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How to build a good gaming PC for under £1000?

1 Reply Jack Guest

EDITOR NOTE: Since this article was written, many of the links to computer parts have become outdated, so they have all now been removed – note by Christopher

Computer parts and a computer case - a custom PCGaming is a great hobby to have, but to buy all the latest releases, not to mention the latest console that comes equipped with crystal-clear graphics and interactive gameplay, it could cost a small fortune. Many thrifty gamers looking to enjoy themselves without breaking the bank could do worse than build the ultimate gaming machine, especially if they have an affinity with playing on a PC.

It’s possible to get everything you need for less than £1,000. All you need to do is know what components are necessary, how powerful you want your machine to be, a few basic computer building skills and the right places to go for your bargains. My personal favourites are the technology section on netvouchercodes.co.uk, the Amazon discount emails, or their computer component recommendations and of course eBay!

Motherboard – £135

It’s the most important part of any PC – without it, nothing else would function correctly. This motherboard from Asus is ideal as it has no bottlenecks, slots for two graphic cards, processor slot and has capacity for as much as 32GB of RAM. It’s also pretty cheap considering what it enables.

Processor – £168

Also from AMD, this six-core Bulldozer processor is great for processing large amounts of data at speed. Among its other vital stats include an 8MB cache and impressive power of 8.3 GHz per core for a relatively low price, and is ideal for multitasking when playing two or more games at once. I found this particular bargain from CCL through their online voucher page.

Memory – £137

Combined, these products provide an impressive 16GB of RAM. This amount of memory is more than enough for even the most data-intensive games.

Random Access Memory

PSU – £60

Every PC needs a cooling system, and this PSU with inbuilt heatsinks is sufficient for an extremely powerful custom-built computer. It runs at 1333 MHz and has a capacity of 16GB, and controls your PC’s power output with minimum fuss.

Graphics cards – £228

The AMD Radeon graphics processor is the most expensive part of your PC, but it’s also the most important for ensuring the games you want to play look as vivid and lifelike as possible. They have 3GB of GDDR5 memory, 800 MHz clock speed for quick gameplay and has room for a second card if necessary.

Solid State Drive – £195

A hard drive of some sort is something else you’ll need, and this 250GB drive is one of the best available for gaming PCs. It has a 6GB/s transfer rate and is ideal for games which use up a huge amount of data.

All those components come to a grand total of around £930. Once you have all that, you can spend the remainder on a case to keep everything in its right place. £70 is plenty of money to spend on a case, no matter how wacky and original you want it to look. All it involves is a little shopping around.

The Samsung Galaxy S4

24 Replies Christopher Roberts

This coming Saturday, Samsung’s latest smartphone, the Galaxy S4, goes on sale.

Smartphone Battles

2009-2012 smartphone market by provider

Global smartphone market share by provider.

Like with most mass market technology, there is a war going on in the smartphone industry. In 2012, according to market analyst firm ICD, Samsung controlled 30.3% of the global smartphone market, 59.5% up on the 19% of the market it controlled the year before.

There is no doubt that Samsung is currently the dominant force in the smartphone market. The firm seems to slowly be winning its battle with Apple, and looks set to take on Google next, with rumours that it soon plans to ditch Google’s Android operating system altogether.

Nokia are predicted to make a comeback (how successful I am unsure) thanks to Windows RT, and makers of BlackBerry, RIM, are also looking stronger in 2013 after the release of BlackBerry 10 earlier this year.

Galaxy S4

Samsung are trying to steal even more of the market from its competitors with the Galaxy S4, so it has pulled out a few stops, maybe not all the stops, but quite a few, to make sure that the phone is a success.

So, the phone has loads of new features, to make it slightly better than its predecessor – the S3.

The S4 has a slightly bigger (5mm to be exact) screen, boasting a whole 5 inches of full HD display, which no doubt gives it amazing clarity. The new phone is also slightly thinner than the S3.

You can buy a Galaxy S4 in black and white, or as Samsung like to call them: black mist and white frost. I have never looked at a phone before (smart or not) and thought “that looks like frost” or mist, but maybe the S4 really does; or maybe it’s just marketing.

Touch and use even with gloves - Samsung Galaxy S4Samsung claim the latest edition of its Galaxy is usable even with gloves on, hopefully reducing the cases of zombie fingers – Jonny, you might be able to use it! 😉

The phone has various other new features, such as Samsung WatchON, which connects your phone to your TV, turning your phone into a remote control.

Another new feature is the multi-speaker capability – if you have more than one handy, you can sync them together to create a better quality of sound.

The S4 will also come with built in 4G compatibility, which the original S3 didn’t. If a fast internet connection is important to you when you are on the go, then the S4 is probably a better choice than the S3.

Eye-Tracking

Probably the most exciting new feature of the Galaxy S4 is the new eye-tracking technology. The phone uses its front camera to monitor the users eye movements, and uses can use this function for a host of different activities.

One of the features which uses the eye-tracking technology is video playback. If you are watching something, and then look away, the device automatically pauses the media for you. Furthermore, eye-tracking technology can be used to scroll up and down a page, without the need to even touch the screen.

Photos

There are two interesting developments in the photographic area of the phone, the first is that you can now add audio snippets to pictures, to enable you to catch even more of the moment. You can also merge video with picture, creating partially animated pictures – sort of like the photographs in the Harry Potter films.

The S4 can also use (and display) the front and rear camera simultaneously, which shows that its quad-core ARM processor is pretty quick!

Your Thoughts

So what are your thoughts on the S4? If you are getting one, do let us know!

Do you think that Samsung have done enough to fend off the competition from its closest rivals?

Personally I think the S4 looks like it is set to become the best smartphone on the market when it goes live at the end of the week.

The Role of the Multiservice Processor in Your Business

Leave a reply Nancy Evans

Technology plays a key role in growth of businesses. Every business wants a platform that’s effective for both clients and customers. The cost of media gateways and wireless controllers are some of the considerations business owners need to look into.

For reducing costs of inventory and speeding up delivery to the market, companies need to integrate the latest solutions such as multiservice processors. Multiservice processors are devices that are compatible with softwares provided by industry leaders, allowing businesses to combine several line cards.

They link to an external communication processor provided by different companies, enabling optimal networking to reduce costs and speed up delivery time. The processors rely on cost-effective solutions which are based on internet protocol (IP), and allows for TMD migration.

A multiservice processor makes space for IP-cards and allows for more connections (SONET/SDH) without requiring additional boards. This allows businesses to take advantage of the most cost-effective TDM or IP lines. Multiple and propriety protocols are supported by these processors including ML/MC-PPP, PWE3, HDLC and ATM. Backward integration is also possible with programming for a connection with non-standard devices.

An ARM processor chipThese processors are flexible and can be used with existing hardware and software platforms. They increase the existing bandwidth, which is important for a growing business, and allows customer to reduce costs by providing support for extra connections. With these processors, the bi-directional bandwidth data of a device can be share by three different protocols at a single time. Ethernets ports and latest ARM processors are integrated as well.

The latest generations of multiservice processors are available for businesses to implement in their ongoing operations. Many different companies specialize in the software that connects to the processor like LSI.

Multiservice processor versions feature IPsec data-encryption for different keys including 128 and 192, and can go up to 256. Different chips offer a set of resources which are able to meet the requirements of different operating systems. Addressing muxponders and transponders along with switching (OTN) requirement is also a feature of multiservice processors.

There’s integration of Ethernet which is carrier based allows to overcome challenges presented by the backhaul of mobile and packet data. Some models also include mapping and SDH framing that makes a cross connection with the carriers, allowing them to transition packet transport (SDH/SONET).

Advanced processors can provide compatibility for UNI links or beyond 80 IMA groups. They also feature packet processing and HDLC. As a result, businesses can take advantage of performance monitoring and synchronous clocking.

This aggregated service is assisting businesses in an increasingly gadget-dominated world. Businesses in different industries are now able to switch from traditional to new IP networks with minimal costs and downtime. Another advantage for businesses is the use of a common platform from switching of TDM to ATM.

For base station controllers and media gateways, the processors provide a state-of the art solution system. Businesses can also use them for multiservice applications such as 4G/LTE wireless access, taking advantage of the high bandwidth.

Businesses making use of multiservice processors will benefit from low costs, increased bandwidth and durable digital storage.