

Computing guides and advice


Computing guides and advice.

Computing buying guides

Shop all laptops & PCs


Laptop stood on desk next to a cup of tea.

Laptop guide

From power to portability, find a laptop that meets your social, gaming and work needs.

Desktop PC set up for home working.

Desktop guide

Looking for a more powerful and dedicated workspace? Then a desktop computer could be just for you.

Gaming desktop PC set up in bedroom.

Gaming computer guide

Ready for the next level? These computers are designed specifically with gamers in mind.

Tablet guide.

Tablet guide

Find the tablet that meets your everyday needs.

What is the best PC for students?

From research and essay writing to binge watching and computer gaming, find a style to suit your studies.

Choosing the best PC for University

Need help with the specs?


What is a processor?


How do processor cores work?


What is clock speed?


What types of processor are there?


What is an operating system?


What is a graphics card?


What is RAM?


What’s the difference between SSD and HDD storage?


Choosing the best printer for your home

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Inkjet and laser printers are the two main printing technologies on the market. Inkjet printers have an internal print head containing thousands of tiny nozzles, which spray ink onto the paper with precise microscopic jets. Whereas laser printers use internal lasers to 'draw' the image onto the printer drum, which is then rolled through the toner and applied to paper using heat and pressure.

Man changing cartridge in black inkjet printer

Inkjet printers

Ideal for home use, they're great for multi-functional printing, be it documents, homework, tickets etc. They can also be quite compact, making them a great choice if space is at a premium.

Ink costs

  • Cartridges are cheaper to buy up front, but you get less prints per cartridge.
  • They may require several colour cartridges, depending on the printer.
Cartridge being changed in white Brother laser printer.

Laser printers

Ideal for home office and business use, they're great for printing documents at speed, especially if they are black and white. Their large printing components mean they tend to take up more space.

Ink costs

  • Cartridges are more expensive up front, but you get more prints per cartridge.
  • Needs a black toner and colour toner to work (black and white only models are available).
Canon PIXMA TR4551 Wireless Inkjet printer.

What are all-in-one printers?

These combine a scanner, photocopier and printer in one unit (some even include a fax machine). They're available in both inkjet and laser printer varieties.

Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 Wireless Inkjet printer.

What are photo printers?


Laptop and wireless printer on desk.

What are wireless printers?

Almost all printers can be easily connected to a desktop or laptop computer using Wi-Fi. You can also connect via USB if you prefer.

To connect with a network, your printer will need an ethernet port.

Person using mobile to print.

What is mobile printing?



Computer storage solutions

If your laptop's struggling for space to save all your photos, videos and music, or you want a way to back up your laptop, then purchasing a memory card, flash or hard drive is your best option.

Memory card being inserted into a laptop.

What is an SD card?

SD or Secure Digital cards are the most popular type of memory card format available. Their compact size and excellent transfer speed make them ideal for small portable devices, such as tablets and mobile phones.

There are 3 main types of SD media - SDHC, SDXC and microSD.

  • SDXC cards have a higher capacity than SDHC cards.
  • MicroSD cards are smaller versions (in physical size) of SDHC and SDXC cards.
USB stick on desk next to a laptop.

USB flash drives

USB flash drives are great for storing smaller files like documents, photos and videos. You can get a 3.0 or 2.0 version. This refers to the speed of the USB interface of your device. Devices with USB 3.0 will transfer files faster than 2.0, but before you buy, make sure your device's port supports USB 3.0 or you won't see the benefit.

Solid state hard drive.

What is a SSD hard drive?

A solid state drive (or SSD) uses flash memory to store data. Think of them as simply a large version of a USB drive, as they use the same base technology.

What they're great for

  • They have good energy efficiency.
  • Fast loading times for games, films and other software.
  • They're lightweight and durable, so more likely to withstand being dropped or moved.
Person holding a hard disk drive.

What is a HDD hard drive?

Hard disk drives (or HDD) are the most well-known hard drives. They use internal, magnetic spinning disks (sometimes known as platters) to read and write data.

What they're great for

  • They have much larger storage options.
  • They’re more widely available and tend to be lower in price.
  • They have long lifespans so, if looked after, they won’t need replacing as often.
Portable hard drive plugged into a laptop.

Portable hard drives

Portable hard drives are a great way to store important documents, photos, videos and other files off your PC, laptop or gaming console. They tend to be lightweight and small in size making them easy to move, use and store away.
They range in capacity from the smaller 500GB and under, to the larger 1-2TB. And for those of you who need it, there are also some even bigger portable hard drives, that offer over 3TB of storage.

How big a hard drive do I need?

How big a hard drive do I need?

This generally depends on what you are planning to do. If you are planning to play games or store a lot of photos or videos, then a larger hard drive is what you'll need. For general use and document storage, hard drives under 500GB should be more than sufficient.

Here are the average sizes you would need for different content:

  • Music - 80 - 120GB
  • Software - 120 - 320GB
  • Videos - 320GB - 1TB
  • Gaming - 512GB - 2TB
  • 4K or HD videos - 1TB+

Computing accessories

Monitor guide.

Monitor guide

Discover the best monitors for work and gaming.

Networking guide.

Networking guide

Find out how to make the most of your internet.

How to choose the best webcam.

How to choose the best webcam

Discover the best webcams for working and streaming.

Working from home essentials.

Working from home essentials

All you need to make home working work for you.

More help and inspiration

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