Mashed Articles

Writen by Carla Weaffer

Many consumers make use of a consumer printer in addition to a personal computer for a number of reasons. With the purchase of a consumer printer also comes the need to purchase replacement printer ink cartridges as the ink runs out of the cartridge you are currently using. Replacement printer ink cartridges that are purchased from printer manufacturers can often cause quite an expense for consumers. Many manufacturer-made replacement printer ink cartridges can even surpass the purchase price of the printer they are used with. This is why buying compatible printer inks is a wise consumer choice. There are many ways why using compatible printer ink cartridges can be beneficial.

The main reason that using compatible printer ink cartridges and inkjet refill kits appeals to many consumers is that it will save you money. Individuals will find that more often than not a compatible printer ink cartridge will be less of an expense than the purchase a replacement printer ink cartridge from a printer manufacturer. Inkjet refill kits is also a great money saving option for consumer printer owners that may be on a budget or those that just like saving some money. An ink refill kit can greatly extend the life of a printer ink cartridge if the cartridge is refilled before the ink cartridge is completely empty.

Another great benefit to purchasing an inkjet refill kit or a compatible printer in cartridge is that they are extremely easy to purchase. Most consumers very much appreciate that they can order a compatible printer ink cartridge online for a great price and have it delivered right to their front doorstep.

The quality of the print job a compatible printer ink cartridge can provide you with is another great reason to use compatible printer inks. If you have purchased a good quality compatible printer ink the quality of the print work should be equal to an ink cartridge purchase from a printer manufacturer.

If you are an ecologically conscious consumer you will appreciate that compatible printer ink cartridges and ink refill kits decrease the amount of solid waste dumped into landfills each year as the can be reused several times. Also if you wish to purchase compatible printer ink cartridges or refill kits in bulk if you buy a good quality ink you will not have to worry about the future print jobs you printer will produce as the ink should store quite well. This option is can be found to be a real money saver with a lot of consumers.

There are very few models of printers that will not work with compatible inkjet printers so you would not have to worry about limited choice when looking into buying a printer you can use compatible printer inks with. Deciding to use compatible printer ink cartridges instead of replacement ink cartridges from a manufacturer can provide you with high quality print work at a much more reasonable price. So keep all of this useful information about compatible printer inks in mind as soon as you begin shopping for a new printer or your current printer is in need of new ink.

Writen by Donny Duncan

CPU – Central Processing Unit

The brain of the computer. A lot of people like to call the entire computer case the CPU, but actually, the CPU is a tiny chip connected directly to the motherboard, with a big fan connected directly to it. Without the fan, the CPU would burn up very quickly.

There are two primary brands of CPU on the market right now, Intel & AMD. A better of the two is hard to state, but you can check Toms Hardware for more in depth hardware reviews.

One thing to note about CPU’s is that you can’t just slap any CPU into any Motherboard. The Motherboard must support your specific CPU, which can make upgrades very hairy, so typically, if you’re going to upgrade one, it’s a good idea to upgrade the other. See more on Motherboards on the Motherboard page.

There are also two different types of CPU’s, socket and slot. Socket snaps directly into the motherboard, with a fan directly attached, while slot has a casing which holds the CPU, with a fan connected to the casing. Again, there really is no better of the two, but Socket is becoming more common, and is generally easier to keep cool, which is a BIG factor in CPU’s at higher speeds.

CPU speeds are rated in Megahertz (Mhz), up to 1000, then they are referred to as Gigahertz (Ghz). One major misconception regarding CPU’s is that the bigger the number (the megahertz/gigahertz), the faster the CPU. While this is generally true, there are several other factors that effect the overall speed of the CPU.

Front Side Bus – Regulates the speed of communication between the Ram and the CPU

Onboard Cache – Comparable to Ram, except used strictly by the CPU to speed up calculations

So the next time you’re shopping for CPU’s, remember to not only look at the CPU speed, but check out the other factors most people don’t generally notice. When buying a CPU, it’s very important to know what you need it for. Most basic users only need internet and some word processing and basic picture editing. Using Windows XP (since it’s the most common home Operating System right now) 2.0 Ghz should be your minimum. This speed is just right for these basic functions, and should be fast enough to last a while, and most of all, it is very cheap.

One thing to note here is that the price difference between the 2.0 Ghz and the upper 2.x Ghz CPU’s (like 2.6 or 2.9) is so slight that you might be better off to get the one slightly higher to last longer over time.

I do NOT suggest buying the fastest cpu on the market, ever.. simply because what you pay six hundred dollars or more for now, will be only a few hundred dollars in a couple of months, and this will always be true as long as cpu speeds keep increasing.

This article taken from Computer Discounts Guide – CPU Guide . View the website for more helpful guides.

Donny Duncan, the author of Computer Discounts Guide has been in the computer field for over thirteen years.