The third and final build in this quarter’s System Builder Marathon is a direct answer to your feedback. Paul went as low as he could go in compiling the parts for his $400 Gaming PC. Is gaming still within the realm of possibility at this price point? Personal computer – Video game – Games – Xbox 360 – Hardware  Read More →

In this quarter’s System Builder Marathon, we balance out our CPU and graphics subsystems, rather than piling on the GPU performance like last time. The results are shocking, to be quite honest. Check out the performance of our $1000 enthusiast system. Graphics processing unit – Central processing unit – Personal computer – GPU – United States  Read More →

We bolstered our latest high-end build with a six-core CPU from AMD and two super-fast video cards from Nvidia. Is it possible to fit uncompromising performance within a $2000 budget? Remember, you can even enter to win this potent behemoth; just read on! Video card – Nvidia – Advanced Micro Devices – Hardware – Personal computer  Read More →

This time, we’re looking at steel computer cases instead of the Iron Curtain. A few of the case mods are really hot (in the truest sense of the word). Others are much more inventive-looking. Either way, it’s good to know modding is international. Case modding – Steel – Modding – Business – Hardware  Read More →

How are Intel, AMD, and Nvidia shaping up for Q4′10 and 2011? Fourteen R&D insiders talk to us about future of discrete graphics. If you’re curious about the business side of things, we have their thoughts on Sandy Bridge, Llano, and the upcoming Fermis. Nvidia – Advanced Micro Devices – Intel Corporation – Intel Sandy Bridge – Graphics processing unit  Read More →

ASRock delivers a Wii-sized home theater PC (HTPC) with a powerful Core i3 CPU, Intel HD Graphics, and a Blu-ray drive. We put the Core 100HT-BD system through a number of tasks to see how its performance compares to a desktop-based home theater PC. Home Theater – Blu-ray Disc – Intel Core – ASRock – HTPC  Read More →

Nvidia sure didn’t waste any time introducing its Fermi architecture to the workstation space. Its Quadro 5000 is one of the first models to use the company’s GF100 graphics processor. How does this card stack up against ATI’s flagship FirePro V8800? Nvidia – Nvidia Quadro – Graphics processing unit – ATI Technologies – Workstation  Read More →

After looking at whether or not it makes sense to replace a PC built back in 2007 with a more modern machine, we decided to examine three component upgrade options—graphics, storage, and the motherboard/CPU/RAM platform—separately. Personal computer – Motherboard – Components – Hardware – FAQs Help and Tutorials  Read More →

Happy with Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 460, we invited a dozen of the industry’s top graphics companies to show off their unique interpretations of the card. Nine responded with what they feel are exceptional products. Can they get any better than reference? Nvidia – GeForce – Video card – GeForce GTX 460 – Hardware  Read More →

We like Windows 7 a lot more than Vista, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. These 20 lightweight tools go a long way to improve upon Microsoft’s latest operating system. Best of all, we’ve only picked apps that are available in some form for free. Windows 7 – Windows Vista – Microsoft – Operating system – Microsoft Windows  Read More →

Despite the fact that today’s USB 3.0 products center on the same NEC controller, we compared a handful of different USB 3.0 drives and found performance to range from 113 to 173 MB/s, depending on the implementation used. Should you be worried? Universal Serial Bus – NEC – Iomega – Hardware – USB  Read More →

Enthusiasts typically turn to hardware upgrades when it comes to improving the performance of their PC. In the case of PDF creation tools, you should consider looking at software first. We take Adobe Acrobat and compare it to several other viable options. Adobe Acrobat – Publishing – Document – Data Formats – PDF  Read More →

Ahead of its most significant processor redesign since 2003, AMD is talking about its Bulldozer and Bobcat architectures, both of which are expected in 2011. Will AMD be able to catch up, or even surpass Intel’s lead? The future looks interesting, indeed. Bulldozer – Advanced Micro Devices – Intel Corporation – Bobcat – processor  Read More →

Most of our graphics card reviews include power measurements at idle and load. But how do applications tax your GPU in between those two extremes? We line up a handful of different programs and monitor power use with a handful of AMD’s latest cards. Advanced Micro Devices – Radeon – Graphics processing unit – AMD – Video card  Read More →

Intel agressively promotes its Core i3/i5/i7 series, but we wonder: Does it make sense to replace a three-year old high-end PC? In the end, quad-core processors were already pretty powerful in 2007. We created a brand new system and a 2007 PC to compare. Intel Corporation – Multi-core processor – Personal computer – Central processing unit – Hardware  Read More →