Tag: PC

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Games

Top Survival Games for Low-RAM PCs That You Should Try

Photo by Johny Goerend on Unsplash

Let’s face it: when it comes to video games, too many of them are extremely intuitive and easy to play. Too many of them don’t require any kind of strategy or analytical thinking. That’s why we should pay special attention to survival games if we are into gaming, as they are a lot more demanding than open-world RPGs and shooters.

Survival games can put your mind to work a lot more than many other types of video games. While survival games are not for everybody, they can definitely be played by anyone as long as they invest a bit of intellectual effort and strategic thinking.

But guess what? Not everybody has a powerful PC at home that can run highly demanding games capable of ultra-modern graphics. That’s why we’re here to mention some of the best survival games that can be played even on low-RAM PCs, so feel free to grab a pen and a piece of paper and start making notes:

Minecraft:

Minecraft is one of the most popular games ever created and for good reasons. This is a sandbox game that allows you to build and explore blocky worlds in pretty much any way you can imagine. Minecraft is basically a game in which “the only limit is your imagination,” so it’s easy to guess the kind of freedom that this game can grant you!

As for the survival mode of Minecraft, it can challenge you to gather resources, build shelter, and get rid of hostile creatures while you explore and craft your way throughout the game.

Terraria:

Terraria qualifies as a 2D sandbox game that’s teeming with building, exploration, and combat elements. If you choose to give this game a chance, you will get to build, craft, dig, and fight against monsters across a pixelated world that’s filled with secrets, treasures, and challenges.

As for the features that are present in Terraria, it needs to be said that this game offers multiple biomes, procedurally generated worlds, multiplayer support, boss battles, and even extensive crafting and building options. The modding community is also large and dedicated, and it can add even more content and features to the game.

The Forrest:

The Forrest is another highly immersive survival game that has been developed by the guys from Endnight Games. However, you definitely shouldn’t play this game if you’re faint of heart. That’s because The Forrest qualifies as a survival horror game that’s set on a mysterious island where cannibalistic mutants live. If you’re one of the players of The Forrest, your job is to build shelters, gather resources, craft weapons, as well as explore caves while you uncover the secrets of the island. You will ultimately have to find a way to escape.

The atmosphere present in The Forrest is obviously very terrifying, but there are a lot of elements that can grant you a great gameplay experience if you like survival horror games. The Forrest offers co-op multiplayer, survival mechanics, crafting, and base building, as well as a story-driven campaign mode.

Unturned:

Unturned is a free survival game developed by Smartly Dressed Games, and it’s set in a blocky, post-apocalyptic world that’s infested with zombies. As a player, your job will be to build shelter, scavenge for supplies, and fend off zombies and other players as you explore a generous open world.

The features offered by Unturned include multiplayer support, base building, simple graphics, vehicles, crafting, numerous weapons and equipment, and more.

Feel free to tell us in your comment section which is your favorite survival game and why! We’re happy to read everyone’s comments, as everybody has the right to an opinion!

 

Categories
Tech

The NoxPlayer Android Emulator for PC: How Good Is the Software?

Photo by Onur Binay on Unsplash

Even though Windows 11 has made it a lot easier for users to run Android games and apps directly on their laptop or desktop PC, that’s not a strong enough argument for people to make the upgrade to Microsoft’s latest operating system. Windows 11 still has its flaws, and plenty of folks out there are concerned about their privacy if they use the operating system.

That’s why third-party apps might represent a better option when it comes to emulating your favorite Android games and apps on a Windows laptop/PC. Luckily, there are lots of options out there, and you are free to choose the one that suits your needs and desires the most. However, NoxPlayer managed to catch our attention, as it seems like a very good option for anybody who’s looking for a powerful and straightforward Android emulator. Let’s see why:

A friendly and intuitive user interface

NoxPlayer should be able to install smoothly and rapidly on any device. It has a very friendly and intuitive interface, although all those buttons on the right might pose a few challenges if you’re not used to the icons. But as soon as you hover over the mouse a bit and find out what each of the buttons can do, you should easily remember that info. For instance, there are buttons for making print screens and opening multiple instances at once.

All of the Android games and apps you install will appear on the front page of the emulator, similarly to how programs/apps appear as desktop icons in Windows. In other words, you won’t have trouble while trying to locate those apps in NoxPlayer, as the emulator was built in such a way that it showcases the apps easily.

If you don’t like to see the Android apps and games in the NoxPlayer emulator itself, you can easily add them to your desktop as well, in exactly the same way you keep your other programs from your computer. When you click on those apps/games on your desktop, the NoxPlayer app will automatically launch and open the software. This simple operation can be done by first opening the app/game you need in your NoxPlayer, and hitting the last button from the low right side of NoxPlayer that says Create an app desktop shortcut. 

How’s the emulation

The emulation that NoxPlayer is capable of is smooth and efficient. It runs very well, and transparent buttons will appear on the display, matching those from the Android version. Personally, I’ve tested the eBay app on NoxPlayer, as I prefer using it over the desktop version due to the possibility of filtering the search results by the location of the products. I was surprised at how well NoxPlayer does its job, and I’ve also put the emulator to the test on SnapSeed and World of Tanks Blitz. Some freezes occurred at some point with these apps, but I assume it was a problem with the apps themselves, not the emulator. I’ve also tested the EZVIZ app which allows me to see my room through my surveillance camera, and it works as it does on my Android device.

Probably the best part about the NoxPlayer emulator is that it’s free to use. It won’t cost you a dime to use it, and you will have the chance to emulate pretty much all your favorite Android apps and games.

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Markets News Tech

How to Speed Up PC for Blogging

Today, we’ll be showing you a concise guide on how to speed up PC for blogging.

Blogging, unlike web development and gaming, does not require highly sophisticated system set. However, having your PC running at optimum capacity would make your work more convenient, as you’d be able to create and publish contents faster.

To achieve this, you can try some of the methods in the next section.

How to Speed Up PC for Blogging

Here are some tips for you:

  1. Upgrade Microsoft Office

For a Blogger, you’re probably familiar with Microsoft Office, particularly Microsoft Word, which is the primary tool employed for content creation; the forte of Blogging. And while the suite has evolved overtime, many users are still stuck on the old editions (2007/2003/2002/2000 and older).

Hence, to improve your performance, as a blogger, it is recommended you upgrade to a newer version of the suite, preferably Office 2019, 2016, or 2013. These new versions offer better features, which generally make your work faster and easier.

  1. Update Browsers

Most publishing platforms like Blogger, WordPress and Amazon Kindle among others require standard – updated –  web browsers. Hence, if you are running an out-of-date or unsupported browser, you may have problems.

For your convenience, below is an outline of recommended browsers for publishing on PC:

  • Firefox: v24 & above
  • Internet Explorer: v10 & above
  • Chrome: v32 & above

  1. Decongest RAM

An overloaded RAM will slow down all system activities; hence, ensure there is enough breathing space on your RAM, at all times. To achieve this, it is important to maintain as fewer running apps/processes as possible, while writing or publishing.

Simply remove nonessential processes/running apps in “Task Manager”, and leave only the essential ones (MS Word and/or publishing browser). In some cases, you may have to remove/uninstall some apps.

By decongesting RAM, you are able to protect your PC from unnecessary lags, which could hamper your writing/publishing workflow.

  1. Clean Up Disk Space

This method, like the previous one, is not specific to blogging, but rather applicable to improve the overall running speed and performance of your PC.

In the event that your storage space is clustered (filled with heavy junk apps/files), you can delete some apps and files to free up space.

With this procedure, your PC would run faster, and your blogging workflow is consequently expedited.

  1. Update Computer

This is also essential to speed up PC for blogging, as you are able to do more in less time with an up-to-date PC.

To update your PC manually (on Windows 10), follow the steps below:

  • Open Start menu: click on the ‘Windows’ icon at the top edge or bottom edge of your screen.
  • In the menu, click on Settings > Update & Security.
  • Select Windows Update > Check for updates.
  • Install available updates and follow the prompt commands to finish the installation.

In conclusion, you should be able to speed up your Windows PC by applying any of the solutions we mentioned above. Besides, any of the aforementioned solutions will boost your PC for long-lasting performance in the long run.

Have any input? Kindly drop your comments.

Categories
News Tech

How to Speed Up PC for Web Development

Looking to optimize your PC for web development? This guide is for you! Here, we’ll be showing you how to speed up PC for web development.

Web developers are often faced with the critical decision of “what type and build of computers to employ for their work”. And to a large extent, this decision determines the pace, convenience and quality of their work.

In any case, this tutorial will be showing you a set of tweaks, aimed at improving your system’s performance, to make it better suited for web development. Read on!

How to Speed Up PC for Web Development

As a web developer, you must have brainstormed and/or carried out extensive research, at one point or another, on the type of computer that is best suited for your work.

Normally, for best performance, you’d need a standard computer system, preferably a laptop to facilitate mobility and convenience. However, the term “standard” is relative, as there are different standards for different requirements.

Therefore, in this section, we’ll be showing you the recommended (standard) – system requirements – for web development.

Method 1: Check and Upgrade PC

Web development is unarguably one of the most sophisticated operations executed on computers, which involves a lot of coding – “JavaScripting”and “PHPing” among others. This requires top end system specifications for optimum performance.

Below is a roundup of the standard system requirements for web development:

  • OS: Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)
  • CPU: Core i5
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Disk Drive: SSD (HDD is manageable)
  • GPU: GeForce RTX (NVIDIA) and/or ATI/AMD Radeon
  • And more

Going beyond the above outlined requirements is okay (or even better). However, if your PC falls short (in any aspect), you might want to upgrade as appropriate, for optimum performance.

Note: For optimum performance, Linux computers are better suited for web development than Windows PCs.

Method 2: Optimize Processor

Unlike games, whose performance centre around the GPU, web development centres around the CPU (processor). Hence, by optimizing CPU, you are able to execute heavy tasks (like web development) much faster and with better flexibility.

This procedure can be executed in a number of steps, as outlined below:

  • Open Task Manager: click Crtl + Alt + Delete.
  • Go to the Process
  • Kill all nonessential tasks/processes.
  • Go back and open the Start menu: click the ‘Windows’ icon.
  • Click on Control Panel > System and Maintenance.
  • Select Power Options.
  • Set the Power options to Balanced (setting to High performance may cause system overheating).
  • Click Change Plan Settings > Advanced Power Options.
  • Go to the Processor Power Management section, and click on it (to expand options).
  • Select Maximum processor state.
  • Click OK to apply changes
  • Exit program

This procedure would speed up your processing speed.

Closing Note

You can also adopt standard performance-enhancing tricks like: system & devices (drivers) updates, SSD trimming or HDD defragmentation and disk/storage cleanup among others.

Hope you find this helpful?

Categories
Games News

Microsoft To Combine Xbox Live Gold With Xbox Game Pass [which just got Minecraft]

We just talked about the incredible sale of Minecraft in the past 10 years since it launched on PC, and it’s still rising. The sales will continue to get higher not just on PC, but also on more platforms if Microsoft will combine the two subscriptions into a single one.

As reported by Twitter user @h0x0d, we could see a new service from Microsoft called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

https://twitter.com/h0x0d/status/1114159135048646657?s=20

This person claims that the service will only be $14.99 per month, which is quite the bargain, considering Xbox owners will save almost $5 per month if Microsoft really wants to combine the services. As The Verge pointed out, Microsoft will certainly reveal something about this in the next weeks when they will unveil the disc-less Xbox One S All-Digital edition.

Why should we trust what @h0x0d tweeted?

It’s simple: it makes perfect sense, and it’s a good strategy, which has been used in the past by Microsoft. Remember the Xbox All Access subscription which bundled together with a leased Xbox One X, Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass for $34.99/month? Probably that one-time offer was testing the reaction of users and how the bundling service was received by players.

Considering all the aggressive marketing around the Xbox Game Pass and the fact that the disc-less Xbox One is counting on the digital games offered through the Microsoft services, a bundle named Xbox Game Pass Ultimate isn’t far-fetched.

The games added to the Xbox Game Pass since it launched are Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3, and Minecraft was recently added. Microsoft is also working on the xCloud streaming service to let players stream games on different platforms (PCs, smartphones/tablets, consoles).

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