The CPU is the brains of your computer, and the faster it goes, the faster you'll be able to get on with whatever it is you're doing. The market is dominated by two big manufacturers, Intel and AMD, but the decisions don't stop there--is a dual-, a triple- or a quad-core processor best for you? And if you're upgrading, how do you know that a new processor is compatible with your existing hardware?

Whether or not you think they're a passing trend of a genuine response to modern users' demands for better portability, it's impossible to deny that netbooks are increasingly popular. With so many new models hitting the market, though, there are is almost as much variation in quality as there is amongst 'regular' notebooks ...

With capacities rising all the time, the cost of hard drive storage keeps on falling. Today, every gigabyte you buy costs only a matter of cents--but that doesn't mean that all of today's hard disk drives are a steal ...

A good heatsink has to strike the balance between keeping your computer's processor nice and cool and working as quietly as possible. Different manufacturers have tried new ways of juggling these two factors with the hope of finding the perfect compromise.

Everybody has their own definition of the perfect laptop computer, but it often boils down to the age-old compromise between performance and portability. We'll talk you through how the different components are likely to affect your computer so you can make an informed decision about which is the best model for you based on how you plan to use it.

A 3D card’s worth is its speed in game, but not only. We also look at power consumption, noise levels and HD decoding...