You work hard all day. You are putting a lot of good into the world from your old old desk and your trusty computer. However, over time this desk and computer starts to go from useful to ordinary.
Your computer assistant deserves the best. You deserve better! It’s called self-care, and that’s what most of us lack. No more! Let’s take a look at a number of things you can do this weekend to freshen up your computer and workspace.
First, let’s look at minification, decluttering, optimization… whatever you want. Clutter is bad — you know that. But do you know why clutter cleaning is good for you clutter ? Try to start with good resources on how to get organized
Get rid of worn or damaged cables
Do you have a nest of charging cables that are worn and worn? ? Take a moment to check all your cables for damage. You can purchase inexpensive computer cables just about anywhere now. Watch the following video and learn how a frayed cable can create electrical arcs.
Leave a few papers about it and you’ll be delivering coffee to the firemen before the night is over. Spend $10 or $20 on new cables. It’s cheap fire insurance.
Store cables better when not in use
This is a connected world. But why does it have so many cables? Many of them you use only from time to time. So what do you do with them between uses? Stick them in a box? Mere mortals do it. But you are a reader. You know you could buy pre-made cord storage solutions, or you could create a creative cable storage solution. things like wrapping cables in empty DVD cases or wrapping coiled cables in empty toilet paper rolls. You can do that. Use your noggin, not your wallet.
Tidy up the rest of your computer cables
We are talking about cables that are always connected. We are all to blame for the fact that the desktops were so strewn with cables that it looks like someone has piled up multi-colored spaghetti. This mess makes life difficult. But you can organize your computer cables quickly and for free. ! Use bread tags to label your cables so you know what goes where. Upgrade from multiple power strips to one that will handle all your cords and protect your electronics from power surges. You probably have some kind of zippers, ties or Velcro. Use them to your advantage.
Make your computer cable-free
Take your cable tidy a step further and hide all your cables. Make like a child with a mess, and hide it. If you’ve organized your cables, you’re halfway there. Place the bundle of cables into the cable box . Try some 3M cord clips. The beauty of them is that they can be removed later without leaving a mark. Maybe go full geek and get some cable channel with an open slot with a cover.
Consider installing a new surge protector under a table or elsewhere. Don’t know where to put the screws? Place the surge suppressor carefully on the copier and make a copy. Now you have the perfect scaling template. Insert small holes into the template where the screws should go. Flip the template over and stick it on the surface where you want to install the surge arrester. Place the screws where the template shows they should be. Tear off the template and install the surge arrester. Performed. It’s almost that fast.
Now that you have the space to move around and are free from the perils of disconnection, let’s take a look at some of the things you can add to your PC or workspace to upgrade it.
Add another monitor
People who complain about too many monitors are like Snuffleupagus. You hear about him from time to time, but no one has seen him. Monitors have come down in price a lot over the past few years, making them an affordable upgrade. You can purchase two new 22-inch monitors for under $300. If you haven’t done this before, don’t worry. We can help you find out if your computer supports dual monitors: and how to set it up.
Adding a second monitor can improve productivity by 42%, according to John Peddy’s «Multiple Display Market and Consumer Attitudes» report. Just don’t let the second monitor become a distraction, like Facebook or Netflix.
Get a good monitor mount
You might think monitors take up too much space on your desk. No. It’s the base of the monitor that takes up all that space. The leg of a single 22″ monitor can take up about 20 square inches of your desk. The leg of a dual monitor mount can be as small as 4 square inches. If you are using a wall mount, then your monitor does not take up space on your desk. Whether you have one, two or more monitors set up, get a good monitor mount. You can purchase a Loctek Dual Monitor Mount for less than $100. Why Loktec? Well, good prices, and James Bruce gave the Loctek D7A monitor mount a 9 out of 10. 9 out of 10 James is like 12 out of 10 for mere mortals.
Update your video card
Your computer may not support dual monitors. This is as good a reason as any to upgrade your graphics card to one that fits. In addition, if you go to a higher level, you will see that the video rendering speed has increased slightly. You really don’t need to spend that much money. For just $200, you can get a pretty good graphics card like the EVGA GeForce GTX 960. If you’ve never done this before, take a few minutes to learn about buying the right graphics card. buy a video card For you.
Add more RAM
Adding RAM to a computer or laptop is a fairly simple and very affordable process. You can even add RAM to your laptop. . If your computer is running slowly despite you doing regular maintenance to keep it fast, adding RAM can make a big difference. If you have never added RAM to your computer, you may want to know more about RAM conditions to make sure you are getting the right things. In just 30 and 30 seconds, you can double your RAM from 8GB to 16GB.
Change hard drive to solid state drive
If you’ve been dreaming of the day you can get rid of your clunky hard drive (HDD) and replace it with a lightning-fast solid state drive, your time might be this weekend. Recently, the prices of SSDs have been steadily decreasing, making them affordable for almost everyone. If you don’t know how to change discs, it’s okay. Take a couple of minutes and read how to install a new hard drive
You also don’t have to change the hard drive to an SSD. If you have a desktop PC, you can set it up so that Windows and programs run from the SDD, and the hard drive is simply used for long-term file storage or backup. All you need to invest is about $60 and a few hours of reinstalling Windows and programs. This will give you a noticeable speed boost when booting Windows, and you still have terabytes of storage that available hard drives can provide.
Get a wireless keyboard and mouse
Whether you have a laptop or desktop PC, adding a wireless keyboard or mouse can make a big difference. At any time you can have the same performance without cables, that’s good. If all you have is a laptop, then adding a wireless keyboard and mouse along with a pair of desktop monitors will give you more flexibility. Now you can use your laptop as if it were a desktop computer with all that big screen real estate. But then, if you’re traveling, you can just unplug your laptop and go. You don’t need to have both. For about $40 for 5 minutes you will get an ergonomic wireless keyboard and mouse.
Make Mod Mod
You spend hours with your computer. Why not give it a little personality? With some basic DIY skills and some supplies from your hardware store, you won’t be able to stop being a PC presence. You can change what you have or create a case for your PC from scratch. PC Case « ! Get some ideas from watching videos from dedicated FX masters like Adam Savage about the glory of Mythbuster. Do you have multiple computers? Maybe you could build your own server rack assemble for yourself
Give your whole room a makeover
Again, you only take up space with you and your computer for a few hours. Shouldn’t it really be yours? Isn’t that supposed to scream «This is my space!». What better way to go full cyberpunk when remodeling a room? ? You could add some home automation mood lighting. Maybe draw your room like a place in your favorite game. Or maybe go to the future with a 1950s retro collection. With paint, cheap electronics, a day or two, and some creative thinking, you can really turn your computer space into your own world.
So what you gonna do?
Are you going to make small changes this weekend? Or go for broke? After all, are you going to invest in some new gear or upgrade your current rig? You spend so much time in the computer world, you can also make it a world that works well and is your own. We really want to hear what you’re going to do.
Image Credits: Alexey Styop’s modern home office via Shutterstock, Messy Desk, via Wikimedia.