Boss Level: Keeping Your Gaming PCs at Their Best | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB Computer Help

March 30, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Boss Level: Keeping Your Gaming PCs at Their Best

Video gaming is entertainment for all ages. The main demographic is 18-34 years, but those 34-54 are another big segment – even larger than the under-18 group – although the youngest group may spend the most hours gaming, especially during a pandemic. Regardless, PC gamers of any age want the most powerful, fastest computer they can get.

It’s difficult to beat the Boss Level of that favourite game if your computer is lagging. The horror! If you’re serious about gaming, consider the ideas in this article to achieve your next personal best.

The gaming industry is moving to Triple-A titles. Think Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. These AAA video games are the equivalent of blockbuster movies. They take months to years for massive teams of people to develop, everything about such games is ambitious (even the price!). The graphics and animation are more immersive, the storylines offer hours of content and encourage open exploration, and the games have a grander scale and improved sound design, too.

All that requires more from your computer. Depending on the age of your computer, you may not need to replace it to power the latest, greatest games. Or you could upgrade to a more powerful video card. Adding more random access memory (RAM) might also take a computer up to the Triple-A level.

Troubleshooting the Home-Gaming PC

Whether you’re trying the Triple A game or not, you may run into other problems. A screen locks up, a system crashes, or you see weird graphics or wonky textures in a game. You shoot an opponent with a direct hit, and he takes the win. Any of these problems can ruin your gaming experience.

Various issues cause these headaches for home gamers. Regrettably, they can be difficult to diagnose. The problems might be tied to:

overheating – modify your power settings, and make sure the computer is getting enough airflow;
driver issues – games crashing could mean the latest video drivers aren’t installed;
file corruption – reinstalling the game could help;
an unstable internet connection – consider moving to a wired Ethernet connection.
Viruses and Malware – If you have malicious programs running in the background you’re gonna have a bad time. Consider Y-Not’s Security Suite to keep malware at arm’s length.

Running too many programs on your PC can also cause games to run less smoothly. Close out other programs. Free up disk space if you can. Also, putting the game’s graphics on a lower setting can make them less resource-intensive.

Build vs. Buy

Generally, when the question comes up as to whether you should build your own gaming PC or buy a pre-built one we would recommend you build your own. That way you can customize it to get exactly what you want. Plus, it’s been historically more economical to gather the parts yourself and assemble them than to buy a pre-built gaming rig.

However, with the current cryptocurrency mining frenzy causing low stock for many of the best gaming graphics cards, buying a pre-built machine can be the better option. In fact, it may be the only way to get these cards without supporting scalpers and paying insane markup prices. Be sure to do your research because at the moment building your own rig might not be the best option.

Our IT experts can bring your PC up to speed, and get you back in the game at full power. Book an appointment below:

Pivoting to the Practice of Virtual Law | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB IT Support

March 23, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Pivoting to the Practice of Virtual Law

The law profession has been slow to embrace virtual work. It’s a people-oriented business, and there is great reliance on sensitive files and court documents, yet the pandemic pushed lawyers – and the rest of us – to embrace more digital technology.

Sure, lawyers were using mobile devices before. They worked in satellite offices, on-site with clients, or from home. Still, the profession’s traditionalists were loathing putting paperwork online or meeting virtually. Now they have to do so. [Read more…]

Outsourced Help Desk for Accountants | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB IT Support

March 16, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Outsourced Help Desk for Accountants

Accountants are experts at surviving the “busy season.” Tax accountants, for instance, are slammed as annual deadlines draw near. There are slow times, too, but during crazy times, the last thing an accountant wants is essential tech going down.

A broken computer or server downtime can be devastating. Say it’s a few days before a tax deadline, and the accountant logs into an essential tax preparation application and sees a blank screen: the system is down, and they can’t get in. It’s the kind of crisis that more cups of coffee can’t handle.

In the United States in 2018, the Internal Revenue Service’s website crashed on April 17, Tax Day. Since many people had waited until the last minute to submit their tax returns, this single day of downtime is estimated to have cost millions. It’s a clear example of the damage even a day of server downtime or other type of outage can cost a business and, in this case, one that business accountants can relate to!

If the firm takes a break-fix approach to its technology needs, the answer will be to call in an expert. This could mean hours on the phone with an IT helpline only to find out the problem is with another service provider. Or it could mean trying to reach someone to come out and check the network only to get on their calendar in the next available spot.

Deadlines are looming, and you are spending time on IT woes? It’s a disaster.

A proactive approach is to outsource IT help to a managed service provider (MSP) instead. Rather than waste valuable time trying to solve the problem yourself, turn to an IT technician to get to work.

Outsourcing Your IT Help Desk

With managed services, when you need help, the experts are readily available to tackle your concerns. Many solutions are remote.

Better yet, the MSP will use your slow times to set up systems to cut the risk of downtime during crunch season.

The MSP gets to know your business objectives and your technology infrastructure, which can help them react more efficiently and effectively. They can also track your IT to detect issues or security vulnerabilities early. Plus, they will help create business continuity plans to get your firm up and running again fast.

If the worst does happen, the MSP is only a help ticket or phone call away. Their experts are familiar not only with your technology but also with how you use it. Plus, as a consistent customer, you are a priority, not just another name on a list of people needing help who all see their needs as an emergency.

One other advantage to outsourcing your IT help is that it can reduce costs. The break-fix approach can be an expensive one. Instead, you’ll pay an MSP a set, monthly fee for the peace of mind that your IT needs are being looked after. The MSP can also help you identify opportunities to reduce IT-related operational costs. Start working with our experts today.

Time to Replace Your Laptop Battery? | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB Computer Repair

March 9, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Time to Replace Your Laptop Battery?

Your laptop computer may feel like a lifeline. It has everything important on it, both personal and professional! Regrettably, the time does come when you need to replace it. Yet, some computer problems could be solved instead by replacing the laptop battery.

Some computers now come with a variation on the car dashboard indicator light. You may see a red X on the icon that shows you the power level for your battery. Those with computer models with Windows 7 and up get a message saying, “consider replacing your battery.” But not all of us have this useful warning, in which case you’ll want to be on the lookout for these sure signs that battery replacement is needed. [Read more…]

E-accounting: Top 3 Considerations for Online Client Meetings | Y-Not Tech Services – IT Support Lethbridge, AB

March 2, 2021 by Tony Whitney

E-accounting: Top 3 Considerations for Online Client Meetings

Many businesses were teleconferencing before COVID-19. After all, meeting virtually saves both you and your client time, and busy business owners often don’t want to spend the time to make a trip to your office. The coronavirus has hastened the move to e-accounting, but this approach presents some new problems, which we’ll address in this article. [Read more…]

7 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Accountants | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB IT Support

February 23, 2021 by Tony Whitney

7 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Accountants

The public cloud services market has grown dramatically, and, according to Gartner, migrating to the cloud is a top priority for a third of companies. Analysts predicted the market would reach $266 billion in 2020. Accountants enjoy cloud computing, too. This article rounds up the advantages of available cloud services. [Read more…]

Why You Need to Uninstall Adobe Flash Player | Y-Not Tech Services – Computer Repair

February 16, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Why You Need to Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

All good things must come to an end – it’s inevitable with computer software. If you’re using Adobe Flash, the day has arrived. It’s time to uninstall Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe stopped supporting Flash Player on December 31, 2020. What does this mean? [Read more…]

Why Managed Services Make Your Life Easier | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB Computer Repair

February 9, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Why Managed Services Make Your Life Easier

That smile of relief when we fix someone’s technology is a gift of doing IT service. When we get a call out, we’re happy to go out (or log in remotely) to fix what’s broken. We enjoy getting our customers back up and running quickly. Who said saving the day is only for superheroes, right? [Read more…]

Dial up Telehealth Security | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB IT Support

February 2, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Dial up Telehealth Security

The use of telehealth has been growing rapidly over the past decade. Then, the coronavirus pandemic prompted another jump in telehealth offerings. There are many advantages to digital healthcare, but securing this access to physicians and specialists is more challenging. [Read more…]

Tech Help for New Year’s Resolutions | Y-Not Tech Services – Lethbridge, AB Computer Help

January 26, 2021 by Tony Whitney

Tech Help for New Year’s Resolutions

Making New Year’s resolutions is a familiar habit in the Western world. Many people make resolutions relating to their physical or mental health. Fortunately, in our digital world, technology can help make resolutions more attainable.

First, a few fun facts about resolutions. Did you know: [Read more…]