High-capacity desktop drives have never been so affordable. Darien Graham-Smith puts 23 to the test to find the best

Since the launch of PC Authority magazine 30 issues ago, we have placed an emphasis on the concept of computing in the real world. This means that all the PC hardware that passes through our Labs is t

While the PC Authority Labs traditionally holds raw speed as one of the primary deciding factors in a PC's overall score, this formula is not all together appropriate for the business world. One reaso

Unlike many of our performance-based Labs, business workstations are a whole different world of PCs, focusing not on the maximum number of frames per second, or how many overall points they can churn out in any given benchmarking utility.

Many people fantasise about owning a plasma screen because of the massive image sizes and are getting excited because the prices are rapidly dropping, but in the projector world the prices have already dropped so far that for under a few grand you can now buy something that projects an image larger than four plasma screens. Compare that to the price of a plasma screen and see which way the scales tip.

Before widespread use of the Internet, computer viruses were not a common occurrence. Viruses could only be transferred via floppy disk, which meant that it was quite easy to guard against them

Jonathan Bray and Alex Bradner put 12 high-end handsets through our gruelling tests to find the best one for you.

DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM is a relative newcomer to the PC as system memory, although it is certainly not a fledgling technology. Graphics cards, and other components that require much higher memory

With so many factors to consider, choosing a motherboard can be a bewildering exercise. We put 11 models through their pace to find the ultimate in performance, flexibility and value

We put every current model from ATI and NVIDIA through its paces to find out which offers the best performance and value.

We know you want to play games, so we've put 18 PCI Express graphics cards under the microscope to see who really does the job the best.

The 19" LCD fits now represents outstanding value for money, and is so much nicer to use than a 17" screen. We round up and test the best.

Print, scan, copy and fax with one single device. We put 10 all-in-ones through their paces.

It is exactly one year since the PC Authority Labs team last took an in-depth look at the world of digital cameras in Digital Darkroom, May 2001. This month, it was time again for the Labs team to cas

We test 11 keyboard-based smartphones to find the best tools for staying connected on the move

Benchmarking PCs is a tricky business. You need to ensure that you stress the systems, but also that the results you get will be relevant in the real world. Previously we have relied heavily on BAPCo's SYSmark2002 for simulating home and office use, with programs such as Excel, Word, Outlook, and web content through Adobe Premiere and Macromedia Dreamweaver. However, due to SYSmark's history of instability as well as the sheer length of time it takes to complete a run, we have put it on the backburner in favour of PCMark04 for this Labs.

Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth that emanates from the bowels of music industry boardrooms, technologies and devices that enhance the portability of music continue to grow in popularity. The concern is not over the proliferations of the gadgets themselves, it's about the files that are loaded onto them, which have flooded peer-to-peer networks, cardboard boxes under flea market counters and the hard drives of computer users across the world.

The labs team this month tackled scanners, and they put 16 through their paces to bring you the good, and the not so good.

Enlarge your workspace with a widescreen monitor: We round up 13 LCDs from 20in up to 24in, with prices you won’t believe

There may be two main CPU manufacturers, but picking the right processor is anything but simple. We put 51 CPUs through their paces