What is Hardware Acceleration, and when should you Turn it On?

  •  Hardware acceleration is a way to perform tasks faster using specialized hardware like GPUs.
  •  Hardware acceleration sacrifices flexibility and can become obsolete if the process it’s designed for becomes unprofitable or is no longer used.
  •  Turn on hardware acceleration when available for significant performance gains, but weigh the pros and cons of stability and quality.

All computer software runs on hardware, so what the heck does it mean for software to use “hardware acceleration” if hardware is doing the job already? It turns out there are ways of doing things with computer hardware that’s faster. Much faster.

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What are USB Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2×2? USB 3.2 Generations explained

  • USB Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2×2 are generations of USB 3.x that have speeds of 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 20 Gbps, respectively (regardless of the version number).
  •  USB 3.2 generations have regularly been renamed over the years, but they now simply bear the speed: USB 5 Gbps, USB 10 Gbps, and USB 20 Gbps.
  • Manufacturers may not use current official branding, so read labels closely before buying hardware.
  • Finding the fastest USB connection used to be easy: choose USB 3.0 instead of 2.0. But now, you’ll need to know the difference between USB 3.2 Gen 1, Gen 2, and Gen 2×2—and what various types of “SuperSpeed” mean, too.
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How to find your Windows 11 Product Key

  • To find your Windows 11 OEM product key, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator, then enter: wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey
  •  ShowKeyPlus can be used to find any Windows 11 product key, regardless of whether it is an OEM license or a retail license.
  •  OEM keys are tied to your PC’s specific hardware, but retail licenses are transferrable between devices.

Windows 11 uses a product key to ensure your OS is genuine—in other words, not pirated. You can find the product key in use on your PC, which is particularly useful if you bought Windows yourself and need to reinstall it.

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How to find your phone number

  • On an iPhone, open the Phone app, go to the “Contacts” tab, and tap on “My Card” to find your phone number.
  •  On an Android device, swipe down from the top of the screen, tap the gear icon to open Settings, and open “About Phone” to find your phone number.

It’s a little embarrassing, but we’ve all had the thought at one time or another: “What is my phone number?” Maybe you recently got a new number or you’re just having a mental lapse. The good news is you can find in the settings on your iPhone or Android device.

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Google Docs how to make a Google Doc view only

Prevent unwanted changes to your document by people you’re sharing with.

  •  Avoid unintended edits and mistakes in your Google Docs by using the view-only mode, which makes the document unchangeable and condenses the menu.
  •  Click the drop-down menu next to a person’s name in the Share menu to set whether they have editor, commentor, or viewer permissions.
  •  To change the permissions of someone with a link, click the “Share” button, then change the permission in the “General Access” section accordingly.

Whether you’re sharing your document or working on it alone, unintentional edits can happen. Luckily, Google Docs gives you a simple way to avoid mistaken keystrokes, accidental deletions, and other unintended edits with a view-only mode.

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How to get a “My Computer” Icon on the Desktop on Windows 10 and Windows 11

To display the “This PC” or the “My Computer” icon, right-click your desktop, then navigate to Personalize > Themes > Desktop Icon Settings. Select “Computer” from the listed options and then click “Apply” to add it to your desktop. The My Computer icon was a fixture on Windows desktops for decades, but it was removed and renamed with the introduction of Windows 10. Now properly called “This PC,” the icon must be added back manually.

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How to Mount an ISO image in Windows 7, 8, and 10

Right-click an ISO file and click “Mount” to mount it on Windows 10 or Windows 8. You don’t need third-party software. Windows 7 requires specialized software, like WinCDEmu. Windows finally offers a built-in way to mount ISO disc image files on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 8. If you’re using Windows 7, you’ll need a third-party tool.

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What is a Heatsink, and how does it work?

Beneath their unassuming metal surface lies a surprising amount of complexity.

  • Heatsinks are essential parts of your computer’s cooling. They remove heat away from critical components to increase their lifespan, performance, and stability.
  •  Heatsinks come in various shapes and sizes, with fin heatsinks being the most common type. They’re often accompanied by a fan for improved cooling.
  •  Factors such as size, material, heat pipes, fans, thermal interface material, mounting pressure, and ambient temperature affect the effectiveness of a heatsink.
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