Geeks in Phoenix

Hardware Geek Tips

The following is a complete list of our Hardware Geek Tips

Tips for choosing the right CPU cooler for your custom-built computer

Are you looking for ways to keep your computer running smoothly and prevent overheating? The CPU (Central Processing Unit) cooler is a critical component that plays a significant role in keeping your computer cool. Choosing the right cooler that meets your needs and keeps your system from overheating is essential. In this article, we'll explore some tips for selecting the right CPU cooler for your custom-built computer.

Tips for choosing the right graphics card for your custom-built computer

Are you building your first custom-built computer and looking for a graphics card? Or you may want to upgrade the graphics card in your current system. In this article, we'll provide some tips for choosing the right graphics card for your computer.

Tips for choosing the right motherboard for your custom-built computer

Are you planning to build a custom computer? If so, the motherboard is one of the most important components you'll need to consider. It's the backbone of your computer system, connecting all the other components together. In this article, we'll provide tips for selecting the right motherboard for your custom-built computer.

Tips for choosing the perfect case for your computer

Are you building a new computer or upgrading an existing one? The computer case is one of the most essential components you'll need to consider. In this article, we'll go over some tips to help you in choosing the perfect case for your computer.

Common problems to avoid when building your own computer

Are you planning to build your own computer? It can be an exciting project, as you get to choose the components that match your needs and preferences. However, building a computer from scratch can also come with its own set of challenges and errors. In this article, we will discuss the common problems to avoid when building your own computer.

What to do when your desktop computer does not start

Is your desktop computer not starting up? Are no lights or fans coming on when you try to start your desktop computer? If so, here is what to do when your desktop computer does not start.

What to do when your laptop computer does not start

Are you having a problem starting up your laptop? Is it not turning on when you press the power button? If so, here is what to do if your laptop does not start.

How to estimate the power required for your custom-built computer

Whether you are building a new computer or replacing/upgrading your existing one, one of the most important considerations is the Power Supply Unit (PSU). The PSU is responsible for delivering power to all the components in your system, including the motherboard, CPU, graphics card(s), and other peripherals. Choosing the correct PSU is crucial to ensure stable and reliable performance and prevent damage to your components.

Defining confusing computer hardware verbiage

Have you ever looked at the specifications of a computer and wondered what all of that information meant? Technical jargon can be confusing. So here is some of the most ...

How to reuse a HDD or SSD

So you upgraded the drive in your computer and now have an extra drive that you do not know what to do with. There are a couple of things you can do with it. So here is what you can ...

How to find compatible computer parts online

Building your own computer or upgrading your existing system can be a dream or a nightmare. Simply finding parts that are compatible with each other can be challenging. But ...

Make your computer faster by upgrading the hardware

One of the most frequently asked questions is, "How can I make my computer faster?". It may seem like a simple question, but it does not have a simple answer. Let's take a ...

The ultimate guide to buying a new computer

Being a computer technician, there one question that I seem to get asked more than any other "I am looking for a new computer, what do you recommend?". I then spend several minutes ...

Things to consider when replacing or upgrading computer components

When doing computer repair for a living, there is one thing I do quite often, and that is replacing and upgrading computer components. Whether it be replacing a hard drive or installing a ...

How to power reset your laptop computer

Did you turn off your laptop and now it will not start up again? Maybe you closed the lid and now it will not come out of sleep mode? If so, you may need to power reset your laptop computer.

How to build a computer

Thinking about building your own computer? Have you already got the parts and just don't know where to start? If so, I am going to show you how to build a computer.

My digital toolbox 3

When it comes to repairing computers, every technician has what I call a digital toolbox. It is software that they use for specific tasks, like finding information on hardware or cloning drives. So here ...

How to tell if your desktop computer power supply has failed

There may be a time when your desktop computer does not start up. There could be a few reasons why it does not start. The first thing that comes to mind is a failed power supply. Here's how ...

Things to keep in mind when building a custom-built computer

So, you are thinking about building your own computer. There are allot of things you have to decide on. So here are a few things to keep in mind when building your own custom-built computer.

How to add an expansion card to your desktop computer

Have you ever wanted to add more USB ports to your desktop computer? Or maybe a video card or wireless (Wi-Fi) network adapter? Here's how to add an expansion card to your ...

Using a drive adapter or docking station to access a drive

When it comes to repairing computers, there are times when I have to be able access Hard Disk Drives (HDD), Solid State Drives (SSD) or CD/DVD drives outside of a laptop or desktop ...

Should you repair or upgrade your computer or just get a new one?

Doing computer repair for a living, I get allot of questions. One my favorites has to be "Should I repair or upgrade my computer or just get a new one". So, let's take a look at whether to repair ...

My digital toolbox 2

When it comes to computer repair, every technician has a collection of software that they use on a regular basis. Whether it is on a CD, DVD or USB drive, these programs are essential ...

Maintain your hard drive with SpinRite

When it comes to maintaining a hard drive, running a disk check will usually find any software related issues. But when I need to check the hardware inside of a hard drive, I will use SpinRite ...

How to replace a CD/DVD/BD drive in your desktop computer

When it comes to desktop computer repair, one of the most common hardware failures are CD/DVD/BD drives. If you're having problems with getting the disk tray to eject or disks are not being recognized, it may be time to replace it.

How to keep your hard drive healthy

When it comes to computer repair, hard drive failures are one of the top issues I deal with. A failed hard drive can be disastrous. But with some regular maintenance, you can keep your hard drive spinning like a top. Here's how ...

The most common computer video display connectors

When it comes to computer repair, you have to be prepared to work on different types of systems. One of the biggest issues is having the correct video display connector. With more than ten different types of connectors it can be difficult ...

How to keep your computer running longer

Everyone wants their computer to last forever. But the reality is the average life span of a computer is 3-5 years. Allot of times you can get a computer to run for over a decade with common sense and regular maintenance. Here's how to ...

How to upgrade or add more memory to your computer

Doing computer repair for a living, I get a lot of questions about how to speed computers up. When it comes to improving the performance of your computer, adding more memory has always been the best 'bang for the buck'. And it's ...

How to tell what type of USB connector you have by color

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is pretty much the standard interface for most computer devices nowadays. We use USB ports to connect printers, keyboards / mice and smartphones, just to name a few. But do you know how to tell the ...

How to upgrade the hard drive in your computer

Are you running out of free space on your computer's hard drive? You've uninstalled unused programs and cleaned it up, but still cannot free up any more space? Doing computer repair, I've seen this many times and have personally ...

Five things you should do first when you get a new computer

So you just got a new computer and you are ready to go. You're going to install programs and transfer files to it. But before you go personalizing it, there are a few things you should do first. Here are five things you should do first when ...

What you can do with an old laptop or desktop computer

Do you have a laptop or desktop computer you don't use anymore? Maybe it got really slow or even stop working altogether. Seems like everyone has at least one nowadays. I'm talking about the one in the garage or closet that's doing ...

How to check your desktop computer for failed capacitors

Is your desktop computer running slower than normal? Does it randomly or constantly freeze up or restart? Or maybe it doesn't boot to the operating system or even boot at all. If so, your computer could have a failed capacitor.

Diagnose computer hardware issues with the Ultimate Boot CD

Every computer repair technician has a hand full of software they use on a regular basis to diagnose computer hardware issues. They are usually bootable disks and they have their own operating system included (FreeDOS or Linux) ...

A computer that randomly and frequently freezes up

When it comes to computer repair, you have to be a detective of sorts. And once in a while I come across a really good mystery. I recently got a HP M7360N in the shop that would randomly freeze-up in Windows XP ...

How to clean the dust out of your computer

Living in the desert, the one thing we have allot of is dust. Dust is a problem, since it can block up air vents, heat sinks and cooling fans inside of your computer. Not to mention that dust is a conductor of electricity. You ...

When your motherboard does not save settings it may be time to replace the CMOS battery

At some point in time, your motherboard may forget the time and date or the onboard device settings. A Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) is used on the computer's motherboard to ...

Use one monitor, keyboard and mouse on multiple computers with a KVM Switch (Video)

In this article, I show some of the advantages of using a KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) Switch. Besides the obvious reasons of saving space and money when you have multiple computers in one area, you can also get some great ...

How to manually eject your computer CD / DVD drive tray

In this article, I show how to use the Eject Pin Hole to manually eject the tray on your computers CD / DVD drive. There will be times when you need to ...

Using a second monitor on a Netbook

Connecting a second monitor to a Netbook a quite easy. Getting the right aspect ratio, well, it depends on what type of monitor you use. Believe it or not, but I found using a 42" plasma TV the best.

Useful USB devices for your computer

In this article, I show some of my favorite and useful USB devices.

How to perform a clean installation of the operating system on a netbook

In my last blog, I reported on the new Acer Aspire One Netbook (Model AO571h) I had just purchased. It came pre-loaded with Windows XP Home. Since I need ...

Acer Aspire One Netbook hard drive issue

I recently worked on a Acer Aspire One Netbook (Model AOD150). The netbook no longer was able to boot, as the system could not find an operating system. Booting the netbook up onto a USB drive ...

Upgrading your computer cheaply (part 1)

Just the other day I got a call from my daughter about her computer. It was acting strange, so I told her to bring it over. Sure enough, her system is ...

Upgrading your computer cheaply (part 2)

Before we can go shopping, we need to see what we can reuse. The motherboard and hard drive need to be replaced. The new ...

Upgrading your computer cheaply (part 3)

I started out by taking the sides and top off. It was at this point I decided to go excessive. Since the majority of computer peripherals come with black finishes, I decided to ...

Using Dual Monitors

With newer computers having the ability to run multiple displays, here is a ‘Geek Tip’ for those of you thinking about using two monitors on one computer. There are various scenarios, I am going to describe ...

Using Dual Monitors in Windows (Video)

Here's a video showing the two different computer scenarios I have that use dual monitors in Windows.

Using Dual Monitors in Windows for users who have impaired vision (Video)

Here's a video showing how to use dual monitors in Windows for users who have impaired vision.

Surge Protectors

A gentleman called me the other day and asked me about surge protectors. A typical surge protector power strip is built using Metal Oxide Varistors ...

Custom Cases: The Antec Skeleton (Video)

In my Geek Tips article outlining my Beta test of Microsoft Windows 7, I needed a computer to install it on. What I built is sweet, specification wise, but ...

Custom cases: Faux Stone and Chalkboard

Pictures of my daughter's finished customized computer case.

Custom cases: Back in Black

Here are the before and after pictures of the finished case from the 'Upgrading your computer cheaply' articles.

Free computer diagnostics

Repairing a PC can sometimes be expensive, and that is why we offer free basic in-shop diagnostics. Give one of our professional and experienced technicians a call at (602) 795-1111, and let's see what we can do for you.

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Geeks In Phoenix LLC, BBB Business Review

Customer service is #1

Here at Geeks in Phoenix, we take pride in providing excellent customer service. We aim to give the highest quality of service from computer repair, virus removal, and data recovery.

Bring your computer to us and save

Repairing a computer can be time-consuming. That is why we base our in-shop service on the time we work on your computer, not the time it takes for your computer to work! From running memory checking software to scanning for viruses, these are processes that can take some time.

Contact us

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at (602) 795-1111  and talk with one of our Geeks. Or you can send us a message from our contact page contact page , and one of our Geeks will get back to you as soon as possible. Or you can stop by and see us. Here are our hours and location.

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