COVER STORY

PC Buy & Build

W

here have all the assemblers

models and variants of components

gone? In the last ten years,

that are going into your PC, so if you are

the number of tiny shops

the type who can reel off motherboard

dotting our Indian cities has been

model numbers by heart and actually

declining steadily and their ads in the

understand the difference a single letter

newspapers are now only rarely to be

in the suffix makes, you shouldnt try

seen. Companies selling branded PCs

anything else.

have been able to reduce their prices

Also, for any true techie, researching

and are concentrating a lot more on

and shopping for the components of

making their products available at

your new computer can be a lot of fun!

household retail chains and electronics

A trip through your citys equivalent of

stores. Theyre also advertising a lot

Lamington Road or Ritchie Street will

more, tempting buyers with combo

open your eyes to the sheer variety of

offers and celebrity endorsements.

parts available in India. Theres no lack

Unless you buy parts and put them

of choice, at least in the big metros.

together yourself, chances are youll

If you come across something online,

be buying a branded PC rather than

chances are its available here. Most

going to a neighborhood assembler.

popular enthusiast brands are now

Assembling PCs looks like a dying

officially available in India, and even if a

profession. Its mainly the computer

particular model isnt available because

parts shops now that are willing to

its a very niche product, chances are

throw together the components you

that the official importer or distributer

choose, possibly for a small surcharge.

will be willing to get a few units in

Yet, if you really know what you are

specially for you.

looking for, there are plenty of reasons

Youll also never have to worry

to go in for a completely customized

about being short-changed. Youll know

PC. We take a look at the best reasons

exactly what type and speed your RAM

to buy branded and the best reasons to

is, what chipset your motherboard uses,

assemble.

or whether your power supply is strong

enough for future upgradesall things

Assembled PCs

that brands tend to gloss over in their

Whether you choose the parts and

specication sheets.

put them together yourself or you pay

On the downside, you will have to

someone else to do it, theres absolutely

be your own technician. If you dont

no doubt that you are getting exactly

have a good knowledge of parts and

what you want. You have the liberty

components, you can easily get taken

to choose every component yourself,

for a ride by shopkeepers who want to

down to the tiniest specication. You

sell slow-moving or outdated items.

have absolute control over the brands,

Youll have to make sure everything

26

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

SMS us! Story code: CSB to 57007

Assembling a computer can be a lot of fun, but there are dozens of choices to be made when
selecting your components. We answer all your questions about difficult hardware choices!
BY TEAM CHIP

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

27

COVER STORY
works perfectly together, and if anything
ever breaks down, youll have to corner
the individual resellers or distributors of
the faulty parts to get them replaced.
You probably wont get doorstep service,
and you certainly wont have a service
center to phone up. The only other minor
downside is that you might not get as

A BRANDS PERSPECTIVE
CHIP caught up with Zenith Computers
Executive Director, Devita Saraf, to get a
few questions answered. She reveals her
companys approach to after-sales
support and to meeting its customers
needs.

slick or good-looking a cabinet as you do

with branded PCs today.

Branded
Branded PCs offer unmatchable
documentation and after-sales service.
Depending on the brand, you can
contact their helpdesks via phone or
email, or have someone come to your
house. Many companies now serve rural
areas of India as well as the metros. You
have one central place to go to when
anything goes wrong, and you can often
even have parts replaced on the spot.
Besides that, you have the assurance
that all the parts inside your computer
have been tested extensively and are
known to work together perfectly. Even
if the parts are low-powered, theyll
usually be of high quality, since it costs a
lot more for them to service and replace
cheap parts than to use decent ones in
the rst place.
You also get a lot of variety when it
comes to shapes and sizes. Brands are
experimenting with all kinds of colors
and designs, so you denitely dont have
to settle for a staid beige box. The build
quality will be excellent, and even the
keyboard and mouse will match the

What is Zeniths unique offering to

customers which would convince them
to buy a branded PC rather than an
assembled one?
First and foremost, Zenith offers 24x7
support at no additional cost in major
and mini metros. Our systems use
standard components, including the
motherboard; this results in lower
upgrade and maintenance costs over a
three-year period. Secondly, at Zenith
we use components from only the
worlds best or second best
manufacturer s. Components and
vendors are selected on the basis of
quality and reliability alone and not on
the basis of price. And last but not least,
the Zenith factory is ISO 9000 and ISO
14000+ certified, assuring consistency
on the shop floor. We resort to
voluntary quality audits on a regular
basis to ensure that we are not slipping
up in any area.
How much flexibility does a customer
have to customize the individual
hardware parts of a new Zenith PC if he
wishes to buy one from retail?
Zenith is very flexible in terms of
configurationwe give you what you
want. We offer options or choices for the
CPU, RAM, hard disk, monitor size, etc.

overall design.
When buying a branded PC, its very
easy to be misled by a salesperson.
Especially if youre shopping in
an electronics store or non-techy
environment, chances are either the
salespeople wont know what theyre

In Zeniths opinion, how important is

the after-sales service network as a
factor in deciding which PC to buy,
especially in less urban areas?
We at Zenith realize that after-sales
service is the major differentiator

between the various branded PCs today.

While many vendors have access to the
same components, what they cannot
adopt is the serve your client culture
that is very unique to Indian companies
and especially to Zenith.
Our after sales support is ISO 9001
certified. We have about 200
Independent Support Offices and
approximately 500 service locations, in
total covering over 2,500 towns and
cities across the country (that represents
almost 90 percent of computer literate
India!). Zenith is one of the largest
vendors to the banking industry
(including large national banks, several
rural and grameen banks, cooperative
banks, and many others). They are all
expanding in rural and class C towns in
India, and in these locations, they have
chosen Zenith as their hardware partner
for the reach of our service arm and the
quality of our after-sales support.
Zenith has invested aggressively in
our support infrastructure only because
we believe strongly that while good
quality and attractive pricing can bring
in a customer for the first time, it is only
high-quality support that can keep the
customer coming back again and again.
Thus we do believe that it is a very
important factor in customers deciding
which PC to buy, in urban as well as
semi-urban and rural areas.

talking about or will be trying to hardsell

a model that gives them a high margin,

dont always list every single attribute of

brands, you arent likely to nd the kind

no matter what is inside it. Branded PCs

the components inside them: the biggest

of conguration you want if youre a

things to watch out for are

the chipset, power supply,
and RAM speed.
If youre savvy enough,

hardcore enthusiast or gamer.

Extremely high-end graphics
cards, fancy RAM, and special gaming
motherboards arent likely to be used.

you can carry a diagnostic

Some charge huge amounts for simple

tool like the free demo

upgrades over the default conguration,

version of Everest (www.

so if you do buy a simple machine and

lavalys.com) with you on

plan to add your own hard drive or

a USB pen drive to see

graphics card, make sure the warranty

what exactly lies under

doesnt automatically get voided if you

the hood. Apart from a few

open the cabinet.

One graphics card or two?

A single powerful graphics card can replace two mainstream graphics cards in SLI or CrossFire
and vice-versa. What to go in for, and why.
hether to go in for a multi-

example, Radeon HD 4850 and HD 4870,

smart multi-GPU setups that are great

GPU setup or a single

which belong to the HD 4800 family.

value for money. But at the same time

quite arguable. But it will all become

more powerful graphics card at every

a better option than two mainstream

very clear to you by the time you reach

Rs 1,000 interval, way up to Rs 35,000.

cards. It will be lighter on the power

the end of this page. Before we delve

You will easily nd a single powerful

supply and at the same time the heat

into the topic lets start with the basics

card that will be equally powerful as two

dissipated and cable clutter will be less.

of SLI and CrossFire X.

mainstream or mid-range cards. In some

powerful graphics card is

Starting from Rs 3,500 youll nd a

Scalable Link Interface or SLI is

a single powerful graphics card can be

There are many who hesitate going

cases two cards in SLI or CrossFire are

in for a multi-GPU setup because

Nvidias multi-GPU technology that

more powerful and budget-friendly than

compatible motherboards are priced

allows clubbing the power of two or

a single powerful card.

steeply and the cost of ownership is

We tested a few SLI and CrossFire

three graphics card by linking them

high. You also require a cabinet with

together on the same motherboard.

setups to show you how powerful they

good cooling because the amount of

CrossFire X is ATIs technology and does

are as compared to single high-end

heat dissipated by two cards is much

the same job, the difference being you

cards. Two GeForce 9600 GT graphics

more than a single card. However, if

can club up to four graphics cards in a

cards (each costing Rs 5,500) congured

you already have an SLI or CrossFire

single PC. The hardware requirements

in SLI perform equally well as a single

motherboard and a good power supply,

of SLI and CrossFire X also differ. First

GeForce GTX 260 which doesnt cost

it makes a lot of sense to add another

of all, you require a motherboard that

less than Rs 13,000. Next, we clubbed

identical card (especially if its a GeForce

is either CrossFire X or SLI-compatible.

two GTS 250 graphics cards (each

9600 GT) if you want to upgrade your

There arent many SLI motherboards to

costing Rs 10,000) and found that their

graphics card. Multi-GPU is the way to

choose from, and the ones available are

combined power easily outperforms a

go even if you dont have a budget for

high-end and expensive. Whereas, there

single GTX 285 which costs around Rs

two powerful graphics card. So, you

are plenty of CrossFire X motherboards

26,000a saving of Rs 6,000 if you

invest in one card today and add another

available in the market, such as the

opt for the former! We also jammed

card some time later.

ones based on AMD 780 GX, 790 GX

two Radeon HD 4770 graphics cards

and 790 FX. Secondly, you require two

in CrossFire and found that a single

Test rig

or three identical Nvidia graphics cards

Radeon HD 4890 a much better deal.

Processor: Intel Core i7 920, 2.66 GHz

to congure them in SLI (same GPU and

Both the options cost the same (around

Motherboard: Asus Rampage II Gene

amount of video memory). In case of

Rs 18,000), but a single graphics card

Memory: 3 x 1 GB Kingston HyperX

CrossFire X, you can club two or more

is more preferable. These are just a few

DDR3-1333

cards from the same family as wellfor

examples. There are many more such

Hard drive: WD Velociraptor, 300 GB

PERFORMANCE OF SINGLE CARD AND DUAL-GPU SETUPS

SCORES
2 x GTS 250 SLI

GTX 275

XFX GTX 285

2 x HD 4770 CF

XFX Radeon HD 4890

2 x 9600 GT SLI

GTX 260 (216 cores)

12706

11016

11847

10273

9738

8247

9220

1680x1050 Gamer 2xAA

26.95 fps

38.05 fps

40.55 fps

35.74 fps

35.29 fps

32.55 fps

33.29 fps

1920x1200 Enthusiast

24.34 fps

23.27 fps

24.51 fps

25.02 fps

22.84 fps

20.45 fps

20.04 fps

1680x1050 Max 8xAA

125.8 fps

95.92 fps

82.35 fps

101.95 fps

88.47 fps

90.6 fps

81 fps

1920x1200 Max 8xAA

83 fps

81.89 fps

74.32 fps

90.04 fps

85.3 fps

73 fps

67.61 fps

1680x1050 High 8xAA

71.9 fps

55.73 fps

61.82 fps

59.88 fps

51.94 fps

56.06 fps

51.25 fps

1920x1200 High 8xAA

62.83 fps

49.53 fps

55.98 fps

53.62 fps

46.9 fps

48.47 fps

45.19 fps

3DMark Vantage
GPU
Crysis Warhead

Race Driver: Grid

Left 4 Dead

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

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29

COVER STORY

Bonus features
Ever wondered what exactly sets apart a regular motherboard from a gaming motherboard?
Here is a clear differentiation between regular and high-end boards.
ith a wide range of

freedom to tweak your CPU, GPU and

motherboard chipsets from

RAM speeds to insane levels. Whats

Intel, AMD and Nvidia,

even more exciting is the addition of

selecting a board that will specically

switches or dials on the motherboard

cater to your needs can be quite a task.

that allow you to overclock CPU speeds

You would obviously narrow down on

on the y. With insane performance

particular model depending on your

tweaks under the hood the chipsets are

usage or maybe even on the processor

cooled using copper heat pipes that have

model. For instance you obviously wont

much superior cooling capabilities than

invest in a high end CPU if your need is

traditional heatsinks. For example, apart

to run basic applications like Microsoft

from the heatpipe the Gigabyte EX58

Office or just browse the Internet. For

Extreme also has a water block for the

this reason motherboards are classied

into three different categories; entry level

Increase your gaming performance byinstalling

multiple graphics cards.

(below Rs 5,000), mid-range (between

Northbridge to connect a water cooler.

These boards are built for gamers who
give two hoots about the price tag.

Rs 5,000 to 15,000) and enthusiast (Rs

will support along with the type of RAM.

15,000 and above).

The Southbridge on the other hand is

Connectivity and Storage

designed to control I/O devices such as

Connectivity is another important aspect

PCI, audio, USB, SATA and the likes.

that separates a regular board from a

For example, take into account the

current generation of IGP boards. They

high end board. Most premium boards

are not only capable of running 3D

have the option of adding up to ten

Also take note that their IGPs are based

Differences between
a Regular and Gaming
Motherboard

around previous generation graphics

Now that we know what exactly sets

the Southbridge is designed to control a

cards such as the Radeon HD3200/

a regular motherboard apart from a

limited number of SATA ports. Though

applications but are also efficient at

handling most games at low settings.

SATA hard drives. This is achieved by

including an extra SATA controller since

HD3100 by ATI and the GeForce

9400/9300 by Nvidia. Boards based on
these IGPs are capable of playing high
denition content thereby lowering CPU
usage. This eliminates the need to invest
in a graphics card.
But then again there are boards based
on chipsets such as the Nvidia 790i SLI,
AMD 790FX and Intel X48 that dont

Entry level boards such as the Asus M3N78-EM is not only capable of decoding high definition movies but
also allows you to hook your system to a an HD-monitor.

have a display controller since they are

made for enthusiasts and gamers who

gaming motherboard lets highlight a

when you look at external connectivity

will undoubtedly invest in a high-end

few more important aspects that set

there is not much of a difference

graphics card. You also have multi-GPU

them apart. For example, boards such

between a premium and a mid-range

support at your disposal.

as the Asus Rampage Extreme are built

board. Premium boards offer up to

purely to perform, with build quality and

twelve USB ports while entry level and

Motherboard Controllers

features that keep them high up in the

most mid range boards accommodate

The overall performance of a

premium segment.

eight to ten of these. This obviously

motherboard basically depends on

Armed to the teeth, these boards

doesnt make up as the only deciding

factor when buying a motherboard.

the Northbridge. The Northbridge acts

come with a wide range of features,

as a router that allows the CPU to

such as on-board CPU power phase

To sum it all up entry-level IGP

communicate with high speed modules

that prevent unwanted power surges

boards are best t for building home

like the RAM, display controller and PCIe.

from affecting your processor, an

PCs that wont empty your wallet. While

So basically, it is the Northbridge that

additional SATA controller to be able

they wont give you the performance of

denes the overall performance of the

to accommodate extra hard drives,

high end boards they will be more than

board. It also plays a vital role in deciding

so on and so forth. Unlike regular

sufficient for your needs if gaming is not

the type of CPU that the motherboard

motherboards these boards give you full

one of your primary desires.

30

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

COVER STORY

The Core of the matter

With a plethora of multi-core processors available, contemplating between processors is
normal. CHIP guides you in choosing the number of cores your computer might need.
he architecture and the
components of a processor

that matters during gaming. In any case,

Phenom II X3 720 v/s Intel

Core 2 Duo E8200

determine its potential. The

equally, because its the graphics card

since the price is same, its better to buy

Tri-Core v/s Dual-Core: Here,both

number of cores is one of the most

a quad-core CPU as opposed to dual-

the processors are priced similarly, but

important features, but it certainly isnt

core. Go in for the E8400 only if you

the X3 720 beats the E8200. Owing to

the most important one. In addition

need the virtualization feature.

its higher clock speed, an additional core

to the number of cores, well discuss

and an equally large cache, the tri-core

For instance, L2 and L3 cache sizes,

Phenom II: X3 710 v/s

X4 810

manufacturing processes and so on.

Tri-Core v/s Quad-Core: Here,

other features that affect performance.

We compared a high-end dual-core

denitely has an upper hand. However, if

youre a gamer, consider the E8200.

JARGON BUSTER

youll notice that owing to the way it

processor with an entry-level quad-core

is built, the Phenom II X3 710 comes

one. Then we compared two Phenom

quite close to match the performance

CACHE

processors, a tri-core and a quad-core.

of the Phenom X4 9750. The latter,

The nal comparison was between a

despite of an additional core and higher

tri-core and a dual-core CPU.

clock speed, only manages to lead by

When a command is executed

frequently, it gets stored into the cache.
While there are mainly two cachesL1
and L2CPUs now also feature L3 cache.
Caches are basically data repositories.
Instead of pulling frequently used data
from the RAM (slower) or the hard drive
(slowest), the CPU pulls it from the
cache. The larger the L2 cache size, the
more data it can store. Since more data
is quickly accessible, executing
commands becomes much faster.

a few points. This is because the X3

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 v/s

Core 2 Quad Q8200

710 has a larger cache size and a leaner

manufacturing process.

High-end Dual-Core v/s EntryLevel Quad-Core: Despite its larger

same specications with the Phenom II

L2 cache and higher clock speed, the

X3 710, except that it features four cores

E8400 wasnt able to beat the Q8200.

and the 4 MB L2 cache. Despite the

This is mainly because the latter features

reduction in cache, this CPU is the most

double the number of cores. Most scores

powerful amongst all three.

The Phenom II X4 810 shares the

VIRTUALIZATION

If youre contemplating between the

indicate that even an entry-level quadcore processor trounces a high-end dual-

X3 710 and X4 9750, the former offers

core one. As far as gaming is concerned,

better value for money, because the X4

both processors would contribute almost

9750 is not much powerful.

A processor that supports virtualization

is optimized for running multiple
operating systems simultaneously.

DUAL-CORE VS TRI-CORE VS QUAD-CORE

SCORES
SPECIFICATIONS

INTEL CORE 2
DUO E8400

INTEL CORE 2 QUAD

Q8200

PHENOM II X3
710

PHENOM X4 9750

PHENOM II X4 810

INTEL CORE 2
DUO E8200

PHENOM II X3
720

3.00 GHz

2.33 GHz

2.60 GHz

2.40 GHz

2.60 GHz

2.66 GHz

2.80 GHz

L2 cache

6 MB shared

2 MB x 2

512 KB per core

512 KB per core

512 KB per core

6 MB shared

512 KB per core

L3 cache

NA

NA

6 MB shared

2 MB shared

4 MB shared

NA

6 MB shared

Virtualization

Rs 9,000

Rs 9,000

Rs 7,250

Rs 9,000

Rs 10,400

Rs 8,500

Rs 8,500

7254 | 6600

8411 | 7186

7597 | 6691

7797 | 8817

8311 | 7153

6762 | 6399

7654 | 6798

Frequency
Number of cores

Price
SYNTHETIC SCORES
PC Mark | 3DMark
REAL-WORLD SCORES
CineBench R10

6139 CB-CPU

8810 CB-CPU

6435 CB-CPU

7714 CB-CPU

8386 CB-CPU

5652 CB-CPU

6899 CB-CPU

Audio / Video encoding

87 sec / 49 sec

60 sec / 31 sec

80 sec / 39 sec

73 sec / 33 sec

65 sec / 29 sec

96 sec / 55 sec

74 sec / 36 sec

121.9 fps

96.3 fps

96.66 fps

81.7 fps

90.12 fps

112.25 fps

101.61 fps

32 fps

32.28 fps

32.86 fps

31.4 fps

32.85 fps

32.1 fps

33 fps

GAMING
Crysis
1024x768 Performance
1280x1024 Gamer

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INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

RAM: switching channels

Should I use RAM in single-channel or in dual-channel? Will one stick of 2 GB suffice or should I
buy two separate sticks of 1 GB each? CHIP demystifies the myth for you.

he concept of a dual-channel

designed real-world benchmarks such

RAM setup is largely owed to

as audio and video encoding, and a

the need for evading the bottle

couple of game benchmarks.

neck between the RAM and the CPU.

RAM modules in a dual-channel

Results

setup can communicate at double the

Youll notice that theres almost no

speed with memory controllers due to

difference between the performances

increased bandwidth.

of RAM when in single-channel or dual.

To get a clear justication, we

The only exception is that in the latter,

conducted tests to evaluate as

the scores of synthetic benchmarks are

to whether a dual-channel RAM

double, because both banks combine to

conguration performs better than a

provide double the bandwidth.

single-channel one.

However, in real-world scenarios a

When used in dual-channel, the same amount of

RAM shows almost double the bandwidth (inset).

dual-channel setup helps to complete a

RAM configuration

certain tasks only a couple of seconds

Since we wanted to test the

earlierwhich is of less signicance.

to opt for a larger capacity to use it in

performance of RAM modules on both

Other than that, there are no added

single-channel. For instance, buying

platformsIntel and AMDtwo separate

advantages. Even in games, if you notice

a single module of 2 GBas opposed

rigs were prepared. Each rig involved

the frame rates, theres an invariable

to two 1 GB moduleswill be cheaper.

three different RAM congurations.

difference of only one frame, which

Also if you buy one module, you can use

The rst one was where a single RAM

again doesnt justify the expense of a

other RAM slots to upgrade the systems

module of 2 GB was used. The second

dual-channel setup.

memory in the future, which wont be

one was where two modules of 1 GB

possible if all the slots are occupied.

What might make a signicant

each were used for a dual-channel

difference between the two is when one

Note: Since the hardware

setup. In the third conguration, we ran

uses demanding applications such as

congurations and performance

the same two (1 GB) modules in single-

lters in Adobe Photoshop, 3D modeling,

levels of each platform is different,

channel. So there were six benchmark

and editing audio and video les.

the comparison is only between

the three different arrangements of

cycles in allthree for each platform.

Verdict

RAM modules and not between the

Since a dual-channel RAM setup hasnt

platforms. For instance in this table,

For testing, we used a battery of

much to offer over a single-channel one,

one cannot compare PCMark scores of

relevant synthetic benchmarks such

it makes sense to use RAM in the latter.

a single-channel RAM setup on the AMD

as the Memory Bandwidth suite from

If you already have two RAM modules,

platform with a dual-channel setup on

SiSoft Sandra and the Memories and

then you might as well use them in a

Intel. But you can compare scores of

Overall suites from PCMark Vantage

dual-channel setup. Otherwise if you

different RAM congurations within the

Professional. We also used our pre-

plan on buying new RAM, its better

same platform.

Benchmarks

SINGLE CHANNEL V/S DUAL CHANNEL RAM CONFIGURATIONS

SCORES
CONFIGURATION
AMD

SYNTHETIC BENCHMARKS
PCMARK VANTAGE

REAL WORLD BENCHMARKS

SISOFT SANDRA

AUDIO

VIDEO

GAMING (FPS)

Overall

Memories

Memory Bandwidth

Encoding

Encoding

Left 4 Dead

Single 2 GB stick

8448

6052

5.59 GB/s

1 min 3 sec

27 sec

46.83 / 39.90

Crysis Warhead
27.13 / 17.1

Two 1 GB sticks in dual-channel

8085

6103

9.45 GB/s

1 min 5 sec

27 sec

46.93 / 40.02

27.36 / 17.68

Two 1 GB sticks in single-channel

8282

6000

5.62 GB/s

1 min 2 sec

27 sec

46.91 / 39.94

28.29 / 17.05

Intel
Single 2 GB stick

6482

6294

5.96 GB/s

1 min 34 sec

49 sec

58.25 / 56.84

44.90 / 29.17

Two 1 GB sticks in dual-channel

6550

6838

5.96 GB/s

1 min 32 sec

48 sec

59.84 / 57.21

45.30 / 29.21

Two 1 GB sticks in single-channel

6581

6378

5.83 GB/s

1 min 32 sec

48 sec

58.18 / 56.68

44.59 / 29.19

Left 4 Dead = 1280x1024 High 8XAA / 1600x1200 High 8XAA

Crysis = 1280x1024 Gamer 2XAA / 1600x1200 Enthusiast

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

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COVER STORY

The Balancing Act

Be it a processor or a graphics card, both are important, depending on the task at hand. The
question is, how to recognise the importance of each? CHIP has the right answer.
ts a known fact that a CPU is

The graphics cards installed on both the

differently in the CPU tests. The scores

the most important hardware

rigs were identical to each other.

of each processor signicantly increased

component of a computer. However,

GPU: Since we wanted to check how a

as it climbs the categorical hierarchy. An

owing to the rapid evolution of GPU-

graphics card performs when processors

entry-level processor took the maximum

processing, this may get challenged. The

are swapped, we set GPU benchmarks.

time (least powerful) as opposed to a

current graphics cards are much more

Synthetic benchmarks included the

high-end one which took the least time

powerful with number-crunching than

overall and GPU test suites from PCMark

for completion (most powerful).

processors. In effect, a graphics card

Vantage Professional, and the real-

(discrete GPU) might eventually become

world game benchmarks included Crysis

Strike a balance

an equallyif not the mostimportant

Warhead and Left 4 Dead.

Hardcore Gamers: If youre a gamer

component.

CPU: We then set a couple of real-world

who likes gaming at higher resolutions

benchmarks to check the difference in

and settingssuch as anti-aliasing

calculations, a GPU is needed for

the performances of CPUs when the

hiked up, opt for a good mainstream

rendering graphics such as visual effects,

rigincluding the GPUwas constant.

processor and a high-end graphics card.

animation and such. Also, if one intends

These benchmarks were video and audio

Also if youre a fan of overclocking,

to play the newest games, a standard

encoding, and CineBench R10.

most high-end hardware components

While a processor handles the core

even allow sprucing up the performance

onboard GPU will not suffice. Therefore,

depending on ones computing needs,

Results

which means better frame rates in

there has to be a good balance between

The scores from the GPU benchmarks

games and better processing power.

the performances of the CPU and the

clearly indicate that no matter which

GPU in a computer.

processor you use, the GPU offers

is not a pre-requisite to play games at

more-or-less the same performance. An

very high resolutions and with settings

To give you a clear comparison, we

Heres a tip: A high-end processor

consecutively tested different processors

exception is where both components,

maxed outbut a larger monitor is.

on a common rig, while keeping the

the processor and graphics card belong

Light games and applications:

graphics card as a constant.

to the high-end category.

Light gaming can be described as

A CPU complements a GPU when

either playing games that are light on

Benchmarks

it comes to less-demanding games

resources, or playing high-end games

Three sets of benchmarks were run on

and applications such as Left 4 Dead.

at modest or low resolutions and with

an Intel platform and two on AMD. Each

If you notice the GPU scores in Crysis,

medium settings on. In either case,

of these sets was run with a different

they are almost identical at higher

there is not much stress on the GPU.

processor installed. So in all there

resolution and settings (see screenshot

Because, at the end of the day, its the

were ve benchmarking sets for ve

below). Therefore, its safe to say that

GPU that does the rendering part, so

processors. For the Intel platform, we

a processor doesnt help much when

even if a game offers best visual effects,

used an entry-level, a mainstream and

it comes to gaming. However, despite

when played at lower resolutions even a

a high-end processor. For AMD, we used

the graphics card and the entire rig

mainstream GPU can handle it.

a mainstream and a high-end processor.

being constant, the processors perform

So, if youre a light gamer and if you

need decent processing power for office
and mainstream applications, choose a
mid-level graphics card and processor.

Office and mainstream

applications: Finally, if all you need
is to work with spreadsheets, surf the
Internet, chat, exchange emails and so
on, even an entry-level processor with
onboard graphics will suffice.
In this case, if you decide to play
games without changing the current
hardware, all you need to do is install a
graphics card. The better the graphics
Swapping processors only improves the
performance in real world scenarios (inset).

34

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

When the graphics card is same, swapping

processors makes almost no difference in games.

card, the better the gaming experience

and the processor will pose no problem.

COVER STORY

Overclock me, baby!

CHIP shows you how Intel's Extreme Edition and AMD's Black Edition processors are different
from other processorsit's just one special feature.
sk an enthusiast: Whats your

favorite CPU? The answer

would most likely be one of

Intels Extreme Edition or AMDs Black

Edition processors. By now we are all
familiar with the names of processor
families such as Core 2 Duo, Core 2
Quad, Athlon 64 X2 and Phenom II X4.
Its easy to tell whether a processor
is dual-core, triple-core or quad-core
by the name of the family it belongs
tothe Phenom II X3 720 is one of
AMDs triple-core processors and it is
also a special edition processor called
Black Edition. Likewise, the Intel Core 2
Extreme QX9650 is an Extreme Edition
quad-core processor. These fancy words
sound like these CPUs have some type

The Phenom II X4 940 can be overclocked from

3.0 GHz to 3.6 GHz by increasing the CPU multiplier.

With a locked multiplier, its bus speed would have

had to be increased from 200 to 240 MHz.

of superpower, and they indeed do!

But before we get to understanding

a 3.0 GHz AMD Phenom II X4 940 has a

on the motherboards chipset and

what this superpower does, lets get

15x multiplier. The multiplier of a CPU is

memory. Simply raise the multiplier and

to the basics of clock speed and

a locked value and cannot be increased.

you get a turbo boostno math involved

overclockinga little bit of simple math.

In order to overclock CPUs with a locked

to calculate the optimum memory

mulitiplier, you have to increase the FSB

speed. There are not many EE and BE

motherboards bus speed (FSB) and the

which in turn also increases the speed of

processors to choose from and they

CPU multiplier. For example, the Intel

RAM. For example, to overclock the Core

come at a premium price. Processors

Core 2 Duo E7300 which is clocked at

2 Duo E7300 from 2.66 GHz to 3 GHz,

suffixed with Extreme Edition and

2.66 GHz has a 10x multiplier. The FSB

you will have to increase the FSB from

those from the Core 2 Extreme family

runs at 266 MHz which is effectively

266 MHz to 300 MHz but you will have

are what Intel has to offer if youre a

1066 MHz (266 x 4)the FSB of all Intel

to reduce the RAM speed if its running

spendthrift overclocker. The top-end

Core 2-series CPUs is quad-pumped and

at full speed. Therefore you need a

variants from the Phenom and Phenom

the CPU speed is 266 MHz x 10 = 2.66

good motherboard that can handle high

II families (tri-core and quad-core) are

GHz. Similarly, the 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2

FSB speeds and high-end memory to

Black Edition models and are much

Quad Q8200 has a 7x multiplier. In case

overclock a CPU.

affordable than Intel EE processors.

The CPU speed is the product of

of AMD Athlon 64, Phenom and Phenom

II CPUs, the bus speed is 200 MHz. So

Extreme Edition and Black Edition

cakewalk with EE and BE processors,

because these CPUs feature an unlocked

but that doesnt mean you should settle

multiplier that can be bumped higher

for one if you want a good processor

than the default value. Take the case

to overclock. A lot depends on the

of the 3.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme

processor itself. Although AMDs Black

QX9650, which has a default multiplier

Edition processors are easy to overlock,

of 9x. By just increasing the multiplier

they dont have as much headroom

from 9x to 10x the CPU speed increases

for overclocking as Intel Core 2 Duo

by 333 MHz to 3.33 GHz. Similarly, the

processors do. Nearly all Intel Pentium

AMD Phenom II X4 940 which is a Black

Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo processors

Edition CPU can easily be overclocked

are more versatile because they can

from 3.0 GHz to 3.6 GHz by increasing its

be overclocked by more than 1 GHz.

multiplier from 15x to 18x.

However, you will have to tweak the FSB

The biggest advantage you get

You can choose a higher value if the CPU multiplier
is unlocked. The default in this case is 15.

36

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

No doubt overclocking becomes a

CPUs are a blessing for enthusiasts

and RAM ratio. Go for a Black Edition

with these processors is that you can

CPU if you want easy overclocking

overclock them without putting stress

without emptying your wallet.

Graphics cards with more guts

Your new graphics card ought to pack more punch if you read this guide. Find out whether to
opt for more video memory or higher clock speeds.
icking a graphics card that offers

available in the market. Out of these,

the quality of the PCB and components

the best bang for the buck can

strike out the ones that have DDR2

used in construction. Cards with all-solid

be as tricky as choosing a good

memory instead of the standard DDR3

capacitors have a longer lifespan. Also

motherboard, even though you dont

memory. If your GPU is entry-level and

note the warranty period offered by

have to look out for as many features!

comes with only DDR2 memory, look out

the manufacturer. If some brand is

Lets say you want to pick the best

for DDR3 variants and mark it as the rst

offering three year warranty for a slightly

preference. DDR2 memory is

graphics card that falls within a budget

higher price than some other brand

slower and impacts frame

thats offering only a years warranty,

easy guess, but confusion will set in as

rates signicantly. The

dont hesitate to pay the premium. In

soon as you take a look at the various

next step is to

most cases youll end up with a good

options available on store shelves.

strike out the ones

factory-overclocked graphics card for an

of Rs 6,500. The GeForce 9600 GT is an

that have twice the

Youll nd the same card offered

amount of memory

by numerous manufacturers and

attractive price. If factory-overclocked

graphics cards are priced much higher

each one offering three to

than the standard

than the standard variants, then

ve variants. The standard

variant. For example,

settle for the latter. The difference in

eliminate any 9600 GT

version of the 9600 GT

features 512 MB DDR3
memory and costs the least.
Then youll nd factory-overclocked

youll have to shell out. If youre loyal to

memory, even if its factory-

a particular brand, you may be hesitant

overclocked. Higher amounts of

to follow this guide. But we suggest you

editions of the same card in 512 MB and

memory mean higher price and

1 GB options. Shift your sight to another

it hardly makes a difference in

performance. Surprised? But yes,

shelf and youll nd a 2 GB variant for a

performance wont justify the premium

graphics card with 1 GB

see what other brands have to offeryou

might end up with something better.
Also, dont be lured by fancy packaging
and gures mentioned on them.

slightly higher price than the standard

its true! Finally, what youll have left in

version. There are even more variants

your list will be standard and factory-

available, more than 20 variants in all

overclocked variants by various brands.

different memory sizes (512 MB and 1

of 9600 GT to choose from. And one of

Half of your dilemma is solved at this

GB), memory types (DDR2 and DDR3),

these 20 variants will be the smartest

stage. Now comes the time to make a

and factory-overclocked versions. You

choice! Here we have taken the case

smart choice. Find out the average price

will be stunned by the results!

of only one GPU. No matter what GPU

of the standard variant and see if youre

youve opted for, keep these points in

getting a factory-overclocked edition or

Test rig

mind while buying a graphics card and

something with a good custom cooler for

Processor: Intel Core i7 920, 2.66 GHz

youll surely end up with a golden pick.

a slightly higher price (not more than a

Motherboard: Asus Rampage II Gene

few hundred rupees).

Memory: 3 x 1 GB Kingston HyperX

Before you go to shop for your

After your choice has narrowed

graphics card, do this little homework.

Prepare a list of the various models

down to three to ve cards, examine

We tested graphics cards with

DDR3-1333
Hard drive: WD Velociraptor, 300 GB

GRAPHICS CARD SCORES

SCORES
9800 GT - 512 MB

9800 GT - 1 GB

9600 GT - 512 MB

9600 GT - 1 GB

9600 GT - 2 GB

9500 GT - 1 GB OC

9500 GT - 1 GB

5144

4946

4235

4321

2947

1345

1243

1680x1050 Mainstr 2xAA

49.29 fps

48.44 fps

39.87 fps

40.6 fps

30.78 fps

16.2 fps

15 fps

1920x1200 Mainstr 2xAA

40.26 fps

40.52 fps

32.95 fps

33 fps

24.9 fps

12.35 fps

11.88 fps

1680x1050 High 4xAA

42.93 fps

42.96 fps

38.89 fps

39.77 fps

29.71 fps

17.89 fps

16.57 fps

1920x1200 High 4xAA

37.13 fps

37.16 fps

33.3 fps

34.24 fps

25.18 fps

14.59 fps

13.39 fps

3DMark Vantage (GPU)

Crysis Warhead

Left 4 Dead

Grid
1680x1050 2xAA

63.3 fps

59.15 fps

50.97 fps

52.13 fps

36.43 fps

41.93 fps

36.46 fps

1920x1200 2xAA

53.5 fps

52.07 fps

44.16 fps

43.85 fps

32.3 fps

35.42 fps

30.88 fps

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

37

COVER STORY

Choose your USB flash drive

Flash drives come in various flavours, some store more data, some look better and some are
faster than others. CHIP shows you how to make the perfect choice.
here are various factors that

Entry-level

drives. Most of them look good and

have made USB ash drives

Transcend 2 GB

perform well too. As far as design is

the most commonly used data

These are standard ash drives that

concerned, they are robust and also

storage media today. The revolutionary

offer average or poor performance,

include features such as extra shock-

amalgamation of the USB standard

especially if youre working with too

protection, in the guise of rubberized

and ash storage is by far the biggest

much data. This segment is intended for

shells and so on. Owing to their design

contributor. In addition to that,

people who transfer small les or small

and large storage capacities, they are

portability, form factor, accessibility and

volumes of data. For instance, when

affordability are very good reasons for

transferring a few megabytes such as

ash drives to persist.

a few songs, a couple of small video

Music, videos, photos or office

clips and some office documents.

documents, a portable ash drive

They are the cheapesta 2 GB

accommodates anything you throw at

ash drive can be bought for

it. These tiny gizmos even allow using

as low as Rs 250.

expensive. A 32 GB ash
drive such as the Corsair
Voyager CMFUSB2.0-32GB
is priced at 3,640 and the
Corsair Flash Voyager GT 16GB
is priced at 2,396. While this
segment targets enthusiasts and
gamers, such drives hoard large volumes

portable applications which need no

installation. Considering these factors,

Mid-segment

their fame amongst computer users such

Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 4 GB

as professionals, students and business

Here, ash drives offer above-average

Performance

people is completely justied.

or good performance. In addition to

The scores indicate that theres

of data on the go.

that, theyre durable and good-looking.

signicant difference between the

the capacity of a ash drive, the more

Some are made of hard plastic and

performance of an entry-level drive and

data you can store. But, thats not

some even boast metallic shells such

a mid-segment one. But the difference

the only criterion for a ash drive to

as the Sandisk Cruzer Titanium. Theyre

between the latter and high-end drives

be considered good. Performance,

intended for people who want to store

is negligible. High-end drivesalthough

durability, cost and looks also matter.

and transfer moderate to large volumes

more robust and good-lookingdo not

Lets say that there are two variants (2

of data such as 4 GB to 8 GB. Although

essentially trounce the mid-segment

GB) and (8 GB) of one model. Here, the

theyre comparatively more expensive

drives. Of course, there are exceptions.

former would be slightly slower than the

than entry-level drives, their transfer

Hint, if the random write speed (multiple

It goes without saying that, larger

latter in most cases. Many people might

speed is much better. A good

judge a ash drive by its design and

one would cost anywhere

cost. Its important to consider

from Rs 600 (4 GB) to

around Rs 1000 (8GB).

the performance, as some

of them are really slow. In

les) of a ash drive exceeds 10 MB/s,

consider it to be a very good performer.

Decision making
If you want portable storage for large

this story we have compared

High-end

volumes of data, a portable hard drive

ash drives from three segments, entry-

Sandisk Extreme Ducati Edition 4 GB

makes more sense as opposed to a

level, mid-segment and high-end one.

These are the most decorative ash

decorative high-end ash drive. The

former offers ten times the storage
capacity at a slightly higher price.

REAL WORLD SCORES

For instance, the Western Digital My

SCORES

Passport Essential Edition-160 GB costs

Benchmarks

Entry-level
Transcend v30 2 GB

Mid-segment

High-end

Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 4 GB Sandisk Extreme Ducati Edition 4 GB

around Rs 3500. Compare it with the 16

GB ash drive and do the math.

1 GB Single file Read / Write

11.49 / 3.28 MB/s

25 / 11.36 MB/s

23.25 / 15.38 MB/s

If youll carry a few DivX movies,

1 GB Multiple files Read / Write

6.41 / 1.77 MB/s

7.69 / 3.80 MB/s

7.81 / 4.36 MB/s

some songs and some valuable data, a

Small

Medium-sizes

Relatively larger

Plain-Jane and standard

Professional

Enthusiast (such as for gamers)

Industry-grade plastic
or cheaper

Thick plastic or
even metal

Mostly tough metal

Form-factor
Looks
Durability

* The form-factor, design and durability largely depend on the make (brand) and model of a flash drive. In the table we've generalized
these factors as per our on-going observations.

decent mid-segment ash drive suffices.

Finally, if you want the cheapest solution
to transfer only a few megabytes, go for
a cheap and entry-level ash drive.
We still suggest a mid-segment drive
because at the end of the day, it offers
more bang for the buck.

38

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

The high speed lane

Using hard drives with higher cache memory and faster spindle speeds is not the solution for a
faster storage medium. Hard drives coupled in RAID 0 can prove to be a solution.
hese days, hard drive

different drives at the same time. This

manufacturers battle each other

helps speeding the data read and

in producing faster storage

write process, thus availing higher data

devices based on higher cache memory,

throughput speeds. RAID 0 is achieved

faster spindle speeds and solid state

by clubbing two or more hard drives (not

(ash memory-based) drives. As of now,

necessarily of the same capacity) and

we all know that ash drives are the

can be congured by using software or

fastest available storage media as they

hardware RAID methods via the onboard

have non-movable parts which reduce

RAID controller or through the operating

access times for data read and write.

system respectively.

But with the prices of SSDs still sky-high

We have put together a comparison

and the present available capacity not

chart of the data transfer speeds

exceeding 250 GB, it is still out of reach

involving three different types of

for the average PC user.

hard drives in single and RAID 0

What if you are in need of a faster

environments. The table below will

BEFORE OPTING FOR

RAID SETUPS
Employing RAID using hard drives of
different capacities is not recommended.
RAID is usually created using hard
drives of the same make, speed and
capacity to get the best performance. If
hard drives of different capacities are
used, the total volume of the RAID setup
would depend upon the hard drive with
the lowest capacity. For example, if two
hard drives in RAID 0 are 80 GB and 250
GB respectively, the volume created
after RAID clubbing would be 80 GB +
80 GB and the remaining 170 GB from
the second hard drive would be wasted
and unused.

storage system and cannot afford an

give you a clearer picture of how the

SSD? The solution is RAID 0which

performance level doubles when two of

is basically a method of clubbing or

the same hard drives are clubbed in RAID

coupling two or more hard drives in

0. Opting for RAID 0 is benecial when

one of the hard drives fails is very high.

a type of a team to create a better

data transfer speed of a storage drive is

To take advantage of the performance

performing or higher capacity storage

important, but it has its advantages as

that RAID can offer, you can opt for

medium. RAID 0 is the method of

well as drawbacks. While RAID 0 mode

RAID 10, RAID 01 or RAID 5, where the

striping the data into an equal number

gives you a better performing storage

risk of data loss is lower because data is

of segments which are stored on

solution, the risk of losing data in case

striped as well as mirrored.

RAID SCORES
SCORES
WD Caviar GP 500 GB

WD Caviar GP 500 GB

WD VelociRaptor 300 GB

WD VelociRaptor 300 GB

Intel X25-M SSD 80 GB

Single drive

RAID 0 (2 drives)

Single drive

RAID 0 (2 drives)

Single drive

SYNTHETIC SCORES
PCMark Vantage
Overall

5764

6284

6816

7463

10505

Productivity

4958

5499

6145

6835

13640

Hard drive

3033

3775

5838

6904

26690

57.12 MB/s

114.96 MB/s

98 MB/s

182.01 MB/s

185.97 MB/s

9 ms

8 ms

5 ms

5 ms

2 ms

Sequential Read

68.15 MB/s

144.89 MB/s

114.58 MB/s

227.67 MB/s

246.73 MB/s

Sequential Write

68.03 MB/s

142.38 MB/s

115.05 MB/s

228.83 MB/s

70.70 MB/s

Random Read

41.73 MB/s

66.15 MB/s

73.17 MB/s

108.15 MB/s

165.83 MB/s

Random Write

36.12 MB/s

89.53 MB/s

79.36 MB/s

133.2 MB/s

74.91 MB/s

Single file read

45 MB/s

57 MB/s

60 MB/s

67 MB/s

64 MB/s

Single file write

45 MB/s

59 MB/s

64 MB/s

66 MB/s

44 MB/s

Multiple files read

40 MB/s

59 MB/s

59 MB/s

65 MB/s

81 MB/s

Multiple files write

35 MB/s

65 MB/s

65 MB/s

85 MB/s

56 MB/s

Rs 3,000

Rs 6,000

Rs 16,500

Rs 33,000

Rs 18,500

Sisoft Sandra
Drive Index
Random Access Time

REAL WORLD SCORES

Price

The above table shows the performance levels of two types of drives in three different scenarios. One single WD Velociraptor can easily outperform two entry level WD Caviar GP hard drives in RAID 0.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

39

COVER STORY

External Affairs
USB, FireWire or eSATA? What are these used for? Which one would be faster? Which one
should I opt for? CHIP answers all these questions.
ith the amount of data being

2.5-inch hard drives have a

800 is only found on Apples

generated and downloaded

spindle speed of 5,400 rpm

Macintosh computers. The top

daily, the requirement of

and 3.5-inch hard drives spin at

speed (theoretically) available

storage space is on the rise. Laptops and

7,200 rpm hence the latter

for FireWire 400 and FireWire

desktops usually are shipped with hard

are known to be faster than

800 are approx 50 MB/s and

drives varying from 160 GB to 250 GB,

the former. 2.5-inch hard drives

100 MB/s respectively. But again,

which is not sufficient enough for storing

are expensive and the present

practical tests claim a lower

massive amounts of data. Well, what

capacity does not exceed more

speed which is still a bottleneck.

is this massive amounts of data that

than 500 GB, which make the

we are referring to? Usually movies and

3.5-inch external hard drives

of data transfer between a

music, while the rest might consist of

higher in demand, unless mobility

computer and an external

the usual stuff such as software setups,

is the main concern.

storage drive. eSATA is actually

games, emails, photos and regular

Opting for a faster means of

eSATA is the best mode

similar to connecting the

daily office documents. On an average,

data transfer is more important

the monthly data generated by regular

to save time. Manufacturers

the motherboards SATA ports.

computer users can be estimated to be

selling external drives these days

Hence the bottlenecking factor is

around 15 GB to 20 GB, depending on

are concentrating implementing products

near zero. SATA and eSATA can transfer

the type of activities on the Internet and

that can transfer data through faster I/O

data at a maximum theoretical speed

office. Graphics designers and music/

ports such as FireWire or eSATA because

of approx 300 MB/s. If one needs faster

video editors tend to churn out even

USB (even though it is commonly found

transfer speeds for backup and storage

more than this average count. So how

on all computers, unlike FireWire and

purposes, eSATA is the best to opt for.

would someone store or backup this data

eSATA) has its limitations for transfer

2.5-inch external storage drives are rarely

securely?

speeds. The USB port can transfer

available with the eSATA option. 2.5-inch

The answer is an external

external hard drive directly on

data at theoretical speeds

enclosures with the eSATA feature are

storage device. Usually available

of a maximum 60 MB/s, but

available from certain manufacturers

from capacities between 250

in real world, the speeds

such as Vantec and Apical and are very

GB to 2 TB, external storage

obtained are far much lower

expensive at present. 3.5-inch external

drives are emergency life

(average of 30 MB/s max).

storage drives with eSATA, FireWire and

savers during tragedies such

This causes a bottleneck

USB are more readily available from

as virus attacks and operating

between the computer and the

system crashes. At most times, data

needs to be backed up or retrieved

hard drive, as internal hard drives

have an average transfer speed of

manufacturers like Seagate and Western

Digital. Only newer motherboards and
laptops are equipped with an eSATA

from external storage drives urgently in

approx 60 MB/s to 100 MB/s. Hence the

port. To use an eSATA external storage

this fast moving world. Hence, external

true potential of a hard drive cannot be

on older desktops, you would have to

storage drives need to be spacey, faster

tapped using USB mode of data transfer.

purchase a SATA-to-eSATA bracket.

and efficient. External storage drives

FireWire (a serial bus standard for high

To give you an idea of the actual

and external drive enclosures are much

speed data transfer) on the other hand

differences in data transfer speeds

more in demand than ever before. Hard

is faster than USB and has two variants

between USB, FireWire 400 and eSATA,

drives used in these storage drives or

FireWire 400 and FireWire 800. While

we put to test an external storage drive

enclosures are available in two form

FireWire 400 ports are commonly found

(Western Digital MyBook Home Edition

factors 2.5inch and 3.5inch. Usually

on IBM compatible PCs, the FireWire

500 GB). We transferred 1 GB of data

in a single le and 1 GB in assorted les
between the external drive and the

REAL WORLD SCORES

desktop computer using USB, FireWire

SCORES

400 and eSATA cables respectively.

The results are amazing with minor

USB

FireWire 400

eSATA

Single read

18.19 MB/s

24.39 MB/s

55.55 MB/s

differences between USB and FireWire

Single Write

19.23 MB/s

25.64 MB/s

40.00 MB/s

400, but twice the speeds in eSATA. So

Multiple Read

24.39 MB/s

25.64 MB/s

43.47 MB/s

look at the results given to the left and

Multiple Write

12.34 MB/s

12.98 MB/s

24.39 MB/s

make your decision based on the transfer

speeds according to your requirements.

40

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INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

Left-Click and [Enter]

Your hands in the computer world are simply the keyboard and the mouse. Find the best
combination for daily needs.
eyboards and mice are the most

it is so instinctive. If your

overlooked components when

mouse settings tailor your

it comes to buying a PC today.

needs then you will be able

This is strange given the fact that the

to effortlessly navigate on

only way a human being can even use

your PC. The standard mouse

a computer is because of these two

has two buttons and one

magical devices. How many times a day

scroll wheel. These mice sense

do you open up your PC cabinet and

movement by physical position

ddle with the processor or graphics

(ball mouse) or by LED (optical mouse)

card? Do these components make a

and this mode of sensing is called

perhaps an ergonomic keyboard. Gaming

Word document for you for college/office

tracking. Standard mice are adequate

keyboards have great deal of extremely

work? Do any of these devices navigate

for all computer users but if you want

simple functions that have immediate

web pages for you? The answer is no.

that extra bit of performance you need

benets. Some of these are backlit keys,

Cars need steering wheels, gears, brakes,

to get a gaming mouse. The best gaming

programmable buttons, media center

a clutch and an accelerator to take

mice have more than two

controls and so on. The keys themselves

buttons; a scroll wheel which

are far more responsive and the tactility

moves along the X and Y axis,

really does feel so much better than a

weight tuning and the tracking

regular keyboard. Ergonomic keyboards

mechanism is usually laser.

are designed in such a manner that

These beauties can change

they are more comfortable to type

settings on-the-y, so you

over long stretches of time. These

dont have to minimize your

keyboards have keys which are split into

heavy application in order to

groups and the keyboard shape keeps

constantly change mouse settings

groups of keys for each hand to type

for each task. These mice are superb for

easily. Both these keyboards are more

gaming and they can adapt to multiple

expensive than the regular keyboard

scenarios for the player on-the-y but

but in the long run their benets are

you where you want to go; otherwise

they are also good for designing and

signicant. Certain keyboards

a car is just one big engine. How can a

on large monitors. The laser mice are

positional exibility

good keyboard and/or a good mouse

extremely precise work very well on a

which means

change your life? Well, you must know

huge array of surfaces. The additional

how comfortable you feel when you are

buttons are great to save extra functions

at your computer. The position of the

keyboard and mouse greatly affect

and macros for instantaneous use.

Consult the manual of mouse

productivity of the user, so make sure

you buy carefully and keep your

you are comfortably seated in front

drivers mouse updated. Remember

of your screen with good chair which

a good mouse can take you a long

has armrests and that your keyboard

way.

and mouse are easily accessible to

you. There are some varieties in the

have

The keyboard is the interpreter

between the human world and the

that they can be adjusted to t your

needs. Not only does this keep your

kinds of keyboards and mice which are

computer world. There are so many

wrists and other body parts free

available and it is important to consider

kinds of keyboards out there now that

from damage but your typing posture

all of them and pick which is the best for

trying them all out will take forever!

improves a lot and your typing will get

you. Once you have set yourself up well

Thankfully, we will just stick to the more

better in the long run.

by picking the right keyboard and mouse

basic options which are easily available.

and sitting comfortably, the benets will

We all know how a keyboard is laid out

come into play with these input devices

begin to show immediately.

and how we have to go about using

such as mouse pads and maintenance

it and we even know about repetitive

of devices but these can be handled

alternatives? Lets start with the mouse

stress injuries but do have we ever

very easily. At the end of the day, you

rst. The mouse is easily the most

tried to use a different keyboard? You

must try and get the best out of your

human part of the computer because

can try a basic gaming keyboard or

computing experience.

So what are your possible

There are other factors that can

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

41

COVER STORY

Gaming vs regular cases

Why buy gaming cases at all? They're just big, bulky, expensive and they just look nicer! We
have enough reasons for you to buy a gaming case and we'll bust all the myths as well.
ets face it, when someone sees

cool is the number of high quality fans

the cabinet because there is so much

your computer they dont see a

that are in the cabinet. A regular PC

more space and you can easily t a big

motherboard, a graphics card

cabinet has one 90 mm fan on the

graphics card easily into the slot and

and other integral components. In

back but a branded gaming case has

not worry about it scraping the sides

fact, they see a monitor, a mouse, a

more than one 120 mm fan and they are

of the cabinet. They even have cable

keyboard and CPU case. As much as

strategically located at the hotspots to

management accessories to keep the

we love our expensive top-of-the-line

help keep the bad air out. Aside from

insides neat and clean, so your computer

components, it really wont create much

just the fans, you also have the option

wont look like it has been invaded by

of an impression on other people housed

to install a water cooling kit inside the

hakka noodles.

in boring black sheet metal case. Why

case because it is roomy enough to

would anybody put the engine of a

accommodate it. Forget trying to t a

come with a standard SMPS and you

Ferrari in a Fiat anyway? This of course

decent water cooling kit inside a regular

have to buy your own, which is a good

works both ways because if you actually

cabinet because they simply dont have

thing because you can t a much

have a modest conguration imagine

any space to t anything. So a stuff y and

bigger one in there for multiple hard

how amazing it will look if you put it a

overheated environment can effectively

disks and optical drives (owing to the

shiny, new CoolerMaster or Antec case!

reduce your PCs performance and life

numerous bays present) and even have

Many will argue that

The big gaming case does not

your graphics cards running in SLI or

computers are not about how

CrossFire without having to

ashy or cool they look but

worry about power or space.

how well they work. We argue

Ultimately, a good branded PC

that these people must have

case looks beautiful and they

especially ugly PC cases. A PC

can come with a convenient

case is not just some supercial

front panel that has all the

fancy but a great investment

essential front panel ports with

which hardly costs that much

a few extras like e-SATA and

more. There are some extremely

FireWire and some of them even

lavish PC cases out there but

have displays that monitor your

extremely good branded cases

cabinet temperature! Some

can be purchased for somewhere

of these cases look out of this

in the region of Rs 3,500. For this

world with transparent exterior

money you get some benets which

cycle, if that isnt

side panels, LED fans and

greatly justify the price tag.

good enough reason

incredibly sleek designs! So think

to invest in a good case,

about getting a good case soon!

To begin with every branded gaming

case has build quality which far

we have more reasons to

surpasses the general case. The buttons

convince you.

are better, the metal used is much better

If you have to open up your case and

and even the front panel and bezel are

reach inside to remove the hard disk for

much better. If we were to compare a

instance, you would have to get ready

regular PC case to a branded gaming

to break out your trusty screwdriver and

case on build quality alone this would

spend a good 10 minutes opening out

be a no-show, the gaming case would

the exterior side panel and hunching over

win hands down. Of course, once you

to painfully unscrew the hard disk from

do open the case and have a look inside

its bay. This does not happen with a

you will see where the money is truly

good case. The exterior side panel opens

well spent. The layout of the case is

out easily with its ergonomic design and

much more scientic, which means

the hard drive and optical drive bays

your favorite components have a lot of

incorporate a tool-less and most of the

space to breathe, which also means that

time screw-less design which means

the heat generated will also be able to

that all you have to do is pop out the

escape much more efficiently. Another

hard disk in a matter of seconds. There

thing that will help keep the cabinet

is no need to twist your arm about inside

42

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

You can add a liquid cooling kit to a good gaming

case, with coolant and everything.

Fill her up!

For all those who shy away from buying parts and putting
them all together, here is a little Do it yourself guide that will
help you set up your very own computer.
BY SANDEEP BALACHANDRAN

hen buying a computer, most

seeking help from your local hardware

onboard graphics (IGP). Similarly your

of us go for a branded PC

provider is also out of the question. Plus,

PC will only require a PSU if the cabinet

over an assembled one. The

there is always the extra expense of

doesnt come with one. But keep in mind

renewing your service contract.

that power supplies that come with

reason being, we tend to get carried

away with the specications and the

On the other hand by opting for an

cabinets are only meant to be used if

support that a branded PC offers. But

assembled PC, you have the freedom

what we dont realize is the price that

to install components of your choice,

we pay is much higher when compared

which can be much cheaper. Plus, you

section to decide on a machine that

to the price of an assembled PC of the

also have the freedom to upgrade your

would best suit your needs. You can

same conguration. Upgrading your

hardware whenever you like. In case

also refer to our Market Watch section

machine is also expensive. For example,

things go wrong with your machine or if

to get an idea of the prices of various

a Seagate hard drive of 250 GB will

it simply refuses to boot, you can either

components. So lets dig in and nd

cost somewhere around Rs 2,500 while

x it yourself or you can fall back on

out how to put together the various

the same will cost Rs 1,500 extra when

your local hardware guy for support.

components that make up a PC. It

purchased from a popular brand. This

Before we start off you will need the

you are building a low-end PC.

You can refer to our PC Congs

doesnt matter even if you are a doing

is not only true for hard disks but also

following to build a PCa processor,

this for the very rst time, all you need

for other devices such as graphics

RAM, motherboard, graphics card,

to do is to follow the steps shown below

card, CD/DVD-ROM, RAM and so on.

optical drive, cabinet, power supply unit

to get your machine up and running.

To make things worse, you dont have

(PSU), monitor, speakers, mouse and

You can also refer to these steps when

the freedom of choosing your own

keyboard. You will also need a Philips-

upgrading certain components such

components, since that would void the

head screwdriver and a few cable ties

as the processor, RAM, hard drive and

warranty. So by investing in a branded

to keep loose wires in place. Remember

graphics cards. Other than that you

PC you not only limit yourself from

that you will only require a graphics

can keep this handy if you decide to

installing your choice of hardware, but

card if your motherboard doesnt have

thoroughly clean your machine.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

43

COVER STORY
1

Step 1: Installing the CPU

require two identical memory sticks.

To start with, we are going to rst

Install them in similar colored slots to

install the CPU and not the cabinet.

enable dual-channel. Keep in mind that

Depending on the CPU chosen follow

a few boards, MSI for example, support

the step accordingly. AMD processors:

dual channel in odd colored slots. So

First release the lever of the CPU socket.

it would be advisable to refer to the

Locate the triangle on one of the four

motherboards manual before installing

corners of the CPU as well as the

the memory.

CPU socket. Line them up and t the

Step 5: Setting up the cabinet

processor into the CPU socket. Push the

All motherboards come with their own

lever down into place.

set of back plates which is basically

Note: Do not force the CPU into the

meant to cover the rear panel of the

socket; else you might end up bending

board leaving out the necessary ports

the pins. Intel processors: Release the

and connectors. This prevents excess

lever and lift the socket cover. Here also

amount of dust from entering the case.

you will nd a triangle on one of the four

In case you nd the rear slot sealed

corners of the CPU as well as on the

youll need to cut it using a set of pliers.

CPU socket. Align them and place the

processor into the CPU socket. Close the
socket cover and fasten the lever.

Step 2: Applying CPU paste

All processors come with a compound
known as thermal paste. It improves
the overall efficiency of a heatsink by
lling up air gaps between the heatsink
and CPU. Squeeze the paste onto the
CPU. It should be enough to cover half
of a 25 paisa coin. Make sure you dont
apply too much or too little. Doing so will
either damage the components around

the CPU or cause it to overheat. In case

you squeezed too much paste, wipe off
the extra with a soft cloth.

Step 3: Installing the heatsink

In case of an AMD processor, place the

heatsink on the CPU with the heatsink

lever upright. Securely clip both the ends
of the heatsink and carefully push the
lever down. Fitting an Intel CPU cooler is
a little different. After you have applied
the CPU paste place the cooler with the
retention clamp aligned to the holes
surrounding the CPU socket. Push down
each clamp while holding the heatsink
in place. You should hear it click if done

properly. Now connect the fan to the

CPU fan header.

Step 4: Installing the memory

44

06/2009

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

If you observe the side of the module

Match the openings of the back plate

where the contacts are present youll

with the motherboard before tting it.

notice a clear cut that separates it into

Step 6: Power Supply Installation

two different lengths. The memory slots

If your cabinet didnt come installed with

are divided in the same manner. To be

a PSU or if you decided to purchase it

able to install the memory modules,

separately, you will need to install it at

rst move the lever outward on both

the top rear corner of the case. Some

sides. Now arrange the memory module

PSUs come with a rubber padding that

with the slot and push it down gently till

ts between the cabinet and power

the levers securely snap back in place.

supply unit. It helps absorb vibration and

To enable dual-channel mode you will

reduces noise levels.

Step 7: Installing the Motherboard

Before installing the motherboard into

Step 9: Installing hard disk drives

and optical drives

the case, you will rst have to t the

When installing hard disk drives, proper

mounting nuts that are supplied with

care needs to be taken since they are

the cabinet. To do this, rst place the

very delicate and even a small jerk can

motherboard in the cabinet and align

damage them. So make sure that you

it with the back plate that you just t.

install them carefully. Hold the drive with

Note the holes where you will need to t

the label facing upwards and gently slide

the mounting nuts. Take out the board

it in. Make sure that you secure it with

and screw in the mounting nuts to their

screws from both sides for it to stay in

respective slots. Now t the motherboard

place. For optical drives, you will need

back into the case using the screws

to remove the front bay cover to be able

provided with the mounting nuts.

to t it. Now, insert the optical drive

Step 8: Connecting the front panel

switches and USB headers

from the front and push it back until it

For the hard drive activity lights and for

the cabinet. Finally fasten the drive from

the power and reset button to function

both ends to prevent it from sliding out.

comes in line with the front surface of

10

Note: Screws meant for hard drives are

different from those of optical drives.

Step 10: Installing add-on cards

You can always give your PC give that
extra advantage by installing add-on
cards. These include graphics cards, LAN
cards, TV tuner cards, sound cards and
so on. To be able to install any of these
you will have to remove the rear panel
cover. You can nd this exactly where
the PCI and PCIe cards sit. Depending
upon the card you are installing gently
push it in to its appropriate slot and
fasten it with a screw.

Step 11: Connect the cables to their

respective slots

11

After you are done installing all the

necessary components connect the
power connectors in the following order
20/24 pin main, 4/8 pin 12v, graphics
card, optical drive, hard drive, oppy
drive and case fans. When done tie up
all the loose hanging wires as this will
assist in proper air circulation thereby
prevent your system from overheating.
After you are done, close the case and
proceed to the nal step.

Step 12: Back panel connections

All that is left is connecting the external

12

peripherals. Connect you keyboard and

mouse to their respective ports. The
you will need to connect the front panel

video cable (D-Sub/DVI) will connect to

headers to the motherboard. To be

the graphics card or motherboard (if you

able to do it the right way you will need

are using on-board graphics). Connect

to refer to the motherboard manual

the speakers/headphones/microphones

since the pin layout is different for each

to the audio jacks on the rear panel or

motherboard. The same applies to

front panel of the motherboard. To end

connecting front panel USB headers.

with connect the power cables to the

Warning: Do not connect the pins to

power supply unit, printer and other

the wrong headers. Doing so will damage

peripherals. Turn on the machine, install

your motherboard beyond repair. Refer to

the operating system and you should be

the manual before starting this step.

ready to use your new machine.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

45

COVER STORY

Take your pick

CPU

Motherboard

ENTRY-LEVEL DUAL-CORE

ULTRA-BUDGET

Intel dual-Core E2200, 2.20 GHz - Rs 3,400

AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 BE - Rs 3,400

Under Rs 20,000

HOME / OFFICE
Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000

FOR INTEL CPU

Asus P5K PL-AM/PS - Rs 2,500
Zotac Nforce 610i-C-E - Rs 2,400

Memory

Hard disk

2 GB DDR2

160 GB TO 320 GB

Kingston 2 GB DDR2-800 - Rs 1,200

Transcend 2 GB DDR2-800 - Rs 1,300
Zion 2 GB DDR2-800 - Rs 1,300

Seagate 7200.10, 160 GB - Rs 2,100

Seagate 7200.10, 250 GB - Rs 2,300
Seagate 7200.10, 320 GB - Rs 2,600

FOR AMD CPU

ANY OF THE ABOVE OR 500 GB

Asus M2N MX-SE+ - Rs 2,500

Gigabyte GA-M68SM-S2L - Rs 2,700

Hitachi Deskstar 7K500 - Rs 3,000

WD Caviar Green - Rs 3,000
Seagate 7200.12 - Rs 3,100

MAINSTREAM

ENTRY-LEVEL GAMING

Intel Dual-Core E5200, 2.50 GHz - Rs 3,600

AMD Athlon 64 X2 7850, 2.80 GHz - Rs 3,900
AMD Phenom X3 8750, 3.60 GHz - Rs 5,300
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400, 2.80 GHz - Rs 6,100

Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000

Any of the above for budget gaming PC

or FOR INTEL CPU
Gigabyte EG31MF-S2 - Rs 3,200
Abit I-N73HD - Rs 4,200
Gigabyte EP43-DS3L - Rs 5,500

ANY OF THE ABOVE (2 GB)

or

TWO MODULES OF 2 GB EACH (4 GB)

500 GB TO 1 TB
Seagate 7200.11, 750 GB - Rs 4,400
WD Caviar Green, 750 GB - Rs 4,400
Seagate 7200.12, 1 TB - Rs 5,300
WD Caviar Green, 1 TB - Rs 5,300

FOR AMD CPU

Biostar TA780G - Rs 3,600
Abit AN-78 HD - Rs 4,700
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2HP - Rs 4,700

FOR INTEL CPU

MID-RANGE
MID-RANGE GAMING
Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400, 2.80 GHz - Rs 6,100

AMD Phenom II X3 710, 2.60 GHz - Rs 7,250
AMD Phenom II X3 720, 2.80 GHz - Rs 8,500
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 2.33 GHz - Rs 9,000

TWO MODULES OF 2 GB EACH (4 GB)

HIGH-END OR ENTHUSIAST
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400, 2.66 GHz - Rs 11,500
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550, 2.83 GHz - Rs 14,700
Intel Core i7 920, 2.66 GHz - Rs 15,800
AMD Phenom II 945, 3 GHz - Rs 13,500
AMD Phenom II 955 BE, 3.20 GHz - Rs 15,000

WORKSTATION
Rs 55,000 and higher

ECS A780GM-A Ultra - Rs 5,300

Biostar TA790GX 128M - Rs 5,500
Asus M4N78 Pro - Rs 7,000

Gigabyte GA-EP45-DQ6 - Rs 15,000

EVGA 780i SLI - Rs 15,000
Gigabyte EX58-UD5 - Rs 22,000
Asus Rampage II Extreme - Rs 25,800

FOR AMD CPU

Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P - Rs 14,000
Asus M4A79T Deluxe - Rs 15,000
Asus M3N-HT Deluxe / Mempipe- Rs 15,000

2 x 2 GB DDR2-1066 (CL5)
OCZ Reaper HPC - Rs 4,600
G.Skill F2-8800 CL5D-4GBPI - Rs 6,500
2 x 2 GB DDR2-800 (CL4)
G.Skill F2-6400CL4D - Rs 4,000
Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX - Rs 5,300
2 x 2 GB DDR3-1333 (CL9)
Corsair TW3X4G-1333C9DHX - Rs 8,200
OCZ Gold Edition - Rs 10,000
3 x 2 GB DDR3-1333 (CL9)
Corsair TR3X6G1333C9 - Rs 9,500

Rs 45,000 and higher

46

06/2009

ANY MAINSTREAM CPU OR

MID-RANGE CPU IF YOU NEED
MORE POWER

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

Gigabyte GA-EG43M-S2H - Rs 5,500

Zotac GF9300-A-E - Rs 6,500

FOR AMD CPU

Zotac GF8300-A-E - Rs 5,000
Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H - Rs 5,000
Asus M3N78-EM - Rs 5,200

1 TB (listed above)
or better
WD Caviar Black, 1 TB - Rs 7,200
WD Caviar GP, 2 TB - Rs 14,000
WD Velociraptor, 300 GB, 10000 rpm
- Rs 16,500
RAID options (high-end gaming PCs
and workstations)
2 x 1 TB - Rs 10,600
2 x 2 TB - Rs 28,000
2 x Velociraptors - Rs 33,000

FOR INTEL CPU

HTPC

1 TB (listed above)

FOR AMD CPU

FOR INTEL CPU

HIGH-END GAMING
Rs 60,000 and higher

Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L - Rs 6,500

MSI P45C Neo FIR - Rs 7,000
Asus P5QL Pro - Rs Rs 7,000

TWO MODULES OF 2 GB EACH (4 GB)

Select a component from each category as you scan from left to right through the desired
categories. You'll have the configuration of the PC that suits your needs and budget by the time
you reach the end of the row.
Graphics card

ON-BOARD

ON-BOARD OR ENTRY-LEVEL
XFX 8400 GS, 256 MB - Rs 1,600
Zotac 8400 GS, 512 MB - Rs 1,800
Palit 9400GT, 512 MB - Rs 2,350
Sapphire HD 4350, 512 MB - Rs 2,350
Zotac 9400GT, 512 MB - Rs 2,500

LOWER MID-RANGE
Palit HD 4670, 512 MB - Rs 4,700
Sapphire HD 4670, 512 MB - Rs 4,800
Palit 9600 GT, 512 MB - Rs 5,300
Zotac 9600 GT, 512 MB - Rs 5,300

HIGHER MID-RANGE
Zotac 9800 GT, 512 MB - Rs 7,000
XFX Radeon HD 4770, 512 MB - Rs 8,500
Zotac GTS 250, 512 MB - Rs 8,900
Palit GTS 250, 1 GB - Rs 9,300
Sapphire HD 4850, 512 MB - Rs 9,000

LCD display

Cabinet

17-INCH

MICRO-ATX (with PSU)

Dell 1709W - Rs 6,500

LG 177WSB - Rs 6,500
Samsung 732NW - Rs 6,600
ViewSonic VA1703W - Rs 6,600

iBall EngineX - Rs 1,500

iBall Pride - Rs 1,600
VIP 830 - Rs 1,600
VIP 820 - 1,600

ANY OF THE ABOVE OR 19-INCH

ViewSonic VA1912W - Rs 7,200
LG W1942WS - Rs 7,200
Dell 1909W - Rs 7,400
Samsung 923NW - Rs 7,500

PSU

BUNDLED WITH CABINET

ANY OF THE ABOVE OR BUDGET MID-TOWER

iBall Grabit - Rs 1,750
iBall WindowX - Rs 1,800
VIP 899B - Rs 1,800

BUNDLED WITH CABINET

19-INCH OR 22-INCH
LG W224WS - Rs 10,000
ViewSonic VX2240W - Rs 10,000
ViewSonic VX2245wm - Rs 11,900
BenQ E2200 HD - 11,900
Samsung T220 - Rs 14,600

22-INCH (listed above) OR 24-INCH

AOC 416V - Rs 20,500
BenQ E2400 HD - Rs 21,000
Dell S2409W - Rs 22,000
Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP - Rs 39,000

ENTRY-LEVEL
BUDGET MID-TOWER (listed above)
WITHOUT PSU

MID-RANGE OR
MID-TOWER WITHOUT PSU
Cooler Master Centurion 534 - Rs 3,700
Thermaltake Strike MX - Rs 3,800
Cooler Master Sileo 500 - Rs 4,200
Thermaltake M9 - Rs 4,300

PowerSafe 500W Silver - Rs 1,800

Cooler Master Extreme Power 390W - Rs 2,200
Cooler Master Extreme Power 460W - Rs 2,600

MID-RANGE
Tagan TG500-U37 - Rs 3,350
Cooler Master Extreme Power 500W - Rs 2,800
Corsair CX400W - Rs 3,300
Cooler Master Extreme Power 600W - Rs 3,600

HIGH-END
Zotac GTX 275, 1 GB - Rs 17,500
2x Zotac GTS 250 in SLI - Rs 17,800
Zotac GTX 260, 896 MB - Rs 13,000
Zotac GTX 285, 1 GB - Rs 25,000
Sapphire HD 4890, 1 GB - Rs 17,000
XFX HD 4890, 1 GB - Rs 17,500
Zotac GTX 295, 1792 MB - Rs 32,000

ENTRY-LEVEL TO HIGH-END

HIGH-END
HIGH-END MID-TOWER OR FULL ATX

24-INCH (listed above) OR HIGHER

AOC 619FH, 26-inch - Rs 23,000
ViewSonic VX2835WM - Rs 28,000
Dell UltraSharp 2709W - Rs 46,000

ATI FirePro V3700 - Rs 6,000

Leadtek Quadro FX560 - Rs 11,500
ATI FirePro V5700 - Rs 35,000
Leadtek Quadro FX3500 - Rs 43,000
Leadtek Quadro FX4600 - Rs 94,000
ATI FirePro V8700 - Rs 95,000

Cooler Master CM690 - Rs 4,500

Thermaltake M9D - Rs 6,000
NZXT Tempest - 6,200
Thermaltake Xaser VI MX - Rs 6,600
Cooler Master HAF 932 - Rs 9,600
Cooler Master Sniper - Rs 11,400
Thermaltake Kandalf - Rs 13,000
Cooler Master Cosmos S - Rs 15,500

Tagan TG600-U33 II - Rs 6,500

Cooler Master Silent Pro 600W - Rs 6,800
Corsair 650TX - Rs 7,000
Cooler Master Real Power 620W Modular - Rs 7,400
Tagan BZ700 Modular - Rs 7,600
Tagan BZ800 Modular - Rs 8,300
Corsair 750TX - Rs 8,400
Cooler Master Silent Pro 700W - Rs 8,600
Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1000W - Rs 14,000
Tagan BZ1100 Modular - Rs 14,500
Cooler Master 1000HX - Rs 14,800

ON-BOARD
or

LOWER MID-RANGE FOR

MODERATE GAMING.

22-INCH, 24-INCH OR LCD TV

MICRO-ATX / BUDGET MID-TOWER

(listed above) or HTPC CASE

BUNDLED WITH CABINET

GlacialTech Altair A381 - Rs 9,000

TIP: Look out for an HDMI port

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING CHIP

06/2009

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