Hardware & electronics
CPUs, memory, drives, power, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, diagnosis and repair.
Arduino for beginners: microcontroller, IDE and first project
What Arduino is, how it differs from a computer, how setup and loop work, and how to read a button and light an LED without damaging the board.
BIOS and UEFI: useful settings and how to update firmware
What to set in your PC's firmware: XMP and EXPO profiles, boot order, Secure Boot, TPM, fan curves, safe firmware updates and how to reset the CMOS.
Building a PC step by step: order, precautions and checks
An orderly procedure for building a desktop PC: preparation, fitting CPU, RAM and SSD outside the case, cabling, first boot and the final checks to run.
How to choose a CPU: cores, threads, clock speed and cache
Cores, threads, clock speed and cache explained with concrete examples: what really matters in a processor and how to choose one for your actual workload.
Static electricity (ESD): how to protect components
Why electrostatic discharges damage electronics even without visible sparks, and the practical precautions for handling boards, RAM and SSDs.
Graphics cards: integrated vs dedicated, VRAM and how to choose
When integrated graphics is enough and when you need a dedicated GPU, how much VRAM you need, what to check beyond the model, and how to avoid bottlenecks.
How to read a datasheet: a component's technical sheet
A practical guide to electronic component datasheets: absolute maximum ratings, operating conditions, pinout, graphs and the notes that prevent failures.
How to use a multimeter: voltage, continuity and resistance
A practical multimeter guide: choosing the range, measuring DC and AC voltage, checking continuity and resistance, and avoiding the dangerous mistakes.
I2C, SPI and UART: how sensors and microcontrollers talk
The differences between I2C, SPI and UART: wires, speed, addresses and logic levels. When to choose each one and how to fix wiring problems.
M.2, NVMe and SATA SSDs: form factors and interfaces made clear
M.2 is a form factor, NVMe and SATA are protocols: how to tell which SSD fits your PC, M and B keys, PCIe generations and what the 2280 size means.
Choosing a monitor: panel, resolution, refresh rate and ports
How to choose a monitor: IPS, VA and OLED panels, resolution and size, refresh rate, HDR, HDMI and DisplayPort connections, and a good ergonomic stand.
Motherboards: socket, chipset, form factors and how to choose
Socket, chipset, ATX or micro-ATX, VRMs, slots and connectivity: what really matters in a motherboard and which features you can safely ignore when buying.
Ohm's law in practice: resistors, LEDs and power dissipation
Ohm's law applied to real cases: calculating an LED resistor, reading colour codes, series and parallel, the voltage divider and power dissipation.
PC cooling: thermal paste, coolers and case airflow
How a computer is cooled: thermal paste, air and liquid coolers, fan layout, normal temperatures and what to do when your PC runs too hot under load.
PC noises: fans, coil whine and drives, how to recognise them
How to tell where a computer noise comes from: dirty or worn fans, electrical coil whine, hard disk clicks, vibrations, and what to do about each.
PC power supplies: wattage, 80 Plus and build quality
How to work out the wattage you need, what 80 Plus certifications mean, why power supply quality matters and which mistakes to avoid when choosing one.
PC stability testing: memory, processor and temperatures
How to check whether a PC is stable: RAM testing, processor and graphics card stress tests, temperature monitoring and how to read the results.
PC won't turn on: a step-by-step diagnostic method
From the power cable to a minimal setup: an orderly method to find out why a desktop PC won't turn on or shows no picture, without random guesswork.
RAM explained: DDR4 vs DDR5, dual channel, speed and latency
How much RAM you really need, DDR4 versus DDR5, why dual channel matters and how to read speed and CL latency without being fooled by the numbers.
Raspberry Pi: getting started, power, storage and system
Getting started with a Raspberry Pi: choosing model and power supply, preparing the microSD card, setting up the system and running it headless via SSH.
SMART data: how to read the health of SSDs and hard disks
What SMART data is, which attributes to check on hard disks and SSDs, how to read them with smartctl and graphical tools, and when to replace a drive.
Soldering: tools, temperature and proper technique
How to solder electronic components: choosing the iron, tip and alloy, setting the temperature, making clean joints, desoldering and working safely.
SSD vs hard disk: how they work and when to use each one
Platters and heads versus flash cells: how SSDs and HDDs work, how they differ in speed, lifespan and cost, and how to combine them in a PC or archive.
Upgrading a laptop: SSD, RAM and what you can really change
How to tell whether a laptop can be upgraded, choose compatible SSD and RAM modules, open it without damage, clone the drive and check the result.
USB without confusion: versions, connectors, cables, Thunderbolt
How to find your way through USB 2.0, USB 3.2, USB4 and Thunderbolt: connector versus protocol, real speeds, the right cables and the most common problems.