Guides
The technical bits, explained
Before you can choose a product you have to understand the specification it is sold on — and most of those specifications are written to be misread. These are the explanations we wished existed while doing the research.
Guides · Silicon
Smartphone processors, explained without the marketing
Four families, a dozen tiers, and a naming scheme designed to make a mid-range part sound like a flagship. Here is what the numbers mean and which of them should change what you buy.
Updated 6 sections
Guides · Silicon
Laptop processors, and what the letters after the number mean
The processor in a laptop matters less than the body it is fitted to, and the name tells you more than the brand does. Here is how to read both.
Updated 6 sections
Guides · Silicon
Graphics cards, and how to buy the right amount of one
A graphics card is not fast or slow in the abstract. It is fast or slow at a resolution and a frame rate, and those are decided by the screen you already own.
Updated 6 sections
Every guide ends where the research does — in the categories it describes, ranked. If you would rather skip the explanation, that is a perfectly good place to start instead.