Blogs

Gaming And Mental Health

20th April 2023 by Ayman Soliman

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the potential benefits of gaming on mental health. While gaming has often been criticised for its negative impact on well-being, emerging research suggests that certain types of games can have positive effects on mental health, such as individuals who struggle with social anxiety or difficulty making friends. Finally, certain types of games can improve cognitive functioning, enhancing problem-solving skills and decision-making abilities. While excessive gaming can have negative consequences, moderate gaming can be a healthy and enjoyable way to improve mental well-being.

Is Your Broadband Ruining Your Online Gaming? Hidden Truth Behind Time-Delay In Broadband Packages

27th May 2022 by CCL Tech

Is your current broadband package ruining your online gaming? We've been doing some digging into UK broadband packages here at CCL and we've found that the majority of broadband providers are not providing a crucial piece of info that gamers need to know.

CCL Giveaway and Competition Winners

6th April 2022 by Mark Byrne

A complete list of CCL competition and giveaway winners. Congratulations to our winners!

TUF vs ROG - Which ASUS Gaming Monitor Should You Choose?

11th March 2022 by Mark Byrne

If you're buying a high specification gaming monitor, ASUS offer two options - TUF or ROG. But which one is right for your gaming style?

Which Storage Do You Need? WD Makes It Simple

4th March 2022 by Mark Byrne

Western Digital dominate the market with their storage products, from the fastest gaming SSDs to server racks. Here's how to choose your storage (and why)

Best PC Gaming Deals According To PC Gamers

31st January 2022 by Mark Byrne

We asked the PC gamers of Twitter and Facebook to tell us which gaming hardware deals caught their eye in early 2022.

The Evolution Of Intel 1969 - 2022

25th January 2022 by Mark Byrne

From the Intel 4004 processor to the latest 12th-gen and Evo CPUs, we explore the evolution of Intel - the world's largest chip-maker.

AMD FreeSync Monitors - Are They Worth It?

28th December 2021 by Mark Byrne

In this guide, we will answer the FAQ from our customers relating to AMD FreeSync, and help you choose the best FreeSync compatible monitor for your gaming PC.

What Happened To The Gaming Industry?

23rd November 2021 by Mark Byrne

If you have pre-ordered a game or spent any time on Reddit lately, you might be disappointed with the gaming industry. But can it be fixed?

Scariest games we've ever played - The CCL edition

29th October 2021 by Milyana Spence

Halloween is almost upon us, and this OctoooOOoOober here at CCL, we've come up with a list of the scariest, most anxiety-inducing games we've ever played.

Best Scary Games For Halloween 2021

26th October 2021 by Mark Byrne

If you're looking for a few chills this Halloween, here's a list of new and classic games to play with the lights off. if you dare.

Is a 144Hz Gaming Monitor worth the price tag?

21st October 2021 by Milyana Spence

If you have a gaming rig that can handle high refresh rates, is a 144Hz monitor actually worth the money?

Xbox Cloud Gaming: How Microsoft is giving Google Stadia run for its money

18th October 2021 by Milyana Spence

Google Stadia might have set out to disrupt the gaming industry, but Xbox Cloud gaming has set out to disrupt Stadia's mission.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Ryzen 7 5700G - Best Value Gaming APUs?

14th October 2021 by Mark Byrne

News of GPU pricing potentially coming down has raised hopes - but in the meantime, these integrated GPU chips may just tide PC builders over

The Top Games People Upgraded Their PC For - September 2021

12th October 2021 by Mark Byrne

There are a couple of surprise entries on our big list, but there are also some shoe-ins that we knew would appear there as well. When we asked "What was the last game you upgraded your PC for?", we expected AAA titles that were GPU and processor hungry epics - but we didn't expect such a eclectic mix!

What can a gaming PC do that a console can't?

11th October 2021 by Milyana Spence

It can't be denied that the consoles are becoming a lot more PC like in their gaming capabilities, but there are still a few things gaming PCs can do that consoles cannot.

Should you upgrade to Windows 11 on day-one for the 'Big Three' gaming features?

30th September 2021 by Milyana Spence

Windows 11 has been touted by Microsoft as the best Windows for gaming yet, and with the features and improvements they unveiled we believe it just might be.

RTX 3080 vs RTX 3080 Ti - Is the higher price tag still worth it?

27th September 2021 by Milyana Spence

The RTX 3080 Ti lands very nicely in between the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3090, but is it worth the higher price tag?

Unmissable Upcoming PC Games in 2021 and Beyond

22nd September 2021 by Mark Byrne

We take a look at some of the PC games coming out over the next few months and beyond that you just can't miss!

Gaming PC or a new gen console - What should you buy in 2021?

20th September 2021 by Milyana Spence

Is the console vs PC war still relevant? Maybe not as much anymore, but if you're looking to buy one platform, it can be difficult to decide where to invest the money.

Is Shill Journalism Killing Games Like Deathloop?

17th September 2021 by Mark Byrne

Deathloop: the latest AAA game with mixed public reviews after receiving 10/10 ratings by industry giants IGN. Shill reviews or difference of opinion?

A Brief History Of Modding (And Why FiveM Is So Popular)

16th September 2021 by Mark Byrne

What is FiveM? How did FiveM get more players than Rockstar's GTA Online on Steam? We take a look back at FiveM's humble beginnings and its future.

Can Aspyr do justice to The Knights of the Old Republic in a remake that won't involve Bioware or EA?

14th September 2021 by Milyana Spence

One of the staples of Bioware studios is being handed over to Aspyr for a remake, and it's not really a surprise.

4 games on Game Pass that run better on PC than on console (and Warframe)

13th September 2021 by Milyana Spence

Just a small selection of some of the titles from the Game Pass that are a significantly better experience on your gaming PC.

Haptic VR and Haptic Feedback Technology - Are We Close To Playing In The Oasis?

6th September 2021 by Mark Byrne

What is haptic feedback? What haptic VR suits and haptic VR vests are available? We take a look at the past, present and future of haptic gaming

Top 5 Best PC Case Mods Of 2021... So Far

3rd September 2021 by Mark Byrne

Although the title might suggest that this is one of those Channel 5 compilation shows you'll find close to Christmas, we just couldn't help but cover some of the awesome PC case mods we've seen in the last eight months.

Everything You Need to Know About Intel's Alder Lake Hybrid CPUs.

26th July 2021 by CCL Tech

If there's one thing that never seems to go away in the world of computers, it's the AMD versus Intel debate. With the upcoming launch of Intel's 12th-generation of processors, it looks like this debate won't be going anywhere soon. So, what exactly are Intel's Alder Lake Hybrid CPUs and will they live up to the hype?

What is Xbox Game Pass and is it worth it?

12th July 2021 by Kyle G

As you may have heard, Microsoft has a neat little service called Xbox Game Pass. Have you looked at this and thought "what on earth is this?". In this article we're going to break down what makes Xbox Game Pass so good and which version you should go for.

Pre-Built Versus Custom PC: Which Is Best For Gaming?

7th July 2021 by CCL Tech

If you want the best possible PC for gaming and at the best possible price (who doesn't?!), then should you buy a pre-built gaming PC or build a custom one from scratch? It's a question that we receive a lot here at CCL, and there are many different answers depending on what you want.

Nazare Gaming PCs Featuring RTX 3080 Ti

7th June 2021 by CCL Tech

Introducing Nazare, the new range of gaming PCs featuring RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards, built to the highest specifications and powered by Corsair iCUE.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Stock Official Response

22nd September 2020 by CCL Tech

NVIDIA's official response regarding the stock issues at launch.

Top PC Components of 2019!

2nd January 2020 by CCL Tech

We take a look at the most popular PC components you have bought in 2019 and specced up a PC with the results.

What is NAS?

14th November 2019 by CCL Technical

NAS helps keep your most precious moments in a safe and secure location. It is the ultimate media centre, allowing you to stream all of your favourite videos to any TV or mobile device.

CCL Computers nominated for two awards!

1st November 2019 by Kirsten van Terheyden

Computer Shopper is launching its 2019 awards and CCL Computers have been nominated for two categories!

Seagate FireCuda 2.5" and 3.5" Hybrid Drives (SSHDs)

20th February 2019 by Kirsten van Terheyden

Play faster, work smarter. Combining the latest NAND flash technology with a traditional hard drive for a compact blend of speed and capacity.

Compeition time! Win a limited edition NZXT H700 case bundle!

27th November 2018 by Rudolph T Reindeer

We are giving away a limited edition NZXT H700 case together with a Z370 motherboard and 650w power supply.

#TechTuesday - GIGABYTE Force K83 Mechanical Keyboard

1st May 2018 by Kirsten van Terheyden

A firm favourite amongst gamers, the Gigabyte Force K83 is a keyboard that's minimalistic to the eye, but dynamic in its ability.

2nd Generation AMD RYZEN Desktop Processors

27th April 2018 by Kirsten van Terheyden

Introducing the new Pinnacle Ridge AMD RYZEN desktop processors with improved performance and exclusive features.

Custom Build of the Week #5 - NVIDIA Battlebox

9th June 2017 by Elliot Carver

GeForce GTX Battlebox systems give you everything you need to step up your gaming experience.

Custom Build of the Week #4 - The Beast

26th May 2017 by Elliot Carver

This is The Beast. Intel Xeon E5 CPU and FOUR graphics cards because why not?

Custom Build of the Week #3 - Corsair 570X SLI

19th May 2017 by Elliot Carver

A high-end gaming system with an Intel Core i7-7700K processor and two GeForce GTX 1080s in SLI housed in a stylish Corsair Crystal 570X case.

Custom Build of the Week #2 - Phanteks Evolv Glass X99

12th May 2017 by Elliot Carver

Following on from last week's X99 build, we have yet another X99 custom build. This time however featuring the Haswell-E Intel i7 5820K overclocked to 4.0GHz.

Custom Build of the Week #1 - ASUS Rampage X99 Build

3rd May 2017 by Elliot Carver

This build is in a whole different league when it comes to PC performance. Featuring an Intel Extreme i7 6950X with 10 cores and 20 threads coupled with a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.