Gaming Desktop PC's/Laptops for Sale, and PC Game Reviews

Best PC Games - Open World RPG Games With Morality System

2009-08-28T16:03:00.006-04:00

These are the best PC games of all times, but these games must also fulfill another requirement; to make this "best of" category the PC RPG games must be open ended stories, where the player is given the option of being an evil murderous bastard. I am a big role playing game fan in general; but that certain genre of RPG game, which has good and evil paths, tons of moral choices, and multiple endings make for the most repayable, entertaining, and simply the best PC games available.

Edit note: This full review is now at Hubpages here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-PC-Games-Open-World-RPG-Games-With-Morality-System
I am moving this and other PC Gaming related guides all to one location on hubpages. This blog will only feature Desktop,Laptop, and PC hardware information, and as a quick check source for various electronic specifications; which was the blogs original role. The full version of all future software reviews and guides will be on hubpages.

Hearts of Iron 3 Production Explained

2009-08-27T12:43:00.003-04:00

Hearts of Iron 3 has taken a much different, and in my opinion far superior approach to the makeup of land units, and how those units are built. In Hearts of Iron 2, you researched a generic infantry unit every 2 years, which was the same unit every other nation in the world would use if they researched that same level technology. The only thing that separated your infantry from that of other nations, was your land doctrines, and any *single* brigade attachment you added to the unit after its creation. Examples of a brigade attachments in HOI2 were artillery, anti-tank, anti-air, engineers, and various tank brigades. While this allowed for some customization, it didn't offer much variation between nations, or allow for a lot of user customization.

Edit note: This full guide is now at Hubpages
here: http://hubpages.com/hub/Hearts-of-Iron-3-Production-Explained
I am moving this and other PC Gaming related guides all to one location on hubpages. This blog will only feature Desktop,Laptop, and PC hardware information, and as a quick check source for various electronic specifications; which was the blogs original role. The full version of all future software reviews and guides will be on hubpages.

Cheap Gaming Computers - MSI X600 Notebook Review

2009-08-23T22:50:00.003-04:00


Processor & Cache	Intel Centrino 2 Processor - 1.6 GHz dual-core with 3MB cache
Operating System	Windows Vista Home Premium
Chipsets	Intel GS45 + ICH9M-SFF
System Memory	DDR2 667/800, Max: 4GB
LCD Display	15.6" LCD Display
Graphics & Video Module	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330
Audio	4 speakers
HDD	2.5" 250GB/320GB/500GB SATA
Webcam	1.3M
Communication Port	Built-in Gigabit Ethernet LAN Built-in 802.11b/g/n WLAN Card, Bluetooth is optional
I/O Port	D-Sub X 1 USB 2.0 Port X 2 Mic-in Port X 1 Headphone Output X 1 HDMI Port X 1 LAN Port X 1 E-SATA / USB Combo X 1

MSI's X600 ultra-thin notebook is attractive to the eye, and with a starting price of under $1000 USD (official website lists locations to buy notebook computers by MSI) is able to go head to head in a laptop comparison with any other entry level or cheap gaming computers. Despite being around since the mid 80's the MSI company (with its HQ in Taiwan) has only recently tapped into the US market, and its quality desktop PC's and affordable gaming laptops have quietly gained support since that time. The laptop's factory build is fairly well optimized and this makes the MSI x600 one of the few inexpensive laptop computers that is an effective entry level gaming computer out of the box; with no customization or additional hardware needed. By desktop PC's standards (and compared to the best gaming laptop systems available) the hardware specs seem outdated, but this top end last generation gaming hardware actually preforms surprisingly well.

The video card needed to play more modern PC games is the cause of most gaming systems high price, and if you are looking to buy notebook computers at this price level you need to pay special attention to this piece of hardware. Most will come with an "on board video" or "integrated video card" which despite a high looking video memory, is not a proper 3d card capable of handling newer physics and graphic engines. The MSI X600's ATI HD 4330 Video card is truly a capable gaming graphics card.

If you are looking at cheap gaming computers the MSI X600 deserves to be somewhere on your laptop comparison list. The options for affordable gaming laptops are much more limited than gaming desktop pcs, and MSI might not have gotten on your radar yet. If you can find a retailer in your area that has MSI laptops for sale, you may find the quality and cost to be exactly what you were looking for. You can search through MSI products, as well as select from laptop computer sale locations in your region all at their official website

Affordable Gaming Desktop PCs - CyberPower Gamer Infinity HD 4850

2009-08-23T09:32:00.004-04:00

CPU: Intel Core i7-920 2.66 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
FAN: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System
MOTHERBOARD:
Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset Triple-Channel
DDR3/1600 SATA RAID
MEMORY: 3GB (1GBx3) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory
VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 4850 PCI-E 16X 1GB Video Card
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
DVD Drive: LG 22X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Dual Layer Drive
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts Power Supplies (SLI Ready Power Supply)
OS: Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium

With this desktop PC's surprisingly low starting price of just $1019, the CyberPower Gamer Infinity HD 4850 is one of the rare cheap gaming computers that will be able to run even the most resource intensive PC games currently on the market. The ATI graphics card is one of the better cards you will find included in similarly priced gaming desktop pcs, and there are scores of available upgrades you can upgrade to on their website if you choose to. The Intel Core i7, despite only 2.66 GHz, is still a capable quad core CPU; and that too can be customized or upgraded as needed. If you are looking to buy a cheap desktop PC that is capable of playing current gen PC games, the CyberPower Gamer Infinity HD 4850 is certainly an attractive option.

There are certainly better (more expensive) gaming desktop pcs available on the market, but this desktop PC's factory build is probably the best default gaming build I've seen offered. If you don't know a lot about specific hardware speeds or ratings, the Gamer Infinity HD 4850 will deliver the needed power without much customization. However if you feel comfortable there are tons of options available to customize both the aesthetic appeal, and the desktop pc's hardware. You can look through these options, and place an order at the

CyberPower Website.

Strategy PC Game Hearts of Iron 3 Introduction

2009-08-20T20:59:00.010-04:00

Paradox interactive released Hearts of Iron 3 a couple of weeks ago, and have already begun taking community feedback and improving their game further. One patch has already been released, and a second is planned by the end of August. I plan to write a full review at that point, but there is still plenty to be excited about and share until then. Here are some additional images of the HOI3 map, much improved over the featured map in Hearts of Iron 2. Although bigger is obviously better, I give more details on whats been improved with the Hearts of Iron map in my first Hoi3 Hub. I will detail more new features in additional Hubs, with updates here of course. Hearts of iron 3 hub

Nvidia GTX 295 Video Card

2009-08-19T16:05:00.006-04:00

With a processor clock speed at over 1200MHz The Geforce GTX 295 is a top end desktop PC's graphics card. This single card combines two GTX 200 GPUs, and as if it weren't a powerful enough graphics card in its own right, the Nvidia Geforce GTX 295 also supports Quad SLI configuration. Meaning you can install two of these monsters in your desktop and allowing your PC's video card to combine the power of 4 GTX 200 GPUs working together through SLI.

GPU Speed: 1,242 MHz
Processor Cores: 480 ( 240 per GPU )
Texture Fill Rate: 92.2 billion/sec
Memory I/O : 896-bit ( 448-bit per GPU )
Memory Size: 1,792 MB GDDR3
Memory Speed: 223.8 GB/sec
Interface Type: Two Dual Link DVI and HDMI

The numbers of the GTX 295 are pretty mind boggling, and there are no current games that require anything close to the graphics power you'd get by combining 2 of these units in your gaming desktop PC's case. If you don't want to read or worry about system requirements on any new PC release for the foreseeable future, you may consider the cost of the extreme graphics card worth it though.

Alienware ALX X58 Desktop PC's Review

2009-08-17T05:11:00.020-04:00

Here is the Alienware ALX X58 desktop PC's spec list. This is an incredibly sick rig, but do you really need 24GB of DDR3 RAM? Or even 12 GB of the blisteringly fast 1600MHz computer memory? There is no PC game out at this date, and I doubt one will be released within the next 12 months, that will require two graphics cards with quad SLI GPU's. If you must have the very best, the Alienware ALX X58 certainly fits into that category.

Check out my hub page where you can get the full review, as well as an interesting comparison between this desktop and Falcon Northwest's best gaming laptop currently for sale; the Fragbook DRX.

Alienware's Best Gaming Computer- ALX X58 - Vista 64-bit As shown Cost: $5,100 with 24GB of RAM - $7,300 with 12GB of faster RAM

Processor	Overclocked @3.86GHz Intel Core i7 975 Extreme-8MB Cache
Graphics Card/Video Memory:	Dual 2GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 with CrossFireX and Quad GPU Technology
	OR
Graphics Card/Video Memory option 2	Dual 1,792 MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295
Computer Memory: 6 DIMM Slots	12GB Triple Channel DDR3 @ 1600MHz = $500 OR 24GB Triple Channel DDR3 @ 1333MHz = $2,700
RAM option 2 - more memory slower speed
Hard Drive	1TB (2 x 500GB) SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 2 x 16MB Cache

Optoma Pico PK101 Product Specifications

2009-08-12T05:37:00.000-04:00

Optoma Pico PK101 Specs

Projection & Light

Projection Type DLP®

Light Source LED

Light Source Life Estimated at 20,000 Hours

Contrast Ratio 1000:1

Dimensions and Weight

Weight 4 oz (114g) with Battery/2.8 oz (80g) without Battery

(W x H x D) 1.97" x 0.59" x 4.06" (50 x 15 x 103 mm)

Battery & Power

Li-ion Rechargeable (3.7V, 1100 mAh)

Battery Life Up to 1.5 Hours

Power Input Mini USB Connector

Audio

One 0.5-Watt Speaker (built-in)

Standard Accessories

Power Adaptor, USB Cable, Tripod Adaptor, (2) Batteries, Standard A/V Cable (RCA to Mini-Jack), iPod Kit with Dock Connector (US only)

Video Resolution &Advanced

AV Input 2.5mm jack AV Input (Composite Video and Stereo Audio-In); PAL\NTSC(576i\480)
No HDMI or HD port

Maximum screen size: 60in

Resolution: 320x240

Maximum throw: 2600mm

Minimum throw: 250mm

Product details and specifications provided by official Optoma website. More information on the Optoma Pico PK101 and other Optoma products at: http://www.optomausa.com/

Garmin Nuvi 765T - GPS Tech Info

2009-08-11T04:27:00.001-04:00

Dimensions

Width 4.8 in

Depth 0.8 in

Height 3 in

Weight 6.5 oz

GPS System

Connectivity USB (Cable included)

Voice Navigation instructions, Street name announcement

Antenna Built-in

Maps Included North America

Software Included MapSource City Navigator North America NT

Navigation

Waypoints 1000

Navigation routes 10

Trip computer Trip timer , Trip distance , Avoid highways , Avoid toll roads , Fast/short route

Digital Player

Digital Player Yes

Supported Formats MP3

Built-in Display

Type TFT - Widescreen

Resolution 480 x 272

Diagonal Size 3.5 in

Display Illumination Yes

Battery

Battery Enclosure Type Internal

Battery technology Lithium ion

Mfr estimated battery life 5 hour(s)

Information on the Nuvi 765T specs provided by Garmin official website. Visit them for more information and pricing.

HP w2558hc LCD Monitor Technical Specs

2009-08-11T02:11:00.001-04:00

Technical specifications

LCD feature	Specification
Display size	25.5-inch (64.7 cm) diagonal and viewable image
Display type	Thin-Film Transistor LCD active matrix BriteView technology
Integrated webcam	Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam designed for low-light conditions Video instant messaging over the web at 30 frames/second in VGA (640x480 resolution) mode Fixed lens (no autofocus) Built-in microphone for audio recording Blue LED indicator notifies the user when the camera is on
Input terminal	Two HDMI connectors (version 1.2) DVI-D single-link connector
Other connectors	USB ports: One upstream port for connecting another computer through usb Two downstream ports for connecting usb devices 3.5 mm Stereo mini jack input (for microphone)
Integrated speakers	3 watts per speaker
Scanning frequency	Horizontal scan range 24-94 KHz Vertical scan range 48-85 Hz
Viewing angle	Horizontal viewing angle: 160 degrees Vertical viewing angle: 160 degrees
Recommended resolution (H x V)	1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz
Contrast ratio	Up to 1000:1

Response time	3 ms (G-to-G typical)
Pixel pitch	0.270 mm
HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)	Support for HDCP enables the monitor to display HDTV resolution if connected by the DVI connector. A monitor without HDCP support, or connected by analog VGA, causes the displayed video to be downgraded in quality to a DVD-like resolution that is less than HDTV. HDCP is also a content protection system. The goal of HDCP is to prevent transmission of non-encrypted high definition content.
Power source - AC/DC adapter	Input rating: 100 to 240V~ frequency: 50~60Hz Power consumption: 130 watts maximum power consumption, <2>
Operating environment	Temperature: 41 degrees F to 95 degrees F (5 degrees C to 35 degrees C ) Humidity: 20% RH through 80% RH (non-condensing)
Storage environment	Temperature: -29 degrees F to 140 degrees F (-20 degrees C to 60 degrees C) Humidity: 5% RH through 95% RH (non-condensing)
Dimensions	H x W x D (unpacked): 20.2 x 24.4 x 11.3 inches (51.3 x 62.1 x 28.9 cm)
Weight	Unpacked: 22 lbs (10 Kg)
EMI standard	FCC Class B
Mounting	Standard VESA 4-hole 100 mm x 100 mm
EPA Energy Star	As an Energy Star Partner, Hewlett-Packard has determined that this product meets the Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency.

Philips 9000 Series LCD HDTV Specs

2009-08-09T14:46:00.000-04:00

Philips 9000 Series 1080p LCD Specs - 32PFL9604

Picture/Display
Aspect ratio	Widescreen
Brightness	500 cd/m²
Dynamic screen contrast	80,000:1
Response time (typical)	2 (BEW equiv.) ms
Viewing angle	176º (H)/176º (V)
Diagonal screen size (inch)	32 inch
Diagonal screen size (metric)	80 cm
Display screen type	LCD Full HD W-UXGA Act. matrix
Panel resolution	1920 x 1080p
Picture enhancement	Perfect Pixel HD Engine, Perfect Natural Motion, Perfect Contrast, Perfect Colours, 3/2 - 2/2 motion pull down, 3D Combfilter, Active Control + Light sensor, 100 Hz Clear LCD, Jagged Line Suppression, Progressive Scan, 1080p 24/25/30 Hz processing, 1080p 50/60 Hz processing
Screen enhancement	Anti-Reflection coated screen
Colour processing	2250 trillion colours 17bit RGB

Ambilight
Ambilight Features	Ambilight Spectra 2, Lounge light mode
Dimming Function	Manual and via Light Sensor
Ambilight light system	LED-wide colour

Supported Display Resolution
Computer formats	640 x 480, 60 Hz, 800 x 600, 60 Hz, 1024 x 768, 60 Hz, 1280 x 768, 60 Hz, 1360 x 768, 60 Hz, 1920 x 1080, 60 Hz
Video formats	480i, 60 Hz, 480p, 60 Hz, 576i, 50 Hz, 576p, 50 Hz, 720p, 50, 60 Hz, 1080i, 50, 60 Hz, 1080p, 24, 50, 60 Hz, 1080p, 24, 25, 30 Hz

Sound
Output power (RMS)	2 x 15 W
Sound Enhancement	Auto Volume Leveller, Digital Signal Processing, Dynamic Bass Enhancement, Treble and Bass Control
Sound System	Virtual Dolby Digital, BBE

Loudspeakers
Built-in speakers	4
Loudspeaker types	2 integrated subwoofers, 2 x Dome tweeter

Convenience
Child Protection	Child Lock+Parental Control
Connection Enhancement	Easy link
Ease of Installation	Auto Programme Naming, Automatic Channel Install (ACI), Automatic Tuning System (ATS), Autostore, Fine Tuning, PLL Digital Tuning, Plug and Play
Ease of Use	Auto Volume Leveller (AVL), Delta Volume per preset, Graphical User Interface, On-Screen Display, Programme List, Settings assistant Wizard, Side Control, Connectivity assistant, Automatic setup wizard, Demo mode, On-screen User manual, Touch control buttons, Favourite programme selection, Iconic home screen, Mozaïc channel grid
Electronic Programme Guide	Now + Next EPG, 8-day Electronic Programme Guide
Picture in Picture	Text dual screen
Remote Control	DVD, DVD-R, Sat, STB (Set-Top Box), Universal, HTS (Home Theatre System)
Remote control type	RC4495
Screen Format Adjustments	4:3, Auto Format, Movie expand 14:9, Movie expand 16:9, Subtitle and Heading Shift, Super Zoom, Widescreen, unscaled (1080p dot by dot)
Teletext	1200-page Hypertext
Firmware upgradeable	Firmware auto upgrade wizard, Firmware upgradeable via USB
Multimedia	Digital media reader (browser), USB autobreak-in, DLNA media Browser, Net TV services
Smart mode	Game, Cinema, Personal, Power saver, Standard, Vivid

Multimedia Applications
Multimedia connections	Ethernet-UTP5, USB, Wi-Fi 802.11g (built in)
Playback Formats	MP3, WMA v2 up to v9.2, Slideshow files (.alb), JPEG Still pictures, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-Programme-stream PAL, WMV9/VC1

Tuner/Reception/Transmission
Aerial Input	75 ohm coaxial (IEC75)
TV system	DVB COFDM 2K/8K
Video Playback	NTSC, SECAM, PAL
DVB	DVB Terrestrial, DVB-T MPEG4, DVB-C MPEG4*, MHEG
Tuner bands	Hyperband, S-Channel, UHF, VHF

Connectivity
Ext 1 Scart	Audio L/R, CVBS in, RGB
Ext 2 Scart	Audio L/R, CVBS in, RGB
Ext 3	YPbPr, Audio L/R in, VGA PC-in
Front/Side connections	HDMI v1.3, S-video in, CVBS in, Audio L/R in, Headphone out, USB
PC network link	DLNA 1.0 certified
Other connections	Analogue audio Left/Right out, S/PDIF out (coaxial), Common Interface
HDMI 1	HDMI v1.3
HDMI 2	HDMI v1.3
HDMI 3	HDMI v1.3
HDMI 4	HDMI v1.3
EasyLink (HDMI-CEC)	One touch play, EasyLink, Pixel link, Remote control pass-through, System audio control, System standby

Power
Ambient temperature	5°C to 35°C
Mains power	AC 220-240 V +/- 10%
Power consumption (typical)	92 W
Standby power consumption	<>

Dimensions
Set Width	779 mm
Set Height	475 mm
Set Depth	89 mm
Set height (with stand)	539 mm
Set depth (with stand)	220 mm
Stand width	410 mm
Weight incl. Packaging	17.1 kg
Product weight	13.5 kg
Product weight (+stand)	15.5 kg
Box width	860 mm
Box height	720 mm
Box depth	288 mm
Colour cabinet	Brushed aluminium decofront
VESA wall mount compatible	200 x 200 mm

Accessories
Included Accessories	Tabletop swivel stand, RF antenna cable, Power cord, Quick start guide, Warranty certificate, Remote Control, Batteries for remote control, Legal and safety brochure, Net TV brochure

These Product specifications were provided from the official international Philips website. This is intended as a quick source check for HD LCD comparisons and various technology related reviewsCheck out .

Philips International Homepage