Signs Your Computer has Water Damage

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You drop your computer in the bathtub, or your basement home office floods and the desktop is under water. Or you spill your tea across the keyboard. If any of this happens, you can guess right away that you’ll be dealing with water damage. Only it’s not always that obvious. Knowing the common signs to look for can help you diagnose water damage in your devices.

If you are right there when your computer is exposed to liquids, unplug it immediately. Wet components can short-circuit and cause issues for your motherboard, hard drives, and more.

Still, you might not know immediately that water damage is to blame. You might live in an area with high humidity. Or maybe someone in the family watches Netflix while in a steamy bathroom. That’s when you look for signs that there’s moisture inside your computer.

Signs you can see yourself

Water spilled inside your keyboard can make keys or the trackpad stopped working. Even a few water droplets can cause the keyboard or trackpad to start responding to your touch erratically.

You might also experience screen issues. This depends on where the liquid penetrates your laptop. Look out for:

  • images not displaying properly;
  • pixel discoloration;
  • a display that won’t turn on.

These are pretty obvious signs you need to get help. You might also see some discoloration on the outside of the computer. The white or green residue is not a good sign.

Another scary indicator? The computer won’t turn on at all. That suggests that internal components are damaged, and you’ll need to take action.

Signs that repair shops can see

Most people should not be opening up computers on their own. Even if you think there might have been water damage, it’s safer to take the computer to a trained expert. That way, you won’t do more damage trying to see what’s wrong in the first place.

At a computer shop, the person doing the repairs will look inside for corrosion around connectors and your motherboard. They’ll be looking for that white or green residue you were hoping not to see on the exterior.

Another sign? The water damage indicator shows exposure to water or liquids. The indicator is a small device inside the computer that’s used by manufacturers to deny warranty coverage (despite the consumer’s protests the laptop never got wet).

What to do with a wet computer

Unplug it. Get help. The sooner you take a water-damaged computer in for repair, the more likely it can recover. Work with a professional IT repair shop to diagnose and repair your device issues. We’re here to help. Call us at (515)422-1995.

How to Reduce PC Power Consumption

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You probably grew up having a parent saying, “turn the lights off!” That was the number-one way to save on the power bill. But now, with so many of us having personal computers in the home, they too are a big electricity drain. Try these strategies to cut your PC power consumption.

Unplug the extras

You might connect printers, speakers, external storage, and other devices to your computer, but don’t leave them plugged in permanently, as they pull power even if you aren’t using them. An average printer on standby can use 5–8 Watts. High-end printers take even more power, pulling as much as 30 Watts.

Check your settings

Adjusting the brightness of your screen can cut back on your power usage: the brighter your screen, the more power it needs. So, reducing the brightness helps reduce your power intake.

You can also set your computer to run in power-saving mode. On Windows, options under Advanced Settings allow you to select a power plan to manage consumption. On a Mac laptop, you can go into system preferences and change settings for battery and adapter usage.

You can also set your computer to go to sleep when no activity is detected. This helps ensure you don’t leave the computer taking full power when you forget to turn it off at the end of the day.

Prefer sleep to shutdown

Speaking of sleep mode, putting your computer into sleep mode instead of shutting down consumes less power, especially if you are putting it aside only for a few hours. Starting up the computer consumes more power. As an added benefit, when you come back to a sleeping computer, it’s much quicker to turn back on and let you get back to work.

Corral your windows

Keeping a bunch of windows open and apps running in the background uses power for all those items. Once you’re done with an app or a browsing window, close it.

Note: We’re suggesting you do this when finished. If you are going to be jumping back and forth between programs or windows, keep them open. As above, launching them again and again can consume more power than leaving active apps open.

By the way, this works on your smartphone, too!

Work in airplane mode

Keeping Bluetooth and Wi-Fi open on a connected PC requires more power. The device will scan for available networks in the background even if you don’t need them right then. By turning on airplane mode, you disable this function.

Upgrade your hardware

Legacy equipment may not have the same power efficiency as newer models. Traditional hard drives, for example, are slower and consume more power than solid-state drives (SSDs).

An old computer processing unit (CPU) may need to work harder to keep up with your needs. That’s going to take more power. Additionally, if your random-access memory (RAM) is full, the operating system has to work harder. Yep, that’s more power, too!

If you don’t plan on computer gaming, you also don’t need a high-performance graphics card. Choosing a lesser option can cut your power usage.

Turn off RGB lighting

RGB (red, green, blue) lighting adds special effects around a monitor, or on a keyboard, mouse, or memory stick. It looks cool, but turning off these exciting features can conserve power.

Need to optimize your personal computing setup at home? Our IT experts can help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

How to Know if a Laptop Screen Is Damaged

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You may not see broken glass, but you can know the laptop screen is damaged because you experience:

  • distorted images;
  • pixelization;
  • resolution lines
  • backlighting issues;
  • a blank screen.

You might want to turn that laptop into a piece of art. The screen, after all, is now showing very psychedelic, colorful images. If you have an LCD screen, the liquid inside might have spread, which can make deciphering your text or graphics like reading a Rorschach test.

Whether you want to get artistic with that laptop or not, replacing the entire laptop is one way to go, but it’s also the most expensive response. Ideally, you can avoid this approach. So, what’s left to do?

What to do with a damaged screen

If the laptop is under warranty, and the screen wasn’t dropped or damaged by you, you may be able to send it back to the manufacturer for repair.

Otherwise, you may be able to replace just the screen. The difficulty in replacing a screen depends on the manufacturer and laptop model. There are many screws and very fine cables that are easily snapped, and it’s going to be safer to go to a professional. Of course, you will also need to determine whether anything else was damaged.

Screen replacement is still a costly option. In fact, it may be more expensive than a new laptop. Plus, you might be without your laptop for several days while it is in for repair or even longer if you take it to a big-box store, where they will send it away for attention. That’s one reason to prefer a local repair shop.

Another option is to attach your laptop to an external monitor. This method has its own pros and cons.

It’s a more affordable option and can see you through finishing that report that’s due tomorrow.

The problem? This undermines the mobility of a laptop unless you want to walk around carting a monitor and its cords. Also, you may find the original, broken screen gets in the way.

Avoid damaging your laptop

Of course, we’re also going to share strategies to help avoid breaking the screen in the first place. Try these tips:

  • Never open or close the lid by one corner. Instead, use one hand to close the lid from the center, or hold the keyboard as the other hand opens the lid.
  • Don’t leave a laptop attached to cords that someone can trip over and bring the computer crashing down.
  • Avoid overheating your computer, as it can burn the laptop’s screen.

The price you’ll pay to deal with a broken screen will vary based on brand and model, as well as what’s gone wrong. Check with a local computer repair shop for an estimate and get back up and running. Call us now at (515)422-1995.

Changing Your Email? A Checklist

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Changing your email is never fun, but it can be necessary. When you need to make a change, there are several things you need to consider. Follow this checklist to ensure you don’t lose data, keep up with your old contacts, and avoid security risks.

There are many reasons someone might decide to endure changing their email address. These include:

  • losing access to the old one and not being able to recover that account;
  • changing your internet service provider (ISP);
  • having to stop using a professional email for personal messages too;
  • falling victim of identity theft;
  • deciding to give yourself a more professional email by changing your address from yourbusiness@yahoo.com to you@yourbusiness.com;
  • not feeling as proud of your hotbabycakes@hotmail.com address now that you’re above the age of 14.

Whatever prompts your move, try these tips to avoid missing mail and risking account compromise.

Notify your contacts of the change

You will probably be amazed at the number of people you have in your contacts folder. Still, you can make the change easier by letting your friends and family know that you have a new email address.

When you send out a message to your contacts, respect people’s privacy. Send your update with their names in the blind carbon copy (BCC) line.

Migrate your old inbox

Most domain providers make it simple for you to migrate your old emails and contacts. Once you set up the new account, you’ll typically be able to go into Settings and find an option to import your old data. You may have to migrate the inbox and the contacts separately.

Don’t move on too quickly

You may be ready to move on, but don’t delete that old email address too soon. It’s a common mistake. Instead, try to hold onto your old email as long as possible. You don’t have to continue using it, but if you still have access, you can:

  • set up forwarding so that any emails to your old address will go to your new one;
  • see what emails are still coming to identify accounts you might have forgotten to change.

Inventory all accounts using that address

Use a password manager? We recommend its convenience. Plus, you can search there for accounts using the old address. The password manager can be a landing page for you to jump to all those accounts and make the necessary changes.

Inspect your trash and old emails

To help you think of other sites connected to the old email address, review your trash and sent emails.

Think also of accounts that may use that email address for recovery. For instance, you may have set the old account as a backup for PayPal, online banking, or streaming services. If you don’t change the recovery address, you might have difficulty regaining access to that account.

You might wonder why you should bother doing this. If you don’t, someone could claim your old account and gain access to your connected accounts. If you press a recover password link on a banking site, for instance, that email will go to that person instead of to you!

Get help making the email move

The many little things to take care of when you change your email can make this a big deal. Our IT experts are here to help. We can set you up for simple, secure email communications in the future. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

What Internet Explorer’s Retirement Means for You

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There was no big retirement party; no one got a watch or engraved memorabilia. Yet Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022. It was a long time coming, but you still may not be prepared for what that decision means for you.

Internet Explorer could be your go-to. It’s been around since 1995 and was the gateway to online browsing for millions of people globally. But, as Microsoft announced, “the web has evolved and so have browsers. Incremental improvements to Internet Explorer couldn’t match the general improvements to the Web at large.”

Microsoft wants people to switch to its Edge browser instead. Expect to see a redirect screen asking you to make the switch. The company will automatically transfer favorites, passwords, history, cookies, and other data from Explorer to Edge.

For Internet Explorer loyalists, Microsoft Edge even comes with an IE mode that allows you to enjoy Internet Explorer-specific features and a modern browser experience on Windows. It also acknowledges that some websites built with older internet technology work only with Internet Explorer.

Alternatively, you might switch to other software. Google Chrome has grown substantially since its introduction in 2008. Today, it has 77% of the market share. Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge take up the next three spots.

Why you can’t keep using Internet Explorer

When software is retired or reaches the end of its life, the manufacturer no longer supports it. That means if you continue to rely on Internet Explorer, you could put yourself at risk.

As Internet Explorer is “out of support,” Microsoft is no longer securing the browser. If there are vulnerabilities, there will be no patches released. If there are bugs, there will be no updates.

At the same time, hackers know people don’t like change. They see an opportunity whenever software is retired. If you stick to Internet Explorer, you won’t have any help keeping passwords and other data secure.

You could also experience conflicts with your computer hardware or software. Internet Explorer is outdated, and Microsoft knows it. Trying to keep it could mean a reduced user experience. It’s a little like sticking with a soup-can telephone when you could be on a smartphone.

What’s the next step?

Eventually, Internet Explorer will be permanently disabled. That’s for a future Windows update. When that happens, you’ll no longer even see the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop or other devices.

Still, you don’t want to wait that long to move to another browser solution. Hackers are already searching for ways to exploit the application, and security risks will grow.

Microsoft has committed to supporting the IE mode in Edge until at least 2029, so moving to Edge could be the easiest solution. You don’t even need to wait for the redirect message: you can click on the Microsoft Edge icon on your Windows device and begin there.

If you want to transition your browser or decide on the best software to suit your needs, try our IT experts. We’re here to help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

“Help, I dropped my laptop!” Now What?

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Dropping your laptop is not a good idea. Trust us: this is not a statement you want to test. Still, it can happen. Typically, this happens in painful slow motion where the laptop is just out of your reach to recover it in time. Dropping a laptop doesn’t always lead to damage, but it will depend on several factors. Learn more about this common concern.

What happens to your laptop if it is dropped will depend on different considerations:

  • how hard and far it fell;
  • what kind of surface it fell onto;
  • whether it was running at the time of the fall;
  • the laptop model;
  • whether you have a mechanical hard drive or a solid-state drive;

Drop a laptop from a footstool onto a thick plush carpet and you might not see any damage. Push that same laptop off a kitchen island onto a hard tile floor, and it might be completely destroyed.

Buying a protective cover for your laptop can help prevent damage. You can also get a screen protector. Another good idea is to be wary of where you put your laptop down. Don’t put it in high-traffic areas. Also, make sure corded accessories don’t create a tripping hazard that will see someone taking your laptop down as they fall.

Common red flags

Let’s assume the laptop appears to have survived the fall. You still have an intact screen, and the laptop continues to power on. Whew! That’s great. Still, after a laptop drop, you’ll want to look for the following warning signs:

  • noisy fan;
  • flickering or dim screen;
  • unresponsive keyboard;
  • a blue “screen of death”;
  • error message saying, “unmountable boot volume”;
  • computer won’t power up;
  • Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity no longer works.

Your laptop is a convenient, compact computer. That means that inside that hard case the parts are packed tightly. Dropping the laptop can jar important parts. It’s best to take your laptop to a computer professional to help address any boot, screen, power, or other issues.

What do I do when my laptop falls?

First, don’t panic. Yes, it’s scary to see your technology fall to the floor, but try to remain calm. Retrieve your laptop carefully and handle it gently as you take the following steps:

  • Inspect the exterior looking for scratches, dents, or cracks. Small, cosmetic injuries you might cover with stickers. The bigger ones? You may need a technician’s help.
  • Examine the screen to see if there are any cracks and if the screen still works as a display. Keep an eye out for lines, spots, dead pixels or a flickering display.
  • Boot the system to ensure the laptop remains functional.
  • Listen for unfamiliar noises which could indicate parts have come loose.

The earlier you respond to the damage from dropping a laptop, the better. So, don’t just hope that any issue you notice will go away. Instead, take your computer to a local repair shop for repairs or parts replacement. The reward could be a longer overall life cycle for your laptop. We’re here to help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

Say Goodbye to 100 Passwords with Passkey Sign-on

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The average individual has 100 passwords to remember, according to a NordPass study. Apparently, no one has studied how many we actually remember versus how many we reset over and over. No matter. New developments could save us from having to remember passwords altogether, as major players are moving to a single passkey sign-on approach.

What is passkey sign-on?

Apple, Google, and Microsoft have joined forces to support “passwordless” sign-in across all their mobile, desktop, and browser platforms. The initiative, announced in May to coincide with World Password Day, is expected to roll out in 2022/23.

What does passkey login involve? Users choose a physical device to use to authenticate them on apps, websites, and other digital services. For many of us, this would be a mobile phone. You’d unlock the phone as you normally do. Then, you could enter a PIN, draw a pattern, or use your fingerprint to sign into the digital services you need.

To put it simply, it’s a four-stage process:

  1. You navigate to the site or app or service you want to use.
  2. You approve access using your passkey device.
  3. A public passkey (mirroring the private one on your device) is shared.
  4. Login is completed.

You don’t need a password, because the login is done using a cryptographic token (the passkey). Your selected device shares that passkey with the website, app, or other online services.

Advantages of the passkey

Using a passkey means you need to remember only the one PIN or pattern to unlock access … or have fingertips! And you don’t have to come up with a complicated passphrase either, which means no more frustrating upper and lowercase character, number, and symbol combo.

The passkey sign-in method is touted as more secure. Passwordless authentication makes it more difficult for hackers to compromise login details. After all, they would need access to the physical device you use to access digital services, apps, and websites.

You keep personal information safe and cut password vulnerabilities that plague us today:

  • Phishing attacks, which use fake websites to capture login details, won’t work.
  • Brute-force attacks, which use trial and error to guess credentials, won’t get anywhere.
  • Spoofing your device will no longer work, as the passkey device must be near the computer.

Another plus? Passkey security is being set up to offer multi-device authentication. You’ll be able to sign in to an app or service from almost any device, and it won’t matter what platform or browser you’re using. So, you could sign in to Google Chrome and run Microsoft Teams using your iPhone, for instance.

Making the most of multi-factor authentication

Passkey security will use a FIDO standard to authenticate you in different contexts. This is a passkey protocol already supported in some online environments, but major players are now coming together to make it more widespread.

With a passkey that is unique to you, you’ll no longer have to worry about keeping track of multiple passwords.

Still, until this technology is available, you’ll want to protect your online activity. Our experts can help secure your home networks and set you up with a password wallet. Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

How to Select a Computer Repair Business

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Something is broken! The laptop is whirring. The computer won’t power up. In either case, you’re staring at a blank, blue screen. Yet you can’t live without your computer. You need to find a computer repair business. But what should you look for? This article will help you make your choice.

If a computer or laptop doesn’t do what we want it to do, we move into panic mode. You may want to run out and buy a new one. That’s going to be expensive and may be unnecessary, especially right now, as a global computer chip supply shortfall is ratcheting up prices and extending delivery timelines.

The next option? Find a repair shop to take a look at your home computer. Here’s what to look for.

#1 Good reviews and high ratings

Look up the business online and see what kind of customer feedback it gets. Don’t fall for a single five-star review, though – that could be the owner’s cousin. Look at the number of stars, as well as the number of reviews used to reach that ranking.

It’s also worthwhile reading some of the reviews. You’ll see what other customers are saying about problems resolved (or not) at that repair shop. Customer testimonials can help you sort out which shop is best suited to solving your current problem.

#2 Comparable price estimates

Ask for an estimate before you commit to working with a particular repair shop. You may not get a full picture. The repair team will typically charge you a diagnostic fee first to gauge the problem. Then, they’ll be better able to estimate the overall cost. They should be able to explain any large price jumps from their original estimate.

This is another reason to check out the reviews. You might see several people complaining about the cheaper initial estimate luring them in. Then, they get hit with a whopping bill after the fact.

#3 Go with relevant experience

You may not know the difference between a Dell and an Apple, but your repair person should. Prefer someone with experience addressing problems with your particular brand. This can save time and money. If the repair person is more familiar with that type of device, they may troubleshoot more efficiently.

#4 Location matters

If you go with a big-box store, you risk someone who doesn’t know much about computers shipping your device to a central repair hub. That means it can take longer. Your device could also be at further risk of damage while en route. Plus, you won’t get an accurate estimate for repair costs upfront.

If you select a local computer repair shop, you can get to know the individual working on your computer, and you know the device will be worked on in that store. Plus, if you ever have future issues, you can return to working directly with that same individual again.

Professional Help Matters

Sure, you might have a family member or friend who thinks they are a tech whiz, but that doesn’t mean you want to entrust your computer to them. Instead, work with a seasoned IT pro who can reliably address computer or laptop issues.

A computer repair professional will be customer-oriented. That means they’ll know how to meet your needs courteously. They’ll keep you informed and be upfront about pricing. After all, their business reputation rests upon your satisfaction. Can your cousin Edgar or friend Sal say the same thing? Contact us today at (515)422-1995.

Refurbished Computer and Laptops Worth Another Look?

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If you’re in the market for a new computer or laptop, you’ve likely noticed a few things. Technology is more expensive, and there are long waits to get the devices you want. This article will explain the current computer and laptop supply-chain issues. Then, we’ll offer reasons to consider refurbished devices to meet your needs.

There are supply-chain issues for everything from pool floats to personal computers. The pandemic placed added pressure on shippers and also increased demand for electronics, as people spent more time at home. At the same time, there is a shortage of key components.

Every computer or laptop (and so much more electronics) needs a chip. These computer chips are in great demand, but there’s a supply shortfall. The American Department of Commerce described the shortage as “a major supply and demand mismatch.” In the US, the median demand for chips was as much as 17% higher in 2021 than in 2019.

It doesn’t help any that extreme weather shut down a major computer chip plant in Texas. Meanwhile, a Japan-based manufacturer experienced a fire. It’s also difficult to get new chip plants up and running. The factories are expensive and workers need to be highly trained.

Yet you can’t get a PC or a laptop without a computer chip, and the problem is unlikely to be resolved this year. Some people predict it could take years for supply and demand to rebalance, which could mean you’re going to be paying a lot more for your next, new device and be waiting a long time for it. On the other hand, you might see this as an opportunity to reconsider buying a refurbished device.

Reasons to buy refurbished

A refurbished PC or laptop is a pre-owned device with data wiped and drives restored; it’s been reset to factory settings. The PC or laptop is evaluated, cleaned, and repaired before resale. In some cases, the device is upgraded, too.

Buying a refurbished computer or laptop can be the smart way to go. Here’s why.

#1 Access to quality

As you are buying a pre-owned computer, you’ll be able to pay less for better technology. A common complaint about new computers? They are outdated before you even get them out of the box at home. By going with a refurbished unit, you can take advantage of the quick turnover in models. You can get a top machine without paying the “new” price. By buying refurbished, you could afford more memory and better screen quality or processor speed.

#2 As good as new

In most cases, big corporations cycle out their computers every few years, and you now get to buy a good-as-new computer or laptop and make big savings. Refurbished computers are sold when they have been tested and cleaned up. So, you may not get that new computer smell (is there such a thing?), but you’ll get a fresh experience with a refurbished unit.

#3 You’re helping the environment

Buying a refurbished device is the green way to go. Repair is an alternative to computers and laptops languishing as waste. The computer is fixed up and recycled for another user, either by the original brand manufacturer or another computer outfit. Dell, HP, and Apple have high standards before a computer or laptop is resold as refurbished.

# 4 You can protect your refurbished purchase

If you’re worried about taking a risk on a refurbished computer or laptop, buy a warranty from the seller. You can typically buy a full one-year warranty. This protects your purchase should any issue occur in that timeframe.

Need help choosing the right computer or laptop for your home? Our experts can help you find the best device for your specifications. We can consult on your new or refurbished purchase.

Contact us today at (515)422-1995

Picking a PC for Video Editing

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Ready to be the next TikTok breakout? Or perhaps you want a video of your cockatoo “singing” “Amazing Grace” to go viral. Or you may make company promotional videos while working from home. There are many reasons you might be looking for the right home computer to do video editing. This article will help.

Yes, you can make edits on a phone or tablet, but if you want to do your videos justice, invest in the tools to meet the high demands of video editing. Consider processing power, memory, storage space, and graphic cards.

Know your CPU

Whatever your goal with your video editing, you can count on needing a lot of processing power to do the job well. Essentially, you want to get the best computer processing unit (CPU) you can afford.

Some video editing software makes use of multiple cores. You might think of this as one person with many arms to complete tasks. Meanwhile, single-core video software has one arm. If you’ve only got that one arm, it’s best to make it as strong as possible, which requires the highest processing speed you can get.

Adding titles, visual effects, and sound effects require more of your processor. It needs to compile, encode, and compress all your efforts into the final video cut. So, CPU performance matters.

Make memories with RAM

You may be wanting to edit only home videos to share with friends and family. Whether it’s that or you’re creating commercial quality videos, consider memory (RAM).

Think of RAM as the amount of desk space or elbow room you have to do your tasks. Whether you have one or many arms, you’ll need more room to complete a bigger project.

At a minimum, you should be starting with 16GB if you plan to do any video editing. If you are going to be working with long videos or very large files, you should consider 32GB or even 64GB.

Storage savvy

Storage is easily overlooked but very important to video editing.

A solid-state drive (SSD) is essential for video editing. Old “spinner” drives work a bit like a record player. The “needle” needs to physically move to the location where the file is on the platter, which slows things down a lot. SSDs are instantaneous, using flash memory to store data. This makes your work go a lot faster.

The downside? SSDs don’t have as much storage space as old spinners. Generally, we recommend an SSD for working on the video files, and then moving the file to an old, large storage spinner for storage.

Give a graphics card a look

A graphics card is not required but can be useful when editing video. If you’re using beginner- or intermediate-level editing software, you may not need a dedicated graphics card. However, there is a performance gain when you have a good graphics card for video editing. The free DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro both do well with AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards.

Build with an expert

The best way to get the right personal computer to meet your particular video editing needs is to work with a PC builder to customize a computer to your specific needs. You can talk about the types of videos you’re editing and the software you use. Our team can optimize a system to suit you and your budget. Call us at (515)422-1995 today.

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