How to Build a Gaming Computer

What Tests Should I Run on my Gaming Computer?

LordKaT — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:00:56 +0000

Matt asks, "I've just built a new gaming computer, and I'd like to see how powerful it is. What is the best way to test out my gaming computer to see how well it can perform?"

There are a lot of performance testing programs out there that rate the performance of your machine on a number scale (there's also the "Vista Performance Index" but we won't give that a second thought).

Futurmark (formerly 3DMark) is a very popular tool used to rate the performance of your Windows-based machine. There are other tools like it, although Futuremark is the most popular.

While these tools are nice for generating large numbers based on how well your machine draws polygons, there's nothing like the "real world" test - load a graphically intensive game up, or a game that uses a lot of different effects (Assassin's creed, while not being as graphically intense, uses many effects that can slow down a modern gaming machine). Essentially, you take the the latest PC games and burn your new gaming computer in to see what she can do.

Really, the only thing programs like Futuremark are good for are bragging rights. As long as your machine plays the games you want to play (with narry a slowdown) then you don't need to worry about running tests.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

What is the Best Gaming Computer for July 2009?

LordKaT — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:56:33 +0000

It's that time of the year: time to update everyone with the absolute hands-down best performing gaming computer. We're throwing any semblance of a budget out of the window here. There will be no nit-picking on price for performance, no arguing about the economics of a component. This is simply the best system you can build, period.

Processor

Hands down, this goes to the Intel Core i7-975 Extreme. A quad-core 3.33GHz processor with 8MB of cache, it's simply the fastest consumer processor out on the market today. Nothing from AMD even comes close to its performance. Of course, the performance crown comes with a cost: at over $1,000, it's the most expensive consumer processor you can buy today.

Motherboard

When you need a motherboard that has it all and supports only the best, then the EVGA X58 SLI Classified Motherboard is the one you want to get your hands on. with support for Intel's Core i7-975 processor, this motherboard comes packed with a multitude of features, including support for 3xSLI, on-board Raid, Hyperthreading, and 24GB of DDR3 RAM. If you're going to spend big money on your processor, you might as well spend big money on the motherboard - and at $410, it's quite expensive.

RAM

Go fast or go home. The world of a gaming computer is all about how fast you can push your bits around, and with 6GBs of OCZ Blade PC15000 1866MHz DDR3 Memory, you'll be pushing bits around quite a bit faster than your average desktop computer.

Hard Drives

Instead of going with just pure speed or just storage capacity, we've decided to go with two drives.

For your main system and memory swap file, we recommend the OCZ Vertex EX Series Solid State Drive. It's fast - really fast. It's so fast that this drive will actually use almost all of the available SATA II bandwidth when it's accessed, and that's a good thing - you don't want your operating system slowing to a crawl just because your system had to swap a few program out of main memory, do you? If you're really looking to spend a lot of money, you could get two of three of these 120GB beauties and load all of your games on them - now THAT is fast.

For general storage needs, you're going to need something with a bit more capacity than 120GB. The Seagate ST32000542AS Barracuda LP Hard Drive fits the bill nicely. With 2TB of storage in a single drive, you're going to save electricity by not packing as many hard drives in your case as you might if you had bought lower capacity disks. Of course, the failure rate is a tad higher with these ultra-high-density disks - so remember to back up your data!

Optical Drive

Even in this world of digital content delivery you still need to be able to read discs - heck, all of your favorite movies are on Blu-Ray, so the Pioneer BDR-203 Blu-ray Disc Burner is the logical choice. with 8X BD-R, 2X BD-RE, 8X BD-ROM, 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD+RW, 16X DVD-R capabilities, it's all you'll need for the foreseeable future - at least until holographic discs make their way into the home (for what it's worth, this drive also burns CDs)

Video Cards

Now we come to the meat of the matter. The video card is what is going to give your gaming computer serious performance power. Oh, I'm sorry - video cards ... you didn't think we'd recommend just one video card for this beast of a machine, did you?

We're not recommending one or two, but three BFG GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - OC2 Edition cards. With 1GB of memory on each card, having three of these reigning performance champions in your gaming computer will smoke the competition.

OK, truth be told, you don't need three of these cards - the card will work just fine by itself, but having three of them will help your gaming machine (and I believe this qualifies as a "machine") consume any game you throw at it.

Power Supply

With all of the power you're packing into this machine, you're going to need a lot of juice to run it all (that also means you're going to need a 240amp outlet, the same one your washing machine or dryer uses to power their motors). The Thermaltake Toughpower 1200-Watt Power Supply fits the bill nicely. It has enogh 12V rails and ATA power connectors to keep any gamer happy - and enough power to keep this beast of a machine running.

Computer Case

Well, honestly, if you're going to be spending this much money on a gaming computer, you might as well go ahead and get a custom computer case built for it. If you're not willing to go through that trouble, we recommend the Silverstone TJ10B-WESA Temjin Full-Tower ATX Case. It's not as sleek or stylish as other cases, but it's very functional and has a ton of space - which you're going to need with all of these video cards crammed in there!

Everything Else

For the keyboard, we continue to recommend the Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard. It has all of the features you need in a gaming keyboard: backlit keys, macro keys, and a small LCD screen to show you the time/weather/music. It's just simply the best gaming keyboard we've ever used.

For the mouse, we still like the Microsoft SideWinder USB Gaming Mouse. While we've used the various other gaming devices on the market, this mouse still edges out the Logitech gaming mouse. While it's not wireless, we don't mind not having to remember to recharge the unit every 6 hours.

As for the monitors, we've shaved off four inches and went with two Samsung T260HD Touch of Color 26" Widescreen LCD Monitor. With full 1080p HDTV support built into each monitor, you'll be able to game on one monitor while you have your favorite movie or TV show playing on the other one. to be fair, 30" was a nice idea, but it turns out to be a real pain in the neck (literally) for any extensive amount of gaming. Hopefully, by shaving down the size - but maintaining the resolution - we'll be able to save our necks but still enjoy top of the line visuals.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

Top 3 AMD Gaming Motherboards

LordKaT — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:58:28 +0000

Finding the right gaming motherboard can be tricky. If you're building an AMD system, then you need to know which motherboard qill give you the best bang for your buck. Here are the top 3 AMD gaming motherboards:

ASUS M4A79T Deluxe Motherboard - If there's one thing this motherboard is built for, it's gaming. Built for AMD Socket AM3 Phenom II, the Asus is an ideal platform for extreme PCs capable of spectacular gaming and multimedia performance. Based on the AMD 790FX/SB750 chipset, the Asus is compatible with processors with up to 5200 MT/s FSB, and supports HyperTransport 3.0, DDR3 1066, 1333, & 1600(OC)MHz memory up to 16GB, PCIe X16/x1, PCI, SATA 3Gb/s with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10, Gigabit LAN, high-definition 8-channel audio, and USB 2.0.

Biostar TA790GX A3+ Motherboard - Sure, it's not as high end as the ASUS M4A79T, but this motherboard packs a lot of features into a reasonable price. It supports the latest AMD Phenom II X4 & X3 processors, including AMD 140W processor support with the AMD 790GX Chipset with ATI Radeon HD 3300 Graphics. The 128MB DDR2 Side-Port memory helps to speed up graphics even further for an incredibly realistic experience. Sideport memory is similar to onboard graphics memory buffer. When enabled, it can increase 3D performance by another 10% or more. It also supports dual-channel DDR3 -1333/1066/800 memory. The ATI with Hybrid Graphics support provide superior scaling with ATI CrossFireX technology, while the integrated HDMI/DVI interface with HDCP supports a full 1080P HD video experience.

ASUS M4A78 Pro Motherboard - The cheapest of the top 3 AMD AM3 motherboards, this one packs a whole lot of goodies into a small and cheap package. Built for the most powerful multimedia and gaming systems and for AMD Phenom II and Athlon X2, X3, & X4 processors in the Socket AM2+ and AM3 packages. This hot mobo features Dual Core Center, Live Update Online, Live Update 3 technologies. Based on the AMD 790G and SB700 chipsets, this high-performance ATX platform supports HyperTransport 3.0 up to 2600MHz, dual-channel DDR2 1066/800/667MHz memory up to 16GB, PCI-E x16 (supports Hybrid CrossFireX Technology), SATA2, RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 10, or JBOD by AMD SB700, flexible 8 channel audio with jack sensing, Gbit LAN, and USB 2.0.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

Deal of the Day - Cooler Master Notepal Infinite Notebook Cooler

LordKaT — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:58:02 +0000

Deal of the Day

Cooler Master Notepal Infinite Notebook Cooler

As the world's leading brand in the thermal solution field, Cooler Master devoted to the notebook cooler product development (NotePal series) as the pioneer among the others since years ago. In 2007, another NotePal new launching, NotePal Infinite, is dedicated to end multiple heat sources other than CPU (individual graphics processor, DVD recorder, memory and hard drive) from the notebook, an arising hassle nowadays.

With this innovative cooling principal, NotePal Infinite offers infinite airflow (as its name) to have cooling area increased by 150% and cool down notebook up to 17 degrees Celcius. Moreover, this unique design hence whisper-quiet operation. It offers stable and comfortable environment for work and entertainment.

Click here to check it out.

How to Cool your Gaming Laptop

LordKaT — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:47:02 +0000

Jack writes, "I use my laptop of gaming, and it gets hot! Sometimes it gets so hot that the laptop shuts itself off because it gets too hot. What can I do to cool my laptop so I can keep gaming?"

Properly cooling a laptop is more about where the laptop is located physically than about any major cooling product. When you're using your laptop, take note of a few key items:

Where the laptop is placed. Is it on a hard surface that doesn't absorb heat? Does the surface act as an insulator (like cotton)?
Where is the fan located? If the exhaust fan(s) outlets are blocked, then the fans will have to work twice as hard to move the same amount of air that they would normally move if they weren't blocked. The less air they can move, the hotter your laptop will get.

If you've checked all of that and your laptop is still getting too hot, then you might want to invest in a laptop cooler. These products are pricey - essentially, they're just molded plastic with a computer fan (or two) stuck in them - but they get the job done. I personally use the Cooler Master Notepal Infinite Notebook Cooler with my laptop and don't have any complaints. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

Which Connection is Better for Gaming? Wireless vs DSL

LordKaT — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:12:54 +0000

Sam writes, "I live in the sticks. Cable doesn't come out this far, but I qualify for DSL service, and we have a wireless provider out here. Since I can't get cable, which service is better for gaming: wireless or DSL?"

If you're out in the middle of nowhere, chances are that no matter what Internet connection you use - wireless or DSL - your online gaming experience may not be very acceptable. Of course, moving to the city just so you can play Team Fortress 2 may not be the best financial decision ever made.

Internet connections are bound by how far away you are from a central office or signal repeater. With DSL, you're bound by how far away the central office is, and even with a wireless connection you're bound by how far away the central tower (or repeating tower) is. As you increase your distance away from these objects the chance of errors in your data skyrockets - once you get too far away your data might be unreadable by the time it's actually sent out to the Internet.

If you're in the sticks and you qualify for DSL service, chances are that you qualify for IDSL, which is actually short for ISDN over DSL. At a rate of 144kb/s (theoretical maximum), you're basically getting double the speed of a dialup connection. Of course, you may qualify for ADSL, but if you're too far away from a central office then it's going to be the slow 2mb/s connection.

No matter what DSL service you're being offered, the technology is generally very good for gaming. If you can get a service that is "always on" instead of using PPPoE (which requires you to "log in" every time you want to use the Internet, and has an annoying habit of disconnecting you), then you're golden. Even if the company offers limited IDSL or PPPoE ADSL service, you might want to seriously consider DSL for your gaming needs.

Wireless connections could also be good for gaming, but they have some natural limitations that make them less than ideal. For the most part, these services operate in the unlicensed 2.6GHz spectrum, which can end up being a real pain in the butt. Almost every piece of consumer equipment operates at 2.6GHz these days, including microwaves, household phones, wireless routers, and so on, If you've got a lot of wireless equipment, you may run into the problem of RF interference - other pieces of equipment will knock you offline or degrade your wireless signal to an unacceptable level.

Of course, that's a city scenario. Out in the sticks you just don't have nearly as much RF floating around as you do in a big city. In fact, your wireless provider is probably a directional signal provider - they'll actually install a parabolic antenna (almost like a satellite dish) in order to receive a signal from their services. In this case, RF interference is almost eliminated because the directional signal is for stronger than the omni-direction signal of other devices. Of course, the problem then becomes one of physical alignment - anything that knocks one of the dishes out of place - either yours or theirs - will cause an immediate signal interruption and require a service call.

In end end, if I had to pick one of the two, I might choose DSL - assuming I can get ADSL 2mb/s service or greater. If I'm limited to IDSL, I'd jump on the wireless bandwagon - it may not be as reliable as a solid DSL connection, but it's much faster than IDSL could ever be.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

How to Assemble a Gaming Computer

LordKaT — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:14:57 +0000

I've been receiving the same question now for some time and put off writing about it because it's a fairly simple one to answer, but today I'll go into some real detail about how you physically assemble a gaming computer.

There are two major things you need to know before you put all of your computer parts together:

It is almost impossible to assemble the pieces incorrectly.
You do not need to push hard to insert computer components.

I had overlooked this question in the past because it's almost impossible to screw up the assembly of a computer: you simply slide the parts into the places that they fit in, and it's done. Almost every part is physically impossible to insert incorrectly, but there are a few hangups along the way that you should look out for.

First step: assemble the motherboard

When I'm building a computer, the first thing I like to do is place all of the components I can - minus any expansion cards - on the motherboard. Basically, this is going to be the processor, heatsink and fan, and RAM.

RAM slides in rather easily: you fold two white plastic tabs down on your memory slot and simply push the memory in until the white tabs click back into place. There is a notch near the middle of the RAM slot that corresponds to a notch in the stick of RAM, making it physically impossible to insert your RAM incorrectly.

Installing a processor is similar: there is a central socket that the processor sits in. You need to lift the locking lever to unlock the socket (it comes up to about a 90 degree angle) then simply slide the processor in. Again, you cannot screw this part up: the processor is built in such a way that it will not easily slide in if it's facing the wrong way (the pins of the processor have a unique shape and must match up with the holes of the socket).

Once the processor is in you simply push the locking lever back down until it locks into place. To confirm you've installed the processor correctly, you can simply hold the motherboard upside down: if the processor doesn't come crashing to the ground, congratulations!

Next comes the installation of the heatsink and cooling fan. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and from motherboard to motherboard. In general, you're going to place the flat, solid side of the big metal brick (also known as the heatsink) directly on top of the processor (application of thermal paste might be necessary, see your instructions). The heatsink gets secured down (again, read the instructions for your heaksink), and the fan gets attached to the heatsink in some manner (once again, instructions).

Generally, you're going to simply "pin down" the heatsink through holes on the motherboard (don't worry, these holes are actually part of the motherboard design, and most motherboard manufacturers follow Intel/AMD's guidelines for where holes should be placed). After that, you screw on the cooling fan, and away you go.

Next, inside the case

After the basic components are installed on the motherboard, it's time to put her in the case. First, you're going to install the included risers inside the computer case, where the motherboard would sit. The risers are about 1/4 inch in length and can be hand screwed into the case. these are installed because the electrical components of the back of the motherboard should not touch metal - doing so could damage the system.

After the risers are installed, you simply place the motherboard on top of the risers, and screw it down. You only need to screw the motherboard in tight enough to hold it in place - you don't want to crack your motherboard.

Other components

At this point I like to install everything else: hard drives, optical drives, and power supply. Then I like to connect them.

The internal drives (hard drives, optical drives, etc...) are fairly easy to install: just put them into the docking are found at the front of the case and screw them in securely, then connect the wiring (power, SATA cables, etc...).

Once the internal drives are in place and power is properly connected to the motherboard and the drives, I install the video card(s) and other expansion cards. I do these last simply because of the sheer size of some of these things - they can be monstrous! Installing them last gives me the opportunity to work around the cabling, instead of trying to work the cabling around them.

Installing a video card is ridiculously simple: it slides into your PCI-Express x16 slot. You can't slide it in wrong - the monitor connector must face outwards, and the connectors are physically impossible to attach incorrectly. After it's inserted, you simply screw down the metal portion of the card to the side of the case.

From there you simply close the case up, attach the monitor, mouse, and keyboard, and power the system up.

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

Deal of the Day - Diamond Radeon HD 3870 Video Card

LordKaT — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:27:17 +0000

Deal of the Day

Diamond Radeon HD 3870 Video Card

The ATI Radeon HD 3870 GPU allows you to experience the power of HD with graphics processing designed for how you work and play. The Diamond Radeon™ HD 3870 delivers outstanding performance at a great price. Advance to the next generation of HD game performance and life-like realism thanks to DirectX® 10.1 capabilities and plug-and-play ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU upgradeability. Watch the latest Blu-ray and HD-DVD videos in full 1080p HD and upscale beyond - without placing huge demands on your CPU. Enjoy break-through efficiency with more processing performance per watt and energy-saving features to help save you money™.

Click here to check it out.

How to Build a Good Gaming Computer for World of Warcraft

LordKaT — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:10:02 +0000

Emily writes, "I love playing World of Warcraft, and I'm looking into playing the next-generation MMO's from Blizzard and SquareEnix (that new Final Fantasy game looks interesting). So, how do I build a good gaming computer that will not only play World of Warcraft, but could possibly play Final Fantasy XIV?"

To be honest, building a good gaming computer for an MMORPG isn't as difficult as you might think. The key, I believe, it using multiple monitors.

While any MMO is going to be taxing on a system, it's taxing for various reasons. Hard drive space is a significant limiting factor, with the basic game taking up several DVD's worth of space, and then you add additional content, personal UI mods, and other changes and suddenly what turned out to be a simple MMO is now a monster.

Another limiting factor is the video card. Most (sane) MMO's try to keep their graphics at a sane level. You're not going to see an MMO try and push the graphics limit simply because MMO's are just that - massive. You're going to run into several hundred (or thousand) players, and the developers don't want the players to all have their computer simultaneously choke when more than one character is on the screen.

The trick to building a good MMO system is, as I said, multiple monitors. In fact, being able to do other things while you're playing the game is essential to keeping your sanity in an MMO. Whether it's a chat program, a web browser, e-mail, or something similar, a second monitor is a great solution to the downtime of an MMORPG.

Beyond the usability of a computer, the functionality is very important. I suspect - although I cannot guarantee it - that any one of this generations high end graphics cards will be able to play next years Final Fantasy XIV. That's only a hypothesis I've made based on the idea that SquareEnix will want PC players to enjoy the game just as much as PS3 players. I doubt you'll need SLI or CrossFire, but I do know that you're going to need your hard drive space to play all of these games!

Do you have a question you need answered? E-mail me! lordkat@gmail.com

Click here to check out How to Build a Gaming Computer for Under $1000.

Be safe,

Jason

Deal of the Day - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 80GB Hard Drive

LordKaT — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:20:54 +0000

Deal of the Day

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 80GB Hard Drive

The Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 desktop hard drive features innovative perpendicular recording technology and is the first drive on the market to provide capacities up to 750 GB. Barracuda 7200.10 hard drives deliver superb performance, efficiency, speed and durability for all your application needs.

The Seagate Advantage
High-capacity Barracuda® 7200 disc drives, from the world’s premier provider of high-capacity storage, provide our customers years of reliable service and high performance. Using advanced manufacturing techniques and extensive design experience, Seagate® engineers have built the world’s only ninth-generation 7200-RPM desktop disc drive.

This Drive Holds

20 two-hour DVD-quality movies or
80 hours of VHS-quality video or
55 days of around-the-clock MP3 audio or
20,000 vivid digital photos or
114 action-packed games!

Click here to check it out.