Dual core systems

Spending the time as I do fixing people's systems, it is amazing how often these slow, old PCs are considered adequate for what they want to do. Typically an old Intel Pentium 4 class computer with just 512Mb memory and full 80Gb hard disk drive running Windows XP SP2 is a system that I have a half an hour to wave a magic wand and make it a speed demon.

Usually the adding some more memory, stopping all the programs starting up and removing old programs and temporary files is enough to make a noticeable improvement and a happy customer, who calls me back six months later to do it all over again. Doing this all day I then go back to my 'lean and mean' modern dual core CPU system which is immediately responsive and instantly reacts to my every click together with Virgin Media's 20Mbps broadband connection speed make me realise what modern computing is all about.

It seems that adding an extra CPU core or more plus 4Gb of memory and Windows 7 makes for a really responsive system the purchase price for which can be about £300+. A really impressive replacement of a five year old computer. It is difficult to describe and persuade people that in today's multitasking environments this is what they need.

The rise of the low-end graphic card -- Part 3

Continuing my quest to achieve stunning graphics performance for not much money, I have two more cards to report on. An XFX Radeon HD4650 (£39, 512Mb DDR2, 2,580 3Dmark06) and a Powercolor Radeon HD4770 (£55, 512Mb GDDR5, 12,400 3Dmark06). One a real duffer and the other a star!

The XFX HD4650 is a total under performing failure despite the company's claims that this is in fact an overclocked version. Their customer support was totally useless in determining the cause or offering to replace it. I usually buy this company's graphics cards, but not anymore.

I then tried the Powercolor HD4770 and what a difference; fast and quiet. It has replaced my previous favourite the PNY nVidia 9600GT (£45, 512Mb DDR3, 10,000 3Dmark06) as it is slightly faster and definitely quieter when not on full load. The thermostatically controlled cooling fan on the Powercolor HD4770 wins it for me.

DELL's fabulous XPS 8000

I was tasked by my nephew to choose a new gaming PC. Given the budget and performance objectives, I went about configuring various DELL models and even considered the 'build it myself' option. We decided on a DELL XPS 8000.

It arrived yesterday and was duly unpacked and tested. What a performer! A real 'bang for the buck' gaming system. The specification is:
- DELL XPS 9000 Studio
- Intel i7 860 2.8GHz quad core CPU
- 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 memory
- 640Gb 7,200rpm SATA hard disk drive
- DVD+/-RW optical drive
- nVidia Geforce GTX 860 with 896Mb GDDR5 memory graphics card
- DELL 20" widescreen monitor
- Logitech X230 2.1 speaker set
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

Even though it is a relatively small mini-tower case with a conservatively rated 350W power supply, I still managed to shoehorn in and power the large nVidia GTX860 graphics card. The massive heatpipe cooled heatsink with dual fans keep the card cool and very quiet even under load.

The performance of the whole system is amazing, totally responsive and a gamer's dream system. I recommend it to anybody who wants a great PC gaming machine.