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Questions tagged [desktop-computer]

Traditional computers as compared to laptops and netbooks.

Desktop computers tend to come in three main parts: the case that contains the actual computer (motherboard, disk drives and power supply), the screen, and the keyboard and mouse.

Not usually portable, the computer will sit on or under the desk with the keyboard and monitor on top.

Desktop computers are usually more powerful than a similarly priced laptop.

References

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Is it possible to run a motherboard in distilled water?

I have read that distilled water doesn't conduct electricity. This, in other words, means that we can submerge electronic devices like PCs/laptops in it and run them without any problem. I haven't seen much information about this on the internet,…
Suici Doga
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Why is Windows reporting a battery charge with my desktop?

I have a desktop computer. Get-wmiobject win32_computersystem | select manufacturer,model Manufacturer : Hewlett-Packard Model : HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF For a while it would give me a icon in the systray stating that my battery…
Matt
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Can software differentiate between a laptop and a desktop?

A license for CPU-intensive software like Pix4D says it can be installed on two devices - but with a condition. Reading the finer print, it seems that one device can be a full-processing workstation/desktop whereas the other must be a mobile…
Islay
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Why isn't 255.255.249.0 a valid subnet mask?

I was just wondering about this question above and I would greatly appreciate it if someone can explain why 255.255.249.0 isn't a valid subnet mask.
bobby
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What are these little rubber "condoms" that came with my thermal paste?

What are the white rubber condoms? They can be unrolled like a condom. For scale the battery is AA.
Ian Newson
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Is ESD a serious risk on modern machines?

I heard that static electricity was a serious concern a couple of decades ago. However, many computer builders now don't seem to bother with things like electro-static discharge (ESD) straps or other measures when working on a system. Are computers…
Ricku
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How to connect multiple HDDs to a computer?

What is the best and most efficient way to connect 10 - 20 SATA HDDs to a home computer? I mean an ordinary motherboard supporting 2 connections for SATA HDDs. The purpose of this assembly is to build a handy storage system for storing large files…
Googlebot
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RAID 0 performance gains?

I'm building a new computer over the summer. I'm fairly competent in computer hardware, and am thus building the computer from scratch. I have everything planned out, but I was wondering about RAID. I asked which RAID I should use earlier, but now…
NickAldwin
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What are the benefits of a dual-core CPU over a quad-core in a desktop PC?

I know that in most cases when you buy a dual-core CPU for the same price you could get a quad-core, you end up getting 2 cores that are faster individually than the 4 cores individually in the quad-core CPU. Yes, you can essentially have 4…
Chris Pietschmann
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Bare-metal virtualisation for the desktop

What knowledge exists about bare-metal virtualization products? I'm interested in building a new desktop machine for home. I've been looking at the Intel Quad-Core processors, and I'd like to put 8 GB of RAM in there, but it got me thinking about…
Andrew Taylor
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How to migrate local user to domain user?

I have a local user on my laptop. My company is migrating to a domain setup and I want to migrate the local user to a domain user, with all the settings (desktop, Start menu, programs) intact. How can I do that? Also, is it possible to have a local…
drizzt
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Why upgrade to solid state hard drive on desktop computer

Why upgrade to a solid state hard drive on desktop computer if non-solid state hard drive speed = 6GB/s and solid state hard drive speed = 6GB/s Will I just be paying more to get less space? they both claim to have the same speed. I know SSD will …
Tono Nam
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What should a person know before assembling their first computer?

For people who are setting out to build a computer for the first time, there's a lot of information on this site about how to choose an appropriate set of components. But after searching for a while, I couldn't find that much about actually…
David Z
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Can a laptop's screen, keyboard and touchpad be used for a desktop?

Is it possible to use a laptop's screen, mouse and keyboard for a desktop? Please do not suggest breaking the laptop apart or anything. Obviously, it is fine if I can not use the laptop while I am using it for the desktop. Does anybody know in…
TPR
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Can I put a laptop Core i7 CPU in a desktop?

One of the most important thing to me for a CPU is a good mix between speed and heat. For example five years ago I bought a Core 2 Duo 6300 (max TDP 65W): I put a big heatsink on the CPU, no fans (I do hate moving parts and noise) and it worked…
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