Archive for 2014

How To Schedule Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials Virus Definition Updates

0


Windows Defender Security Center window

Hi

Sorry for my month long hiatus on posting, I have been a bit busy as of late. However, today we are going to look into how to automatically schedule  Virus Definition Updates on Windows Defender on Windows 8/8.1 and Microsoft Security Essentials on Windows Vista/7

By default, Windows Defender/Microsoft Security Essentials only checks for updates once per day, and these updates are tied into Windows Update. The definitions for Windows Defender/Security Essentials that are available on Windows Update are always older then the latest definitions available on the Microsoft Malware Protection Center.  For this reason, its always better to have the latest virus definitions for Windows Defender to ensure your as protected as you can be from the newest viruses and other malware out there.

So without further ado, lets walk through the steps needed to schedule your computer to check with the Microsoft Malware Protection Center every hour and download and install newer definition files automatically!



Read more »


How To Safely Overclock and Stress Test Your CPU

10


As most PC enthusiasts and builders have noticed today, CPU makers have made overclocking a CPU pretty easy in comparison to days past. It is no longer strictly a "geek affair"  to overclock a CPU. For the most part, the days of messing with raising the FSB(Front Side Bus) which also messes with RAM timings, chipset timings, etc are over for casual overclocking.

Today, CPU overclocking is usually as simple as raising the multiplier and testing it. AMD and Intel both offer unlocked "K Editions" (Intel) and Black Editions (AMD) that make overclocking a relatively easy process. Infact, Pretty much every AMD CPU you buy nowadays are the unlocked variety, while Intel usually charges a slightly higher cost for their unlocked versions. However, if your were already going to buy the Intel CPU, your usually better off to get the unlocked version anyways.

That being said, below I will outline "my best practices" for overclocking and stress testing CPU's that I believe to reasonable and successful. This guide will go against the grain in the stress testing department simply due to my years experiences, trial and error, etc and what I have found works best for me. I hope this guides gives you a good baseline to work from.
Read more »


The Biggest Annoyance In The Elder Scrolls Online - Boss Farming

1

Guy facepalming

We are now a few weeks into the launch of The Elder Scrolls Online. While the game has had a few bumps in the road during the initial stages (Server downtime, maintenance during peak hours, quest related bugs, and spammers), Overall,  I feel the game itself has been a resounding success as I said after the last Elder Scrolls Online Beta before official launch.

The game itself in my opinion adds a very nice solo element that has been missing from MMO's. There are a ton of quests that can be completed solo by yourself that really makes the game feel like an Elder Scrolls title.

With that being said, The biggest problem with this game is Boss Farming.
Read more »


How To Monitor PC Temperatures In Real-Time While Gaming

2


Burned up computer

As a PC gamer, its often important to be able to monitor the temps of your CPU, GPU, motherboard, etc. Its also useful to be able to monitor fans speeds and CPU/GPU core clocks. However, most of the temperature monitoring programs you find online don't interface directly into the game. This means your constantly forced to Alt+Tab in and out of the game to check your temperatures.

Today, were going to solve this problem with two key pieces of software. After following this guide, you will have "Real-Time" temperature readings in-game, with the ability to show and hide them with a single key press. Lets get started!
Read more »


The Elder Scrolls Online Beta - An Honest Review

0

Elder Scrolls Online town

Today, we are going to take a look at the highly anticipated The Elder Scrolls Online. The game, which is slated to be released in April of 2014, has been spiking quite a bit of controversy online in recent weeks. It is being compared to other MMO's, and while The Elder Scrolls Online is an MMO, is it really fair to compare it to other games in its genre?


The Elder Scrolls Online's lore, setting, and background are all very closely based on the single-player franchise that dates back to 1994 with The Elder Scrolls Area. Zenimax Online Studios, part of Bethesda Softworks, has a giant task on their hands to create a game that will please the loyal single-player fan base, with myself being one of those people.
Read more »


What does AMD Application Power Management (APM) and HPC Mode BIOS Settings do?

9

Picture of a Thermometer

Today, we are going to talk about the Application Power Management (APM Master Mode) and HPC Mode (High Performance Computing) BIOS settings that are available on many AMD Motherboards using Socket AM3+ CPU's. It seems there is a lot of misinformation on the web concerning exactly what these settings mean, and how they effect your CPU, especially in overclocking situations. In this post, we will explore what these settings mean, what effect they have, and if you should enable or disable them.

So without further delay, lets get started.

AMD Application Power Management (APM Master Mode) -According to AMD, Application Power Management is a technology inside your AMD FX CPU that works in conjunction with AMD Turbo Core technology that will allow your CPU to reach Turbo Core speeds (running above base clock speed) as long as there is thermal and voltage headroom available.
Read more »


Are Facebook, Twitter, And Other Social Networks Just Internet Noise?

1

Picture of Social Network Echo Chamber

In last 5 years, we have seen an explosion in the use of social networks. Nearly everyone today from kids to grandmothers have a Facebook account. Twitter has really come on as a quick way to receive status updates, or express yourself in 140 characters or less. :)  When you really think about it, its pretty amazing how connected we are in the world today. As the graphic above shows, what 15 years ago took a day or two to be known around the world can now be known in a matter of minutes.

However, with all this information at the tips of our fingers with Social Networks, how much of it is actually useful and how much of it is just useless noise? In today's world of "very short attention spans" if you have a Facebook brand page, how many users are really reading your posts, interacting with your brand? or using Facebook to influence a sale?

Read more »


How To Prevent Duplicate Content in Google And Other Search Engines on Blogger

0


Picture of a Stop Sign

In my short time blogging on Blogger, I have run into an interesting issue that seems very common. It seems by default, that Blogger blogs will allow archive pages and in some cases even post labels or categories to be indexed by search engines.This is not what you want, as most search engines frown on duplicate content, and this will fill the search results for your site with many useless pages for potential visitors.

One of the most important aspects of your blog is "how" it appears in search results across the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If your archive and label pages are being indexed, it could potentially hurt your rankings, or worse, rank those archive or label pages higher then the actual article. The good news is we can take a few simple steps to remedy this issue.
Read more »


Is Windows 8 or 8.1 really that bad? Is the criticism justified?

1

Windows 8.1 Metro

Windows 8 was released in August of 2012, and Windows 8.1 followed it in August of 2013. Windows 8.1 was more of a service pack to Windows 8 as it was a free update for all current Windows 8 users. However, has all the criticism Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 has received really be justified.

In many ways, Windows 8 and 8.1 is a very new direction for Microsoft. The way we use the internet and computers today is beginning to evolve. The Metro UI was supposed to be the bridge between current and future computer and mobile device users. The traditional desktop will never completely go away, as its a vital resource for content creators, businesses, enterprises, PC gaming, and other sectors. The industry has invested very heavily into the x86/x64 platform, and many applications that use that platform simply are not a good fit for ARM processors or the Metro UI.  So PC's, the Desktop, and X86/64 is not going anywhere, especially if Intel and AMD have anything to say about it.


There is however a paradigm change going on. This change won't be drastic, but it does present another dimension that needs to be filled.
Read more »


The Comprehensive List Of Must Have Skyrim Mods - 2014

60


Skyrim Game Cover

Its been over two years since The Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim was released, and yet it is still one of the most popular games played on Steam. In fact, The Elder Scrolls Skyrim is ranked the 4th most popular game according to Steam statistics (as of Jan 4-2014)

This game is probably one of the best games released in recent memory IMO. However, it is the massive modding community on the PC version that adds to the replay value and longevity of this game. Today, I will list the "must have" mods to make your Skyrim experience truly exceptional!

The Comprehensive List Of Must Have Skyrim Mods - 2014

Please Read the instructions on the linked pages for how to install these mods.

1. Getting Started - You will need a few tools before you get started. Please install the following tools below. These will help you add, manage, and sort your mods, and SKSE will ensure you meet all the requirements for some mods.
Read more »


Post navigation

Total Pageviews