Thursday, December 3, 2009

4 Important Features For Buying a Desktop Computer (Gaming Computers)

Gaming Computers

For most non-techie people buying a computer is confusing and frustrating. With all the terms, features and functions that one needs to consider and understand it often becomes a hassle that few want to deal with. For the basic user, who just wants a computer for Internet, email and word processing there is no need for bells and whistles. Basic features will be enough to get the job done. But, if you are looking for a computer for entertainment, gaming computers or business you will need more intricate features that will provide high performance.

Getting acquainted with some computer terminology and having a basic understanding of the most important computer features is important and can assist you in getting the right computer, the first time.

1. Processor or CPU

CPU stands for central processing unit; it is the brains of the computer. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system and the speed, which is given in GHz, and quality of the processor will greatly determine the performance of the computer.

There are budget, mid range and high-end processors. The one that you need will depend on what the computer will be used for. Often times you can get a nice high-end processor that is no longer manufactured for the same price of a brand new budget processor.

For basic computer functions, such as email, Internet and word processing a budget or mid range model is fine. But, for gaming, and especially 3D gaming, video editing and processing, movie watching and for some business functions a high-end processor is necessary.

High End Processors:

The high-end processors are top of the line and will cost quite a bit. An interesting fact is that while these processors cost twice as much as the mid range types they perform only about 25-50% better. Today, the top of the line processors are: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and Higher, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 and the Intel Core i7 Extreme 965.

2. RAM Memory

RAM memory refers to the amount of programs you can run on computers without running into slow downs, crashes and drags in performance.

The more RAM the better as it greatly affects the speed and performance of the computer, especially for video, entertainment and gaming computers. 1GB is good for most computer functions, 2GB, 3GB and 4GB is really great. At least 2GB, but 3GB and 4Gb is better for the optimal gaming and media experiences.

It is a good idea to check and make sure that there are open memory upgrade slots so you can always add more memory RAM, it is fairly cheap and easy to install.

3. Ports and Connections

Ports are the connections that come with a computer for attaching peripherals, such as such as printers, Internet/Ethernet, iPods, scanners and others. One of the most important and useful ports is the USB, which the computer should have at least 4 of.

Other useful ports are Ethernet for high speed Internet and networking, FireWire port and a printer port. Media card readers are also important that support a variety of flash memory cards for peripherals. Overall, the more ports you have the more variety and options you will have for peripherals.

4. Optical Drives - CD/DVD/Blu-ray

A useful component is an optical drive such as a DVD/CD or Blu Ray high-def burner. While many computers come with a CD-ROM, these can only read disks, if you want to burn movie and music disks, or to do disk backups of your data from your computer, then a burner optical drive is most handy.

Learn more about computers with a complete list of computer terms, guides, tips and resources such as the guide to All-In-One vs. Traditional Desktops and shop for very cheap desktops of all brands and models, including, Dell, Apple, Gateway, HP, gaming models and all accessories at Cheap Dell Computers.

Gaming Computers

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dell 30" UltraSharp Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor For Gaming Computers

Gaming Computers
There aren’t many LCDs that compare to Dell’s monster 30-inch UltraSharp 3007WFP. Capable of displaying an enormous area of screen real estate at 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, the 3007WFP has earned its place as the current pinnacle of wide-screen displays. But Dell wasn’t content to stop there, recently releasing a new version branded the UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC.

The major differences between the 3007WFP of old and the new “HC” labeled panel is its new 92% color gamut capable W-CCFL (wide cold-cathode fourescent lighting) backlight. With this new light, Dell claims the 3007WFP-HC displays richer, more accurate colors than the previous 3007WFP and most other industry standard panels on the market currently, which are only capable of displaying a 72% color gamut. The 3007WFP-HC also has a higher 1,000:1 contrast ratio and faster 8ms response time than the 3007WFP’s respective 700:1 and 11ms. The new panel’s one drawback is its lower brightness output of 300cd/m2 luminance; the standard 3007WFP has a 400cd/m2 rating.

The Dell 30-inch widescreen monitor is a visual wonder, boasting a fast response time, high contrast ratio and ultra-high resolution. Color and detail have never looked better or bigger thanks to the brilliantly bright display and Dell’s UltraSharp technology. There are plenty of reasons why Dell is America’s #1 source for flat-panel displays – the 3007WFP-HC is one more.

Performance testing with various Windows Media 1080p movie clips showed this new panel was able to display a bit more detail in darker scenes, more natural skin tones, and generally better saturation. During my testing with Everest Monitor Diagnostics, the 3007WFP-HC had significantly more accurate representation of reds, greens, and blues, with slightly less banding between gradients. In fact, reds on the 3007WFP had an orange hue in comparison to the 3007WFP-HC’s output. Whites were also more accurate and cooler than the old panel’s somewhat warmer tones. Uniformity of the output showed slightly better as well for the 3007WFP-HC in my Everest testing.

With respect to gaming, the 3007WFP-HC has a couple of milliseconds’ advantage over the 3007WFP but both proved more than capable even in fast action shooter testing with Half Life 2: Episode 1. In sum, 30 inches of LCD goodness is nothing short of joyous for high-end workstation professionals and enthusiasts, and the new UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC colors it all quite nicely.

To fully utilize your new 3007WFP-HC monitor and enjoy the ultra-high resolution settings, your gaming PC must have a dual-link DVI-D graphics card that supports 2560x1600 resolution. These dedicated high-end video cards are offered with select XPS desktops and Dell Precision workstations, or separately through the Dell.com Electronics & Accessories store. A high-quality video card is necessary for you to take advantage of all the 30-inch monitor's features, including high-definition viewing. Please make sure that your PC either has or can support a dual-link DVI-D graphics card before purchasing this monitor.

Your multimedia, video and graphics will find new life. The 3007WFP-HC is like a window to another world, offering you a chance to enjoy multimedia and gaming like never before, immersing you in a visual experience designed to awe and inspire. The widescreen format is also ideal for watching DVDs and high-definition television, making the 3007WFP-HC as versatile as it is stunning.


General Information
Brand Dell
Model Dell UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC 30 Inch LCD Monitor
Weight 25.1 lbs
Size 27.2 x 7.9 x 18.5 inches
Diagonal Screen size 30 inches
Resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels
Response time 8ms
Colour support 16.7 M
Image Brightness 300cd/m2
Power consumption 177 watts
Standby Power Consumption 2 watts
Viewing angle 178 degrees
Warranty 1 yea
Features
Adjustable Display Yes
Wall mountable Yes
Tilt adjustment Yes
Swivel adjustment Yes
DVI connection Yes
Anti glare option Yes


Gaming Computers

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Best Motherboard for Gaming (Gaming Computers)

Gaming Computers

If you love computer games and just can't get enough of it, you should choose the right computer with the best gaming motherboard. A computer's motherboard is the core of the entire computer system. It connects all other parts of the computer and allows them to interact and run the machine effectively.

There are some important factors to consider when building a gaming computer. The best gaming motherboard will be dependent on how extensive your gaming requirement will be. But all in all, you need to get a good CPU to start with to maximize your motherboard's performance.

Some Tips in Choosing the Best Gaming Motherboard

• Processor Compatibility: The CPU is the main workhorse of your computer and the component that is responsible for performing all the processing operations. A gaming PC will typically require a very fast and powerful CPU. At the same time, compatibility of the motherboard with the CPU is something that is extremely important.

• RAM Slots: Gaming PCs have high RAM requirements. The motherboard should have a minimum of 4 RAM slots and should be compatible with DDR2 RAM chips having a speed of approximately 1100 MHz.

• Graphics Card: Video memory or graphics memory is integral to high end computer games which rely heavily on graphics and visuals. Usually, regular motherboards have between 64MB to 128MB of inbuilt i.e. shared video memory. However, most high end games will require you to have a video memory capacity of 256MB to 512MB. In such situations, you would require an additional graphics card which of course, should be compatible with the motherboard.

• PCI Slots and USB Ports:These are also important aspects which play a significant role in high end gaming. The motherboard should have a sufficient number of both and an ideal minimum figure would be 6 for the USB ports and 2 for the PCI slots.

Gigabyte MA785GM-US2H
This newest release by Gigabyte is a dream come true for hardcore gaming enthusiasts. Built to be compatible with a number of AMD processors, this motherboard has a maximum RAM capacity of up to 4GB (32-bit) and 16GB(64-bit). With 4 memory slots, 2 PCI slots, 12 USB ports and an on-board ATI Radeon HD 4200 video card to take care of the graphics department, this motherboard is definitely a must buy for gamers.

Asus M4N78 PRO
This motherboard too supports a wide range of AMD processors such as the AMD Athlon, Athlon X2, Sempron, Phenom II, Phenom X3 and Phenom X4. This motherboard too is capable of supporting a maximum of 4GB RAM (32-bit) and 16GB RAM (64-bit). It has 3 PCI slots, 12 USB ports, 2 PCI Express X1 slots and an NVIDIA GeForce 8300 chip taking care of the graphics requirements. With a price tag of under a hundred dollars, it surely is value for money!

Intel DX58SO
One of the newest releases by Intel, the DX58SO is also loaded with quite a few features that would particularly please gamers. Four DDR3 SDRAM slots are one of the first things which will catch your attention. The motherboard provides support for up to 16GB of RAM in total. Video memory is handled by two graphic cards, namely an Nvidia SLI series card and an ATI CrossFire counterpart. In addition to that, there are 12 USB ports, 6 Serial ATA 3.0 GB/s ports, 2 IEEE-1394a ports and other regular expansion slots.

Asus P7P55D
This new motherboard by Asus is meant to provide stiff competition to the likes of Intel, Gigabyte and other manufacturers. A whopping 14 USB ports means that you never have to worry about connecting a large number of peripheral devices ever again. There are four DD3 DIMM RAM slots which ensure that speed will not be an issue. Its user-friendly design is a plus point which makes sure that adding or removing hardware components is completely hassle-free.

EVGA nForce 680i SLI
This motherboard is primarily modeled on the Nvidia 680i SLI chipset and is compatible with a series of Intel processors such as the Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Extreme, Pentium EE and others. There are four DDR2 DIMM RAM slots which offer a total RAM capacity of 8GB. 10 USB ports, 2 PCI slots and fair number of other expansion slots make it a good option for the serious gamer and it can surely be considered as a good motherboard for gaming, if not a great one.

Choosing the best gaming motherboard shouldn't be too hard. Just always remember the first two computer components during your search - the CPU is always in sync with the motherboard and vice versa.

When you are searching for the best gaming motherboard, think of maximum performance as your computer needs extra effort and power during gaming to produce high quality graphics, sounds, the works.

The motherboard is an important component of a computer system, and finding the ideal if not the best gaming motherboard, will definitely allow you to maximize your gaming experience.

Gaming Computers

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

MAINGEAR Upgrades Its F131 Gaming PC (GamingComputers)

Gaming Computers


Maingear has recently announced that its award-wining and successful F131 gaming PC will be available again for gamers and computer enthusiasts who want to take advantage of the latest in hardware performance. The system, which will be available for purchase through the company's website, will deliver support for up too three ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics cards, using CrossFireX technology, meant to provide users with support for the latest games or graphics-demanding applications currently available on the market.


“With the new F131, we’re giving our customers the advantage of unrivaled graphics technology with 3 4890’s in CrossFireX or 3 GTX 285’s in SLI” said Wallace Santos, CEO and founder of MAINGEAR. “Stellar graphics performance coupled with advanced liquid cooling and maximum expandability gives MAINGEAR gamers a lot to be excited about with the F131.”


"F131 gives gamers the technological advantage of the award-winning Domino Advanced Liquid Cooling" added Geoff Lyon, CEO of CoolIT Systems. "With the Domino, MAINGEAR customers are getting 50,000 maintenance free hours of liquid cooling operation that maximizes CPU performance and eliminates noisy fans."


You can have the computer itself customized as well thanks to MAINGEAR’s M.A.R.C laser etching tech that allows you to make a statement with a logo or image of your choosing. It’s the combination of superior graphics and liquid cooling that gives this system the one-two punch in the gaming world. You can get the MAINGEAR F131 now for a starting price of $1,299.


Gaming Computers

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Maingear intros Prelude 2 3D gaming system(Gaming Computers)


Maingear bills itself as a fine purveyor of "high performance luxury computers," hand built machines such as the Remix workstation (for "creative professionals"), and now Prelude 2, a 3D gaming workstation that features the NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision setup, a 22-inch SyncMaster 2233RZ display, and a desktop PC rocking an Intel Core i7 processor -- all for $1,999 (though were guessing that once you start tweaking things here and there the price can rise pretty quickly). More detailed specs are sadly unavailable at the moment, but if you've been itching to jump on the 3D bandwagon (not that we approve, but whatever) this one is probably worth a look. Full release is after the break.

Update: Feel free to check out the order page over at Maingear's site for all the system's specifications and customization options.