If you want to purchase a new convention gaming computer you will have a lot of options to pick from, but there are microscopic or no explanations or details. In this first part of the convention Gaming Pc buying guide you will learn about motherboards, processors, Cpu cooling and memory. Next part will give an comprehension on videocards, cases, cooling, power supplies and more.
When you pick computer with a cheaper processor it will most likely come with low funds motherboard, high-priced processors are paired with industrialized motherboards. It is done for the whole purpose of the equilibrium in the middle of Cpu and Mb - you don't need Sli or CrossFire with cheap Amd Cpu so why spending your money on it? All motherboards differ by the Cpu socket type they support, memory configuration and extra features like amount of Usb ports, integrated Gpu (video), Sli or CrossFire support.
Ddr2 Ddr3
Amd Motherboards:
Amd 740G - basic board regularly MicroAtx with accepted microscopic amount of features - Phenom Ii support, 4-8 Usb ports, single Pci-e, 100Mbps Ethernet, 2-4 memory slots (4-8Gb Ram), basic sound system with 5ch support. Good for basic computer, onboard video (Ati Radeon 2100) is low level and regularly deactivated for discrete videocard.
Amd 760G - almost same as 740G but with better Cpu support, Gigabyte Ethernet, 6-8 Usb ports, Integrated video - Ati Hd 3000, may have Hdmi port, 8ch sound system.
Amd 770 - most beloved board due to the low price and any features inherent included. No onboard video but CrossFire preserve available, all Amd Cpu supported, 4 memory slots - up to 16Gb Ram, 8-12 Usb ports along with FireWire. Hd sound with optic and/or Coax Spdif. Full size board with Ddr3 support.
Amd 785G - most recent in integrated Gpu boards, Ati Radeon 4200 chipset onboard, all inherent features included - eSata, up to 16Gb Ram, CrossFire available, 6-8 Usb ports, Ddr3 support, Hd sound Spdif and Hdmi output.
Amd 790X - almost same as Amd 770 but with Ddr3 and CrossFire as accepted features, plus Usb 3.0 and Sata-Iii available. Most industrialized motherboard with most features and best speed in gaming and heavy load applications.
Intel Motherboards:
Intel G41 - very basic board regularly MicroAtx with microscopic amount of features - Core 2 Duo/Quad support, 4-8 Usb ports, single Pci-e, 100Mbps Ethernet, 2 memory slots (4-8Gb Ram), basic sound system with 5ch support. Good for basic computer, integrated Intel video Gpu is useless and regularly deactivated for discrete videocard.
Intel P43/45 - very good designed board with many modern features, up to 16Gb Ram with Ddr3 possible, single Pci-e, full Lga775 Cpu support, 6-10 Usb, Gigabyte Ethernet, fast northbridge and efficient overclocking.
Intel H55 - great board for Lga1156 processors with lots of features available. Onboard video through Intel Core i3/i5 Cpu with Hdcp support, Intel i3/i5 Cpus supported, 4 memory slots - up to 16Gb Ram, 8-12 Usb ports along with FireWire. Hd sound with optic and/or Coax Spdif, Ddr3 and Hdmi onboard.
Intel P55 - it is an analog of H55 without video ports but full i5/i7 Lga1156 support, CrossFire available, fullsize board, Ddr3, eSata, optic Spdif.
Intel X58 - most industrialized Intel board with all inherent features as well as Sli and CrossFire support, 3 channel Ddr3 memory, lots of Sata and Usb ports, Lga1366 Intel i7 Cpu preserve with future additions to Lga1366 line projected - very good speculation in the future of technology.
Intel® Core™ i7 processors deliver an staggering breakthrough in Pc performance. They are the best desktop processors on the planet. You'll multitask applications faster and unleash staggering digital media creation. And you'll experience maximum doing for all things you do, thanks to the compound of Intel® Turbo Boost technology² and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology (Intel® Ht technology), which maximizes doing to match your workload. Works with X58 boards with all features possible, full speed Sli/CrossFire and triple channel Ram.
Core i5 Quad Core can match i7 doing with similar clock speeds and basically same highlight set, but will be a cheaper option because they employ P55 motherboards instead of high-priced P55. You loose 3 channel Ram for quarterly dual channel, microscopic CrossFire (16x + 4x Pci-e vs X58 dual 16x speed), and almost non existent Sli support. Otherwise same features so in most cases it will be on par with i7/X58 combo, but will loose in heavy multithreaded applications with lots of Ram usage and in heavy gaming with multiple videocards used. Still a very good option considering a few hundred dollars saved and less heat from the Cpu which is great for overclocks.
Core i3 and i5 Dual Core with Video Core integrated - require H55 motherboards which are not high-priced and have nice features and options but mostly no CrossFire or Sli preserve and only dual channel Ram. Processor itself is much faster than former generation dual cores but looses greatly to most quad cores in multithreaded applications and gaming. With it's low price they are great for media centers (with Intel integrated Gpu core and Hdcp support) and funds gaming machines. Also i3 and i5 have very low heat generated and can be overclocked at ultimate levels with allowable cooling - they don't look so bad at all then.
Amd Am3 processors used in modern computers are highly efficient and cost efficient. You can pick from the variety of dual, triple and quad core processors for any funds level and you can be sure that you will get enough performance. Amd has got much better with Am3 Cpus when it comes to features preserve and heat generation, as well as accepted instructions and optimization. High end Amd Quad Core processors can be as efficient or even better than i3 and i5 processors for a smaller price. Plus you always have a option of much cheaper motherboards that bring the total price down significantly. Ddr3 memory accepted is highly industrialized on Am3 boards, CrossFire is a accepted highlight on 790X and many 770 motherboards, although all of them are lacking Sli preserve but that is offset by great videocards Ati has recently released. And since Ati is owned by Amd you can be sure of the great level of integration achieved through so called platforms like Spider or Fusion. It is a precisely great compound of price and performance. By the way Amd boards use the same socket type all the time (Am/Am2/Am2+/Am3 - all compatible with each other), so next time they publish new processor it will probably fit in your older board.
Cpu Cooler: With some amount of luck and strong estimation it is inherent to overclock all of the processors to some extent. Most of the time you can overclock Cpu at about 10-30% rate. That also depends heavily on what Cpu Cooler have you selected: with stock one do not expect miracles, but with any upgraded cooler you will see major increase in Mhz. better coolers can better dissipate heat generated from increased load after overclock. Basically, if you want a better processor, you can upgrade it, or you can pick better cooler and overclock your Cpu to the higher level Plus you will see lower temperatures and hear less noise.
Example: Intel i7 920 with Xigmatek Dark Knight works on 3.6Ghz precisely vs stock 2.66Ghz - load climatic characteristic under 60C.
And most important - climatic characteristic levels. Stock cooler will do the job but it will be pretty hot and can be noisy. Aftermarket coolers can drop temperatures down significantly and are generally almost silent. Heat is a processor's enemy because it shortens it's lifespan and greatly influences reliability levels.
What about water cooling? Are you ready to check your system for leaks every month? Do think you can drain and fill it up again and clean every year? Most population would say no, but then there are finished circuit water coolers like Corsair Hydro that make things easier for everybody. Basically you don't have to refill it at any point and since it is finished circuit it should have no leaks unless it's damaged. And Corsair Hydro does precisely good job in cooling - regularly within or above climatic characteristic levels achieved by most high-priced air coolers. That comes at a price though, so we would not suggest it to everyone, but it is available as and option.
Ram amount depends on what are you planning to do with your computer. Most beloved memory today is Ddr3, today it has exquisite compound of price and performance. Most beloved size - 4Gb (or 4096Mb). Basically Windows Xp uses about 256Mb for itself, while Windows 7 can take about 1Gb and even more. So you can play with 2Gb memory on Windows Xp but you will need at least 4Gb for Windows 7 to feel precisely comfortable with gaming.
Ddr - double Data Rate, then amount 2 or 3 stands for generation. Ddr2 800 means that memory works at 800Mhz and it's second gen, that is double 400Mhz (Ddr2= 400x2). When you pick Ddr3-1600 that means that memory works at 1600Mhz and it's 3rd gen, also it helps a lot while over clocking, since this memory can take more load. This is a great upgrade for those who need more speed.
Ddr3 memory with higher frequency will give you an advantage in games and some applications, but only if you have a good processor and video card. Just keep in mind that every computer should be well balanced. For a computer with Ati 5770 and 4Gb Ram it is better to make an upgrade to Ati 5850 than getting 8Gb Ram upgrade - that is if you plan to run games on it. But a normal rule of thumb says that more Ram is better, and though 4Gb is enough for most users 6Gb like with i7 and X58 boards accepted becomes more and more beloved - it works in triple channel and greatly increases data bandwidth.
32bit limitation - with Windows 32bit editions you will see a limitation on your memory size if you have 3Gb or more. For example, if you setup 4Gb memory on 32bit motor you will probably see only 3Gb or up to 3.5Gb. Windows 64bit does not have that limitation. But Windows 64bit can give you some troubles with old drivers and applications that are not optimized for 64bit processing. Our guidance is to pick Windows 64bit if you have all new hardware and do not plan to add whatever that is not compatible with it, or Windows 32bit if you have old peripherals to add or old software that needs only 32bit Windows.
We will continue this hardware guide in the next edition - you will learn about modern videocards, power contribute requirements, hard drives and Dvds, cases and cooling!
Hardware For convention Gaming Computers - Guide Part I
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