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| AXION TECHNOLOGIES - REVIEWS |
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| Upgrades/builds Continued |
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| By Raymond Griffith |
| Friday,May 24,2002 |
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Cont.-Beyond CPU and Motherboard...
As I have said previously, it is important to match your components together to obtain performance levels you desire. After CPU/Motherboard pairing has been decided, you will next look to peripherals. Namely Video cards, sound adapters, network interface, modems or hard drives etc.
There is a wide variety of motherboards that may have all of the above (minus hard drives of course) built into the board itself. If you have decided to purchase a board with these components built into the board, and using those built in components, then much of the following information regarding those components will not be a concern. Although it is beneficial to understand some facts about these components.
Video:
Video Adapters are often the device most are concerned with. Again, looking to the type of computer use you require is important. General desktop applications such as Word, Excel or browsing the Net require very little from a graphics point of view. If you are only looking for basic needs required by desktop applications an 8-16m video card will provide you with such abilities. Basic needs for desktop applications can be PCI or AGP types, although PCI will serve adequately for desktop applications.
If you plan on watching DVD's, it would be advised that you purchase a video card with decoding capabilities. There are video cards that are aimed at multimedia, and may even come bundled with software for DVD playback etc. ATI is well known for producing well rounded products and some models pack a large number of features such as their All-in-Wonder series. Even DVD playback does not require the features of an AGP port, so a PCI will function well enough in this area as well.
Some of you may want to use more than one monitor for desktop applications. Matrox introduced the concept of Dual (or more) monitors by providing dual heads (2 VGA connections on one card). Many other manufacturers have followed suit, and provide their own take on this idea. The connections for dual output come in a variety of configurations such as 2 VGA (standard Computer monitor connections) or 1 VGA and 1 DVI (designed for Digital output-high end LCD's etc.), and of course 1 VGA with a TV-out that is intended to be used to display onto a Television set. These configurations can be managed to display exactly the same image on both displays, or to extend the desktop to the second display/TV etc.
The Development of the AGP port was designed to allow a much higher amount of data to be transferred to the video card. The AGP specification has (like many other specs) undergone revision changes, but the way it works has remained the same. AGP is not limited by the 33MHz operating frequency of the PCI spec, and uses some other improvements to allow higher bandwidth transfers to and from the video sub-system
AGP interface:
AGP is primarily of benefit to any application that demands higher bandwidth to and from the video card. Currently the AGP 2.0 spec is the latest, although AGP 3.0 is being worked out, and will begin implementation with in the next 6-8 months. The AGP specification calls for backward compatibility. Meaning you can use an AGP x4card in an AGP x2 port, and vice-versa. There have been some issues with this backward compatibility and it is recommended to just purchase the components to match i.e. if your board is an x4 AGP, buy an x4 AGP video card, and avoid the potential for compatibility issues.
Now if you want to display 3d video, an AGP card is a must. The basic AGP x4 are usually equipped with 32m of onboard RAM, and there is a progression toward 64m versions, with 128m available on some models. How much to you need? Well that is a difficult question, and the answer is always subjective. Of course if money is no object, take a look at the Radeon 8500 w/128m or the Geforce 4 Ti4600 w/128m. This is not an option for most people, and not really required to enjoy a 3d game.
There are numerous reviews, and comparisons available on the net that I recommend reading to help you narrow down the models you should look toward. In general a Radeon or GeForce will suffice for most casual gamers.
RAM:
How much? What kind?
Very common questions. Well your choice in motherboard will inherently place limits on choices regarding RAM. If you are going to use Windows 95/98 (se included) or ME, I would suggest 256-512m of RAM that is appropriate to your board. For question about (ECC, Registered etc please refer to this Article). Microsoft's Consumer based operating systems function very well with 256m of RAM, and 512m is more than enough. If you are using applications or your usage demands more RAM, you should consider a different operating system. If windows is your preference, look to Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP, as they are able to make effective use of much larger amount of ram (related Article).
Hard Drives:
Hard drives capacities have increased dramatically and their prices are very affordable. Most would find a 40 GB hard drive spacious enough for themselves. The important specs regarding hard drives are not only capacity. The RPM of the actual platters (the disks inside the hard drive enclosure) and Access times are important. The next choice will be in transfer ability. In general an IDE hard drive with an access time of <12ms and at least 5400 RPM will serve the average user very well. If your applications demand fast transfers/access, such as video editing, or multi track recording you will want much lower access times, and faster rotation of the platters. The specs of most modern hard drives exceed 12ms and are at least 5400 RPM, with most performing around 10-9ms and 7200 RPM.
Network:
Network cards or NIC's are common in many homes as broadband connections are available (Cable, DSL). NIC's are Ethernet connections that allow your system to connect to a network at much higher speeds than a modem. Most modern NIC (Network Interface Card) will be 10/100. This is their speeds. They will transfer/receive at 10mbps or 100mbps, depending on the network they are logging onto. Quite a few motherboards are now available with NIC built into the board removing the need to purchase an add on card.
Modem:
Again, some motherboards come with either a CNR/AMR which is a special slot for a card to emulate among other devices a modem. Most modems available are Win modems. A Win modem is a modem that uses software to control communication (your CPU) and is one reason they are inexpensive. In general a Win modem is adequate for browsing and email, however if you plan on playing any type of online game I would recommend purchasing a Hardware modem. A Hardware based modem does not require your CPU to perform additional tasks associated with maintaining your connections, freeing the CPU to perform execution of the program/game. A V.90 modem is compatible with both x2 and Kflex. The V.92 modem standard is the latest and possibly last major modem protocol. V.92 is x2 and Kflex compatible and backward compatible with V.90, but in addition, if your ISP supports V.92 you can suspend your Internet connection to answer an incoming phone call. When you are done with the conversation, you can simply resume your online activity. Please note-your ISP MUST offer V.92 support, or you will not be able to utilize this feature!
Power supplies/Cases:
One of the most overlooked components, and under appreciated as well. Your Power supply-PSU provides the current needed to operate your entire box. Previous to the P4 and Athlon, a 235-250w power supply was common. ATX is the form factor generally in use, although some older AT system are still in use. The P4 and Athlon ushered in the ATX 2.03 spec. the latest ATX 2.03 are Power supplies with the standard 20-pin ATX power connection, but also have a 4-pin and 6-pin power connection for motherboards that require the additional connections. In general a Quality 300w power supply is more than adequate for most users. If you plan on adding additional hard drives or other components that use a lot of power, you should consider a 340+ PSU to allow that growth in the future. A couple case manufacturers I personally recommend are Enlight, In-Win, Lian-Li, Antec. There are many that make great cases; these are just my personal favorites.
Sound adapters:
Unless you must have surround sound, or advanced features for Home recording etc, the sound adapters built into motherboards today are more than adequate. If you place emphasis on audio quality, you may want to consider a add on card. Creative labs, Turtle Beach and others offer a range of sound adapters for Audiophiles to Home theater enthusiasts, and gamers. If you just want to be able to listen to an mp3 or play a CD while working, the latest and most expensive sound adapter is not a necessity. It is important to make sure the sound adapter you want to use is supported in the operating system you plan on using or are using currently.
There are of course other components and points that may arise when upgrading or building new. This section was intended to provide a general outline for the most common components and some basic information to keep in mind when looking to upgrade or build a new system.
If you have questions our RMA/Tech support Dept is available @ 281-575-0004.
Raymond Griffith
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