Here comes the world’s first 13TB SSD

There was a time when one of the issues with SSDs was capacity, but that certainly isn't the case anymore – particularly not with the latest offering from Fixstars.
The new Fixstars SSD-13000M is a whopping 13TB 2.5-inch drive, making it the biggest SSD in the world at the time of writing. Fixstars has also launched a 10TB model alongside this one.
Along with the whopping capacity – to give some perspective, if you want to store 13TB on standard DVDs, you'll need around 2,800 discs! – both drives offer read speeds of up to 540MB/s and sequential writes of up to 520MB/s.
Satoshi Miki, CEO of Fixstars, commented: "The Fixstars SSD series has been highly regarded for their distinct reliability on steady read/write performance that lasts over time."
The SSD offers a temperature control system to minimise any risk of heat damage to the drive, and there's also an optional high durability mode which apparently triples the longevity of the drive – although with this on, storage capacity is halved (so you'll only have a mere 6.5TB).
Of course, this drive is priced out of the reach of the average user and is aimed at enterprises and for tasks such as heavy-duty video processing.
How much will it cost? A spokesman for Fixstars told PC World that the drive will run to an estimated (and eye-watering) $13,000 (around £9000, AU$19,000), with shipping expected to kick off by the close of next month over in the US.

If you are a gadget freak and have US$13,000 to burn, this world’s first 13TB solid-state drive could be yours. Japanese SSD company, Fixstars on Wednesday announced the massive 13TB called SSD-13000M, which will ship by the end of February.
For the uninitiated, though widely adopted, SSDs available in markets today have no more than 6TB of storage. Fixstars SSD-13000M will more than double that capacity.
Fixstars announced that a pair of exceptionally voluminous 2.5-inch SSD-13000M at 13TB, and the Fixstars SSD-10000M with 10TB of capacity, can now be pre-ordered. The company expects the shipments for US customers to start in late February.
Previous Fixstars drives managed their capacity feats by employing flash memory chips normally destined for use in small-scale mobile devices. This time with SSD=13000M, Fixstars hasn’t mentioned the tech behind the capacity.
It is estimated that the Fixstars SSD-13000M can be used to record 4.3hrs of 4K uncompressed 60fps video footage, or 823hrs of 4K H.265/HEVC (Broadcast Quality) 60fps video, or 1924hrs of Full HD H.264 (Broadcast Quality) 29.97fps video

Choosing the Best Sound Card for Your PC Build

This article will help you choose the best sound card for your own needs, and help you decide whether you actually need to get a dedicated sound card in the first place. With a quality sound card you are able to experience the very best sound quality in your games.

Do You Need a Sound Card?
The first thing to do is ask yourself whether you even need a sound card. Most motherboards include decent built-in sound. If you’re just a simple computer user or gamer on a budget who doesn’t require the very best quality sound, going with on-board sound is a good choice for you.
On the other hand, if you are producing music or want very good quality sound from your games, on-board sound is not enough. You will need to buy a separate sound card, which fits into an empty PCI or PCI-Express port on your motherboard.
Music producers will need to get one of the better sound cards available. Look for a card with good signal to noise ratio, plenty of connectivity for your needs, and a large wavetable if you need it. You might also need a multi-channel sound card. If you’re interested in MIDI then you’ll want a sound card with good MIDI support, too.
Gamers looking for great audio will also need a sound card, but one with a smaller feature set will do fine. You can find a decent sound card for around 30-100 dollars that will surely satisfy your gaming audio needs.

Other Considerations
If you care about surround sound, then you’ll obviously want a sound card that supports it. Most of the best sound cards support EAX and 5.1 surround sound, and these days some even have 7.1 surround sound support.
Another thing to keep in mind is whether your computer can handle your sound card. If you’re installing a high-end sound card into an older PC with a slow processor, your computer might not be able to take advantage of all the features in your sound card.

Conclusion
Depending on your needs, a sound card may be critical to your computer. Hardcore gamers will require a decent sound card, while music producers will need an even better sound card. But if you’re just a basic computer user or a casual gamer, you'll do fine with your motherboard’s built-in sound.

Choosing a Computer Power Supply For Your Custom Build

The computer power supply (also known as the PSU) is an often-overlooked yet important part of your custom gaming PC. Without a power supply, your computer would just be a box full of metal and plastic without power. This article explains what you need to know about choosing a capable PSU for your computer.

In a PC, the computer power supply is the metal box usually located in the corner of the computer case. In many systems the power supply is visible from the back of the case because it contains the power-cord connector and the cooling fan. The main purpose of the power supply is to convert AC power from the mains to usable low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer.
The power supply gives out three different DC voltages to your computer, 12VDC, 5VCD, and 3VDC. These three voltages are used for different components in your system. For example, the 5VDC voltage powers the motherboard, voltage regulators, serial and parallel ports, and PCI and AGP ports.

How Much Power Do You Need?
Each power supply has a certain wattage based on their maximum output power. Common wattages range from 300W to 500W, although for a high-end gaming power supply wattages of 600W, 700W, and even 800W are common. Some units even go up to 1 kW of wattage, but this amount of power isn't neccessary for normal users.
For a typical gaming computer I would recommend at least 500W of power, although you may need more or less depending on your system. Note that even if a certain component lists its required wattage, it won't necessarily use that amount of power.

Conclusion
The computer power supply is a vital part of your computer and provides the power to the components in your system, and also cools your computer with a fan. It would be wise to get a decent quality PSU from a reputable brand that runs quietly so that you can rest easy at night knowing your gaming PC is being powered properly, and without having to worry about reliability problems or having to upgrade the PSU anytime soon.
If you're looking for specific recommendations on the best PSUs to buy right now for your new build in terms of quality, reliability, and value for money, see our recommended builds section.

Gaming Computer Cases Guide - How to Choose the Best Case

This is a guide to choosing the right gaming computer cases for custom gaming PC builds. The computer case houses and protects all your expensive, high-performance components so it's a good idea to get a case known for quality and reliability.
This article explains what to look for when choosing a case for your new gaming build. You may have all the best components in your build, but without a good case to house them you may run into problems.

What Size?
The first thing you need to know about gaming computer cases, is that they differ in size. You will need a case that is large enough to store all your components, with room for future upgrades. The most common size is ATX Mid-Tower which contains more than enough space for the typical gaming build. If you need even more room or have special needs for your gaming PC you may need an ATX Full-Tower case instead.

Motherboard Compatibility
Most of you will already know this, but your case must be able to fit your motherboard. All motherboards have what is known as a ‘form factor’, which is a size standard that the manufacturers follow. The most common form factor is ATX. So if you have an ATX motherboard, which is more than likely, then you must choose a case that supports an ATX motherboard.

Cooling
A decent gaming PC case will have at least one quality fan for proper airflow to cool down your system and also fan ports for additional fans if you need to add more. You don’t want your precious components to overheat and risk getting damaged, so getting a case that is known for good cooling is a good idea especially for a high performance build.

Design
The appearance of your gaming PC case may be important to some of you, and if so choose one that you like the look of because you will generally keep your case for a long time. Some cases also come with cool extra features such as LED lighting, and many come with a clear side panel which looks awesome when the build is up and running.

Drive Bays
An important thing to look out for is the number and size of bays. Computer cases come with a differing number of bays, and you will need 3.5” bays for floppy drives and hard drives, and 5” bays are required for your CD and DVD drives. Most cases on the market these days are packed full of features and usually contain enough bays anyway, but check to make sure if you have certain needs.

Cable Management
Cable management is another factor to take into account when choosing gaming computer cases. Some cases are easier to work with and provide better cable management than others, so if this is important to you then choose a case that is known for effective cable management.

Choosing the Best Gaming Monitor: What You Need to Know

In this article we'll share with you exactly what you need to know to confidently choose the best gaming monitor for your needs. If you don't know what to look for in a monitor things can get confusing real fast with the vast range of different models out there, all with different specifications that may sound like mumbo-jumbo.
Your monitor plays an important part in your overall gaming experience. If you build a fast gaming PC with a killer graphics card and CPU, but then you output that to an average or low quality monitor, your graphics experience will suffer.

I would say that the more powerful your PC, the more important it is to pick a quality monitor that will allow you to take full advantage of your expensive hardware to be able to view your games in clear, crisp detail minus any lag.
Also, you're likely to keep your monitor for years and years so you want to make sure to get a good one that will last to allow you to maximize your gaming experience. Ok, let's take a look at the different specs that you should be aware of when choosing the best gaming monitor:

Response Rate

The response rate of your gaming monitor refers to how quickly the screen updates and is one of the most important specs to look for when on the hunt for a good screen. The lower the response rate the better (lower response rates mean that the screen updates faster), and for fast-paced gaming you don't want to get a monitor that has a response rate any higher than 8ms.
6ms and under is even better, with 2ms and 1ms being the perfect situation. If you are playing fast-paced action game such as a racing or first person shooter, and your monitor has a slower response rate such as 10ms or above, you'll likely experience what is known as "ghosting" or lagging. Ghosting happens when the previous image displayed on the screen can still be seen as a blur for moments after the image has changed. The better the response rate, the less noticeable it becomes.

Size

The size that you choose all comes down to your own personal preference, and how much you're willing to cough up for your new screen. Massive displays can cost an arm and leg, especially the high quality ones with great specs.
Another consideration is how powerful your gaming system is, because larger screens are viewed at larger resolutions and they require more powerful hardware to be able to be rendered quickly and smoothly.
Most gamers will be happy with the nice sweet spot of 23 or 24 inches which is large enough to be very immersive, but if you want an even better gaming experience then go for a nice 27" screen which is quite a popular size too. Just a word of warning though: if you ever start gaming on a huge display it's very hard to ever go back!

Resolution

As for the resolution of your monitor, these days you don't want to go for anything less than full HD 1080p (which is 1920 x 1080). Most monitors will have this resolution but just make sure in case. The next step up is 1440p (2560 x 1440, also known as Quad-HD) which you'll find in screens 25 inches and bigger, and will require better hardware to run your games smoothly.
Then there's 4K (3440 x 1440) resolutions which requires even more power from your gaming PC so it's not for everyone. Plus, 4K monitors cost a lot and most people would do well to wait until they become more affordable, unless you have a ton of money to spend right now of course. Plus, not all GPUs support 4K resolutions.

Refresh Rate

Another thing you'll want to be aware of when choosing the best gaming monitor is the refresh rate. A higher refresh rate allows you to enjoy higher frame rates in your games without graphical tearing, which can happen when there's a discrepancy between your graphics card's frame rate and the refresh rate of your screen.
Standard monitors have the standard 60 Hz refresh rate, and that is fine if you're gaming on a budget and can't afford a more expensive monitor, but if you want the very best gaming experience you'll want to fork out a little more for a faster refresh rate screen such as 120 Hz or 144 Hz.
The difference between 120 Hz and 60 Hz is definitely noticeable, but if you do settle for a typical 60 Hz monitor then it's not the end of the world and you can still enjoy fast gaming so long as your response rate (explained above) is fast enough. But yeah, if you can, get 120 Hz or more and you won't look back!

LED vs LCD?

LED monitors are the exact same as LCD monitors, except they use LED backlighting which provides some advantages such as a brighter and sharper display, thinner screen, and lower power usage.
LED monitors cost a little more than a standard LCD, but if you want the best gaming monitor then definitely make sure to get one. They're pretty much the standard these days anyway.

Contrast Ratio

The contrast ratio of a monitor can be a helpful spec to generally compare picture quality between different monitors. In general, the higher the contrast ratio, the better the picture quality.
With high contrast ratios your screen can produce deeper black levels, which creates a more immersive and visually sharp experience. Keep in mind that the contrast ratio isn't always an accurate measure of image quality, so don't use it solely to compare two monitors as there's more to it than that.

Viewing Angle

If you look at an LCD monitor from an angle, you will notice that the image appears dimmer and the colors can look weird. At extreme angles the entire image can even disappear. The viewing angle of an LCD monitor is the angle at which you can still view the screen clearly, and is usually listed in the monitor's specifications list.
The greater the viewing angle, the better, but for gamers the viewing angle doesn't really matter because you are looking directly at the screen the whole time. But there are some people who will consider the viewing angle important, for example if you need to show presentations with your LCD monitor.

Recommended Gaming Monitors

When it comes to buying the best gaming monitor you'll typically get what you pay for, but remember to be sure to get one that has a fast enough response rate (6ms and under is best), has LED lighting, a high refresh rate if you can afford it (120 Hz and above is best), and check customer reviews before buying to make sure the image quality is solid.

Gaming Video Card Buying Guide

Choosing the right gaming video card for your gaming computer can be very confusing especially if you're not a tech geek. There are so many different graphics cards out there, all with different specs, fancy features, and model names - it's hard to know where the hell to spend your hard-earned cash so you can hurry up and start dominating your games already.

This article will aim to simplify the decision process for you and it will cover the various factors you should keep in mind when choosing your gaming card.
A better graphics card makes for a better gaming experience, and it's the single most important component in a gaming build and has the biggest direct influence on your overall gaming performance. So what card should you get? The best you can afford, because like most computer parts, you usually get what you pay for. Also, the better the card you buy, the longer it will last you without having to worry about making an upgrade.

AMD vs NVIDIA
Very much like the CPU market, there are two companies that dominate the world of gaming video cards, AMD (formerly ATI, but AMD bought them out) and nVidia. They make the best video card chips in the world and are the only two companies you need to concern yourself with in the video card game. AMD is responsible for the Radeon series, while nVidia is behind the GeForce line of cards.
Although AMD and nVidia make the graphics card technology you see in all the latest cards, they don’t always sell them themselves. They license their best video card chips to companies such as EVGA, Sapphire, and ASUS (just to name a few popular ones) who then sell their own variants on the original technology.
So which is better? There's no concrete answer and the video card market is constantly changing. Both are great companies and produce excellent cards, so it's a matter of comparing their individual cards side by side and by price to consider which is best.
At the moment though, at the time of writing, I'm confident in saying that NVIDIA has the slight upper hand at most price points, as you can probably see from our recommend custom build examples where we typically recommend NVIDIA over AMD. But that change soon, so it's important to do your homework and stay on your toes.

Features to Consider
Video cards contain a host of different features, options, connections, etc. Here I will outline the main factors you need to consider when choosing your video card for gaming:

• Video Memory: The video RAM is the amount of memory your video card holds on-board for processing 3D images, and in general the more the better. The amount of video RAM you need depends on what video settings you want to play your games at, the resolution you will be playing at, and also whether you have AA (Anti Aliasing) enabled. I would recommend a video card with 2GB of video RAM as the minimum for gaming these days, and 4GB or more if you want to play your games flawlessly on the absolute highest visual settings or on huge resolutions.
• Latest DirectX Support: You'll definitely want to make sure your gaming video card supports the latest DirectX technology to be able to render all the nice and fancy features that game developers use. Most good cards on the market today will, but be sure to check just in case.
• SLI and CrossFire: Although not necessary, NVIDIA's SLI and ATI's CrossFire technologies allow you to pair up either two ATI cards, or two NVIDIA cards to essentially have two GPUs working for your system. So if this is something you may wish to do in the future with your machine, ensure your card and your motherboard will support this.
• DVI: This is a higher-definition output used with newer monitors and some high-end TVs. Connecting to your monitor via DVI offers better image quality than the standard VGA connection. If you want to take advantage of DVI, buy a graphics card and monitor that supports it.
• HDMI Connection: HDMI is the default connection on new HDTVs, Blu-ray players, Apple TV, many new computers and graphics cards, and a range of other video devices. If you need to connect your video card to a TV via HDMI, then obviously make sure to check that your video card has this feature.
• Dual Monitor Support: If you want to split your video output across two monitors, you will need dual monitor support on your graphics card. This feature is useful for developers, engineers, designers, and multi-taskers who wish to view many different windows on their desktop at once. Sometimes, one output will be VGA and the other DVI. Learn more about dual monitor video card setups here.
• Power Usage: The more powerful a card is, the more power it will require so you should keep this in mind and make sure your gaming computer's power supply will be good enough to handle your card.
• Size: The size of your video card may also be an issue, especially if it's a large monstrous card. Make sure your case will fit your new beast.

Choosing The Best Hard Drive For Your Custom Gaming PC

In this article you will learn what you need to know to choose the best hard drive for your gaming PC. The hard drive is where all your files, programs, and games are stored. Obviously, the bigger the better, but there are other things to consider when choosing the right hard drive for your needs.

How Hard Drives Work
Hard drives store information by manipulating magnetic fields over the moving surface of a disk coated with a magnetic material. This use of magnetism to store information is very similar to how tape or video recorders work.
Each individual disk inside a hard drive is called a platter. Large hard drives contain several platters and use both sides of each platter for storage. The drive contains a motor that spins the platters at speeds from 5400 to 15,000 rotations per minute (RPM).

RPM
So basically, the faster a drive spins, the faster you can access and transfer data. Most of the best hard drives these days have a speed of 7200rpm. You don’t want anything less than this, as you will notice annoying delays between reading and writing data, eg when loading your games.

Cache Memory
Hard drives usually come with extra cache memory built into the drive for even faster loading. Drives with 32MB or even 64MB of cache will usually run very fast, but you don't need huge amounts of cache memory in reality, and picking a hard drive with less cache memory such as 8MB or 16MB is fine.

Hard Drive Interface
The hard drive interface is the hardware that manages the exchange of data between a computer and the hard drive. The most common interface used is ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment). ATA comes in two forms, the original ATA (also known as Parallel ATA, or PATA) and the newer, faster SATA (Serial ATA). When choosing your hard drive, make sure your motherboard supports the interface of your hard drive which will most likely be SATA.

What Size Do You Need?
Hard drives come in all different sizes, but if you are playing the latest games I would get a decent size to store your games as they can take up quite a bit of space. Also consider how many pictures, videos, and music you will be storing on the computer aswell.
For a gaming PC where you will be installing many large games, I would suggest getting at least a 250GB hard drive, or 500GB or more to be even safer and more future-proof.

Stick To Trusted Brand Names
If you want peace of mind that you are buying a quality product and have the best chance of avoiding problems with your hard drive, I would highly recommend sticking to a trusted manufacturer such as Western Digital, Hitachi, and some Seagate models.

What About Solid State Drives?
Solid state drives (SSDs) are fairly new on the scene and contain new storage technology to take loading times to a whole new level. With an SSD you will experience the very fastest loading speeds possible, but they are quite a bit more expensive at the moment.

The price of solid state drives are slowly coming down, but they are a great choice if you have a little extra to spend on your custom PC because the advantages over standard drives are very noticeable. Check out our Solid State Hard Drive Buying Guide for more about SSDs. What a lot of people do these days is buy a smaller SSD for loading the OS, and use a larger standard hard drive for your files.

Conclusion
So to sum it all up if you want the best hard drive for your gaming PC, go for a drive with at least 7200rpm, preferably from a trusted manufacturer, and large enough for your needs. And if you have the money to spend, consider an SSD for better performance.

Choosing The Best Computer Memory For Your Gaming PC

Do you need help choosing the best computer memory (RAM) for your gaming computer? For the total beginners out there, RAM (Random Access Memory) is the memory in a computer used to store running programs, and the more RAM you have, the faster your games and other programs will run.
Investing in a decent amount of RAM made from a trusted company is a smart idea, and the amount and type of RAM you have does have a fairly direct influence on the overall performance of your system. But which type should you get, and how much do you need for gaming these days?

There are different types of RAM you can buy for your computer, such as SDRAM, DDR2 RAM, and DDR3 RAM. They also have different speeds such as 1333MHz and 1600MHz. When selecting RAM for your gaming PC, make sure your motherboard has support for both the type and the speed of RAM that you plan to use. The latest type of RAM out on the market is DDR3 and for a new build these days you don't want to be getting anything except DDR3.

How Much RAM For Gaming?
You may be wondering how much RAM is best for gaming, and the simple answer is “as much as you can afford”. Adding memory to your system will affect not only the performance of games but the performance of other programs and applications, so more is always better. RAM prices these days are quite cheap so adding RAM to your system is a very cost-effective way of increasing performance.
However, there is a point where adding more memory won't necessarily give you a noticeable boost in performance, so the trick when choosing computer memory (for those who actually have a cap on their spending budget and wish to maximize performance for your money - which means most people) is to buy just the right amount to suit your needs without wasting your money on excess memory that you'll never need.
To just run Windows 8 and other programs well you will be required to have at least 1-2 gigs of RAM. But if you’re a gamer, and I assume most of you are since you’re visiting this site, then you will require more RAM than the average computer user.
To play the latest games now and into the future, 4GB is the absolute minimum. With 4GB of decent quality RAM in your gaming system you shouldn't have any problems playing even the most demanding of games on the market today. Although, since RAM is fairly cheap these days, if you're not on a super tight budget for your build you may as well opt for 8GB of RAM which would be ideal and will definitely give you a noticeable improvement over 4GB in both your games and whilst running other programs. Plus, you won't have to worry about upgrading in the future.
For those of you who are lucky enough to have a fairly loose budget, go for 12 or 16GB for the ultimate in lastability. If you're running high-end, demanding applications such as 3D rendering or production programs then these amounts of memory are mandatory.
Remember, the more RAM the better, but to be safe make sure your motherboard will support more RAM. Most motheboards out right now will support up to 16GB, but it's always wise to double check and also note how many RAM slots your motherboard has.

Tips On Buying Your RAM
An important factor when choosing the best computer memory for your PC is the actual brand name of the memory you buy. I highly recommend that you stick to buying from a quality manufacturer that is proven to provide reliable and high-performance RAM.
A few of the best are Kingston, Crucial, Corsair, G.SKILL, OCZ, and Patriot. Buying dirt cheap memory from an unknown manufacturer is risky and not something I'd ever recommend.

Choosing the Best Motherboard for Your Custom Gaming PC

This article is here to help you choose the best motherboard for your new custom gaming build. The motherboard is one of the most important components in any computer, and it can make or break a system. You can have the best CPU, RAM, and graphics card in the world, but without a quality motherboard at the core of your system you are limiting yourself.

We will look at the various factors you should take into account when choosing your gaming motherboard, to ensure that you choose the best motherboard for your needs and one that is compatible with all your other components.
If you think of the processor as the brain of a computer, then the motherboard could be described as the heart and/or central nervous system. The motherboard represents the core of a PC and is responsible for relaying information between all the internal components. In other words, it’s the hub of the computer, where all other components connect to.
Since the motherboard is so crucial to your system, buying the best motherboard you can afford is a good investment if you want a gaming system that will last. The following guidelines are here to help you make a more informed decision on your gaming motherboard choice:

CPU Compatability
The first thing you need to be aware of when choosing a motherboard is compatability with the CPU you plan on using. A motherboard will generally only support either Intel or AMD CPUs, and only certain models too.
Checking for compatability between a particuilar motherboard and a CPU is very simple, all you need to do is check to see if the motherboard and CPU both have the same 'processor interface'.

RAM Compatability
The motherboard you choose will dictate the type and amount of RAM you can have. These days you will want to get DDR3 RAM, and at least 4GB for the best gaming performance to play the latest games. So ensure your motherboard will support this type and amount of memory, but most boards these days will so it's very rarely an issue.

Ports, Slots, and Other Features
If you need extra PCI ports for other cards then make sure your motherboard has this. You should also consider the number of USB ports you need, and whether you need a Firewire port (used for video capturing and editing).
Also, be sure there's enough PCI-Express slots for your needs. You will need a PCI-Express slot for your video card, or two slots if you are going to install two video cards in your machine. If you decide on getting a dedicated sound card then you will need another PCI-Express port for that too.

On-board Audio VS Dedicated Sound Card
Most motherboards will come with built-in audio so getting a dedicated sound card is completely optional. I would recommend investing in a sound card if you want the very best experience from your games, or if you want to take full advantage of high quality speakers or headphones.
For music producers and those doing video and audio editing it's a different story, and a sound card is necessary as the on-board sound provided by typical motherboards won't cut it. If you want to learn more about choosing a dedicated sound card for gaming or other purposes check out How To Choose The Best Sound Card.

Tips On Buying Your Motherboard
When you're choosing the best motherboard for your gaming PC it's wise to think ahead a little. If you want your motherboard to last you a while then I would recommend you choose a decent quality board that has been released recently.
Since the motherboard is such a critical component to your gaming PC, in general I would recommend buying the best board you can afford. Some of the most-trusted motherboard manufacturers for quality and reliability are ASUS, MSI, EVGA, Intel, and Gigabyte to name a few of the best.
If you are looking for specific recommendations on the best motherboards for use gaming, check out the Recommended Custom Gaming Builds. The motherboards picked in those builds are some of the best available right now with both high performance and value for money in mind, and we strive to always keep them updated from month to month.

Choosing the Best CPU for Your Gaming Computer

Choosing the best CPU for gaming can be a confusing decision for you if you don't understand much about CPUs and what's happening in the PC market. There are many different models to choose from, all with different features and speeds, so how do you know which CPU is right for you?
The following information will help you understand a little bit about the world of CPUs, so that you can make a smarter choice in choosing the best CPU for your gaming needs. We will also provide specific recommendations on the best-rated gaming CPUs to buy right now if you are looking for both value and performance.

So what exactly is the CPU anyway? The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is one of the most important components in any computer system, and could be described as the brains of a computer. It contains the logic circuitry that performs the instructions of the software you run. The performance of your games and other applications will be directly related to this tiny little microprocessor.
Picking the latest, fastest or most expensive processor on the market won’t always result in the right CPU for your particular system. The first thing to know is that you will need to make sure the CPU you choose will match your motherboard. Not all CPUs work with all motherboards, so you should check to see that your CPU has the same 'processor interface' as your motherboard.

The Major Players: Intel and AMD
If you weren't already aware there are two companies that dominate the CPU market, Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). Both make a range of different processor models at different price ranges. For example, Intel have the Core i7 and Core i5 processor models, while AMD have the Phenom and FX series.
The Intel versus AMD debate is always a popular one, and at the time of writing I would recommend either as they both have excellent processor models out on the market right now. It all depends on your price range, so for example if you're on a really tight budget I would lean towards an AMD FX processor, but if you have a decent amount to spend on your processor then Intel is the way to go with their i7 range of high end chips.

The Best CPU for Gaming
For gaming you will need a capable CPU in your system to be able to run the latest games smoothly. I would highly suggest either the Intel Core i5 or the Intel Core i7 series of processors for gaming. They are the most popular, and provide the best performance for your money at the time of writing.
Choosing between an i5 model or an i7 will largely depend on how much you want to spend on your processor, as i7 models are slightly faster yet a little more expensive.

Cooling Your CPU
These days the best CPUs produce so much heat they require their own cooling system. Processors usually come with a default heatsink/fan to help cool itself down. But if you feel that the stock fan won't cool your CPU enough, then it can replaced with a better-performing aftermarket cpu cooler if you want improved cooling. If you're going to be overclocking your CPU, then chances are you probably need to get a better cooler than the standard CPUs cooler.

Conclusion
Choosing the best CPU for gaming can be a confusing task, but hopefully this article has shed some light on making a more informed choice. Since the processor is such a critical component in any gaming system, I would recommend buying the best CPU you can afford for a high-performing gaming system that will last.
If you're looking for specific recommendations on the best CPUs to buy right now, take a look at the CPUs I recommend in the Recommended Custom Gaming Builds. The builds are updated monthly and the CPUs chosen for them are some of the best-rated CPUs for value and performance.

Introduction To Building Custom Gaming PCs

This is an introduction to building your own custom gaming computers to play the latest games. Building your own PC is the way to go if you want the best performance for gaming, and at the best value. Despite what some people may tell you, it is quite straightforward and easy to do.
If this is your first time building a custom computer, building custom gaming computers simply involves selecting and buying all your computer components separately and then installing them one by one. If you choose the right parts you will end up with a fast, cost-effective gaming computer capable of playing the latest PC game releases.

Advantages to Building Your Own
There are many good reasons to go custom. These are the main advantages of building your own custom gaming PC as opposed to buying a pre-built system:

• Better performance. If you want a high-performance gaming PC tailored to your gaming needs, building your own machine is the best way to go about it.
• Save money. By shopping around for quality components at good prices you can save quite a bit of money. Building a custom gaming PC is usually a lot more cost-effective than buying a pre-built system.
• Learning Experience. Whilst choosing your components and building your gaming computer, you are bound to learn a lot of valuable information about PC hardware and how computers work on the inside.

As you can see, there are great reasons why someone would want to build their own custom gaming computer. On top of all that, you will feel great after having built your own custom machine all by yourself.
If you haven't built your own machine before, I would definitely encourage you to build your next setup. No matter what some people say, it really isn't difficult at all and the money you will save is quite significant for most people.
These days installation is a breeze and for the majority of the parts it's simply a matter of following the instructions that came with it.

Choosing Your Components
How do you go about choosing the right components for your needs? How do you know which component is best for you? How do they all work together?
The following buying guides for each component will hopefully clear up the confusion on what you need to know to choose the best parts for your custom gaming build. Or if you're looking for specific part recommendations you can skip to the Recommended Gaming Desktop Computer Builds.

Core Components For A Gaming Build

• CPU/Processor
• Motherboard
• RAM/Memory
• Hard Drive
• Video Card
• Case
• Power Supply

On top of these core components, for a complete working system you will also need a mouse, keyboard, monitor, DVD burner/drive (or a blu-ray burner/drive), and also operating system software such as Windows 7. You may also need an aftermarket CPU cooler, especially if you plan on overclocking your CPU, but most CPUs come with their own stock fan and many people do fine with that.
We all know computer technology advances at quite a fast rate, so it's a good idea to build custom gaming computers that are somewhat future-proof. Obviously, the better the parts you get, the longer your system will last you without having to upgrade or buy a new system. But also when choosing components you should think ahead for any upgrades that you plan to make in the future and make sure you choose parts that will let you do this.
Having read this introduction to building your own gaming PC, you are now ready to start choosing your own components and build your dream gaming machine. The hardware guides and build examples on this site are here to help if you get stuck. Good luck!

xServers - Racking and Installation

xServers - Racking and Installation

 

Hardware Installation: Racking of Servers

Here are some general procedures and guidelines for each installation you perform; a generic installation might include the following tasks:

1. Identify server types for installation procedures.
2. Transport hardware to your data center.
3. If necessary, build and install racks or cabinets.
4. Map the placement of each item on your racks.
5. Remove hardware from its containers.
6. Label the hardware.
7. If necessary, install mounting hardware.
8. Install any third-party components.
9. Install the hardware in your racks using the mounting hardware.
10. Proper care and attention needed when installing in racks with operating equipment.
11. Attach cables and adapters.
12. Power on hardware and verify its functionality.

Identify server types:

Installation procedures vary based on vender and types of servers being deployed. Gather the installation material that is provided in the shipping containers. Read and prepare for installation recommended from these instructions. Vendor instruction can also be obtained from the vendors website. General Vendors we use: Hewlett Packard (HP), Dell, Sun, and IBM.

Transporting Hardware

If you receive hardware at one location and must ship it yourself to another location for installation, take extreme care to transport the equipment safely. Keep everything in its original boxes and secured by the original packing material. Securely tie or strap the equipment in the transport vehicle so that it can't shift or slide during the move.

Unpacking Boxes

The most important rule to follow is to never unpack the contents of a box until it reaches its final destination. Manufacturers ship hardware in such a way as to minimize the impact to it if the box shakes, falls, or is otherwise damaged. Note: Unpack in designated area not in the data centers main floor! Damaged to running equipment can occur due to dust and loose particles.
When you finally do unpack your boxes, do not throw anything out! This includes plastic bags, bubble wrap, Styrofoam, and the boxes themselves—all things that you might otherwise be inclined to throw out. If you need to ship something back or move it again, you will need all of these things to repack and properly transport the hardware.
You may not have room to store all of this material in your office or data center. The best way to save space in this situation is to break down all of the boxes and flatten them. If you have no room for the packing material, you can throw it out after you are sure the hardware works.

Labeling Hardware

After you have removed hardware from its packaging, label it immediately. Each item should be identified as soon as it leaves the box in order to prevent confusion when it comes time to mount the hardware in racks. This is especially true when you have many similar-looking machines—for example, it is a lot easier to find a machine labeled db2 than it is to find the Sun Enterprise 420R with 4GB of memory instead of 2GB in a sea of other Sun Enterprise 420R servers.
Use a Label Maker
Use labels with a solid background (white or black) so you can read them on hardware of all colors.

Mounting Hardware

Mounting hardware in racks—frequently referred to as racking hardware—can be the most excruciating part of any data center installation. You're constantly lifting and balancing heavy hardware, reaching for inaccessible screws, fitting greasy sliding rails, and generally getting your physical exercise for the day. Following a few simple guidelines can help make the job as manageable as possible and ensure that you get the installation right the first time.
Complimentary Racks
You need at least one other person to help you with the installation, so make sure that person is ready and onsite before you begin. You'll need your assistant to help unpack the material, as you learned in the preceding section, but you'll also need that person to hold heavy equipment while you're mounting it in the rack. Trying to balance a server with one hand and tighten screws with the other is just asking for trouble. Use an assistant to prevent injury to both you and the equipment, and to make the installation process as quick and efficient as possible.
Individual pieces of hardware fall into one of four "racking" types:

• Hardware with sliding mounting rails
• Hardware with mounting brackets
• Hardware with screw holes for direct mounting onto a rack
• Hardware that cannot be racked

Sliding rails allow you to slide servers in and out of the rack for maintenance without actually removing it from the rack itself. Most sliding rail systems are equipped with a safety locking mechanism that prevents you from pulling a server completely out of the rails without pushing a button or lever.
Sliding rail systems usually require installation of rails on both the servers and the racks; two people are needed to properly insert heavier hardware into the rails. These systems also require a four-post rack or a cabinet to support the weight of a server in various positions.
Mounting brackets are directly attached to a rack and only hold hardware in place once it is in its proper mounted position. Unlike sliding rails, mounting brackets won't support a piece of hardware as you are inserting it into or pulling it out of a rack. You can use mounting brackets on two- or four-post racks.
Some hardware just comes with screw holes on the chassis itself; you can use these screw holes to mount the hardware directly onto any kind of rack. Be careful when working with this kind of hardware—you need at least one other person to support it from the bottom while you are installing or removing it.
Finally, there is hardware that cannot be racked. Few servers these days fall into this category, but many peripherals, such as small tape libraries and disk arrays, do not support rack mounting. Still other hardware, such as large tape libraries and high-end servers like the Sun Enterprise 10000, are simply too large to fit into a rack and are meant to be placed on the floor.
With all of this in mind, you should draw a map of where the hardware should be mounted in your racks, paying special attention to the height of each piece of hardware and the location of any vents. Both rack and hardware height is measured in rack units (U), which are equivalent to 1.75 inches. This measurement makes it very easy to calculate how many pieces of hardware you can fit in a rack. For example, a Sun Enterprise 420R is 4U in height; you know you could fit 10 of them in a 41U cabinet with 1U to spare. A Sun Netra t1 105 is 1U in height; you could fit 41 of them in the same space.
Using Rack Units
Always refer to hardware height in rack units. Working with whole numbers is much easier than working with fractions of an inch. Although most vendors list the total height of a rack in inches, the usable height is usually given in rack units.
Begin mounting your hardware at the bottom of a rack, and move your way up to the top; that way, you can use a racked server as a temporary support for the next one, if your arms get tired later in the process.
Place hardware that can't be racked on mountable shelves. You also should space the shelves so that you can insert and remove them without interfering with nearby hardware. To avoid all possibility of a "space crunch" near shelves, you can put all of your shelved equipment at the top of the rack so as not to interfere with any mounted hardware.
Verify Shelf Load Capacities
Shelves should be able to handle the weight of the hardware they support. Always request the specs of the shelves from your vendor and make sure you buy shelves that can handle the equipment you need to place upon them.
If you are installing a console with a keyboard and monitor, place them at a comfortable working height for the average person on your staff. You can place keyboards and monitors on a shelf, or you may have a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switch with a keyboard and monitor in one mountable module. Either way, remember that most users stand when working at this type of console, so a working height somewhere between 3 and 4 feet above the floor is appropriate.

Proper care and attention

When installation of new hardware into a rack with operating equipment special care and attention is needed not disrupt this environment. First and foremost power plug/source must not be interrupted. Data including Fibre cables most not be unplugged, pinched or damaged. BECAREFUL.

Attaching Cables and Adapters

After hardware is mounted, you can begin plugging in various cables and adapters to attach it to power sources, network devices, disk arrays, and any other equipment you may have. You should tighten any screws that fasten adapters to the ports on your hardware; an insecure connection on any port could result in an unreliable signal causing random data loss and errors.
Bending Pins
You should be especially careful when plugging in cables and adapters with very thin pins, like those on most SCSI cables. Even the slightest offset from the hole can cause a pin to bend or break, rendering the cable useless. You may be able to fix bent pins, but you run the risk of worsening the problem by breaking it or bending other pins.
You will also want to use this time to label your cables. Each label should indicate the type of cable and the hardware at either end of the connection, including interface names. For example, a category 5 cable connecting the eth0 network interface on a Linux server called apple to a 100Mb switch
Real-World Example: Using Colored Cables
Some organizations use colored cables to indicate their purpose. One such company used category 6 cable for its network connectivity, digital phone lines, and analog phone lines. The company used red, white, and blue cables to differentiate each function so administrators could clearly see what kind of traffic was flowing over each cable.
Premature Power On
Make sure the power switch is turned off before plugging in a power cable; otherwise, the machine may power on before you are ready.
Special care should be taken with power cables.

Testing Your Hardware

After your hardware has been racked and connected to other devices, you should test to see that everything powers on correctly. For most systems, this is as simple as flipping the switch and verifying that any fans or LED indicators are activated; you haven't installed any software yet, so there is not much else you can test for at this point.
You should test other peripheral hardware for basic functionality. For instance, a tape library, without any supporting software, should be able to accept a tape in one of its bays, scan the tape's barcode label, and recognize it, perhaps showing the label on a display. Some types of hardware actually perform POST (Power On Self Test) operations, which test most of the internal mechanisms and display the results on an LCD display or by flashing LEDs. All hardware should pass some basic functionality test; your documentation should tell you what to expect when you power on a system and how to test it.