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Jul 07 2008
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Desktops, Video Cards

Resolution Requirements: Do You Notice it at All?

For video cards, gone are the usual 32 and 64 MB cards. The lowest you will find in the market today are the 128 MB video cards. Today’s video card manufacturers such as NVIDIA know for a fact that the wise computer geek would focus a lot on the video cards to satisfy requirements for certain applications and games that most PC users are sure to be installing. But the thing is, do you notice the difference at all?

Computers are normally made for browsing the web, playing games, music listening and spreadsheet creation. Multimedia entertainment is the latest craze but seriously, would you often watch movies and film clips on your computer? Perhaps if you don’t have a Television or a trusty DVD player it may be possible. But normally you would only use a computer for administrative tasks.

So when you install these high-end video cards, would you notice it at all? Or would it be all a psychological aspect of appreciating a higher capacity video card?

The resolution and bit rate can be seen when you play high-resolution games such as Warcraft or other new games in the market. But as far as watching videos, the best recourse is to still watch them through actual TV sets. With that said, why are people inclined to watch via their computer?

TV options are only bonuses but should not be a regular requirement for PC options. Video cards come in higher specs these days but sometimes you have to wonder what a 1 Gigabyte video card would have over actual television.

Know the limits of your PC. You can watch TV programs on your computer but don’t expect it to be better than modern television. Video cards are aimed at graphics and games. But as far as resolution is concerned, take note of the difference. It may not matter at all.

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Jul 07 2008
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Chips, RAM, Reviews

New Programs Need Higher PC Specs

Each year we see new programs being introduced in the market. Games and graphics lead the pack of new software in the market and you have to wonder which part of your PC hardware would have to be upgraded. Memory modules? Hard disk space requirements? New dual processors?

We often hear of new hardware upgrades available in the market. They come often and you have to wonder why computer peripheral manufacturers develop them ever so often. In fact, you have to wonder if there is a link with the software developers and them. For sure there will be some and also a business development aspect to which current IT trends and development help manufacturers devise new hardware for the future.

That is why you will notice, whenever a new program comes out, chances are you will need the minimum PC requirements. There are times when you have the minimum requirements but would have issues as far as optimized performance. With that said, what would a computer owner resort to? What else but to buy new hardware of a higher capacity in the market.

If you look at it, it is like a merry-go-round. You have to adhere towards current demands of the market based on the common PC user. A PC is always open for improvement. That is why computer peripherals are offered individually and compatible with various motherboards and sockets these days. Technology will always offer you something new. It has been common for us to check them out and if satisfied, buy them. New programs need higher specs on peripherals. Users need to be a step ahead to be assured of optimized performance.

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Jul 04 2008
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News, Tutorials, Windows XP

Why Force Consumers to Use Windows Vista?

Other than being one of the most sought after software today, Microsoft is indirectly commanding is to operate according to their wants. This obviously stems from the fact that most people today would be wise to use a Windows Vista since Windows XP will no longer be in the market if you need to reformat or buy a new PC.

But it gets better. Along with this notion comes the understanding the your PC has to be the latest in the market. Banking on the old ones may get you into problems such as slower computing and eventually banging your head on the wall because your PC is so slow. We all know that people want speed when they work or use their PC and apparently if you put both these developments together, you need to be wise in spending and buying your next computer station.

For most it may seem unfair. Being forced to upgrade your hardware and software is something that not all people can easily do. For one thing, thanks to the contribution of the economic crisis, any average consumer would want to save as much as possible.

In short, computer upgrades are common for companies or people who are techie. But if you talk about the average consumer, this is really a problem. There is an alternative however. You can always look for the fly by night vendor and ask if they have a Windows XP in stock. If not, well, you just have to deal with current trends as dictated by Microsoft and the technology market.

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Jul 04 2008
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Chips, Cooling, Desktops

Do You Ever Turn your Computer Off?

These days, we all know that computers bear the brunt of being always powered on for one reason or another. Among the reasons include:

1. Uninterrupted Downloading
2. Timid Power on and Power off by Users
3. User forget to turn them off

In this time and age, it would be best to take into consideration the fact that we need to conserve electricity and by all means, computers make use of it. While to most, the cost of leaving it on is something that they can afford, the real issue here would be the computer life and of course the energy resources which we are really eating up a lot as of late.

Awareness of the energy conservation efforts through the proper use of computers and maintaining them is something we need to attend to. People today could care less but the fact of the matter is, we can add that extra effort that will benefit us the most. Heat levels in your computer can just be imagined. Remember that one issue inside CPUs today is cooling and leaving them on with auxiliary fans to do the ventilation and cooling habits is something that you should really address as well.

If we want to make use of a PC that will last longer then perhaps it would wise to consider giving them some rest periods. This is not enforceable. All I am saying is that computers needs some respite as well even for an hour. Also, save on energy since the savings you can get from these efforts can turn out to be enough savings for future needs such as a computer upgrade once new ones hit the market.

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Jun 30 2008
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Case Mods, Chips, Cooling, News

Tiny Compressors for Better PC Cooling to be launched

The temperature levels in most computers today have a significant impact on a PC’s performance. We know of the usual auxiliary fans required to serve as added ventilation but in some cases, the proper cooling for these chips are not enough. Cooling is important and while the fans are trying hard to negate the rising heat levels from using internal chips and processors, Purdue University has reportedly developed a tiny refrigeration system that will surely help a lot as far as CPU temperature levels is concerned.

This is indeed a welcome development considering that many people are forever relying on additional cooling systems for their CPU or laptops.

“Traditionally, you use a fan to blow air on a chip — room temperature air,” said Garimella. “If I could push chilled air onto the chip, then I get a lot more cooling.” The devices are designed to dramatically increase the amount of heat that can be removed from a computer, he added.

The system pumps refrigerants through tiny compressors and tubing. The technology could be integrated into a microprocessor, or it could replace a computer’s traditional air-cooled heat sink.

The new cooling technique will probably be used first in gaming systems and then in high-end laptops, Garimella projected.

Source

Once this gets out, we can see better enhancements towards our current crop of CPU and cooling issues that seem to continue to haunt us when it comes to identifying the right temperature to assist CPU performance. Purdue professor Suresh Garimela even opened the doors for smaller computers which will garner the nod of people who love to embrace technology and its fruits as they come.

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