News – Creative Computing

26Sep, 2024

Introducing the Creative Configurator!

As part of our recent switch to our new online storefront, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes on a feature we get asked about a lot; custom PC configuration via our website.

After popular demand, say hello to our all new Creative Configurator!

Available on select Arena and Studio machines, the configurator puts your choice at the heart of the system. Want a certain case to fit an aesthetic? Choose from a vast range of case options that suit your style. Need more storage or RAM? Simply add more or replace your existing option with the click of a button. We’re constantly adding new options and plan to role the configurator out to all of our builds.

For those who want a classic experience, worry not, as we’ll still be rolling out staff curated configurations across the year to cover new app and game releases. As an example you can check out our new Arena FC, a PC built to play the latest sports games including EA Sports FC 25, which was built using the Arena Royale Pro Configurator. You can check out both in the links below:

Arena FC

Arena Royale Pro

19Jul, 2024

Back-To-School Special!

Normal RRP: £503.73, Special Offer Price: £450! Save over £50 on this bundle!

This back-to-school bundle has everything you’ll need for a busy school day; a fast Lenovo laptop, soft shell carry case, Norton 360 anti-virus for up to three devices, Microsoft 365 Personal and a wireless, rechargeable mouse.

The fast and robust Lenovo laptop powered by Intel (Core i3) has ample RAM (8GB) and storage (256GB SSD) for day-to-day tasks such as web browsing, documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more! It’s full-HD screen provides sharp image quality in a range of applications and it’s up to 7-hour battery life will keep you productive throughout the day. There are a range of connectivity options including 2x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x HDMI and a 3.5mm audio jack.

All computers need some form of protection against malware or viruses, so we’ve included a copy of Norton 360 which can be used on up to three devices including desktops, laptops, phones and tablets.

In addition, we’ve included Microsoft 365 which gives you access to all your favourite Microsoft office apps like Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more! Included with this is 1TB of OneDrive storage which can double as a handy backup solution for data you can’t afford to lose like important homework files.

We’ve even included a three-button wireless mouse for ease of use and a soft-shell cover to protect the laptop and charger inside when moving from class to class or when you’re finished for the day.

17May, 2024

The Perfect Travel Partner

Our selection of travel tablets

It’s that time of year again! Daytimes are longer, nights are shorter and most of us will be packing our bags for holiday destinations. While there, we might want to capture memories by taking photos, stay connected to family and friends at home or have something to hand to relax after a long day of sightseeing. We’ve put together a list of our favourite travel tablets with some useful insights, detailing the benefits of each option.

The handy E-reader – Lenovo Tab M8

Find out more about the Lenovo Tab M8

A great choice if you’re looking for a lightweight tablet to access eBooks and the web. It’s 8″ form factor makes it ideal for holding with one hand and it’s IPS panel should give great viewing angles with vibrant colour regardless of how you hold it. It’s 8MP main camera should provide ample quality for snapping some quick pics or videos and it’s expandable micro-SD storage slot gives you a quick and easy way to store them. Unlike some cheaper e-readers, the Tab M8 runs a fully-fledged, stock Android 13 operating system, giving you access to all your favourite apps via the Google Play Store such as Amazon Kindle, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and much more!

The All-Rounder – Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

Find out more about the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8

The Tab A8 performs well in a number of areas: it retains the 8MP main camera of the previous example and comes with a 5MP selfie camera, it has a better, faster processor than the Lenovo making the overall experience much more responsive, it has a bigger 10.5″ screen with higher resolution and 14% more pixels per inch resulting in sharper image quality and it comes with a bigger battery with faster charging speeds. There are a couple of different models with a couple of different storage options, namely 32GB or 64GB, although it has a micro-SD card slot to increase this further if you find you need to snap some extra selfies. It comes loaded with Android 11 but is upgradable to the latest major Android release, Android 14!

The Premium Experience – Apple iPad 9

Find out more about the Apple iPad 9

For those looking for the premium experience, the iPad 9 offers great value and security. It improves on the Samsung tablet in a number of ways, most notably its Retina IPS screen which has the most luminous, sharpest display among the three we’ve discussed. An increase of 24% in pixel density over the Samsung makes it stand out as the clear winner for movie buffs. It has a significantly better selfie camera, capable of capturing images at 12MP. Overall build quality is also improved, with a full aluminium frame and back cover, making it more resistant to bangs and drops. The faster A13 processor keeps the tablet interface moving and security is at its peak with Apple’s Touch ID which is integrated in to the home button. It comes equipped with 64GB of storage and is upgradable to the latest iPad iOS version, iPadOS 17.4.

9May, 2024

Why we do what we do

When we first started, we wanted to help people with computers. We think we’re pretty good at it, as do you…

Broken Windows

Vince had a problem with his computer, it was struggling to boot up and he wanted a few things checking: “Phoned Creative to book in my PC and they took the PC in the same day. Everything ready next Day. GREAT WORK. The staff at Creative Computing are Excellent. THANKS 5 STAR SERVICE EVERYTIME.”

Paper jam

Ms MM had a paper jam in their printer. “I had a paper jam in my printer which I couldn’t just fix myself. I took it to Creative Computing and for a small fee they got all the paper out and I was able to collect it the same day. I’ve used them for many years both for purchases and repairs and have never had a bad experience. The staff are all helpful and very knowledgeable and I always feel I’m getting good unbiased advice.”

Upgraded MacBook Pro

Marianne brought their MacBook Pro in for an upgrade and wanted as seamless a job as possible. One of our Mac technicians cloned the data from the old drive onto a new SSD.

“We had a problem with our old Macbook Pro’s hard drive. The team at Creative Computing solved the issue thus ensuring we do not need to replace the laptop just yet. It’s so much faster now and all important “stuff” was saved.
We know nothing about technology so all our basic questions were handled with patience and good humour. We were never made to feel stupid.
We were impressed with the prompt service and would recommend Creative Computing unreservedly.”

New gaming PC

Ms McGuire let us know her son is very happy with his new gaming PC build!

IT Support Company of the Year

During the creation of this post, we received another award, this time for IT Support Company of the Year from the CorprateLiveWire Global Awards 2023 / 2024!

A huge thank you to all our customers and partners who made this possible and to the team behind the scenes who put in an enourmous effort each and every day.

3May, 2024

Just one thing

We asked our team what they’d advise a customer if they could only say one thing.

Windows 10

Just a heads up—Windows 10 support will end in October 2025, meaning no more updates from Microsoft. Computers over 6 years old won’t work with Windows 11 due to its new security features. You’ll need to upgrade, and we offer both new and refurbished devices that are compatible. Reach out for details!

Scott

Backup

Always remember the golden rule of data protection: keep three copies! We have many data recovery methods, but it’s best to prevent data loss. Use cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive, or local solutions like Acronis for automatic backups. Consider adding an extra drive to desktop PCs or using cheap, large USB drives to back up your backups!

Chris

Solid State Drives

When it’s time to rejuvenate your aging computer, upgrading from a slow hard drive to a fast solid state drive is a brilliant idea. We’ll meticulously transfer everything from your old drive—including Windows and all your programs—to the new one. Your system will operate just like before, but with enhanced speed and responsiveness, invigorating your computing experience.

Craig

Network extension methods

Are you experiencing poor WIFI reception in your home? Fortunately, there are numerous solutions available to enhance your internet connectivity. Options such as WIFI extenders, internet-capable wall sockets, and technologies designed to eliminate dead zones can be highly effective. Installing modern network equipment like signal boosters, powerline adapter kits, or mesh WIFI systems can significantly improve your reception in a straightforward and swift manner.

William

Babysteps

Upgrading and building your own PC can be as exciting as binge-watching your favorite comedy show, except when it turns into a horror flick! You see, a lot of folks dive into this techy pool after being inspired by influencers who make it look easier than baking a cake. Here’s a tip: if you’ve never wielded a screwdriver on a PC, maybe don’t start by trying to assemble a digital Frankenstein. Begin with simple heart transplants like RAM or storage, or maybe get adventurous with a GPU upgrade. Hold off on buying the whole tech store until you’re sure you can get more than just a very expensive paperweight out of your efforts!

Piotr

26Apr, 2024

Behind the scenes

A little look at the team who make your IT dreams happen

Most of you will be familiar with the man in the middle of the picture above, William has been greeting you all at the front counter for the past six years now, giving you the benefit of his very broad range of knowledge in IT, especially in networking, and his primary passion, computer gaming! As our technical team are busy beavering away, working to help get your computer systems working, you don’t get the opportunity to meet some of the rest of the team. Like our Piotr…

Piotr joined us in 2020 as our apprentice after having completed an HNC in Technical Support after having realised that he was spending more and more time on his computer at home, usually playing games! Piotr is in charge of overseeing the construction, configuration and testing of all of our new computers and really enjoys working on the latest equipment, learning something new every day.

Piotr also ensures all of our phone and tablet repairs are completed which gives him an enormous amount of satisfaction as Piotr loves problem solving and fixing broken devices.

When Piotr isn’t working, he spends a lot of time playing computer games, and plays in goals for his five aside team. Given the chance he’d love a pet chimpanzee; no surprise as he loves monkeying around!

Craig has been doing his job for a while, he started with us over twenty-five years ago having previously worked for IBM, and has kept studying throughout that time, gaining qualifications from CompTIA. Craig is also our main Apple technician and is known to answer to “Macman” on occasion!

Craig isn’t limited to Apple products, and can turn his attention to desktops and laptops, hardware and software faults and gets a lot of pleasure from successfully fixing problems. When he’s not working Craig is often found playing Football Manager, or fishing, but most of all loves walking his dog.

19Apr, 2024

In focus: Arena Royale Pro

An insight into one of our most popular systems

We always keep a very close eye on value for our systems, we don’t like spending money for little to no advantage, so why should you? Fancy features and components can be nice to have, but few among us have unlimited funds to spend on PC’s. So, when we’re designing computer systems, “bang for buck” is very important to us. Right now, our best expression of this philosophy in our Arena Gaming range is probably our Royale Pro.

The Royale Pro is a system where we have taken “bang for buck” to the limit: we have sucked out every penny we can from where it doesn’t make the computer run faster, yet put the money into the performance per pound champions with a core system that can run against the very best on the market.

“We bought this PC for my son for Christmas 2023, he absolutely loves his Gaming PC, he’s always on it, using it for his Games, Discord and chatting to his friends around the world“

The heart of the system is AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor: this CPU may come from the previous generation, but it still performs well in comparison to the latest mid-range alternatives, and still puts up a good fight against the best on the market. Simulation games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 benefit from performance that is close to state-of-the-art processors, showing there’s plenty of life left in last year’s best gaming processor.

Good processors may make a good basis for a high-performance machine, but the graphics card you partner it with is critical. The majority of us are using 1080P resolution screens, so for the Royale Pro we look to achieve high performance at that resolution and currently the Nvidia RTX4060 is our value king at this resolution. The card is capable of providing high framerates in popular games such as Fortnite (Epic, 120FPS), CS2 (200+FPS), or Hell Divers 2 (Ultra, 60+FPS) without breaking the bank.

“Investing in the Gaming PC has brought a lot of joy, the team at Creative Computing designed the PC around the games“

These choices allow us to build a computer that performs really well out of the box, but still leaves scope for upgrading when you feel the need for more speed. We incorporate sufficient high-performance RAM, storage and network connections housed in a basic but well-ventilated case and with a power supply that still leaves scope to add more power at a later date.

All of this comes without compromising on reliability of course, the computer is backed by our Two-Year Parts & Labour Warranty, and comes with both Ethernet and Wifi connections, a year’s subscription to Norton 360 For Gamers and pre-installed & optimised Windows 11.

“My son loves his Arena Royale Pro PC“

Find out more about the Royale Pro here.

11Apr, 2024

This is who we are…

We’re extremely grateful and humbled that so many of you have trusted us with your custom for so long, but even some of our long-standing customers don’t realise just how long a journey it has been. We thought we’d take the time to tell a little of who we are and where we’ve come from.

The beginning

Our story started in 1997 in a corner of our store in Shawlands, Glasgow. Creative Computing quickly gained a reputation for building computer systems from top-quality components at very competitive prices. With a thriving reputation built on knowledge, integrity and quality, the first few years saw rapid growth and expansion leading to the difficult question of whether to open several shops in different locations, or to expand the existing location. After many sleepless nights and discussions, we took the opportunities to expand the existing location and give a “Centre of Excellence” rather than dilute the company’s skill base by spreading the talent over many locations. In 1999 Creative Computing took over the old Job Club, which had occupied the upper floor, and then expanded sideway in 2003 acquiring the former takeaway premises and developing it into our new technical centre.

The vision

Since the beginning the company has focused on both quality and value, and this continues to set us apart from other retailers today. Customer satisfaction is Creative Computing’s highest priority: it’s not enough to provide our customers with well-designed computer systems, components and accessories, but it needs to be done with a professional and friendly service backed by a fully qualified, experienced and knowledgeable technical support team.

Validation

Working efficiently and in a structured manner, Creative has gained many awards and certification through the years, including “Investors in people” and “Scottish enterprise award” to name but a few, and the company played a prominent role at the first Glasgow computer gaming show “Resonate” held at the SECC in 2016.

Creative has invested in training to keep ahead of emerging technologies; over the years we have developed a full repair system for almost every computer related item, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, desktop PC’s and printers. Content creation and gaming systems have long been an in-house speciality and we continue to provide bespoke support in these areas, whether it’s upgrading, repairing or providing custom systems. Creative understands that data is often more important to our customers than the computer itself so we have invested in hardware data recovery systems, giving us the ability to help our customers in the event of a device failure or accidental deletion.

Staying the course

Today, we are a muti-award winning company who still stands by its original principals, working within and alongside the local community, supporting many local charities, schools and groups. As a leading and well-established company, we offer a more focused and specialised approach to our product range with the expertise gained from many years of experience, and the knowledge gained from a genuine passion and enthusiasm for our work.