Most USB cables are boring because they should be simple. The plugs are different on each end for a reason, and that reason is to stop you from doing something that seems harmless but isn't. A USB-A to USB-A cable is not just for show; it is dangerous. I have one, and if you know what you're doing, it doesn't hurt to have one too.

Back when I used the Steam Deck as my main PC handheld, I forgot the sudo password I'd created the first time around. Naturally, I started to panic and thought I'd need to reflash my Deck and lose all my data, but then I found a solution that let me reset my Steam Deck's sudo password in just a few minutes. All you need for this is a wired keyboard (or a wireless keyboard with a dongle and a USB dock) and some focus, because there's some typing involved.

Two USB-C cables can look identical, cost wildly different amounts, and behave nothing alike. The reason sits inside the connector housing: a chip that talks to your devices before any power moves. It's genuinely useful engineering. It's also a convenient place to hide something nasty.

Most people shouldn't worry about the majority of BIOS settings, since leaving them at their default values makes the most sense. This applies to most SSD-related BIOS settings as well. That said, there's a chance the previous owner messed with them if you bought a used PC, or that one friend who likes to tinker with PCs tweaked your motherboard's BIOS settings without your knowledge.