browse Kelkoo and others to find the best price.

Thoroughly test existing memory

1. Boot from CD

Once your Memtest86 ISO file has been burned to CD, restart your computer so that it boots from this disc. You may need to enable CD booting in the BIOS or select the Boot menu at startup for this to happen. You should boot directly into Memtest86 and start testing.

2. Run automatic tests

Memtest86 automatically runs a number oftests on your RAM. If all is well, the memory should pass all of these tests. You can run continuous tests to detect intermittent problems. If errors are reported, you may need to replace one or more of your memory modules.

3. Configure specific tests

You can configure the program by pressing [C] while it's up and running. This opens a menu that gives you the full choice of tests to run and enables you to set a memory address range to test. That option may be useful if you're getting intermittent problems.

Microsoft has put up a PC vs Mac page, with the software giant defending Windows PCs against Apple's increasingly popular computers.

With Apple's computer sales buoyant, Microsoft appears to have decided to throw down the gauntlet to its rival, despite the huge success of Windows 7.

A 'Deciding between a PC and a Mac?' page is already being widely discussed on social networking sites, with Microsoft not pulling its punches.

Spoil your fun

"Macs might spoil your fun" says part of the text, with Microsoft explaining: "You can't get a Mac that ships with a Blu-ray player, TV tuner, Memory Stick reader, or built-in 3G wireless. You can with PCs running Windows 7.

"Most of the world's most popular computer games aren't available for Macs. And Macs can't connect to an Xbox 360. PCs are ready to play."

And the attack continues; Macs 'have a learning curve' asserts Microsoft, 'don't like to share', 'don't let you choose' and 'might not like your PC stuff'.

Incendiary stuff from Microsoft, although the company will point out that Apple has been having a pop at the PC for years.

But, dignified silence would at least have stopped the multitudes of accusing Microsoft of running scared by reacting.

The PC Gaming Alliance has released figures that suggest that annual shipping volumes for PC gaming hardware were two times the combined amounts for all the major consoles last year.

With the PC perceived as being increasingly marginalised by major companies, the figures from the PCGA Horizons report serve as a timely reminder that the platform remains not only buoyant but massively profitable.

"Annual shipment volumes for the PC gaming hardware market in 2009 were over two times larger than the combined Wii, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console units shipped in the same period," said the PCGA report.

Trend continues

"This trend for the PC Gaming hardware market to outpace all console shipments combined is expected to continue through the forecasted period of the research," it adds

"In addition, revenues from consumer PCs capable of gaming that shipped with a discrete GPU (excludes netbooks and integrated graphics-based PCs) totalled approximately $54.6 billion in 2009 and are forecasted to grow to $61.3 billion by 2014."

New era

"PC gaming is the highest profile and most mature example of a new era of computing systems based on usage," said Richard Shim, research manager at IDC covering PCs.

"These new usage-based systems are hardware configurations optimised for an improved user experience.

"Consumers are often willing to pay more for such an experience. In the case of gaming PCs, up to 25 per cent more as compared to a mainstream system."

We grabbed these pictures of Lenovo's new flagship all-in-one at an event in London this morning.

The IdeaCentre A700 has a 23-inch touchscreen display featuring technology usually found in medical equipment, called Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW).

Unlike some other Windows 7 touchscreen devices, you can certainly be precise on this screen, though we'd love to see how it performs on an OS deliberately made with touch in mind.

The high-end models cost upwards of £1,399, although the low-end model will cost £999 – the same as a low end iMac which has a smaller screen but the same Intel Core i3 processor. Other variants of the A700 are available with Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 processors.

The screen of the A700 looks terrific and will be ideal for viewing HD content - while the lower end model has a DVD drive, the other versions go for Blu-ray. The PC can also be configured with up to 4GB of memory and 1TB of storage, while higher-end models also have a 3-in-1 mouse that you can also use as a gaming pointer which you may remember we saw back at CES 2009.

The A700 looks a little bulky compared to an iMac, for example, though it's 0.8 inches at its thinnest point - 2.5 inches at its thickest.

The PC has a somewhat space-age feel about it and, while plastic plays a part in the design, it certainly doesn't feel cheap.

We spoke to James Pank at Lenovo. "This is an area that we think we can lead in," he said, rather bullishly. "We have almost every conceivable port and socket on this machine," he added, referring to the IdeaCentre A700's huge variety of ports and inputs including HDMI. There are also JBL Dolby Home Theatre speakers among the other touches.

The A700 also comes with various touch apps such as Cyberlink PowerCinema.

Microsoft will be using the slogan "Be What's Next" it announced at the MGX conference, but new idents it showed in a video will not be new logos for its key brands

Microsoft Global Exchange was shown a video which included the flash new idents, but the company has insisted that they are not replacing the current logos.

New logos?

Logos for Windows, Windows Phone, Bing and Xbox were all shown alongside the familiar Office logo, sparking widespread talk of the change.

With Windows Phone 7 a key new arrival for Microsoft this year, you can understand why people would think that Microsoft is jazzing up its image.

The forthcoming Mobile OS is a key visual change from its predecessors that is much more consumer friendly, and it would make sense if new logos were rolled out across the board.

But it seems that the company is not quite ready to move on, just yet, although the idents certainly looked rather nice.

Hewlett Packard has maintained its PCmarket leadership in Europe and the Middle East, with IDC's figures suggesting that the computer giant has become even more dominant in the desktop market but under pressure from its rivals in laptops.

IDC's figures show growth for Acer – particularly in Central and Eastern Europe – with the Taiwanese company continuing its impressive showing in the mobile computing market.

HP remains just ahead of Acer in total market share with 20.3 per cent of the EMEA market compared to Acer's 20 per cent.

Dell is the third biggest in terms of total market share with 9.6 per cent.

Asus has put on a huge growth spurt in the year-on-year comparisons, overtaking Toshiba (5.8 per cent) in the past 12 months to move from a 5.2 per cent share in Q2 2009 to 8.3 per cent in Q2 2010.

Strong performances

Of the other vendors, IDC suggests that 'several vendors recorded strong performances'.

"In sixth position, Lenovo recorded an outstanding 70% growth, driven by major expansion in CEE and the healthy uptake in commercial demand in Europe, said IDC's report.

Samsung reinforced its seventh position in the EMEA ranking…The vendor launched its first all-in-one product, thus entering the EMEA desktop market.

"Apple and Sony continued to leverage strong consumer demand and branding, while Fujitsu remained constrained overall, but gained share in the commercial desktop segment in Western Europe, benefiting from the ongoing desktop renewals across several countries."

The PC market has grown by 21 per cent in Europe and the Middle East during the second quarter of 2010, with sales of both laptops and desktops recorded by IDC's latest figures.

IDC suggests that the growth for the PC market has been solid – in line or slightly ahead or predictions – with businesses beginning to upgrade and consumers feeling confident in replacing their old systems.

"While European economies remained challenged by a potential new wave of crisis across the eurozone…the PC market continued to deliver a robust performance in Western Europe," said Eszter Morvay, Research Manager for IDC's EMEA Personal Computing.

Cycle beginning again

"Mainstream notebook renewals continued to be the key engine of growth for the second consecutive quarter, while demand for mini notebooks slowed further, with volumes contracting in Western Europe," added Morvay.

"With the renewal of a large notebook installed base having been put on hold for the past 12 months, many users are now looking at replacing their main platform.

"This latest renewal cycle of primary PCs is also stimulating a revival of consumer desktop demand, supported by the attractive price/performance ratio of standard desktops as well as new appealing all-in-one systems."

IDC puts the growth in desktops down to businesses beginning a new purchase cycle for businesses and the rise of sales of all-in-one PCs.

You've installed a new application, but then found that another program has stopped working. When you uninstall the troublesome app, everything goes back to normal. Clearly there's some kind of conflict going on here. But where?

Diagnosing problems like this can be incredibly difficult, because there are just so many possibilities. Don't give up, though: there's a free tool that could provide all the answers.

Windows' System State Analyzer is a little-known Microsoft program that, in a few clicks, will take snapshots of your PC, then let you compare two and display the differences. Use it in a situation like this and you'll discover exactly the information you need to diagnose conflicts.

But that's not all. Using System State Analyzer (SSA) before and after an installation can identify the unwanted 'extras' included with a program – adware, browser helper objects and so on.

It can also help you to confirm that an uninstall program really has removed every trace of an application (and if it hasn't, you can see exactly what's left behind). It may be obscure, but the SSA is one of Microsoft's most interesting tools – and you'll benefit from having your own copy.

Set up the program

Windows SSA is included in Microsoft's Software Certification Toolkit, which as you might guess, isn't aimed at the average home PC user. It's not easy to find, either, but if you point your browser at the Windows Server 2008 pages and look down the page, you'll find a 'Certification Test Tool' heading.

Below that are download links for both the 32-bit and 64-bit toolkits, both of which will run on Windows 7, Vista and Server 2008. Grab the one you need and install it with the default settings.

After you've downloaded the toolkit, click 'Start', type windows system and click the 'Windows System State Analyzer' link to launch the program.

BROWSE AWAY: A browser-based SSA report provides more details, here including the services that had been added and modified between our two snapshots

It works by creating a snapshot of your PC – something that completely describes its files, Registry keys, services and drivers. It's usually a surprisingly quick process, taking around three minutes on an uncluttered, high-end PC.

If you have an older system, though, we found analysis could take an hour or more, so if you're just taking a snapshot for the purposes of assessing a regular program installation, it might be worth restricting the details you ask the SSA to examine.

Click 'Tools' > 'Options', select all drives other than the system partition (assuming that's where the program will be installed), and click 'Remove'.

In extreme cases, you could also remove your system partition, then restore just a specific folder.

Adding just C:\Windows, for instance, would record any changes in that and any other subfolders, but cut your scan time to a minimum. These could mean you'll miss out on changes to other folders, though, so we'd only recommend you try this if you find that SSA is very slow.

Choose exactly which areas you would like to include in the snapshot, then, and click 'OK' toconfirm the changes.

Take some snapshots

The simplest way to test SSA is to create one snapshot, install a reasonably complex program, create a second snapshot and then compare them both. Our recommendation would be a security tool, something like PC Tools Spyware Doctor – a program that will install drivers and services, and generally give you an interesting report.

Download whatever application you intend to install, then close your browser and any other programs you might have running. Once your system is suitably free of active programs, switch back to SSA and click the 'Start' button in the left-hand pane. Then just leave it to do its work.

The snapshot should be complete in just a few minutes, but if it's not, don't open other apps: it'll only create extra system changes and so reduce the usefulness of the snapshot.

Once the first snapshot has been created, close SSA and install whatever program you chose for the test. Do this just as though you were installing the program for real, and reboot when you're done, if the setup program asks you to do so.

Finally, reload the SSA and click the 'Start' button in the right-hand pane to create the second snapshot. It'll take roughly the same amount of time as the first.

Produce some results

Once the SSA reports that it's finished the second scan, you might be tempted to click the Quick Comparison tab to examine the results.

However, some poor interface design means you can select the tab before it's actually been populated with anything useful; what you have to do is click the 'Compare' button, then wait as SSA itemises the differences.

The comparison process, in our experience, doesn't take long. You'll also be asked if you want to create a detailed report. Click 'Yes', point the program at the folder where you'd like to save the report, and name it. Then wait while the report is generated.

More dubious interface design means that SSA will now appear to have locked up. Don't worry, though – the program hasn't crashed, it's just busy working on the report. Eventually a window will appear and you'll finally be able to see exactly what's changed between the two snapshots.

Read the reports

Minimise the HTML report for the moment, and click the Quick Comparison tab for an instant look at how your PC setup has changed. You'll immediately see just how useful SSA can be.

FULL DISCLOSURE: So which files has that setup program added to your system? The Quick Comparison view reveals all (in a lot of detail)

Our Spyware Doctor test comparison, for example, revealed immediately that the program had added three services to our PC's configuration, and told us all about them.

The program had also added a kernel driver to our PC, and SSA revealed that it had also modified another driver, Winsock IFS, in order to intercept network traffic. That's expected and completely acceptable for a security tool, but if you were monitoring a simpler installation and noticed it did this, that should raise an alert.

You're also able to view the files that have been added to your PC (signed, unsigned and any manifests), along with any that have been deleted or modified. This is generally less useful than you'd expect, as it's cluttered with a lot of temporary files created during the setup process.

And of course you can also browse new, deleted or modified Registry keys in each hive ('HKEY_CURRENT_USER', 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE', and so on). Again, there's a lot of setup-related details that won't mean a lot, but fortunately the list is sorted by key name, so you can scroll through the less useful information in seconds.

Go more in-depth

While the Quick Comparison view generally works well, you will occasionally run into problems. In our Spyware Doctor test, for instance, we noticed that the SSA was reporting more than 16,000 additions to the 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' Registry hive.

Yes, really – 16,000. And to make it even worse, Quick Comparison only lets you view this in blocks of 1,000 keys, so navigating the full list is tedious in the extreme.

Fortunately there's an easy answer when you run into such limitations: switch to the browser-based detailed report that you created earlier. (Or, if you didn't, click the 'Detailed Report' button in the Quick Comparison window.)

NARROW IT DOWN: Want to track just files, the Registry, services or drivers – or a combination? The System State Analyzer will record only the changes you require

This version of the report contains everything you've seen so far, but also breaks the changes down even further. Instead of simply detailing new, modified or deleted files, it now splits the list into sections dealing with DLLs, executables, drivers and more.

And in other sections, if you're unlucky enough to have tens of thousands of entries to examine, they're all available on a single web page, allowing you to scroll down the list, or search for particular text to jump straight to the entry you need.

The Windows System State Analyzer is far from perfect, then. It's on the slow side, the interface needs work, and we found it hung occasionally on one Vista system for no apparent reason.

But, on the other hand, it's free, easy to use and delivers invaluable diagnostic reports on how your PC setup has changed over time, information you can't easily obtain in any other way.

You certainly won't use it on a daily basis, but the SSA is still a very useful tool on occasion, and should be a key part of everyone's PC troubleshooting toolkit.

As announced in February, Microsoft Outlook now allows users to integrate their Facebook accounts and view contacts' photos, news feeds and status updates with an add-on to Social Connector.

Microsoft states that: "According to the Nielsen ratings, 67 per cent of the global online population now goes online to visit social networks and blogs to stay connected, make decisions, and get things done. Today's news demonstrates our commitment to evolving Office to support the way you get things done."

LinkedIn and MySpace became available in Social Connector over the winter, and this week Facebook and Windows Live were also added.

Convenience

Instead of offering up its own social network, Microsoft is keen to promote the convenience of mixing users' Outlook inbox with their social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace.

Microsoft has also released a new version of the Outlook Social Connector, giving users the ability to receive real-time updates in the 'People Pane' within Outlook.

With regard to privacy, Microsoft have said that the user decides what information they share, and with who.

Back in April Microsoft announced Live Messenger 9, which allowed users to share their status updates with all of their social networks. Today's Outlook update promises similar integration with our inboxes, too.

Everyone knows the feeling. Your PC has become slow and unresponsive, and it's getting rather noisy too. All around you are adverts for fast new machines – PCs groaning with cutting-edge components and fancy new features; machines untouched and factory fresh.

It's easy to wilt under this kind of pressure and give into the new PC dream – but luckily we're here to help you to renew your willpower and stand firm against such temptations!

We have happy news: a few well-targeted and cost-effective upgrades can transform your flagging PC into the machine of your dreams. So why has your machine got so slow?

Well, just as time can be particularly punishing to Windows' boot time, so it can ravage the hardware in your system. Dust can clog fans and obstruct airflow, overheating your components and bringing their efficiency down.

Add to this physical consequence of time's passing the fact that in the years your PC has been sitting in your home, clever-clogs developers have continued to plug away at their work, creating faster components than those in your machine were even when they were factory-fresh. We're sure you can see how the problem has arisen.

Refresh your system

This means the best way to speed up your PC is to give it a spring clean and identify the components worth upgrading. In general terms, a PC will last you for a couple of years before you either have to do a major upgrade or piece together enough smaller ones to make the system continue to be fast enough for everyday use.

Which upgrades are best for you is ultimately defined by what you use your machine for. If you're into video editing and production then a healthy amount of memory will make moving clips around that much smoother, while a faster processor will render your effects and final edits quicker. An SSD will boost program loading times as well as your OS's boot time.

Audiophiles have similar needs, but they should also keep an eye on how much noise the system is making. Designers benefit from an overall system refit that focuses on an SSD and embraces the current low in memory pricing.

The programmers among you will be hankering after more memory as well, along with access to newer motherboard technologies such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s – purely for research, of course.

Gamers will see the biggest boost from a graphics card upgrade, because while the promise of multithreaded gaming is closer than ever, the graphics card is still the biggest bottleneck in most systems. And two years is a long time in the graphics card business – we've seen the release of not only affordable DirectX 10 cards in that time, but a new breed of cutting-edge DirectX 11 hardware as well.

Over the page we'll explain how to work out which components you need to upgrade, talk you through how to do it, and reveal how a tissue can help speed up existing hardware.

Once your memory was enough to power your system, but application demands have risen

Memory has fallen in price, and that alone has made putting more RAM into our systems a realistic option. More memory means less time spent caching out to the hard drive, making your PC more responsive.

Memory pricing can still be volatile, but in general it has never been so affordable to upgrade. There is one exception to this rule, though – DDR3 memory. Despite old DDR2 dropping in price, the newer stuff's cost has stayed stubbornly high.

However, the relentless march of technology means that DDR3 will get cheaper. With all this in mind, we recommend that 4GB of RAM is the target for most machines, and if you're running a triple-channel Core i7, then go for 6GB. Going beyond this isn't a complete waste of money, although memory isn't free – so the current sweet spot is a 2 or 3GB upgrade.

Memory matchmaking

To make an effective upgrade, you should add an identical pair to your existing sticks – assuming that you have an identical pair in your machine already. So if you've got a pair of 1GB 800MHz DDR2 sticks running at 5-5-5-18 latencies, say, then ideally you'd buy an identical pair and drop them in alongside.

These sticks needn't be from the same manufacturer, but they do need to have the same latencies and operating frequencies. Matched capacities will also make life easier.

Most memory modules ship with a sticker on the side detailing exactly what their timings are, so physically examining the modules should be all you need to do in order to get the right sticks.

If you bought your machine prebuilt however, you may find that the sticker is missing, or is unreadable. Thankfully, utilities such as CPU-Z can reveal everything that you need to know about the memory in your machine.

If you're having problems, then online tools such as Kingston's Memory Search can help when it comes to spotting what memory has been used by some of the more popular system builders.

There is a problem with upgrading to 4GB of course, and that is the limit of addressable memory offered by 32-bit operating systems. Essentially, in any 32-bit version of Windows, you won't see the whole 4GB. The solution is to upgrade Windows to a 64-bit rendition. Happily this may not cost you anything, depending on your version of the OS.

How to: Pick and install the right RAM

1. Investigate existing RAM

Use CPU-Z to check your current memory settings. There are two tabs that you need to look at – Memory and SPD. The Memory tab shows how fast your RAM is currently running and what timings it's using. The SPD tab shows you what the memory stick in each slot is capable of.

The key factors here are the module size and the JEDEC timing settings for the frequency at which the memory is currently running. This information is given for each memory slot, and hopefully you should have some slots free.

2. Confirm the part number

CPU-Z will tell you what sort of RAM your machine is using, but it's worth physically checking before you order. Hold the memory at the edges and ease out the clips that hold the stick in place at the ends.

You should now be able to remove it and have a gander at its sticker. Just searching for the part number can be enough to find replacements, although this can mean you miss out on better deals.

You don't have to buy matched pairs for normal use, either – but make sure you get the same frequency and latencies.

3. Install, then check the BIOS

Memory installation is fairly straightforward, possibly hampered only by the amount of room in your case. If you need to unplug drive cables or remove the graphics card to get better access, do so – it beats damaging the memory.

Once you've populated the bays, restart the machine and head into your machine's CMOS configuration utility. You should find that the memory settings are fairly well signposted. Ensure that the timings are correct (use SPD timings by default), save the changes and restart your PC to get going.

If your games aren't running as smoothly as you'd like, upgrading your graphics cards should give them a boost

You shouldn't worry about your graphics card unless you play games. The modern integrated graphics chips found on motherboards are more than capable of handling 2D graphics needs, and cheaper add-in cards are also well up to the task.

Unless you're a gamer, the only time you need to look at upgrading is if your current model develops a fault. If this is the case, passively cooled entry-level cards (like the Asus HD 4350) boast 256MB of onboard memory, will run Aero smoothly in Windows 7 and can be picked up for as little as £24. This new generation packs a healthy triumvirate of connection options, too, with the relatively new HDMI outputs being backed up by legacy DVI and VGA connectors.

If you do have a penchant for gaming, things get a little more complex, if only due to the sheer number of cards available. Upgrading gamers often find themselves plagued by the perennial problem of trying to work out which card offers the best performance at the most reasonable price point.

Benchmark its grunt

Performance is key for any such upgrade, and you should compare your current card against any upgrade using industry standard benchmarks in order to ascertain if it's worth the outlay. By way of example, the venerable 3DMark06 from Futuremark rates the Radeon HD 5850 at 19,670.

You can find out how your card compares by downloading the benchmark and testing your system. Ideally you should benchmark using your game of choice, but finding comparisons isn't always easy.

How to: Update video drivers properly

1. Out with the old

Driver updates are a regular occurrence for many gamers, but they can introduce problems if the detritus from one set is left over after the upgrade. The solution is to remove every last trace of the previous drivers before starting.

Grab a copy of Driver Sweeper. Uninstall your current graphics driver set and then run Driver Sweeper to scour your system for any left-over references. Select all of the files and Registry entries the utility finds and then hit the 'Clean' button to purge your system.

2. In with the new

Restart your machine and run Driver Sweeper again to make sure that everything has gone. Next, download the latest drivers for your graphics card from www.ati.com or www.nvidia.com.

Once you've done that, install them. If you have any problems with the new drivers then you should be able to roll back to the old ones – both manufacturers keep older drivers available. You should find that the new drivers will improve performance and stability in more recent games – especially if you run an SLI or CrossFire pairing.

Getting a little more power out of your CPU can be as easy as banishing the dust from its case

Modern processors feature thermal cut-outs that throttle back the core frequency if the CPU's temperature gets too high. In other words, if you don't maintain sufficient cooling to the processor, you won't get the full performance out of it.

The temperature at which your CPU will start easing back varies by manufacturer and model. The Core 2 Duo E4400 has a maximum temperature of 61.4C, while the E4500 operates at up to 73.3C. Online data sheets for your processor will contain this information.

How to: Optimise your cooling

1. Check current temperatures

Before taking anything out of your machine, check how hot your processor is running. CPU Hardware Monitor provides detailed temperature information for your CPU cores and motherboard, and is free.

Take a reading with nothing else running (idle) and then when another running Super Pi (under load). Then check these figures against your CPU's datasheet.

2. Remove your existing fan

Removing processor fans is easy. For Intel components, unlock the four holding pins by turning them clockwise; you're then able to pull the whole thing out.

The fans that ship with standard AMD processors are easy to remove – lift and release the holding arm and then ease the cooler out. Don't forget to unplug the fan power cable before removing it completely.

3. Wipe off the thermal grease

Before placing the cooler on your workbench, clean off the existing thermal grease using a tissue and possibly a little solvent.

You will need some more thermal grease later though, so if you don't have any new stuff , it's best to place the cooler on a piece of paper without cleaning it (so that no impurities are mixed into the existing grease). Remove the CPU and clean the grease off that too.

4. Clean the blades

Use a piece of tissue or a soft brush to clean along the line of the fan blade. Don't push too hard, though, as these can break off under pressure.

Dust tends to accumulate on the top of the fan blades, so it shouldn't be too hard to clean away. If your fan is in a housing, take it apart if needed so that you can get better access to the heatsink and the fan.

5. Add new thermal grease

Put the CPU back into its socket and apply a new layer of thermal grease to the top of the processor.

Remember, your aim is to have a very fine layer to fill in any gaps between the CPU and heatsink, not to make a grease sandwich. A small blob should be sufficient. If you didn't remove the old thermal grease, check how much is on the processor and remove any if possible.

6. Reseat and retest

Put the cooler back in its home and wiggle it in place a little to make sure that the thermal grease is spread evenly between the cooler and CPU. Next, clip the retaining arms or pins back into place and reconnect the fan to your system.

Boot your machine and run the same tests that you originally did. If your CPU is still running too hot then a new cooler is needed.

A new processor can give your system a new lease of life, but how do you pick which CPU to upgrade to?

CPUs are fairly easy to upgrade in theory, but buying the newest model available often means a complete reworking of your current machine. It's all very well recognising how powerful the Intel Core i7 X980 is, but you won't be able to just drop it into your Phenom rig and hope for the best.

There are two ways of tackling a potential processor upgrade, and both have pros and cons. The first is to replace your current processor with the fastest pin-compatible option currently out there. This is the most affordable type of CPU upgrade, as you can generally get away with buying the best original equipment manufacturer (OEM) model and simply replacing your current chip like-for-like.

Unfortunately this usually only results in a small speed boost, unless you are making the jump from a dual-core chip up to a three-or four-core offering.

AMD's decision to focus on a single socket for its desktop processors means its chips are easier to upgrade, as there are some fairly large upgrades available that use the same packaging. Visit your motherboard manufacturer's site to see whether your existing board supports the CPU you are looking at, or if there is a BIOS update that will add support for that chip before buying.

You'll need to bear in mind that if the new chip supports DDR3 and your motherboard only has DDR2 sockets, then you will be limited to using the older standard. If your motherboard has both types of memory slot present, upgrade the RAM for a further boost.

Screw the expense

The second option generally means that you ignore your existing hardware and simply go for the best processor available, picking up the requisite motherboard, memory and possibly graphics card as needed. This option is generally constrained by expense, because replacing multiple components is always going to be costly.

It will however result in the biggest performance boost to your system – especially if you use multi-threaded applications and are making the move to a multicore processor.

Upgrading your CPU can also mean that you need a new cooler, which is another potential expense, unless you pick a retail CPU that includes a compatible fan. If a pin-compatible CPU exists that will give your system a large performance boost then we would recommend you go with that, otherwise upgrading to the likes of the Core i5 is the sensible choice.

How to: Upgrade your CPU

1. Flash the BIOS

We'll assume that your motherboard needs a BIOS update before you can use your new CPU. Manufacturers provide updates in different ways, but all modern boards generally support flashing the BIOS from within Windows.

We would first recommend scouting the forums to make sure people aren't having problems with the latest BIOS. If you haven't updated for a while, you may need to install a string of them, but the general process is the same: flash the BIOS, reset to the defaults and check for updates. Rinse and repeat.

2. Remove the existing CPU

Before removing your CPU, benchmark your machine so you can see how much of a difference you've bought yourself. Synthetic benchmarks such as the X.264 video encoding test are particularly useful for comparing multithreaded upgrades.

Once you have figures to compare, power off your machine and give it a minute or two to cool. Unclip the processor's cooler, unplug the fan's power cable and ease it out of the way. Lift the lever holding the CPU in place and then pull the component free from the motherboard.

3. Install the new processor

If you've bought a retail CPU package, you can discard your old cooler because your new chip will have one that is designed for its thermal envelope.

Remove the chip from the packaging and ease it into the socket. Make sure that the chip is orientated correctly by lining up the lugs.

Add a little thermal paste to the top of the CPU and then place the cooler on top and clip it into place, wiggling the cooler first to make sure the grease is spread evenly. Connect the fan power cable, restart your PC and you're done.

Upgrading your motherboard can be fiddly, and there are a terrifying number of options to pick from. We explain how to find your feet

Processors continue to absorb features traditionally the reserve of supporting chipsets, and a vision where the motherboard is merely a collection of sockets and ports isn't as outlandish as it once was.

Even so, for now motherboards still hold a vital role for our machines' capabilities, and as long as new technologies such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s are developed, the motherboard still represents the most expedient way of getting those technologies out there. Is it worth upgrading your motherboard to get such features?

Unless you move a lot of data around and you can put a price on the time spent upgrading, we'd say no. Both SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 are great features, and if you're going to upgrade your motherboard anyway then it makes sense to get access to these technologies, but it's not really viable as the main reason. You can buy add-in cards that will upgrade your machine without having to install a new board.

Bags of boards

So when is a good time to upgrade your motherboard? Generally, the time to do it is when you've decided on a platform change that revolves around a new processor. The Intel Core i5, for instance, will require that you buy a supporting H55/H57/P55 motherboard and a pair of DDR3 memory sticks to go with it.

Note that as Intel doesn't have a chipset that supports USB 3.0 or SATA 6Gb/s natively, such features are integrated using third-party ICs such as the NEC 720200 USB 3.0 controller and Marvell's 88SE9128 SATA 6GB/s offering.

The other factors worth bearing in mind when looking at any board are the options available for adding additional graphics cards, the quality of the onboard audio and the overclocking potential on offer. Now that memory controllers are integrated into the CPU, there's little performance difference between motherboards other than when they're overclocked, so this latter point is quickly becoming the defining ground between the likes of Gigabyte, Asus and MSI.

Even if you have no intention of doing this manually, the latest motherboards all boast automated systems that attempt to run the device faster than its specified speed.

When it comes to motherboard options, the core chipsets are surprisingly limited. For the top-end Intel Core i7, the X58 chipset is the only option, while for everyday computing the P55 does battle with the H55 and H57 variants. These boards support the newer Clarkdale integrated offerings, but don't natively support dual graphics cards.

For AMD processors, the recently released 890GX is a feature-rich offering, while the outgoing 785GM chipset can be found in some powerful budget motherboards.

How to: Install a new motherboard

1. Back up your data

Upgrading your motherboard can cause a few problems for Windows. Not only can it count as a fundamental hardware change, and thus require that you reactivate the operating system, but if the new motherboard is sufficiently different to your existing one, Windows can fail to load at all due to driver conflicts. This is why it's wise to back up your entire system and assume that you'll need to reinstall Windows after the upgrade.

Microsoft's OS has a back-up tool built-in; use this to transfer your files and important settings to an external hard drive.

2. Remove all of the components

Turn off your machine, remove the side panel and unplug, unscrew and disconnect everything you see. Everything plugs into the motherboard one way or another, so be prepared to systematically remove it all. Taking a photograph of how everything fits together can help for later.

Take out your graphics cards, memory, processor, cooler, soundcard and any other expansion cards you have. Disconnect the hard drive and optical data cables and unplug the power cables and any chassis cables. Finally, unscrew the old motherboard and put it to one side.

3. Build a base rig

The best way of checking that your new motherboard is in full working order is to build a base rig on the box that the motherboard came on.

First, make sure that everything is resting on the antistatic bag that the board came in. Then install the processor, attach the cooler and connect the fan's power cable. Install your memory, making sure you use the right slots (check in the motherboard manual), plug in your graphics card and then attach the power.

Don't worry about your drives at this point. Plug in the keyboard and check that you can access the BIOS.

4. Rebuild the system

If the base rig shows a BIOS screen, it's tempting to assume that everything is OK and start screwing your new components into the case.

But before getting your screwdriver out, check through the BIOS and ensure all your components have been identified correctly. If something has the wrong name or isn't showing up, rectifying the problem on the bench is much easier than when everything has been wired into a case.

When you're happy that everything is as it should be, switch the base rig off and begin transferring things carefully into their new home.

Acer has updated its Z5710 and Z5700 All-in-one touchscreen PCs, bringing in the latest Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 processors.

With All-in-ones one of the boom areas for PCs, Acer is keen to keep its range up to date – and has introduced the new Acer Aspire Z5710 and Z5700s.

The All-in-ones are based around a 16:9, 23-inch multitouch display, backed up with Windows 7 and a host of Acer 'Touchgadgets' including a browser and media utilities.

Fun and engaging

"Besides being a fun and engaging way for everyone to manage and share digital content, multi-touch technology means you can use more gesture combinations for a wider range of functionalities and a more natural and intuitive approach," says Acer.

"With simple touches you can flick, rotate, magnify and more, making the experience faster, more instinctive and just plain fun!"

Specs wise, you can have up to 2TB of storage, up to Intel's Core i7 processor and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM.

The Acer Aspire Z5710 and Z5700 have a UK release 1 August, with pricing yet to be confirmed.

The BBC has shown off what its redesigned website will look like, complete with social networking tools.

The site is set to get an overhaul – the biggest since 2003 – and to make things as open as possible, the BBC has shown off some of the extra functionality, including better use of images, easier ways to share stories and more multimedia like videos.

"We have focused on design and navigation, looking to see how we can make all the existing content we produce each day easier for you to find, use and share," says Steve Hermann, editor of BBC News, in a blog.

Some of the more prominent changes include the sharing of stories, with the blog explaining: "[There are now] links that allow users more quickly and simply to share stories with friends on social networks including Facebook and Twitter."

Video has been overhauled and will now be on "a bigger video player, streaming with better quality". There will also be a load more highlights to choose from on the updated site.

The BBC's websites are going through a number of changes at the moment. Back in May, the iPlayer 3 was updated to open beta and also featured a number of social-networking options.

Bioware insists that it has not even discussed bringing Star Wars: The Old Republic to consoles.

Star Wars: TOR is being widely touted as the MMO that could finally challenge the dominance of World of Warcraft, and it is being developed by Bioware for the PC.

Console owners who are hoping that the next big MMO is arriving on their platform may be in for a long wait, with developers Bioware insisting that it has not been a topic that has surfaced.

No idea if it's possible

"I have no idea if it's possible," Daniel Erickson told CVG when asked about the possibility of a console version.

"I'd have to ask our tech director. I can tell you that it's not anything that we've even discussed.

"There is nobody anywhere in Bioware laying the groundwork for that because we have a very large complicated game to ship first."

Natural place

Erickson insists that the PC is the 'natural' place for MMOs: "[Which platform it would be rolled out to] was not a question when we started Old Republic - or any of our games, for that matter.

"There's a reason the lead SKU for Dragon Age was PC as well. When we're developing an RPG, it's a natural place to be."

So, might be worth thinking about updating your PC if you want to be enjoying becoming the next Han Solo.

If you are a fan of beefy, sci-fi styled gaming PCs then the latest in Acer's Predator PC range is certainly going to appeal to your love of bleeding-edge tech and eye-catching computer design.

Acer's latest Predator PC is truly a computer pitched squarely at the hardcore gaming market.

Just check out the specs. This beast packs in a 2.8GHz Core i7 930 CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 GPU, 1.5TB of storage, 12GB of DDR3 RAM and all the usual outputs and inputs you would expect of a high-end gaming rig.

Multiple 3D-gaming card support

There is additional support for two extra 3D graphics cards via extra slots on the motherboard. If you want to invest in a gaming PC, then this new beast from Acer is, basically, pretty well future-proofed.

We've contacted Acer UK, but no UK pricing has, as yet, been announced. However, over in the US the new Acer Predator is retailing for a shade under $2,000 which, in straightforward dollar-to-sterling equates to just over £1,327. (Though we should add that in the real world of shipping costs and custom tax and VAT the machine is of course sure to be priced higher than that).

If 12GB of RAM wasn't enough for you, then the new Acer Predator's chunky and bright sci-fi styled design might well be enough to seal the deal.

To be fair, the new Acer Predator is hardly 'understated' in terms of its design, but then again, the company clearly knows that PC gamers like bright, showy and beefy-looking machines. 'Understated cool' is not really part of Acer's product team's design brief…

Providing Acer's new Predator range doesn't overheat, then it seems like a pretty decent, well-priced proposition for PC gamers.

We will, of course, bring you further news on plans to release the latest Acer Predator range in the UK and Europe as soon as we hear from the manufacturer.

Microsoft has announced that its refresh of Windows Live Essentials, putting the updated services into public beta.

TechRadar got an inside look into the new online services earlier this month and were impressed with what we saw.

Windows Live Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Mail and Messenger have all been given significant updates and the addition of Windows Live Sync means that you can share content between your home and work computers.

Windows Live

Microsoft has also opened its service up like never before, bringing Facebook and YouTube integration and it has also freed up Messenger so you can now use the IM in your Mail account and through most of the Windows Live services.

The Windows Live Essentials' photo and movie editing apps have also been given new functionality, including the ability to save photos in HD and merge images together.

If you want to try out the public beta of Microsoft Windows Live Essentials, point your browser to http://essentials.live.com.

Packard Bell celebrated the launch of its latest range of laptops and peripherals in Milan this week, with the company hosting its first summer party.

In a keynote which was filled with optimism about the PC industry – Packard Bell is currently second in the market for mobile computing – the company revealed its inspiration for its latest range: mobile phones.

"We are looking at the phone industry at the moment and taking some inspiration from there," explained Emanuel Fromont vice president at Packard Bell

"The way you can personalise your handset – that is a big thing for us."

The mobile phone industry is a burgeoning one at the moment, with apps being one of the main popularity drivers.

Packard Bell is trying to lock on to the instant connectivity of applications by adding one-touch social networking access to its dot a, dot u and dot s notebook ranges and also its Butterfly S and EasyNote X range.

New look

Style also seems to be a main factor with Packard Bell's 2010 summer line-up dot a and dot u computers are for the "style conscious" while the dot s is being classed as "avante garde". This is all part of Packard Bell's rebranding which began back in 2008 – something which seems to have worked when it comes to the all important numbers.

"Only a few years after we announced a refresh of the brand, we are now number two in the PC market and number one in the mobile PC market," notes Packard Bell product manager Gianpiero Morbello.

"We want to keep this up, we don't want to lose pace with the opposition – we want to be number one in the PC market."

Acer's high

Fromont agrees, noting: "In 2008, we were acquired by Acer and were at the time selling 1 million PCs a year.

"In the first half of 2010, we have sold 2 million PCs already. That's just in the first six months of the year, so we are going to sail past the four million mark."

Packard Bell has always been seen as an entry level brand and although this hasn't changed, it is beginning to pack some power into its PCs.

This is most notable in the Butterfly S and EasyNote X range. Both of these ranges have the Core i7 chips inside and will be one of the affordable laptops housing this processor.

Even though Packard Bell has gone through a rebranding, it is still has some way off persuading the masses that it can be both desirable and functional, something Fromont agrees with: "People like Packard Bell because they like the look of the products and understand the brand. They don't buy because of processing power – even though the products have the power, that's not part of their purchasing decision.

"We are not the coolest or the hottest brand on the planet but we are getting there."

Packard Bell's summer range comprising the OneTwo DTX, Dot s, u and a, EasyNote Butterfly S and EasyNote X has a UK release date of August.