DVI OR HDMI

When it comes to computer monitor we also want to have the best display that is possible. I first had a 19 inch Samsung T190 LCD with a native resolution of 1440 x 900 (WXGA+) and I use a DVI cable to connect it to my computer instead of the common VGA cable. Surely the DVI gives a better picture quality since it is digital as compared to the analog signal of a VGA connection. I was satisfied with the picture quality of the Samsung T190.

When I was able to upgrade to a Samsung PX2370 LED Monitor which is a Full HD computer monitor meaning it is capable of displaying a 1920 x 1080p resolution I had an option to connect it to my computer either via DVI (Digital Video Interface) or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). This LED monitor also has a brighter display compared to a LCD monitor.

Since my video card (Nvidia GTX 285) has both DVI and HDMI  I was trying to figure it out which is better a DVI or HDMI connection. At first I connected it to my computer thru DVI but when I access the  Nvidia control panel it shows that the resolution being displayed is 1920 x 1080i and not 1920 x 1080p which is the native resolution of my Samsung PX2370. I surfed the internet to find an answer and in all threads I have read regarding the subject matter it is opined that both DVI and HDMI offers uncompressed digital signal and thus both offers the same quality of picture and it makes no difference if you connect it to a computer either via DVI or HDMI.

However when I connected the Samsung PX2370 to my computer via HDMI  my monitor displayed a better picture quality and the Nvidia Control Panel  confirms that my monitor is now displaying a 1080p resolution. The information button of my Samsung PX2370 also shows that it is displaying a 1080p resolution.

Thus if you have a Full HD pc monitor it is more advisable to connect it to your computer via HDMI to b

NVIDIA GF 100 SERIES VIDEO CARDS

Nvidia recently gave us a peek of its much awaited new GF 100 series of video cards. At first many speculated that it will be named GTX 300 but now it is clear that it will be called GF 100 series. These cards will be based on Fermi architecture which is allegedly much faster and consumes less power than its present GTX 200 cards. I hope so for this is the answer of Nvidia to ATI Radeon’s 5000 series cards which are capable of playing DX 11 games. At present I think the only DX 11 pc game is Dirt 2 and the upcoming game Battlefield 2. But I suppose that like the case of DX 10 games which are playable in DX 9, future DX 11 based pc games will also be playable in DX 10. So there is no reason to feel sorry for those who are currently using Nvidia 9000 and GTX 200 series cards. DX 11 games are looks better and realistic however the cost of high end video cards are quite high. I just hope that when Nvidia release its new GF 100 series that they will be reasonably price so that I myself would be able to purchase one (or two for SLI).

PC GAMES WITH PHYSX

There are only a few pc games with Physx and I recently played Batman Arkham Asylum and I saw how great the game is especially when the Physx is enabled. However to enable Physx it is recommended to have at least one GTX 260 or higher for physx and a 9800 GTX for graphics and for a single video card a GTX 280 or higher. According to forums that I have read that in games with physx, SLI should be disabled. If you have an SLI setup, it is recommended that it be disabled so that one card will be running the graphics and the other the physx.

I have only one video card which is a GTX 285 and I played Batman with physx enabled (MAX SETTING) and 4x AA. If the Physx is on Normal setting I can play it with 8x AA and of course with Physx disabled I can play it with 16x AA. It would be great if I can have an overclock CPU. The only problem with Batman Arkham is that it is plaqued with numerous bugs.

This physx feature is available to those who are using Nvidia cards. I just don’t know if this can be enabled with ATI Radeon cards.

HOW TO INSTALL PC GAMES USING DAEMON TOOLS

It is advisable that you download and install the latest version of Daemon Tools Pro which you can find in its website or at CNET. After having done this you should copy in to your hard disk the files indicated by mdf, mdo and I think the third one is mds. Then mount this image files by using Daemon Tools after which you can now install your pc games. However in some cases you still need a crack which you will be able to see after you have mounted and install these files. Just explore these files. There are also instances that you will be asked for a CD key and you wont find any CD key or CD key generator included in your disc. Fortunately you can look for the CD key of a particular pc game at YOUTUBE or other gaming websites.

PC GAMES (PART2)

If you want to play at resolutions of 1440 x 900 or a little bit higher then you would not need to spend a lot of bucks for a high end PC to be able to play games like Crysis which is a graphics demanding kind of game. I am emphasizing this because if you like to play at high resolutions perhaps at 1920 x 1080 at high definition, you will really need a high end video card. The rule is that the higher the resolution or the larger monitor then the faster the GPU that it will require.

Of course having a high end computer with a CPU like Intel i7 running at 3.0GHZ or more (overclocked) and a GPU like Nvidia GTX 285 or GTX 295 in SLI (be that in dual, triple, or quad configuration) would be the most ideal so you can play games at high settings and high resolutions and still achieve high frames rates per second.

An affordable computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.8GHZ and a Nvidia GTS 250 GPU will run most if not all current pc games in the market at a decent frame rate. The recommended system requirements of most pc games is that you should at least have an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHZ or better an Intel Core 2 Quad 2.83 GHZ and a 9800 GT graphics card. I am not familiar with AMD processors and ATI Radeon graphics card so I will just discuss Intel processors and Nvidia GPU. .

A Nvidia GTS 250 has almost the same technical specs with that of a Nvidia 9800 GTX+ however a GTS 250 is a little bit faster running with 128 stream processors, 738 core clock, 1100MHZ memory clock and 1836 shader. It has a lower power consumption and it is said to be an overclock version of a 9800GTX+.

Having multiple video cards requires an extensive cooling system and a more powerful PSU but if you do have money to spare then of course the best is having a high end computer. There are custom built gaming computers like those of Alienware and Digital Storm wherein you can even specify the hardware and software that you want to be included in your computer so long as you have the budget but if you have the skills or technical know how it would be cheaper to assemble your dream computer yourself.




POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU) and 12 VOLT RAIL

I have surfed the internet and have viewed many forums and websites in my quest to determine how one will be able to know the amperage on the 12 volt rail of a power supply unit of a computer. I found two ways of calculating the amps of PSU. First let me emphasize that I do not know which of these two methods is the correct one.

Add the amps indicated in each 12 volt rail, for example you have two 12 Volt Rails with 19 amps each then 2 x 19 = 38 amps.

See the label indicated in your PSU wherein in my case which is a 500 watts Raptor, it is indicated 384 watts with 19 amps on each 12 Volt Rail with a maximum of 500 watts. The computation is 384/12 = 32 amps.

Please take note that it is advisable to buy a branded PSU for it is more efficient and its power ratings are reliable.

Knowing the correct amperage of your PSU in its 12 volt rail is very important especially in the installation of graphics card. A faster or high end graphics card requires a higher wattage of power and amperes. If for example a Nvidia 9400GT only requires 350 watts and 18 amps on the 12 volt rail of a PSU however a 9600 GT requires 400 watts and 26 amps. If you install a Nvidia GTX 260 which requires 500 watts and 36 amps in a computer with a PSU of 500 watts but with an amps lower than 36 amps then the video card might not work properly. In addition high end graphics card require either a single or two six pin connector and in a GTX 295 it requires one six pin and one eight pin connector.

COMPUTERS

Just like what I have said that computers nowadays are no longer considered as a luxury but a necessity. Computers that are being use for simple paper works and internet are usually computers with simple technical specifications like for example having small hard drives, for Vista with at least 1GB and an onboard video card. However for gaming and demanding applications such would not suffice.

GAMING PC

This kind of computers have high technical specifications. For example they have a much more advance kind of video cards depending on the type of game to be played. If a pc game demands for high graphics then one should use video cards like those manufactured either by ATI Radeon or Nividia. I personally use Nvidia 9800 GT though I plan to buy a Nvidia 260 GTX which is a high end graphics card so that games will look more realistic and fast. A more advance graphics card means you should have a power supply which match the card. For example a 9600 GT requires a minimum of 400 while a 285 GTX requires a minimum of 550 watts. Some even go to the extent of having 2 or 3 or even 4 graphics card in SLI for Nvidia or Corssfire for ATI Radeon. However if you decide to have multiple graphics card then there will be a considerable increase in the amount of heat produce by these graphics card and a special cooling system should be installed in your computer casing.

When it comes to the processor or CPU, it is must to have a faster CPU like Intel Core 2 Duo with a speed of at least 2.8 Ghz , an Intel Quad Core or even the newer Intel Core I7. The processors might be an AMD or an Intel. Some gamers tend to overclock their CPU or video cards to a faster speed than its native speed. This can result to increase in heat and if you are not sure if what you are doing then this could lead to a computer crash. Over clocking is not advisable. It must also have a high amount of RAM for example at least 4GB for the Vista.

Such kind of computers can be use not only in gaming but the best thing is that it can take almost any software application. Unlike ordinary computers which are not capable to run high end applications.

So if you have a budget better invest in a computer with high technical specs and as I said usually this kind of computers are the gaming computers. They are more expensive but in the end it can just do any application.

DAEMON TOOLS AND YASU

Some tend to buy pirated pc games for the originals are quite expensive. This pirated disc use cracks or key generators to be able to install this pc games, Others use Daemon Tools wherein you have to install first Daemon Tools and in other cases a YASU is also installed in the DIR of the Daemon Tools to cloaked the Daemon Tools during its used. I personally am frustrated with the use of this Daemon tools especially those that has YASU. Sometimes this pirated pc games has Trojan virus so better have an effective anti virus software. I have an original anti-virus which quickly detects and removes this annoying Trojan virus. So be careful in installing pirated pc games. Though I am not encouraging on to use pirated pc, I can say that a pirated pc game which simply use a crack with no Daemon Tools needed is the easiest way to install a pc game.

NEW DVD RELEASE

KNOWING

Starring Nicolas Cage as a professor who undercovers a startling secret in a time capsule buried in an elementary school. It contains a coded document wherein he discovers that it accurately predicts the detail of every major disaser for the past 50 years including the apocalyptic end of the world. He then sets to prevent these prophecies from coming true.

Special Features:

Directors Commentary
Visions of the Apocalypse
The Making of a Fututistic Thriller