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Keeping in tandem with technological developments, audio/video connectors continue to evolve at a steady pace. Today, the most common digital connector comes in the form of HDMI and we're here to tell you what it is, what it does, and why you might need it.

So what exactly is a ‘next-gen’ console? What the hell does ‘next-gen’ mean? Simply put, its tech-geek slang for ‘next generation’ and what that means is the console in question is a completely new version of either an established console or a completely new console that is on more powerful in what it can do when compared with current consoles on the market.

Explaining how a modern GPU works in completeness would take a book. Or two. Per class of chip. Per vendor. They’re extraordinarily complex pieces of engineering and production, and the end result contains more transistors than multiple modern x86 processors.

If you’re the least bit interested in graphics cards, we’re sure that you’ve heard the terms SLI and CrossFire bandied about recently. Touted as a means of achieving maximum 3D performance by, effectively, using two or more graphics cards in tandem, multi-GPU technology is here to stay. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look SLI and CrossFire; the two competing multi-GPU solutions from NVIDIA and ATI Technologies, respectively.

A motherboard’s main job is to act as a conduit between the various hardware elements that make up a PC. It needs to be able to link the desired CPU(s), system memory, graphics card, hard drive(s), and add-in cards and enable them to work in harmony.

If you've used a computer for any duration of time you'll have come across the terms “kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte” and so on. Then there's “kilobit, megabit and gigabit” to add a bit of confusion and to top it all off you've maybe heard or read terms like “gibibyte” on occasion.

Disk checking, defragmenting, windows update, virus scanning... there’s a lot to do to keep a system running smoothly. So, how often should you perform the tasks that look after both your computer and your data? Some need to be done more regularly than others. Here’s a few tips on how often you should be doing things.

In computing terms, system buses are used to connect various components to the motherboard’s core logic and, often, to each other. Modern PCs run with a multitude of high-speed buses ranging from the interconnects between, say, the chipset and the CPU, graphics card, memory, and peripherals.

Updating drivers can sometimes be a bit of a gamble. Will the drivers come with an installer? Will you need to uninstall the old drivers first? Many drivers these days do come with an installer, which simplifies the process dramatically.

You’d be right to think that it’s possible to carry out basic video editing on any modern PC running Windows XP - straight out of the box. XP includes the Windows Movie Maker video-editing program and, although it lacks frills, it does what it does quite well.

This TekSpek covers DAS and NAS, what they mean, what they’re used for and how they’re different. We’ll start by looking at the technology, then move on to the players in the market and how the market is moving forward.

OK, so you’re savvy to hard disks. You know what interfaces they have, you know whether one will work in your computer or not, you even know the difference between a Gigabyte and a Gibibyte, but what are filesystems about?

Serial ATA, or SATA, is a relatively new storage technology that is now being adopted in computers. It is the successor to Parallel ATA. SATA allows for faster transfers between the hard disk and the system, uses thinner cables and is easier to physically install

In this guide we will be examining a popular method used for increasing the performance and reliability of your hard drives and data storage

As you’ll all likely know by now, DVI is the current standard for connection of a PC or other display generator to a digital display output. You’ll recognise the multi-pin connector and know that almost all modern LCD displays have the corresponding input connector, for feeding from your PC. But do you know how DVI works? This TekSpek seeks to teach you how.

There’s a lot more to High Definition than just having the ability to run your screen at the right resolution. With more than one type of connection available, and the thorny subject of signal encryption to contend with, just because your monitor and graphics are capable of 1,920 x 1,080 or better does not necessarily mean they will be able to display HDTV in all its glory.

The purpose of this TekSpek is to define what HDTV is, how it will become pervasive in the not-too-distant future, and its relevance to you in 2006.

Whether the broadcasters are going HD or not, TV sets and projectors are arriving thick and fast which claim to support higher resolutions than regular telly. But HDTV is far from just one standard – it incorporates a couple of different resolutions, two different scanning modes, and a number of different frame rates. In this article, we present a guide to what all the terms actually mean.

Now shipping with all but the cheapest complete PCs are LCD monitors. Advances in display manufacturing and associated cost reductions with economies of scale have brought LCD monitors into the mainstream, shipping with budget systems that start at just £400. LCD monitors come in all shapes and sizes, have differing resolutions and inputs. The purpose of this TekSpek is to provide a basic understanding of how LCDs work, delineate their desirable features, and to offer basic buying advice.

Our love of multimedia is ever growing. So much so that we want access to all forms of media on our computers, from music and radio to video and television. Watching DVDs is enjoyable, but what people really want is to see and record TV using a PC. The means to do this has been available for a while now, but with the advent of home theatre PCs and media centres, the popularity of TV on the PC is increasing.

Blu-ray Disc is now widely regarded as the physical successor to DVD, we take a closer look at what it is, what advantages it brings, and what it could mean to you.

After nearly a decade of DVD dominance, optical disc formats are undergoing another revolutionary change. With DVDs offering insufficient storage for high definition content, a new optical format was required. Unfortunately, two competing formats have been developed instead – HD-DVD and Blu-ray. In this article, we explain why we need HD opticals, and the differences between the two competitors.