There are no transformers in power supplies for PCs. PCs have used switching power supply for decades now, which replace transformers.
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General discussion
2/3/06 Are you ready for Windows Vista?
I'm currently getting ready to either buy or build a new home computer. However, in anticipation of Windows' new operating system, Vista, to be released later this year--what is the best hardware to have inside the case that will prepare me for this? I'm wondering about not only the CPU, but motherboard, graphics board, fans, cases, power supply, single or dual hard drives (RAID), monitors, and so on. Or would it be wise to wait until the release of this new OS before getting this new system?
Submitted by: George L. of Sarasota, FL
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Answer:
George, the answer depends largely on your needs. If you're buying/building a system because your old one is on its proverbial last leg, then sooner would be obviously better than waiting for Vista's final release. On the other hand, if you're just bored silly with your old system and it's perfectly fine otherwise, waiting may not be such a bad thing.
Buying now will give you that instant gratification; waiting will go a long way toward insuring that the system is Vista certified or at least compliant. Of course, you can buy now, while keeping in mind the system requirements for Vista in mind.
Prices will fall on the current cream of the crop as newer, faster, more powerful components will arrive on the market. The machine you buy today will be considerably cheaper in 8-9 months when Vista becomes available. It's a sad, ugly truth behind computers - they don't hold their resale value for very long.
A lot of what you will want to get will largely depend on what your needs are. Either way, I would seriously recommend going with an AMD processor. AMD (as you may have read) ate Intel's best and brightest for lunch in CNET's recent shootout. In fact, the slowest AMD processor beat the top of the line Intel chip in a number of the tests. Read more about it at http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html
If you're a gamer, video editor, or uber-geek who has to have the latest and greatest hardware, THE chip to get would be the AMD Athlon64 4800+ X2 chip. This is the dual core Athlon64 model that's currently the top of the line. However, coming very soon, AMD is supposed to be releasing a 5000+ chip. Who knows what will be top of the heap when Vista finally ships.
If you're just going to do the basics, surf the web, e-mail, the occasional letter to be banged out in Word (or whatever word processor you happen to like), I'd still stick with at the VERY least, an Athlon64 single core chip based system. The reasoning behind this - 32 bit chips, while adequate for the tasks mentioned above, will be lacking in the performance department when Vista arrives.
As far as motherboards go, I've had my eye on a Gigabyte GA-K8U-939 board. It seems to have most everything I could possibly need or will be wanting in the foreseeable future - with only one exception - it doesn't have any firewire ports. However, given the K8U board has five PCI slots, finding room for expansion is not a problem.
The only other possible weakness this board may have is in that it has an AGP video slot instead of the newer PCIe (PCI Express) slot. For what it's worth, unless you're into heavy gaming or video editing the AGP based slots are more than adequate for the immediate task.
Power Supply: For what it's worth, your best bet is to get one that's at least 450 to 500 watts. Visit your local computer hardware superstore (CompUSA, Frys, Circuit City, etc...) and look at the power supplies. Lift the individual unit and see how heavy it is. The heavier it is for its size, the better. Cheaper power supplies tend to be fairly lightweight and tend to be a bit weak and underpowered. A power supply is merely a transformer that converts 120 volt AC current to 12 volt and 5 volt DC current. You want a heavy duty power supply with lots of heft.
Case: Get one that you like - but keep in mind that many cases ship with a power supply - consider what it comes with and how much it will cost to replace the PSU should the one in the case be underpowered.
RAM: Get as much of it as you can afford onto the motherboard. The more RAM you have available, the less Windows has to use a swap file and the snappier your system will be. I would go with a minimum of 1 GB. Given Windows' track record in the past few versions, 512 MB is probably going to seem to be a bit underpowered when you go with Windows Vista.
Hard drives: A lot of what sort of disk subsystem you get will depend largely on what you're planning on doing with your system. If you're the type who just does a few letters here and there, web surfing and email, you probably won't need a huge hard drive. On the other hand, if you're into video editing or other projects that take up a lot of disk space, plan accordingly. Either way, figure out what you're going to need and then at least double the value. I would go with at least a 160 GB or larger drive to start. One more thing to consider on hard drive choice - spindle speed. Your older drives are typically 5400 RPM or slower. Newer drives tend to spin at 7200 RPM or faster. Faster is better. The same is true of cache. Many drives these days sport anywhere from 2 MB to 16 MB worth of cache. The more the better - and more expensive. Stick with 7200 RPM or faster drives with at least 8 MB cache.
Standard Parallel ATA (aka EIDE) drives are generally adequate for most users - unless you're into video editing or heavy gaming. These two tasks are quite disk intensive and the faster the drive, the better. If you're into gaming and video editing, you should definitely think about getting a SATA (Serial ATA) drive. SATA has the benefit of having faster throughput.
It's also possible to use both EIDE/ATA133 and SATA drives in the same computer. Most of the mainstream motherboards on the market now will support both types. And if it says it supports SATA, it will also have EIDE/ATA100/133 support. Feel free to get say, a 60 or 80 GB EIDE drive to boot the computer and a nice big fat SATA drive for your data drive.
To RAID or not to RAID? That is the question...
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive - depending on who you ask) Disks) is a number of techniques for either speeding up data access or creating what's called "fault tolerance" - meaning if you've got multiple drives and one fails, you've still got your data or at least can rebuild it without having to dig through your backups... (You DO back up your data, right?) There are a number of different types of RAID. Read more about RAID types at http://www.bytepile.com/raid_class.php
Now then, the big question you need to ask yourself is do you really need it? How important, or better yet, how irreplaceable is the data in question? Is it just a place to store jokes and other misc. files that people send you via e-mail? Or are you running a business and your client list, inventory database, and other mission critical files are going to be stored on that machine? Another question is how often do you back up? Weekly? Daily? Monthly? Whenever you feel you're in the mood?
RAID 0 or a striped data set is great for those who need high performance - gamers and video editors. Raid 1 or a mirrored drive array is great for those who want a back up of their data without having to back up. Most of your typical motherboards that have RAID capability will offer those two types. Most of the other RAID types require specialized hardware and drivers.
Optical drive: As you're going to need one to install Windows and most other software, you might as well get a decent drive. Fortunately, DVD +/-RW burner drives are getting to the point of being dirt cheap. The drive I got about 6 months ago for about $60 is now selling for about $22. There's no real excuse for not having one of them any longer. Avoid Sony and Plextor - they're actually the same drive and the drive quality tends to be weak. The drives wear out fairly quickly.
As far as other components go:
Monitors: There are two main classifications for video output devices - old fashioned CRTs and the newer LCDs. Both have advantages. CRTs still have a slightly better picture and in my opinion, look better than the vast majority of flat panel LCDs. LCDs, on the other hand, are lighter and take up a LOT less desktop real estate. A large CRT monitor can also give you a hernia as they tend to weigh quite a bit. Of course, you probably won't be moving the monitor around that much. It will more than likely stay in one place until it drops dead and gets replaced. CRTs also tend to be cheaper than the flat panel equivalent.
Which one to get? Go to Best Buy, CompUSA, Circuit City, Frys, or any other computer superstore in your area and LOOK at the ones on display. Have the salesman give you a mixed demo of the capabilities of the monitors on display. It's something that you'll have to be looking at for 3-5 years so you want to be sure you're going to be comfortable with the unit. Get one that you feel comfortable looking at. No sense in going blind. Now, keep in mind you don't HAVE to buy the monitor at the superstore - be sure to shop around once you've got an idea of what you want to get.
Keyboard, Mice, etc... Once again, while you're looking at the monitors, look at the keyboards, mice and other devices you want on your system. Find a keyboard and mouse that you find comfortable and go for one of them.
Windows XP: The last big question here is the operating system. You can, of course, go with Windows XP Home, Professional, Media Center Edition and of course the 64 Bit variety.
Home and Professional are more or less identical in so far as the underlying guts go. The only difference is in the networking components and capabilities. Home will allow you to connect 5 computers to the host computer while Pro will let you connect 10. Pro will also let you connect to Windows domain controllers.
Media Center will allow you to watch TV, provided you've got a TV Tuner card built in. It's usually also configured with a remote control so you can kick back and watch TV, DVD movies, or other media.
The good, the bad and the ugly facts about Windows XP 64 bit edition...
The good: It allows you to take full advantage of 64 bit processors. Certain applications WILL run MUCH faster. But mundane tasks like word processing, email, etc..won't benefit much from XP 64
The Bad and The Ugly: Driver support, from what I've heard, is still lacking. Not having 64 bit drivers for your peripherals means you can't use those devices. Drivers are supposed to be coming but...
All in all, your best bet is to figure out what you plan on doing with your new computer. Consider your needs and double them. Shop around! Decide on whether you want to build your own computer or buy a complete system. Visit discount search engines like http://www.pricewatch.com to find good deals on the components you want to buy if you're building your own. Visit computer shows in your area (if available). The vendors there tend to have "Massive Price Wars" in order to outsell the guy in the next cubicle and there can be good bargains to be had if you shop around.
Submitted by: Pete Z.
Discussion is locked
61 - 90 of 106 Posts
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Pete your post pre-emptively answers most every question one could have about anticipating an upgrade to the Windows OS. Common sense should be our guide but as we've seen many feature technologies never take off and others are missing from our available hardware. My personal opinion is to always wait for an OS to mature as well as waiting for motherboard reviews to appear.
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Thank you for these fine suggestions, I know it will be a godsend for most of us.
George B. in Sarasota
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Pete-
Even though this post might sound like it's attacking you it's not - any annoyance displayed here is directed at CNET and not you (It was very cool that you took so much time and wrote such a good response to this persons question and I'm sorry to use it as the basis for my rant).
Dear CNET Editors...HELOOOOOO....Do you think it would be possible to maybe once in awhile remember you're supposed to be a semi-technical resource and actually publish useful factual information or have you decided to waste away as a void of editorial fluff that serves only to propagate the dumbing down of the masses?
Would it have been against the CNET Mission statement to provide something as useful as the Microsoft link where THEY LIST THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOWS VISTA AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE LIST OF ALREADY CERTIFIED DEVICES?
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/entpguid.mspx
or
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/default.mspx
As a computer professional that actually knows something about computers I am constantly embarrassed and appalled by the irresponsible dissemination of misinformation that steadily streams uninterrupted from CNET and other major news sources. I understand that you're writers and not engineers, but have you no integrity? Have you no feeling of shame over presenting yourself as a knowledgeable source only to fill people's heads with mostly misunderstood half-truths? Or is it that you're so confused yourself that you're unaware of how seldom you are correct? Hire some specialists that know something, heck hire people that are wrong 80% of the time but at least have some substance to their wrong answers. Or maybe add to your disclaimer that this site is just one big beauty contest and everything described inside is purely cosmetic and temporary.
/nick staff
nick.staff@comcast.net
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nstaff brought up the most intelligent viewpoint on this thread, along with the most useful information...a link to Microsoft's list of hardware requirements for Windows Vista. All the fancy prose in the world can't beat that.
Sometimes the shortest and most simple answers are the best. Why read one person's prolix opinions on the quality of different computer components when you can get the straight dope right from the horse's mouth?
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Reluctantly.
Entertainment is entertainment. I once wrote to a political talk show years ago - it was like a point vs counter-point type show. The answer I got back from the writer/producer of the show was that their show was simply to stir reaction from the viewers, to wit: to cause them to think about the views expressed (no matter how lame they were). They cared nothing about the content - just audience reaction, so my point was easily dismissed.
Well, Cnet seems to lean more toward entertainment these days, as I, too, see less substance. These recent efforts by Cnet to let some one else lead, (thus Cnet becomes a ''follower'' of sorts), does help perpetuate the dumbing down of the masses.
The original respondent's remarks about Plextor drives and LCD monitors were less than informed, in my opinion.
But then perhaps Cnet, playing the entertainment game of point vs counter-point, realizes that the originator's response would spark counter responses. This is the perfect method to stop doing YOUR job so you can have other, less informed, persons do it FOR you. And have others still chime in to counter the content!
That is fluff! Sure, we are willing to sacrifice information for involvement!? Isn?t this just grand fun!! 
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Why not just post the links to Microsoft and leave it at that? That information is useful and that is exactly what I'm looking for--for our members to collaborate and build info on this topic so that members can discuss and learn from one another.
These Q&As from the Community Help & How-to newsletter are open for anyone to submit an answer to--which you are always welcome to participate in at any time.
When you say "CNET Editors" --I'd like to let it be known and make it crystal clear that I'm not a CNET Editor, nor do I claim myself to be a computer expert/professional such as yourself. My role is to bring to the community's attention the questions submitted by our members in the Community Help & How-to newsletter and hopefully get enough answers/feedback/responses from our members, so that our community members can learn from one another and benefit from these discussions.
Each submission whether it is a question or answer is from our members, not from me... and this newsletter is totally driven by our members. I'm only on the sidelines to help facilitate it. And thanks to the contributions from our community members each week, we are able to present their whole hearted opinions, recommendation, and advice.
This community newsletter isn't for everyone and if you feel strongly that we are trading substance for fluff, then you are welcome to unsubscribe to the newsletter at anytime.
Take care and thanks for taking the time out to give us your feedback.
-Lee Koo
CNET Community
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Lee, unless you decide what CNET does and doesn't publish this was not directed at you. However since you defended your actions I'll take the opportunity to explain some things:
- The A in Q & A stands for Answer not Assumption. If you are going to state that something is "the best answer" then it's certainly your responsibility to make sure that it's right. No one knows that you're not technical, and as this is a tech website everyone assumes that's the criteria used to judge it.
You say in your email you "know it will prove to be helpful to our members who are preparing for Microsoft's latest." Well guess what, that's dishonest.
I could really go on for volumes here Lee but I don't have the energy and I know nothing I say will make any difference anyway. It's just too bad though that so few people feel any responsibility for their actions. If you act like you know something and someone listens to you then you're responsible for what happens to them. Your also responsible for what happens to the friend they share your suggestion with.
You have no idea how many problems would have been solved by now if the publics focus and their hysteria wasn't constantly being pointed in the wrong direction by media professionals acting like they can explain things they know nothing about. CNET may as well start having these lists for the best pacemakers or the best parachutes. At least the results in those cases would be simple enough for people to realize who had given them wrong information. Unfortunately in technology it's harder to spot the snake oil salesman.
/nick
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Excellent way to stand your ground Dude. I knew I was backin the right hoss.
What totally amazes me is the huge number of forum sheep who get all knee-wobbly and back away from a valid viewpoint whenever they're challenged by mods & admins. People from internet forums everywhere should visit this thread for a quick lesson in character and personal integrity.
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The same could be said of you for not losing your voice at the sight of a moderator. It's appreciated and respected.
/nick
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It's always nice to hear other voices of sanity - thank you =)
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In general, these CNET forums' intended audiences are not MCSEs or aspiring MCSEs (or MCPs for that matter). Perhaps you would be better off subscribing to Microsoft Technet Flash, focusing your time on the Microsoft TechNet newsgroups and/or joining the ACM.
Even though this post might sound like it's attacking you it's not
You're right, it does sound like you're attacking Lee, and that is uncool.
any annoyance displayed here is directed at CNET and not you
Then perhaps you should have privately taken up your gripe with messageboards@cnet.com.
remember you're supposed to be a semi-technical resource
And the intended audience probably wouldn't be here if the forums started to read like a jargon/specification-heavy RFC or 30 lb reference.
THEY LIST THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WINDOWS VISTA AS WELL AS PROVIDE THE LIST OF ALREADY CERTIFIED DEVICES?
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/entpguid.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/default.mspx
The ''requirements'' listed on these pages are quite general. A modern CPU? Really? I wouldn't have guessed. Not only that, but if/when Microsoft does release specific requirements, they will be minimum requirements. In other words, the requirements will be the bare minimum you should meet so you can limp along. Sure, they're a starting point, but they need to be recognized as such.
As a computer professional that actually knows something about computers
Then I'm sure that you're also aware that all-caps in e-correspondence is considered shouting and rude.
I am constantly embarrassed and appalled by the irresponsible dissemination of misinformation that steadily streams uninterrupted from CNET and other major news sources. I understand that you're writers and not engineers, but have you no integrity? Have you no feeling of shame over presenting yourself as a knowledgeable source only to fill people's heads with mostly misunderstood half-truths? Or is it that you're so confused yourself that you're unaware of how seldom you are correct? Hire some specialists that know something, heck hire people that are wrong 80% of the time but at least have some substance to their wrong answers. Or maybe add to your disclaimer that this site is just one big beauty contest and everything described inside is purely cosmetic and temporary.
[Flame on]
Oh, please. Of all the self-righteous posts I've seen in a while, yours would get a razzie award if there would be such a thing for forum posts. With all your &%*#-talk, why don't you do something positive by contributing your expertise via these forums?
[/Flame off]
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I came here to make a contribution and I don't see how responding to the specifics of your post would be doing that. I feel very strongly that whether the audience is made up of begginers or experts a web site should take great care that it pass along accurate and honest information. There have been 103 posts, probably as many arguments, a lot of anger and frustration, and every post brings us farther away from answering the persons question that initially brought us all here. Look at how much unpleasantness has been caused in a matter of days just on this one web page. The threads spawned from this post have spread innacuracies on Plextor and Sony drives, Switched Power Supllies, Windows Vista 32-bit edition, RAID-0, Forklift operators, and Intel and AMD Processors. And then there's Lee, whose vote of confidence for a technically incorrect post kicked this all off. Lee, the list moderator who majored in psychology and who freely admits he's not at all technical. Absolutely it enrages me, absolutely I feel righteous by comparison, absolutely I'll start typing in caps, because I'm so disgusted I could spit.
Absolutely it makes me sad to think of peple who are going to be dissapointed when they end up not getting what they expected.
CNET abuses the fact that they're not held to the same standards as accountants (figure it out if it intrests you)
/nick
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If you build it now, you will want to replace that computer with a new one a year after the release of VISTA. The hardware available today should work with the new operating system, however, be prepared for issues that show up after the initial release to the public. It has been my experience that it takes at least one year for the bugs to surface in the OS/hardware that frustrate most users. The hardware manufacturers are releasing their products that can take advantage of the new OS features by this time. And of course, there is the software issue.
My choice would be to wait for the bugs to be worked out of the OS and hardware before making a purchase decision. If you need a new computer now, buy it based on your current needs and uses. Get the extras that you want such as fast processor, extra memory, large capacity hard drive and don't skimp on the power supply! Who knows, VISTA may work just fine on this new computer when it is released.
Something else to consider: Will a true 64 bit computer be backward compatible with the software you have now? The change from a 16 bit OS to a 32 bit OS was rough also. What is in store for us moving from 32 to 64 bits?
Unless you are a gambler, wait for the OS to be proven before putting a system together for it to run on (There are a lot of us who remember the ME fiasco). I believe you will be happier in the long run.
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As far as I know all computer power supplies use switching not transformers. What am I missing?
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Switching power supplies only have tiny transformers, if any. The weight he is referring to comes from, I imagine, a sturdier case, heavier duty wiring (more copper) etc. Most power supplies are made in Asia (Taiwan, Korea etc) so the lighter it is, the less the transportation costs. My guess is that his point is that if they are willing to spend the extra on the transportation costs, they are choosing components based on specifications, other than their weight. Unfortunately, too often the spec is the cheapest price, not the best part for the application. Hence one should always look at the manufacturer and their reputation.
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Maybe you should take the power supply in your computer out, crack it open and take a close look. Transformers are what turn AC current into DC current. What planet are you on????
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Maybe you should take the power supply in your computer out, crack it open and take a close look. Transformers are what turn AC current into DC current. What planet are you on????
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For the laymans explanation go here:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/power-supply.htm
For the very technical information go here:
http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/acrobat_download/applicationnotes/AN120.pdf
Computers for the last 20 years have run on SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supplies). While they do have transformers, the transformers are much much smaller and lighter than before SMPS was used because Switched power chops the current into a higher frequency and therefore the transformers can do their job with less effort.
Also, to clear up any misunderstandings about the transformers role in SMPS, here is a quote taken directly from the phillips web site (the second link I supplied):
"The chopped DC voltage is applied to the primary of a transformer,and the secondary voltage is rectified and smoothed to give the required DC output. The transformer is necessary to isolate the output from the input."
/nick
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I'm a strong believer in the philosophy, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." My home network has/had Win95, Win98, MacOS, NT 3.5, NT 4.0, and most recently WinXP Home. When my wife's vintage "original Bondi Blue" iMac had a video board go south, I turned it off and put the carcas in the basement. I've often had "test machines" running Linux releases on my network for periods of time as well.
It never ceases to amaze me how little real benefit to "solving my problems" has come from operating system upgrades over the past 8-10 years. I build and maintain simple databases, send and receive email, occasionally listen to internet radio, teleconference, send and receive faxes, and maintain a library of output from my digital camera. I also occasionally make up and test web pages. What more will Vista do for me than the existing operating systems I already know how to use, and how much time can I expect to invest learning the ins and outs of the new Vista feature set?
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This is the first negative I've ever heard about Plextor drives. I've always had good luck with them, the drivers have been stable, and they've been work horses for me. I've also read reviews that agreed (Jerry Pournelle for one). Granted, they usually aren?t the fastest or cheapest, but I don't over-clock my CPU either; I prefer guaranteed performance over bleeding edge speed.
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A lot of what you say makes sense, but some of it is unnecessary. Particularly the part where you say Sony DVD-R/RW drives don't last. The first one I bought was a Sony DRU500A. At the time (3 years ago) it was listed as a best buy in PC World magazine, so I ordered one at about 300 bucks. I've burned literally hundreds of disks with it. I still have it today, and it works fine, although it is significantly slower than my more-modern Sony DRU810A, which is currently listed as a best buy in PC World and cost me about 60 bucks.
If you had a bad experience with Sony, that doesn't mean that Sony products are inferior or don't last. It's just like the big Ford/Chevy debate. People have different opinions of which is superior. Their opinions are usually based on personal experience. My own is based on the fact that my Dad is an ex-GM employee. At any rate, they're still just opinions and should not be presented to the public as hard facts.
Sony optical drives rock! (That's just my opinion.)
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Thanks so much for the excellent discussion on how to by a computer. It was perfect for me!
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Pete's artical was great. Only thing I would add is to have two optical drives, a DVD-ROM and a DVD-Burner. If you miss time a backup and loose a hard drive, as I have, sometimes I have been able to copy files with Knoppix off my Windows XP drive using the ROM for Knoppix and the burner to copy. But if only one optical drive is in buget than go for a DVD-Burner and back up often.
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Great advice in preparation for Windows Vista! I would, however, suggest careful component selection if one is planning on building a PC rather than purchasing. A power supply unit (or PSU as they are often called) is actually complex and should be chosen wisely.
I agree that a larger wattage PSU should be seriously considered (e.g., 500W versus a more traditional 350W) as newer components are demanding more power (e.g., CPU, video cards, SATA hard drives, and memory). More 'power' (technically, it's more 'current') is needed when you have one or more of the following scenarios: (a) lots of components, (b) faster versus slower components, and/or (c) you're thinking of 'overclocking' the CPU, video card, and or memory (for advanced users). Under these different scenarios, when the PSU is providing more 'current' (the technical description for this is 'the PSU is under heavier load'), one should be concerned with: (1) temperature, (2) stability, and (3) noise.
As a PSU's load increases:
* so will its temperature; additionally, the internal temperature of the PC cabinet may rise, too. A PC builder should choose a PC case designed with good ventilation...with multiple, and preferably large, fan options.
* a PSU provides different power levels (volts) to different components. As the PSU's load increases, its ability to provide precise voltage becomes more challenging. This should not be an issue until the PSU's load nears its rated limited.
* the noise generated by the PSU tends to increase. This noise typically comes from the cooling fan and/or the 'power rails'. For PSUs with variable speed fans based on temperature, the fan speed increases as temperature rises thus producing more fan noise; for PSUs with a single fan speed, that fan speed is usually set to high so, although the fan noise won't increase, you'll always be getting the loudest fan noise. In addition to the fan's blowing noise, you may be able to hear a buzzing noise; this buzzing noise tends to get louder as the PSU's load increases. This noise comes from the PSU's 'power rails'.
PSUs are typically tested under 'no load' (minimal components), 'load' (common components), and 'high load' (lots of components, high-end components, or overclocking) and can be categorized as:
* Excellent (expensive $$$): everything is minimal...minimal or no temperature rise, minimal or no voltage irregularities, and minimal or no noise increase.
* Good (moderate $$): everything is small...temperature rise is small, voltage irregularities are small, and small but tolerable increases in noise.
* At-Best...Okay (inexpensive $): everything is acceptable...temperature rise is noticeable but acceptable because of the PSU's cooling fan, voltage irregularities may not cause problems until the PSU's load nears its rated output, and the noise levels are quite noticeable and acceptable only because you purchased a low-end PSU!
It seems most cases come with an 'at best' PSU; cases with 'good' PSUs can be found, among other places, by companies that manufacturer both cases and PSUs. If I was to build a PC, my first choice would be to purchase the case and PSU separately...after all, since I'm choosing all the other components I may as well choose the PSU!
If you do an Internet search on 'PSU review', you should get quite a few sites that have good, all-around reviews; quite a few of these sites are in reference to 'quiet computing', of special interest to those wanting to build a PC.
Well, enough said on PSU consideration. Similar consideration should be applied when purchasing the other PC components...case, video card, memory, hard drives, etc. all have their own pecularities and are much more relevant when building a PC than when buying a PC!
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I thought that one of the main demands from Vista was a powerful graphics card to support Aero Glass fully.
Can someone please enlighten us on what those requirements will be and which cards to look out for?
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As stated by their respective companys:
Nvidia; All five, six, and seven thousand class GPUs are Vista Ready
ATI; All-In-Wonder
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Being a long time Plextor user I have had 1 CD burner, and 3 different DVD burners. Each time I upgraded, I upgraded to get a faster drive. The old drives were used heavily, but never wore out. Since I read your article, I contacted Plextor to get their input.
I hope this clears up the issue.
Below is Plextor's reponse:
1. Is the Plextor and Sony the same DVD +/-R/W drive?
2. And does the Plextor wear out quickly?
3. Who builds the Plextor drives?
The answer to your first question is no
Mean time before failure is 10,000 hours of use
And plextor makes our own drives out of Japan
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