A Nub's Guide to General Tech
Maple story Forums : Non-MS Tech Talk : Computer and tech issues NOT related to Maple Story Thread starter
 READ BEFORE PURCHASE! MOST IMPORTANT THING! These items are based on opinion. They have been checked with some of my friends as well. Before posting, this is checked by AT LEAST one other person. Even though this is the case, WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. Please, before purchase, check for compatibility with your existing parts. I will not be held responsible if you buy something and it does not work with your computer. READ BEFORE PMING If you PM me, I will read your message. If I do not respond, it is because I did not understand you (GRAMMAR) or because I don't think that what you are saying is relevant :/ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Alright. I noticed that many people always inquire about ram, graphics cards, etc. Below is a list showing three examples of various hardware. It will show recommendations for for cheap, mid-price and expensive hardware. If I find some, I will post links to installation guides. CONTENTS • Motherboards • Graphics cards • Hard drives • RAM • Processors • AMD Processors • Monitors • Software • Photo-Editing • Video Editing • Antivirus • Anti Spyware • Programming Languages • Music Related • Installation and relevant links as well as miscellaneous information [quote]LEGEND: • Cheap • • Mid-price range • • • Expensive [/quote] MOTHERBOARDS Motherboards are something like the brain of your computer. All parts are attached to the motherboard. Before purchasing ANYTHING, check for motherboard compatibility. You should not really purchase a new motherboard unless you are building a computer from scratch. • ATI hybrid graphics technology & mainstream DX10 gaming- $80.00 • • Intel BOXDG35EC LGA 775 Intel G35 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard- $95.00 • • • GIGABYTE GA-EP35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard- $140.00 GRAPHICS CARDS A graphic card is component of a computer that improves the visual quality of the machine. The two main types are PCI and PCI-Express. Integrated graphics, is probably the worst type of card. It is integrated into the motherboard and has bad visual quality. It also does not allow for the running of many games (Ex: Magiboni). However, this does not mean you won't be able any games and just because you have non-integrated graphics does not mean you will run all games. All in all, more bitrate means better performance: xxlowongxx: A techy person could tell why a video card is worth it or not, a big deal is the bitrate. My video card runs at 128 bits a time, that is 2ce as fast as the external video card that you have listed, and mine is onboard. Lots of people would say, wow onboard video cards suck! But not all onboard video cards these days are 64MB @ 32bit. (Example [quote]skye09: Also, there are MANY games that can be played on integrated graphics perfectly fine, including newer games. The only difference is that High-End Graphics cards allow for better Visual effects/quality/realism, such as the utilization of Motion Blur, Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering. ( well, they also allow for more monitors but they are mainly used for visual effects ).[/quote] Why to upgrade: upgrading your graphics card will allow for better quality of picture and might allow for playing more games (assuming your current card is quite bad.) eLeeThax: My comments: First, a graphics card does NOT improve the visual quality of the machine. What it really improves is frame rates, and the time it takes to render a frame. Actually, PCI cards are not even produced anymore. Its all about PCI-E nowadays. Perhaps you can find an AGP card or two, but those are practically long gone. Integrated graphics are not a card, its an integrated chip on the motherboard. Actually, bitrate is not necessarily more performance. That is just measuring the speed of the data stream. What you should be paying attention to is the amount of SP(Stream processors), Core Clock, Shader Clock(Some older cards may not use this), Memory Clock, Memory type, amount of Memory, and what type of core it uses. I would suggest that you take a look at Hard OCP (www.hardocp.com) if your about to buy a card, and look at the graphics card reviews. Obviously, the sales rep wants you to buy more stuff, and spend more money. That probably is a factor in that comment. nVidia / ATI cards cost more money. And, Intel does NOT make graphics CARDS, only integrated CHIPS. The chip is located on the motherboard, while the card is in a peripheral slot. Almost all motherboards come with an integrated Intel GMA chip. It is the decision on whenever to buy a graphics card that really matters. If you were to want to play MS, surf the net, watch some flash videos, play some flash games, chat, etc., a Intel GMA chip would be fine. However, if the point of that computer was to attempt to play Crysis or something similar at max graphics, a high-end graphics card is a must. For Crysis, the only cards that actually does anything at max graphics, and around 1650:1050 or above would be the nVidia GTX275, GTX280, GTX285, GTX295, ATI 4870, 4890, 4870x2. Of course, SLI or Crossfire combinations of earlier cards may work, and provide better framerates than one of these cards. It all depends on what card, and what clock speeds it is set to. • EVGA: GeForce 7300GS 256MB-$45 • • XFX: 8500GT 256MB-$68 • • • XFX: 8800GTX Extreme 768MB-$390 Chickenz: In the graphics card section you should mention that 8600GTS cards and up require a 6-pin connector to supply more power. :0 ... Dweomer: As a note, when I was buying my laptop last August the sales rep was very, very clear to never buy any graphics card made by Intel. HARD DRIVES Note: Based on size A hard drive is the component of a computer that allows for the storage of files. Without a hard drive you cannot download files and save files; you can't doing anything. A 250GB hard drive should be enough for a personal use computer. An internal hard drive requires installation to the PC's interior while an exterior can usually be attached through a USB port. Why to upgrade: If you have enough space for your files there is no reason to buy a bigger hard drive. However, if you are running out of space (10GB or less), I recommend deleting useless files, limiting your downloading/file creation or upgrading your hard drive. eLeeThax: On the hard drives section, I would recommend a 500GB or a 1TB hard drive, they're so cheap now that a 500GB can go for $40-50, and a 1TB can go for about $70-80, all depending on brand, model, and design. Of course, if it is just a personal use computer, the difference between 80MBPS and 50MBPS is probably not noticeable, except in benchmarks, which is not the point of a personal use computer. BTW, 1TB = ~1000GB Again, those prices are outdated. For the price of that 750GB, I can get a 1.5TB WD Green. Not really much more to say. • Seagate Barracuda 250GB-$65 • • HITACHI 250GB-$95 • • • Maxtor (external) 750GB-$170 RAM RAM generally allows increase in computer performance. RAM stands for Random Access Memory and most games require at least 1GB. If more RAM is obtained, you will be able to run more applications simultaneously without a decrease in computer speed. PCs can generally hold 2-4 sticks of RAM, ranging from 128mb -- 4GB. Why to upgrade: upgrading your RAM to at least 2GB may increase your computer's performance a noticeable amount. It should also allow for the running of multiple applications without a decrease in your computer's performance. There are various types of RAM, IE DDR, DDR2, SDRAM. Crucial.com can be used to check the type of RAM. eLeeThax: Uh, for the RAM section, a decently priced desktop computer, about $700-800, usually now has about 6-12GB RAM. Computer manufacturers seem to think that we really need that RAM, and that putting 12GB of 400MHZ or 667MHZ RAM really does something except make the buyer go "OMG! THERES 12GB OF RAM! MOM, I REALLY WANT THAT COMPUTER". Except, 4GB of RAM probably is enough for now, except in benchmarks and virtual machines. But, if you were the type to run 5-10 virtual machines at a time, or a be obsessed with benchmarks, you probably will know how much you need. • DDR2 RAM-- 50$ • Very good deal IMO. $60 off--$70 (DDR2) INTEL PROCESSORS NOTE: I don't know too much about these. iMicrosoft: And for processor make sure its compatible with your motherboard A processor (also called a CPU) essentially controls everything your computer does. The higher the GHZ (gigahertz), the faster data is processed, the better the performance. There are three types of processors currently on the market: • Single core • Duo core • Quad core Why to upgrade: Upgrading your processor will increase your computer's performance. Personally, I think that 2GHZ Duo core is enough. eLeeThax: Actually, there are also tri-cores, obviously, with three cores. Only AMD makes these, they are designated as <AMD Phenom II 8xx>, or <AMD Phenom X3 xxxx>. Also, different CPUS can use different sockets. For example, some Pentium 4, all C2D, and all but one C2Q use LGA775. Some Pentium 4 use socket 478. Most current AMD CPUs use AM3, AM2+, and AM2. Of course, this doesn't include server CPU sockets, seeing that if you run a 1U or 2U rack server, you probably will already know all of this. N0dleBandit: ... The application uses all cores to lay out it's work on the 4 cores so there's less stress on 1 core.. You can't just buy any processor without knowing if your motherboard fits the process size like that processor is based on the 45nm process which only work on newer motherboards and only on Socket 775. If you don't know the difference between Core 2 Extreme and Core 2 Quad don't get it. If you don't play hardcore games, overclock, do DivX encodes, Photoshop etc don't get a Quad. And people who play Maple don't need a 8800 or even a dual core since Maple will only be using 1 core of the CPU then. [quote]Yes. He is quite right. For example, some 965 based motherboards cannot run anything based on the 45nm manufacturing die size. Some G31-G35 also may not be able to. It all depends on how the manufacturer designed the motherboard. If you were about to buy a motherboard, download and READ THROUGH THE ENTIRE MANUAL. Make sure to check about spacing, and if the motherboard will support the CPU. Most manufacturers have a list on their site that tells what CPUs will work on that particular board. For example, in Maplestory, a 2.0 Pentium 4, Intel GMA, and 512-1GB RAM is usually enough to play well without lag on the computer's side. The internet lagging is another thing. If you can move around and shoot arrows or whatever, and everything else is not moving, even when you attack a monster, that means its the internet lagging. When the computer is lagging, the WHOLE screen suddenly freezes, or the whole screen jumps, not just your character. [/quote] AMD MOTHERBOARDS WILL NEVER SUPPORT AN INTEL CPU. INTEL MOTHERBOARDS WILL NEVER SUPPORT AN AMD CPU. NOPE. NOT NOW, NOT EVER. NEVER INTERCHANGEABLE. • If your a cheapskate-$60 • Decent, 2.33GHZ DUO-$170 • • Quad core: 2.4GHZ-$244 • • • • Quad: 3.2GHZ-about $1500 AMD PROCESSORS tacocrusher: AMD Processors: -Cheap -Used to overheat in the past; newer cpu models come w/ liquid cooling so they stay cool; can't overclock above like 3.5% without a crapload of fan noise -The speed compared to a similar intel one is unnoticable -Use it if you're on a budget -Cheapskate 2.2 GHz one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103199 (adequate; one core) [$40] -Very good 2.8 GHz one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103228 (decent; two cores) [$163] -Very good 2.5 GHz one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103249 (good; four cores) [$235] -t3h uber smecks 3.2 GHz one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103228 (good; two cores) [163] I basically just copied what you wrote :p Why to upgrade: Upgrading your processor will increase your computer's performance. Personally, I think that 2GHZ Duo core is enough. MONITORS The monitor is the screen of you computer. Everything that you do on your computer is seen in the monitor. Upgrading this component will result in better visual quality. Or maybe you will just get a bigger screen :D eLeeThax: Again, about those monitor prices, a 22" can go for anywhere between $150 to $500. It just depends on what kind of features the monitor has, the response time (anything less then 6ms is fine, not really noticeable), refresh rate (some monitors will support only up to 59HZ, some may support up to 120HZ, the higher, the better. It is just how many times the screen refreshes per second.), and overall quality. What monitor to pick really just depends on the use of the computer. A higher refresh rate and lower response time would probably be good if you play CS: Source or something similar all day. That extra 1-3 milliseconds could mean that you get to shoot that terrorist in the head first, or if you get shot first. However, if the purpose was to play Maplestory, a similar RPG, surf the net, chat, etc., you can save some money by going with a monitor with higher response times and a lower refresh rate. Maplestory and other RPG games don't really care if you start moving a couple of milliseconds later. • Acer AL2016WBbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor- $200.00 • • BenQ T241W Black 24" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height and Pivot Adjustments- $340.00 • • • Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI Monitor- $490.00 ________________________________________________________________________________________________ K. Also, please note: do not buy these right away. Make sure that they are right for you and if your upgrading, that your computer is compatible with them. Any input or recommendations welcome. Also, if I made any mistakes please state them and they will be corrected. MY SHAMEFUL COMPUTER • My 1GB of ram • • Graphics card-XFX: 8500GT 256MB Same as mentioned 'cept 512MB • Can't find my processor. 2.8GHZ Duo • Hard drive 230GB SOFTWARE GUIDE Section created: August 7th, 2008: 19.26 BT I have noticed that since my time on Basil there were threads concerning things such as antivirus, photo-editing and other software. This guide will list some software useful in many fields. I will rate this as follows: [quote] • Simplest uses • • Intermediate • • • (Semi) Professional *My choice [/quote] CONTENTS • Photo-Editing • Video Editing • Antivirus • Anti Spyware • Programming Languages • Music Related Photo-Editing Software This is probably the most questioned type of software. What is it? It allows for the manipulation of pictures; you can colour, draw, and combine pictures to look realistic. This software can be used in things such as comic making. • MS Paint Microsoft Paint should come pre-installed on Windows machines. If you do not have it you should look around. I was unable to find a reliable link for this software. This software is the simplest photo editing program. It does not have many professional uses but can be used for things such as comics. It contains simple functions such as filling in areas, making shapes, and drawing. A Screenshot of the MSPaint interface (photobucket.com/) • • PaintNET This software is similar to Photoshop. It allows for a semi-professional manipulation of pictures and has more advanced features such as layers and layer effects. Interface: http://www.getpaint.net/screenshots/pdn310_car.jpg • • • [http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/]Photoshop CS3: Link to trial; Cost: $649.00[/url] * A very good program used even by professionals. It is very expensive so you shouldn't get it unless you need or unless you can find it cheaper (ie, older versions or eBay.) This program allows for extremely good photo editing as mentioned and can even be used to create pictures that look real but are not. Features include the basic stuff (pencil, brush, etc) but also advanced use of layers and layer effects. Interface XxSparkehxX: ...my personal favorite Graphic's editing program, it's called The GIMP and i find it to be a great tool and im pretty sure it's open source. Gimps homepage = http://www.gimp.org/ Other related applications: Maplesim : Banned Story for creating comic characters Apophysis Allows for creation of interesting and often abstract images Terragen 2 : A scenery creator. Not free. Video Editing Video editing software allows for the manipulation of videos. You can combine video clips, make cartoons (if you're really good) and add effects to movies (black and white, fast forward). I personally do not do much video editing. • Windows Movie Maker* A simple editor that allows for combination of clips and some video effects. Audio is also supported. Screen: http://www.winsupersite.com/images/reviews/wmm2_01.gif • • • A variety of products with different prices. Choose what suits you A more advanced editing software. I never personally used it but it is recommended by many. Screen: http://www.cgfocus.com/images/user/vegas_tim/SonyVegas_01.jpg • heyitsmexD: You could add DivX Author to video editing. http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/author/detail.php[/quote] Antivirus Antivirus offers protection against harmful programs. More than one can mess up your machine. If anti-spyware is not included, please refer to the next section. • Avast! Home edition. Free for non-commercial uses Wikipedia: * Standard Shield — Real-time protection * Anti-rootkit — Built-in protection * Anti-spyware — Built-in protection * IM shield — Instant Messenger protection * P2P shield — P2P protection * Internet Mail — E-mail protection * Outlook/Exchange — Microsoft Outlook/Exchange protection * Web Shield — HTTP protection (localtransparent proxy) * Script blocker — script checker (Pro version only) * Network Shield — basic protection against well-known network worms. Acts as a lightweight Intrusion Detection System * Audible alarms — vocal warnings such as "Caution, a virus has been detected!" * Boot-time scan — through the program interface, a user can schedule a boot-time scan to remove viruses that load during Windows startup and are therefore difficult to remove. A very important feature especially for viruses written to shut-down the virus protection as soon as Windows starts. * Self-Protection — Prevents malware from terminating Avast! processes and damaging Avast! files. * Skinnable — Program is skinnable GUI. * Virus definition updates — Avast updates its virus definitions on a regular basis (sometimes multiple times a day), and this process is automated by default. * The virus chest is quarantine folder where "infected files" can be stored. The chest causes the files' usage to be disabled and is meant to prevent them from causing any harm. The virus chest also stores vital system files to prevent them from virus damage. They still can be run, but the access to the file by any source or other program is blocked until it is removed from the chest. Registration (Home Edition) Avast! needs to be registered after the first 60 days of use. After registering, a license key is e-mailed and can be used for only one year. After one year, the user is required to re-register. Despite registration, the program is still free for home use. • AVG Free Edition Wikipedia: Less protection - AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 provides only base level protection against viruses, spyware and safe searching. It does not provide safe surfing (drive-by download protection) nor protection from hackers, keyloggers, spam, phishing attacks and malicious file downloads that can come through instant messaging and attachments from seemingly friendly sources. This protection is only available in the commercial versions of AVG products. • Bitdeffender trial download. Choose the one most beneficial to you. * Product features/comparisons • Malwarebytes: Epic for infection removal • Kaspersky Antivirus Antivirus list and comparisons Comparisson between three free AVs Anti-Spyware This software protects against malicious software that is used to steal personal information (keyloggers, etc.) Having multiple anti spyware will not mess up your computer. This software can be used if you want to feel safer or if your antivirus lacks it. • Ad Aware; Free + paid versions. Recommended by many • Spyware Doctor • Drive Sentry • SUPERantispyware • Spyware Doctor from Google Pack Wikipedia: # PC Tools's Spyware Doctor ( one free edition doesn't remove anything but protects, the other free edition removes but protects partially and uses a limited database) # DriveSentry (free version (3.1) will remove spyware) Wikipedia: ...real-time protection and anti-virus protection are not included with this version. Real-time protection and other advanced features are available in the paid versions of Ad-Aware 2008. PC MAG: Antivrus/Spyware Reviews For Building Programs This software is used for the creation of Windows programs. I will post guides later on. Windows/Microsoft Programming languages: http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/ • Visual Basic 2008 [quote]Productivity that is ideal for first time or casual Windows programming.[/quote] • Visual C# [quote]A great combination of power and productivity for the Windows developer.[/quote] • Visual C++ [quote]Horsepower with a finer degree of control than other Express Editions.[/quote] Music Management/Editing Audacity, recommended by XxSparkehxX WILL WRITE LATER Installation and Relevant Links as well as Miscellaneous Information (FROM HERE UNTIL THE BOTTOM) Installation Guides: • The Crucial Memory Advisor� tool is a quick, 3-step process to find guaranteed-compatible memory for computers and motherboards. • Breif graphics card installation • Video: How to install a graphics card (youtube) • Processor installation • Processor video (youtube) • RAM installation • RAM video (youtube) • Hard Drive installation • Hard drive vid (youtube) CHECKING YOUR CURRENT PARTS • Download and install PC Wizard • Or CPU-Z. I think that the prior is better, however. OTHER LINKS • Why popular AVs may not be as effective • Computer security and resources • MS problems + solutions • Can this PC run MS? • Kid24's tech stuff. • JPNgamer's IRC guide • Look like vista • Computer Jargon Glossary EXPLANATIONS Graphics card: Changes how stuff (videos, pics, GAMES) look on your computer. Some games require an actual graphics card, not integrated. Ram: GENERALLY improves computer speed, and decreases lag, allowing for use of several apps at once without slowing down your PC. Hard Drive: Allows for for storage of files. More space means more things can be saved on your computer. Processor:Essentially controls everything your computer does. More GHZ means it can process data at a quicker pace, increasing performance. WHERE TO BUY COMPUTER PARTS www.newegg.com Newegg www.pcworld.com PC world ( recommended by maplesoul2) http://www.tigerdirect.ca/indexca.asp? Tiger direct (recommended by lilvboy) http://www.ncix.com/ (recommended by lonesoldier1 for Canadians) CHEAP COMPUTER Cheap Computer: tacocrusher: MB (Gigabit lan, sound, video [dx10]): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131172 (I got it on a sale before; now $70) Processor (2 cores, 2.8GHz, 2MB Cache): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103771 ($122) HDD (160gb, 7200rpm): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822210004 ($45) Power (Atx, 480w): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170014 ($13) Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156085 ($24) Edited: Forgot to put cd/os CD (sata, cdrom): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106038 ($14) OS (XP Pro OEM): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116400 ($140) Total: $427... you might want to upgrade the hard disk and cd drives Other Info This is all from one site, but you can probably get it cheaper if you search multiple sites. And this is pretty good if you have a tight budget ($427). ultracheese: You should add a link to the Free Software Directory up there. It has a lot of great alternatives to the software you listed and they're all free and open source. Some of them don't have Windows versions though. All input/comments will be considered/appreciated. EDIT: Many thanks for the sticky mrbasil and Nigi for the title change  Thanks to eLeeThax for his input Last edit: May 30, 2009 at 13.51BT: eLeeThax's input [quote]I will allow the distribution of this thread as long as credit is given. [/quote] Replies
niiice, ty!
Kazum, for the record, there was infact a time where AMD CPUs and Intel CPUs were interchangeable on the same motherboard. This was back in the 90s, but it still existed. :P
Ill also add that bitrate is a bit more important than eleethax seems to think ( ill add in a few other things too ). The bitrate is a very important aspect to memory bandwidth. Consider this, he says the memory bandwidth is important, yet the bitrate is not. Well, thats a bit contradicting since memory bandwidth = bit rate x memory clock. So, for example, using Wikipedia as a reference, which is correct for this, lets look at the 9800GTX. It says the memory bandwidth is 70.4GB/s. So, 2200mhz*32bytes= 70400/1000 = 70.4GB Now, you may notice 2 things. the first one being that I used 32 bytes, the second being that bytes is bolded. This is simple; I converted bits to bytes. Since there are 8 bits in a byte, I simply divided the 256bit width given by 8, to get 32 bytes. As I was saying before, bitrate is quite important to the overall performance of a card, since it is part of the memory bandwidth, and that is effectively, how fast the data can be read or stored into the GPUs memory. Crippling the bit rate, cripples the memory bandwidth, which also cripples the card. Moving on, it was noted that Core, Shader and Memory clock are important, which they are. The only caveat to this is that you can not compare these clock rates directly. The only time you can, is when every other aspect is the exact same. This is similar to the megahertz myth. For example, look at the clocks on the 8600GTS vs the clocks on the 8800GTX. Each of the three clocks is higher, even though, in any and all applications, the 8800GTX destroys the 8600GTS. The 8800GTX is quite literally more than twice as powerful. Then there is the issue of the amount of ram. This aspect is not very important and should be the last thing to look at. Why? This is because a bottleneck in memory bandwidth will usually occur long before you run out of graphical Vram. Vram is generally cheap, and is constantly used as a marketing gimmick. For example, there is a 1GB 9400GT. Now, because of how crippled that card is, it can not use more than 1/4 of its given Vram, which is also the reason, there are cards with 512MB Vram ( like the 9800GT ) which are leagues more powerful. Vram does have an importance for texture heavy applications, but in general, if a card has the bandwidth to use it, it will be given enough Vram. The reverse is not true. One thing to note about stream processors ( which are also called pipelines and shader units ), is that they are not directly comparable between Nvidia and ATI. So while they are important, dont think that the HD 4850 is better than the GTX 285 just because it looks like it has over 3x as many shader cores, since this is not the case. Listing: priest to hime with
You should also tell them to look for PROFESSIONAL reviews on the things they are getting. Personally, I use [url=]anandtech.com[/url]
New Blog: Did we die?
Higher gigahertz does not mean faster data processing. A hertz is just a cycle/second. Thats it. A unit of measurement. A gigahertz, is this cycle/second times 10^9. That means higher gigahertz is just more cycles/second. Thats it. Not faster data processing, just more cycles per second. Saying that more gigahertz means faster processing is advocating the gigahertz myth, which is incorrect.
This guide could really use an update. I appreciate all the input; this needs a huge amount of updates which will be carried out upon return from my vacation.
Is your vacation over yet?
Just reading makes me think u r really a professional
Hey Kazum
Not sure if you're still updating this post… but "• EVGA: GeForce 7300GS 256MB-$45 • • XFX: 8500GT 256MB-$68 • • • XFX: 8800GTX Extreme 768MB-$390" These have kinda been updated, there's nVidia 9xxx, along with GTS and GTX and radeon 58xx series. GTX285 ought to come on here and so does 9800GT which runs quieter and cooler than 8800GTX (IMO) _ Why to upgrade: If you have enough space for your files there is no reason to buy a bigger hard drive. However, if you are running out of space (10GB or less), I recommend deleting useless files, limiting your downloading/file creation or upgrading your hard drive. Hard Drives… there's the spin speed of these too. Laptop drives nowadays do 5400 or 7200rpm (How many times it spins per minute) whereas desktops can go up to 15000rpm. Remember there's IDE and SATA drives (SATA obviously a fair bit faster) and also the newer and much more expensive solid states. Remember if you wanna be geeky, there's also cache and all that useless stuff the average human doesn't need to know Also update your pricing - 250GB hods in NZ are about $45 which is about $30 in America _ RAM generally allows increase in computer performance. RAM stands for Random Access Memory and most games require at least 1GB. If more RAM is obtained, you will be able to run more applications simultaneously without a decrease in computer speed. PCs can generally hold 2-4 sticks of RAM, ranging from 128mb -- 4GB. Why to upgrade: upgrading your RAM to at least 2GB may increase your computer's performance a noticeable amount. It should also allow for the running of multiple applications without a decrease in your computer's performance. There are various types of RAM, IE DDR, DDR2, SDRAM. Crucial.com can be used to check the type of RAM. Most games require 1GB correct, but many games might not run on 1GB with an OS like Vista with fancy stuff added Just like 64mb is enough to run windows XP (idle and maybe a huge all-out match of minesweeper :O) nowadays it's already looking at 4GB especially if you have shared / integrated graphics leeching some of it.2GB RAM won't suddenly increase the performance of it, it means it extends the potential of the computer to handle more things effectively (aka without lag) SDRAM isn't a TYPE of ram I believe, and now there's DDR3 ram too. Then there's single channel, dual channel, triple, and all those confusing things. Then there's clock speed too, 4GB RAM at 667MhZ might not necessarily run any better than 2GB DDR3 running at 1333MhZ INTEL PROCESSORS NOTE: I don't know too much about these. Very humble and very straightforward there. haha. As iMicrosoft said, processors have to be compatible with their motherboard. This is done by matching the socket of the processor to the socket of the motherboard. The majority of home / private-user CPUs are Socket 775 apart from the newer i5 and i7 8xx at 1156. Higher numbers don't necessarily make it better. Let me spew out a bit of brains alright? I don't really know what's mentioned in the other guides or feedback from other guys… anyway, Processors can't purely be determined by the clock speed. There's cache size, RAM speed and FSB (front side bus) For computer-intensive programs such as video editing, cache is the most important factor in the CPU, hence the majority of those in the industry picking quad or 8/16+ cores. For gaming, you need a fast front side bus (I'll explain more about this soon since it's a gaming forum? )Multicore processors are single chips that have 2 or more separate cores in the same integrated circuit. These cores can work individually or together. However, don't be fooled by 'CPU-stackers'. CPU Stackers are people who stack up the clock speed by multiplying 1 core's clock speed by the number of cores, such as a 6GhZ E8400. That's a ton of bull, Intel C2D E8400 runs at 3GhZ and that's that (unless you overclock it) 1GhZ = 1 billion cycles per second. Just like 1GB = 1 billion bytes (I think), 1MhZ = 1 million cycles, 1MB = 1 million bytes. It's how fast your processor spins every second… probably faster than your brain is spinning right now Cache… Cache is your brain's short-term memory compartment. This means when you frequently open up the same documents or programs, information is stored in your cache so that apps can be opened faster or quicker. Your internet browser will most likely have a cache that will let you load frequently visited sites faster. More cache means more space to store recently accessed files and apps Now the Front Side Bus… the gamer nerd's choice… the FSB is what transfers data between your RAM and CPU. the FSB transfers data between your RAM and CPU pretty fast, and in gaming, you need a fast FSB to make sure whatever's blurting out of your ram and cpu can be transferred to and from in time. Make sure you match your RAM's speed with your mobo FSB and CPU FSB. Any one of those that are below the others will let your whole circuit down. Just like with mixing ram of different speeds, your ram, fsb and cpu will run at the lowest speed of the 3. Hmm let's move on… hope I'm not being over-critical In regards to what you call your shameful computer… your processor is likely to be an Intel Core2Duo E7500 So to keep it short, awesome post there, It'd be great as an evergreen guide to update your thread as new products come and old product prices plunge. Skye and a few other guys are probably more knowledgeable than me and they might've posted what I'm posting right now but yeah that's about it Good work there Kazum Register / login
|
^
BasilMarket.com is not an official site, nor is it affiliated with Nexon.
BasilMarket is Copyright 2004-2009 BasilMarket.com. All rights reserved.
Use of any BasilMarket.com content without permission is strictly forbidden.
Contact | Privacy Policy
BasilMarket is Copyright 2004-2009 BasilMarket.com. All rights reserved.
Use of any BasilMarket.com content without permission is strictly forbidden.
Contact | Privacy Policy
