My laptop is heating up faster than usual, is this normal?
Damn. Better do something about those. My core temps never go above 63 degrees celcius, and that is under 100% load. When was the last time you opened it up to clean the dust bunnies from the fan and heatsink fins? Should be done at least once a year (preferably twice). And NEVER use it on soft surfaces such as beds, pillows, carpeting, sofas, or even your lap. This blocks air intake and exhaust vents. You can also use a can of compressed air and spray it in the exhaust vents for the fan to remove the dust bunnies from the heatsink fins. Not as good as disassembly, but better than nothing. Then check the bottom of the laptop to see if you can see the fan, and whether the compressed air has blown the dust into it. Maybe it can be picked out with a tweezers if you see any.
What is the best over-ear headset or headphones for computer use under US$300 (that also has bluetooth capability)?
Let me ask you this: Do you have a stand-alone sound card, and/or external DAC?If you don’t (and I assume you don’t, because you wouldn’t be asking a question like this), don’t bother with audiophile headphones, they will sound like crap without proper hardware backing them (Especially the Sennheiser HD XXX). Purchasing said hardware will double your 300USD before you blink.I used to have Siberia V2, surprisingly good headphones, made specifically for FPS games. They have certain parts of their sound pitched, you hear footsteps more clearly, for example. They have large cans, comfortable even for people with big heads, but sit a bit too heavy on top of your ears. They don’t have adjustable bridge, utilising the spring-thingy instead. First few days were bit weird, but you get used to it quickly.If you require headphones with microphone (retractable), this is the one for you.SteelSeries Arctis 7 are good as well, for about 100 Euro. Very nice bass, crisp treble and they feel nice and reliable in your hands/on your head. The band is a bit ugly, but that might be just me.Razer ManO’War: This is like the top notch of gaming headsets. Amazing sound, 7.1 surround, wireless… They are bit big, and now I am not sure if it was ManO’War or the Razer Chimera, but one of them had a charging point right in the middle of the band, and it wasn’t (for some freaking reason) flat, and it would poke the top of my skull.Sennheiser RS 185 is, to me, the absolute best in this weight class. I use them literally every day. Not only are they wireless, with amazing sound (yet to hear cordless headphones that sound better), they are light (despite the batteries), well build, comfortable, have on-ear controls… And the best part, they have their own broadcast base.What’s so special about it, I hear you ask.Well, not only does it charge the headphones (which last 18 hours on single charge and have replaceable batteries, not accumulators), it contains DAC/soundcard. Thaaaat’s right. You just connect it to your motherboard via an optic cable (virtually all the new motherboards have digital/optical out) to circumvent the crappy sound card that is part of your motherboard, and you are set.Which means you are getting more than just headphones for your 250USD.Look, truth is, you don’t need to invest 300USD into headphones unless you have the hardware required. Top notch “amateur” headphones go for 200 and less. They will run off the integrated soundcard, give you warm and rich sound…
What are some internal components of a computer?
Motherboard CPU Memory (RAM) Graphics Card Sound Card Network Card Hard Drive CD/DVD RW PSU North Bridge South Bridge Cables Heat Sink Battery Speaker Fans Jumpers Buses
Do I need an audio interface with my ATH M50x if I make instrumentals only using headphones and FL Studio (ASIO4ALL)?
ATH M50x comes with a different audio jack support cables (3.1–5.1,3.1–2.1 etc.) It really depends on you but I'd really prefer having an audio interface because it's better that way (trust me you don't need to go further into the details) and about ASIO4ALL it just gives the software you're using for audio making the full access to your sound card and other relevant stuff…in conclusion you should have and audio interface regardless if you're not even using an music instrument with MIDI input and it's doesn't matter if you're using ASIO4ALL…audio interface is an external soundcard and ASIO4ALL is a software which is used for isolation of the sound driver it limits the usage of the sound card to get the minimum error in the hearing of sound and thus making the sound engineering or producing more accurate.Like you found it helpful.
Should I own a DAC for the Audio-Technica M30x?
A good DAC will make any pair of headphones sound better. Almost anything is better that the sound card in your phone or motherboard. However, the money you would spend on a decent sounding DAC would be much better spent on buying a new pair of headphones. I can personally recommend the ATH-M40x, I am sure you are familiar with it.
Is it a good idea to purchase a computer monitor with built-in speakers?
It depends on what you want the speakers to do. Usually monitor speakers are low output with a narrow range. The ones I've had sound tinny because the range is limited to the high-mid to higher frequency range. If you're looking for just something to make noise and you don't care about the volume or quality of the sound they'll be fine.If you want speakers for multimedia, and your sound card supports surround sound, you'll at least want to get a set of decent speakers to accompany your monitor speakers. Depending on your hardware you would plug the monitor speakers into the sound card’s center channel and a set of decent desktop speakers to the side channels and/or rear channels.If you're looking for high-end sound you'll want a set of professional studio monitors with a subwoofer.Or you can go the headphone route depending on you're intentions.TL;DRIn GENERAL when deciding on which speakers suit your needs look for the RMS, frequency range, and that the speakers are “powered”. A higher RMS means the speaker will be louder. Look for speakers that cover the entire frequency range of the human ear which is 20 Hz - 20 kHz. Powered speakers need to be plugged into an outlet to power the internal amplifier.