HP Pavilion dv5-1140us Entertainment Notebook PC

Key Specs

Processor: 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800
Memory: 2GB RAM
Storage: 250GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Screen: 15.4 inches
Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics
Weight: 5.8 pounds
Dimensions (HWD): 1.7x14.1x10.2 inches
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Just squeaking in under the $800 mark after rebates, HP’s Pavilion dv5-1140us Entertainment Notebook PC is at the high end of the budget-notebook price range, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Although its performance is merely average, its feature set and attractive design make it the best all-around budget system we've seen lately.

The 5.8-pound Pavilion’s Onyx Blue lid with HP’s Imprint 2 design and white backlit logo are pleasing to the eye, but what really sets this notebook apart is its all-chrome keyboard deck and piano-black display bezel, which together create a look that is sure to turn a few heads. The 15.4-inch display has a maximum resolution of 1,280x800 and uses HP’s shiny BrightView coating to provide vivid colors and a wide viewing angle. It also has a 1.3-megapixel Webcam built in to the upper bezel. As with nearly all glossy screens, this one does reflect ambient light but not to the point of distraction. Our test DVD, The Green Mile, looked great on the brightly lit wide-screen display. Even the integrated Altec Lansing speakers were a cut above the usual underpowered speakers found on most budget systems. While they lack the ability to reproduce deep bass tones, they can handle high volume without distorting.

The silver full-size keyboard is comfortable and blends nicely with the rest of the keyboard deck, as do the silver touch pad and mouse buttons. At the top of the deck is a strip containing backlit touch-sensitive media controls, a volume slider, and the power switch. The Pavilion also comes with a handy little remote that controls media components as well as Windows Media Center, and you can stash it away in the ExpressCard slot.

The Pavilion offers more connectivity ports than you’ll find on most budget notebooks and rivals some of the more costly mainstream systems, too. In addition to a standard VGA port, you get an HDMI output and four USB ports, one of which doubles as an external SATA (eSATA) port for connecting high-speed storage devices. An ExpressCard slot, a 5-in-1 card reader, and an HP Expansion Port 3 connector are located along the left side of the system, and a DVD burner with LightScribe labeling technology is on the right. Two headphone jacks are conveniently located on the front of the notebook, so you can watch a movie or listen to some tunes with a friend. The large 250GB hard drive, preloaded with Windows Vista Home Premium, provides plenty of storage for your multimedia projects.

Samsung SyncMaster T220HD LCD Monitor

The Samsung SyncMaster T220HD is a computer monitor that thinks it's a television. Besides DVI and VGA connectors, this 22-inch LCD has two HDMI ports and component-video and coaxial inputs, as well as a built-in ATSC TV tuner. In fact, the $449 monitor shares the same Touch of Color bezel design as Samsung's Series 6 and 7 LCD and Series 6 plasma HDTVs, and it even comes with a remote control. For home and office users who want a good-performing monitor that stands out, the T220HD has you covered. It's also an excellent buy for consumers looking to purchase a small HDTV for a bedroom or kitchen.

Right out of the box, the monitor looks great. The T220HD's red and black bezel is surrounded by a clear plastic frame, making the monitor look like it's made of glass and giving it an expensive feel. (Samsung says the red color is injection-molded, so that it won't wear off like paint.) The base of the unit, which resembles the pedestal of a vase, adds to the T220HD's high-end looks—but the plastic does feel slightly flimsy and lacks the sturdiness one finds in heavier stands.

Samsung continues its well-designed appointments with the ports on the back of the display. Not only are they well-identified, they're well-placed—a welcome change from monitors that hide their ports beneath the display or in other hard-to-reach spots. Besides the myriad video connections, the T220HD has an analog audio input and optical audio output to channel the signal to a high-end sound system. A USB port is reserved for servicing; a built-in USB hub would have been a nice plus. Facing the screen, on the left side you’ll find one of the HDMI ports and a headphone jack behind a closed door.

Like all good TVs, of course, the T220HD has built-in speakers; these support Dolby Digital Surround. While the audio won't blow you away as a true surround-sound system would, the T220HD's speakers sound great, especially for watching TV.

In keeping with the design, the T220HD has a touch-sensitive power button on the front. Although it's elegant, we found the button to be unresponsive at times, and the monitor chimes a musical tone each time you press the button, which can be irritating. The rest of the on-screen-display (OSD) buttons are found on the right side of the bezel (four of these double as volume and channel buttons). The OSD is exactly the same as those used in Samsung's TVs, and it's nicely designed and easy to understand. Navigating through the menus using the physical buttons can be confusing and a chore, however; we recommend using the remote control.

Components Graphics Cards Peripherals Printers Networking LCD Monitors Hard Drives & Burners Software Digital Cameras & Camcorders Cell Phones GPS HP Mini 1000

Processor: 1.6GHz Atom N270
Memory: 1GB RAM
Storage: 60GB hard drive
Optical Drive: None
Screen: 10.2 inches
Graphics: Intel integrated graphics
Weight: 2.5 lbs.
Dimensions (HWD): 1.0x10.3x6.6 inches
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition SP3

HP’s Mini-Note 2133 was one of the first entrants in the netbook market, and its high-res screen, Windows Vista OS, and relatively high price helped it break from the pack. The company’s new low-priced Mini 1000 doesn’t seem as distinctive, however, as its screen size, CPU, memory, and other specs are almost identical to competitors like the Asus Eee PC 1000HMSI Wind U100. And although it is the most compact netbook yet without a compromised keyboard, the Mini 1000 lacks some of the innovations—including the high-res screen and ExpressCard slot—of its predecessor. and

While its résumé might not stand out, the Mini 1000 dresses to impress, with solid construction, a stylish and svelte case, a superb keyboard, and a super-bright screen. At first glance, it looks like a sleek, all-black version of the Mini-Note 2133, but there are numerous refinements to the older design.The glossy black (and fingerprint-attracting) lid now sports a subtle swirl pattern printed on it. The keys are no longer slick and shiny, but subtly textured, and the screen has grown from 8.9 to 10.2 inches. Despite the larger display, the Mini 1000 has slimmed down from the earlier model, to 1x10.3x6.6 inches (HWD) and 2.5 pounds, making it the smallest, thinnest netbook yet with a full 10-inch-wide keyboard.

Inside, the differences are more dramatic. The 2133's anemic VIA processor has been replaced by the netbook-standard Intel Atom N270 running at 1.6GHz, backed by 1GB of DDR2 memory and running Windows XP Home Edition SP3. HP included a 60GB hard drive with our review unit; the company says 8GB and 16GB SSD drives, 2GB of RAM, and a Linux OS with a friendly “Mobile Internet Experience” front-end will be available as options.

Performance, which is in line with other Atom-powered notebooks, is a huge step up from the Mini-Note 2133.Where the Mini-Note 2133 turned in a score of just 23 on Cinebench 9.5, the Mini 1000 scored 135 in the same test. Overall performance is very responsive for tasks like e-mail, Web browsing, writing, and light number-crunching, but as with all netbooks, it’s more suited for video and audio playback than it is for multimedia content editing and conversion. The Mini 1000 completed our Windows Media Encoder test in 27 minutes and 8 seconds, and our iTunes encoding test in 19 minutes and 24 seconds. That puts it in the same performance ballpark as other Atom-powered netbooks such as the $439 Lenovo IdeaPad S10, which earned 133 on Cinebench 9.5 and completed our Windows Media Encoder and iTunes tests in 24 minutes and 10 seconds and 20 minutes and 5 seconds, respectively.

Gateway has updated its FX gaming notebook lineup with Intel's newest high-performance Centrino 2 mobile chipset, and the result is the $1,399 P-7811F

AMD's entry-level ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics card is an amazing deal for those looking to juice up their PC's video-playback performance and quality. For just $49, you get support for HD video playback, high desktop resolutions, power enough to display all the bells and whistles of Windows Vista's Aero interface, and the ability to add additional cards to support more monitors. But while it supports the latest DirectX 10.1 (DX10.1) 3D features, the Radeon HD 3450 is decidedly not the card for you if you play games.

Our sample card was a half-height, fanless PCI Express model with 256MB of DDR2 memory, intended for low-profile home theater cases. The card has only a single DVI port, as well as a component-video/S-Video connector and a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) adapter for the DVI port. ATI also has a model available with both DVI and VGA ports, as well as one with a VGA port and the new DisplayPort connector.

Though this is an inexpensive, entry-level card, the HD 3450 has the power to handle all of Vista's graphics effects, including desktop transparency, Flip 3D task switching, and the full suite of slide-show effects. That makes it a good replacement for entry-level PC graphics, such as the integrated graphics chips found on many motherboards, which are fast enough to enable basic effects such as transparency but disable more-sophisticated effects such as slide-show transitions.

While its desktop performance was excellent, the HD 3450's gaming performance was dismal. It delivered slide-show-like frame rates of 11 frames per second (fps) in F.E.A.R. and 4.6fps in Company of Heroes (both at a resolution of 1,280x1,024). If you have a nostalgic bent, the card has enough power to handle 3D games from early in the decade at low resolutions, but its support of the DX10.1 standard used by the newest games is mostly there as a checkbox item for the promotional text on the card's box. Casual gamers should consider the Radeon HD 3650HD 3850 a more suitable entry-level card for serious gamers. as the bare minimum, with the

Gateway P-7811FX Laptop

Key Specs Processor: 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400
Memory: 4GB DDR2
Storage: 200GB hard drive
Optical Drives: DVD±RW
Display: 17-inch TFT
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9800M GTS (512MB)
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)

Gateway has updated its FX gaming notebook lineup with Intel's newest high-performance Centrino 2 mobile chipset, and the result is the $1,399 P-7811FX, which delivers superb performance for the money. (It's currently available only at Best Buy.) Despite its general excellence, it's still a midrange model that can't compete with higher-priced notebooks, but it's the fastest notebook we've tested at this price range. Its biggest fault is its noisy cooling fans, which frequently spin up for no reason whatsoever. The P-7811FX uses the same black-and-copper chassis with faux carbon fiber as all previous FX machines, so the only changes here are internal. Inside, the Centrino 2 chipset promises better performance, improved wireless range, better battery life, and compatibility with new DDR3 memory. This unit features a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor with 4GB of DDR3 memory. It uses the 64-bit version of Vista to take advantage of all that memory (32-bit versions can only use 3GB.) Even more tantalizing than the P-7811FX's new chipset is the presence of Nvidia's newest mobile video card, the GeForce 9800M GTS with 512MB of memory. The GTS card is the lowest model in the GeForce 9800M series, with 64 stream processors and Nvidia's PureVideo HD engine for offloading Blu-ray decoding demands from the CPU. The HD decoding isn't a concern on this notebook, however, as it features a DVD burner instead of a Blu-ray drive, which isn't surprising given its price tag. Gateway has endowed the P-7811FX with a gorgeous 17-inch wide-screen display that has a glossy coating and a native resolution of 1,920x1,200. It's paired up with a full-size keyboard complete with number pad, and Gateway has added a row of media control buttons below the LCD that are easy to use. The keyboard is very comfortable, though the touch pad feels like it would be easier to use if it were moved an inch or two to the right. Storage is handled by a speedy 200GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and you can also add a second drive to the system. Given its size, it's no surprise that this notebook is loaded with expansion ports and connectors. It features three USB ports, a FireWire jack, a multiformat memory-card reader, an ExpressCard slot, and VGA and HDMI outputs. There are also microphone and headphone jacks, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam built into the LCD bezel, and an external SATA (eSATA) port. The P-7811FX's benchmark performance was very good for a laptop at this price range—in fact, the best we've seen yet, though not up to par with more expensive machines. On the CPU front, it breezed through our iTunes encoding test in 3 minutes and 26 seconds, which is just 13 seconds slower than the $4,800 Alienware Area-51 m15x and about a minute faster than the $1,249 Toshiba Satellite A305-S6845. The Gateway scored well on our Cinebench 10 test, too, racking up an impressive 4,577. Its PCMark Vantage score of 4,305 was also very good, though PCMark05 would not run. It took 6 minutes and 39 minutes to complete our Windows Media Encoder test, which compares favorably to the Toshiba's time, 7 minutes and 17 seconds.

Alienware Area-51 m15x Laptop

Key Specs

Processor: 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000
Memory: 4GB DDR2
Storage: 200GB hard drive; 320GB removable hard drive
Optical Drives: Blu-ray burner/DVD±RW
Display: 15.4-inch TFT
Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8800M GTX (512MB)
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

There's been a litany of reasons to hold off on buying a new gaming laptop: the state of the high-definition-disc format war, new 45nm chips on the horizon, the latest graphics processor, or the fact that your wallet coughs up dust bunnies. But with Alienware's new 15.4-inch gaming notebook, the Area-51 m15x, you're out of excuses—except for that last one.

Pricing for the m15x starts at a not-unreasonable $2,149, but Alienware's long list of new shiny parts quickly runs up the bill. Our souped-up review unit, for instance, costs a vertigo-inducing $4,858. What do you get for all that money? Our configuration included a GeForce 8800M GTX graphics chip upgrade—previously available only in larger 17-inch Alienware models; an Intel Penryn-based 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme X9000 processor; 4GB of DDR2 RAM; a Blu-ray burner/DVD±RW combo drive; a 1,920x1,200 screen; a 200GB internal drive; and an additional 320GB swappable hard drive.

While the spec sheet may send gamers into an energy-drink delirium, the presentation is less exciting. The laptop does have portability going for it, measuring 14.6x10.7x1.3 inches and weighing a manageable 7.1 pounds, but gone is some of Alienware's trademark otherworldly décor. The somewhat blocky case is made of plastic that feels like it would crack under the slightest strain, and the matte-black spinal ridges of the Area-51 m9750 have been smoothed out to a glossy finish and crowned with Alienware's insignia, emblazoned with LED eyes.

Lifting the lid reveals a gorgeous 15.4-inch screen topped by a 2-megapixel webcam. Below the bezel you'll notice power, volume, wireless, and system touch controls, which we found to be a bit stubborn and unresponsive. The touch pad sits flush on the case and is delineated by an LED border, which also makes it tough to distinguish from the rest of the case. One presentation aspect we did like is the multitude of LEDs built into the backlit keyboard (a $50 upgrade option) and encircling the case lid, emblem, and touch pad. They can all change color independently using the Alienware Command software, although there are no strobing or color-shifting options available.

Moving around the edges, the m15x sports an up-to-date, if utilitarian, mix of ports, including Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, headphone and mic jacks, three USB and one Firewire port, a SD/MMC memory-card slot, HDMI output, and an ExpressCard slot. We didn't miss VGA or S-Video ports, since they'd seem dated on a machine of this caliber. Watching Blu-ray movies on the high-definition display was breathtaking, but we did make good use of the HDMI port to pipe video and audio directly out to our HDTV in stunning full 1080p HD resolution.

In our benchmark testing, the GeForce 8800M GTX and Core 2 Extreme X9000 tandem positively smoked the competition. The m15x beat one previous champ, the Gateway P-171XL FX Edition, by scoring a blazing 76.2 frames per second (fps) in Company of Heroes and 96fps in F.E.A.R. (both at 1,900x1,200 resolution with anti-aliasing off). The m15x also took our 3DMark test, posting 7,381 at 1,900x1,200, which shattered the score of 5,921 the Dell XPS M1730st with 7,520, as well as our iTunes conversion test (3 minutes and 13 seconds). The m15x also sets the bar pretty high for our new Cinebench 10 and PCMark Vantage tests, posting 5,543 and 3,368, respectively. The only tests where the m15x didn't run away with the lead were our Cinebench 9.5 and Windows Media Encoding tests, though it still scored a respectable 928 and 5 minutes and 20 seconds, respectively. recorded. In our productivity tests, the m15x similarly trashed all comers in our PCMark05 te

HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier

Key Specs

Interfaces: USB; 802.11b/g
Max. Paper Size: 8.5x14 inches
Number of Ink Colors: Four or six (with optional photo cartridge)
Number of Ink Cartridges: Two
Max. Resolution (Color): 1,200x1,200dpi (1,200x2,400dpi interpolated)
Max. Resolution (Monochrome): 1,200x1,200dpi
LCD Size (Diagonal): 1.5 inches
Dimensions (HWD): 6.4x17.1x11.4 inches
Weight: 11.2 pounds

HP’s $129 Photosmart C4580 isn’t the cheapest all-in-one (AIO) you can buy, but it has an excellent features-to-cost ratio. It provides the core capabilities most families and small businesses need: printing, copying, scanning, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The print quality is also quite good, though printing could be faster.

Inexpensive AIOs are often defined by what they don’t offer compared with their higher-priced cousins. The C4580 doesn’t fax or have a built-in CD burner. It doesn’t have an Ethernet port or support Bluetooth. There’s also no provision for adding duplex printing or a second tray for snapshot-photo paper. (You’ll have to swap out the paper and manually adjust the paper guides.) If you need one or more of those features, there are plenty of choices, such as the Epson Artisan 700, Canon Pixma MX700, and HP Photosmart C8180; just expect to pay more.

Another gripe: As with other HP wireless printers, the installation can be a bit confusing. You have to install the printer for either a USB connection or an 802.11g Wi-Fi connection. There’s no option to install for both, which many people will want to do.

Still, if you dig into the documentation, you’ll find the printer does support both types simultaneously; you’ll have to install the software again and select the other connection type. Your computer will then have two C4580 printer profiles you can choose between, as needed. The printer has a host of other attractive features. It supports both USB and Wi-Fi connections. It has memory-card slots for direct printing of digital photos. There’s a built-in LCD screen, though it’s a tiny 1.5-inch display that shows only a few menu choices at a time. And despite the low price, the plastic casing seems well-constructed and reasonably durable.

The C4580 also has scanning features you don’t often find with low-end models, such as optical-character-recognition (OCR) software. You can initiate a scan from the printer’s control panel, as well as from your computer. You can also use the control panel to select the networked computer that will receive the initiated scan. Print and copy quality were very good using the supplied black and tricolor cartridges. There was little difference in color saturation or perceptible resolution between the normal and best print modes when using regular paper, even though the best mode took considerably longer. Our standard 10-page test document with a mix of text and images printed on plain paper in a relatively slow 3 minutes and 10 seconds, and a 20-page document took 3 minutes and 2 seconds.

Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition

Key Specs

Socket Type: Intel LGA1366
Number of Cores: Four
Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz
Front-Side Bus: Intel QuickPath Interconnect

Intel’s new Core i7 processors don’t just live up to their hype—they exceed it. Representing a huge performance jump over previous generations, the Core i7 allows even midrange systems to leave the fastest Core 2 Extreme Edition CPUs in the dust. The initial chip lineup includes the $284 Core i7-920 running at 2.66GHz, the $562 Core i7-940 running at 2.92GHz, and the $999 Core i7-965 Extreme Edition running at 3.2GHz. The Core i7 Extreme Edition differs from the less-expensive chips because it features an unlocked multiplier, which simplifies overclocking, and a faster QuickPath communication bus.

All of the chips use Intel’s new LGA1366 socket, and at the moment only Intel’s X58 chipset supports the Core i7. The chip resembles a slightly larger version of the Core 2 Quad, but inside there are significant enhancements. All current Core i7 chips include four CPU cores on a single 45-nanometer die, but they appear to Windows as eight-core processors, as they bring back the Hyper-Threading feature found on the Pentium 4. Hyper-Threading lets a single CPU core tackle two code threads at one time, to minimize the amount of time that parts of a core sit idle. There are numerous other improvements in the silicon, including faster algorithms, new SSE4 text-processing instructions, better virtualization support, and a new 8MB shared L3 cache, in addition to each core’s 64K L1 cache and 256K L2 cache.

We compared the Core i7’s performance to Intel’s previous king of the hill, the $999 3.2GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9770, running on a 1,600MHz front-side bus (FSB). How much faster is the Core i7 than its Core 2 predecessors? Our Windows Media Encoder test, which uses only two CPU cores, saw the smallest performance increase but still managed to drop from 2 minutes and 55 seconds on the QX9770 to 2 minutes and 29 seconds on the i7-965, a 17 percent speedup. Our quad-core-aware Sony Vegas 8.0 video-editing tests showed the most dramatic improvement, dropping from 3 minutes and 43 seconds on the QX9770 to 2 minutes and 20 seconds on the i7-965 in our MPEG-2 tests and from 1 minute and 21 seconds to 50 seconds in our MPEG-4 render—59 and 62 percent speedups, respectively. Our iTunes conversion test took 3 minutes and 37 seconds on the QX9770, which dropped to 2 minutes and 46 seconds on the i7-965, a 30.7 percent improvement.

Even more impressive in the bang-for-the-buck department is the performance of the entry-level i7-920, which still managed to beat out the QX9770 in all of our productivity tests. Results ranged from a mere 1 percent speed increase in Windows Media Encoder to an 18 percent increase in the iTunes conversion test and an impressive 31 percent performance enhancement in our Vegas 8.0 MPEG-2 rendering test. On the other hand, most games don’t see much change, as modern games tend to rely more on graphics-card performance than CPU speed.

Dell XPS 730x

Processor: 2.93GHz Core i7-940
Memory: 5GB DDR3
Storage: Two 300GB hard drives (RAID Level 0)
Optical Drives: BD-ROM/DVD±RW; DVD±RW
Monitor: None
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 (1GB)
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)

How much cash are you willing to pay for your flash? With the release of Intel's new Core i7 family of processors, which brings terrific performance out of the stratospheric price ranges where it's too often been trapped in recent years, that question is going to be of increasing importance. Since outstanding machines can now be built from middle-of-the-road CPUs, even in the gaming-desktop category, the balance between green and glitz is going to be more crucial than ever. A machine like Dell's new XPS 730x is right on the edge.

First, its components are impeccable. Its 2.93GHz Core i7-940 processor is the midrange model, offering virtually eight cores of high-speed processing power for under $600. With that CPU matched with 5GB of triple-channel DDR3 RAM, the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 graphics card, the XPS 730x is a system primed to scream. Two 300GB hard drives in a RAID Level 0 configuration give you lots of storage space for installing games, while the two-stage H2C hybrid cooling system ensures you won't slow down just because you get heated up. (In case anything does go awry, you have at your disposal 24-hour phone support, 5GB of online backup space, and a two-year limited warranty with in-home service following remote diagnosis.)

You get two optical drives with the XPS 730x: a standard DVD±RW, and a Blu-ray reader/DVD±RW for watching high-definition movies. A multiformat card reader occupies one of the two external 3.5-inch bays, while two other external 5.25-inch bays and two internal 3.5-inch hard drive bays remain free. Connectivity is of the standard, but useful, variety for this class of system: two USB, one FireWire, and headphone and microphone jacks up front; eight-channel audio, two Ethernet, six USB, one external SATA (eSATA), one FireWire, digital audio, and two PS/2 connectors in the back.

Asus G50Vt-X1

Available exclusively from Best Buy, the Asus G50Vt-X1 ($1,249.99) has the look and feel of a high-end gaming notebook, and it has some cool features, like one-touch overclocking and interactive lighting effects. Although it can’t match the 3D performance of some high-octane (and high-priced) gaming rigs, it has more than enough chops to run today’s DirectX 9 (DX9) gaming titles with ease.

With a shiny piano-black lid sporting a touch of blue detailing and a glowing Asus Republic of Gamers logo badge, the 7.2-pound G50Vt-X1 has “gaming system” written all over it. A pair of blue light strips embedded in the sides of the lid completes the look. The same glossy black trim surrounds the 15.6-inch display, the 1,366x768 resolution of which is fine for most multimedia applications but a tad skimpy for 3D gaming (Alienware’s Area-51 m15x has a 1,920x1,200 screen but is much more expensive).

The screen is plenty bright and offers good viewing angles from all sides. A 1.3-megapixel Webcam and microphone array are built into its upper bezel. As is the case with most 1.3-megapixel cameras, image quality is grainy but adequate for e-mailing photos and using Skype.

The silver keyboard deck contains a full-size black keyboard and a nice wide touch pad, both of which are responsive and comfortable. The touch pad is framed by a strip of blue LEDs that match the exterior lighting. Above the keyboard are a small 3.1-inch Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display and four touch-sensitive buttons that let you change the look and performance of the G50Vt-X1. The button on the left takes you into the Direct Console applet, where you can toggle among three processor modes—Normal (2.26GHz), Turbo (2.38GHz), and Turbo Extreme (2.49GHz)—on the fly, without having to reboot or enter the BIOS.

The console also lets you change lighting-effect modes to flash according to CPU and memory activity (Interactive), flash every two seconds (Fancy), or a combination of both (Advanced). You can choose to turn the lights off to conserve battery power as well. Direct Console is where you program the OLED to show CPU and memory usage, battery level, MSN Instant Messages, and the Sender and Subject header from incoming Outlook e-mail messages, if you so desire. The button with the lightning-bolt icon activates Express Gate, a Splashtop application that lets you surf the Web, play music, view photos, and conduct online chats, all without having to power up the system or boot into Windows

Asus Eee PC 1002HA

Reviewed by: Jamie Bsales
Review Date: December 2008

The Asus Eee PC 1002HA is a strong netbook entry that improves on its predecessor (the very good 1000HA) in a number of ways. It’s slimmer, lighter, offers improved battery life, and looks great, too. Two months ago, we would have crowned this king among 10-inch netbooks, but the recent arrival of the Samsung NC10 puts the 1002HA in a very close second-place position behind the Samsung, which offers similar specs but a better keyboard and longer battery life for the same $499 price.

The 1002HA continues the company’s move toward sophisticated netbook designs (a lá the Asus N10Jc) versus the more toy-like appearance of the original Eee PC. The bronze finish on the lid and palm rest looks both rich and unique, and Asus has trimmed the weight to 2.8 pounds (versus 3.2 pounds for the 1000H) and the thickness to 1 inch (from 1.4 inches). We also appreciate the diminutive AC adapter, which ensures that you won’t be loaded down with a power brick when you do want to bring the cord along.

The glossy black bezel around the 10-inch wide-screen display gives the 1002HA the look of a (very) miniature HDTV. Colors pop and even small black text is crisp, though we noticed that smaller, colored text comes across a bit fuzzy. The screen has a native resolution of 1,024x600, which means most Web sites will be visible side-to-side without scrolling horizontally. The vertical resolution, of course, necessitates plenty of up-and-down scrolling. Fortunately, the oversize (for a netbook) ElanTech touch pad supports scrolling by dragging two fingers on the pad, so there’s no need to hunt for a dedicated scroll area. The touch pad also supports other gestures such as rotating, zooming, and selecting onscreen items.

While the touch pad is one of the best we’ve used on a netbook, the keyboard is merely good, not great. The keys have a comfortable feel but are more cramped than those on the Samsung NC10, and the size and placement of the right Shift key (at the outer edge of the keyboard) will be hard for touch typists to get used to. And as with other netbooks, there’s really no room for dedicated multimedia control keys. Audio from the front-firing stereo speakers is pretty good for a netbook, and on par with most mainstream notebooks. The sound is thin and could use more bass, but there’s plenty of volume.

The 1002HA has the usual ports for a netbook, including three USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, headphone, microphone, and VGA. Although we’re happy to see a memory-card reader (SD, MMC, and Memory Stick flavors are supported), its placement on the back edge strikes us as an odd design choice. Wireless connectivity comes via 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth, and there’s a Webcam (but no fingerprint reader). The 1002HA includes a 160GB hard drive, but as with other netbooks, you’ll have to spring for an external optical drive.

The 1002HA’s Super Hybrid Engine lets you trade performance for battery life. Three modes—Super Performance, High Performance, and Power Saving—are available by simply pressing the button above the keyboard. In Super Performance mode, the 1002HA performed right in line with (or slightly better than) other Intel Atom N270-based Windows XP netbooks with 1GB of RAM and integrated graphics. It scored 135 on Cinebench 9.5 (dead on the average for that group) and 844 on Cinebench 10, which is the highest score we’ve seen yet from a netbook (albeit by only 9 points). The machine needed 25 minutes and 15 seconds to complete our iTunes conversion trial, which is painfully slow compared with laptops in general but similar to other netbooks. Its time of 23 minutes and 37 seconds on our Windows Media Encoder test is slightly faster than competing netbooks (but again, not a chore you’d want to perform regularly on this type of machine).

On our video-loop battery-rundown test, the 1002HA lasted 2 hours and 53 minutes in Super Performance mode, which is 34 minutes less than the average for all netbooks tested to date—and a considerable 84 minutes less than the Samsung NC10. Switching to Power Saving mode and playing a video loop continuously, we saw the same battery life, but less-demanding chores (like Web surfing) should see a benefit. But you'll notice about an 8 percent performance drop in the tradeoff, according to our Futuremark PCMark 2005 results (1,520 in Super Performance mode versus 1,394 in Power Saving mode).

There’s a lot to like about the Asus 1002HA. It has the sophisticated good looks of the Asus N10Jc without the higher price, and all the appeal of the company’s 1000 series in a slimmer, lighter package. But although it has the Samsung NC10 beat in the looks department and it offers a better touch pad, the 1002HA loses points to the Samsung when it comes to battery life and keyboard design.

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition Processor

AMD's Phenom quad-core processor had a rough launch. It was late, had lower clock speeds than expected, and was slower than Intel's quad-core chips. And just as the chips hit the market, an erratum (error) was discovered in the chip that could cause lock-ups in rare multitasking situations, requiring a BIOS patch that slowed down the chip 10 percent or more.

Now AMD is back with its second-generation, errata-free Phenom X4 chips, which can run at their full potential. At the top of the line is the Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition. The Black Edition moniker signifies that the chip has an unlocked multiplier, offering more flexibility for overclocking. At stock speeds, this quad-core chip runs at 2.5GHz, with 2GHz Hypertransport and memory clocks (compared to 1.8GHz for lower-end Phenom X4s). Along with the 9850, AMD has also introduced the $215 2.4GHz Phenom X4 9750 and the $195 2.2GHz Phenom X4 9550.

These 50-series processors aren't radically different from the first-generation Phenom chips. Clock-for-clock, their performance matches the earlier chips they replace, but without the erratum patch slowdown. The Phenom X4 2.5GHz 9850 gets a slight speed boost over the formerly high-end 2.4GHz 9700, and adds the unlocked multiplier.

The Phenom now runs apps up to 25 percent faster than an Athlon X2 at the same clock rate. Speedup is even greater with multicore-aware programs such as video editors and some games. The Phenom X4 is a true quad-core chip, with four independent cores on a single die; AMD also plans a triple-core Phenom X3 series. Unlike the Athlon X2, the memory controller can run at an independent clock rate. Newer Socket AM2+ motherboards let you install fast 1,066MHz memory or overclock your RAM in a Phenom system without changing the CPU's operating speed.

Though AMD has added new SSE4a multimedia instructions, these aren't entirely compatible with the SSE4.1 instructions used on Intel's newer Core 2 processors, so programs will need to add specific support for them. DivX 6.8, for instance, takes advantage of SSE4.1 on the newest Core 2 CPUs, but defaults to the older SSE2 instructions when running on a Phenom.

AMD Phenom™ X4 9000 Series Quad-Core Processors and AMD Phenom™X3 8000 Series Triple-Core Processors Product Brief

The ultimate megatasking experience. Featuring true multi-core design and award-winning AMD64 technology with Direct Connect Architecture, AMD Phenom™ processors deliver the ultimate megatasking experience by providing direct and rapid information flow between processor cores, main memory, and graphics and video accelerators. AMD Phenom™ processors have the technology to break through the most challenging processing loads. AMD Phenom™ processors feature low latency access to main memory for amazingly rapid response and phenomenal system performance. AMD Phenom™ processors were designed for megatasking—running multiple, multi-threaded applications. Surge through the most demanding processing loads, including advanced multitasking, critical business productivity, advanced visual design and modeling, serious gaming, and visually stunning digital media and entertainment.

Phenomenal performance with advanced processor design. The AMD Phenom™ processors are the most advanced processors for true multitasking with true quad-core design. Don’t get bogged down by non-native quad-core processors and obsolete front side bus architectures. With an integrated memory controller and shared L3 cache, AMD Phenom™ processors have low-latency access to main memory for amazingly rapid system response and phenomenal system performance.

Blast through performance bottlenecks. All AMD Phenom™ processors feature AMD64 with Direct Connect Architecture to blast through performance bottlenecks. Award winning HyperTransport™ 3.0 technology just got faster, providing support for full 1080p high-definition video and extreme total system bandwidth.

Shatter the memory barrier. Superior AMD64 architecture offers direct access to DDR2 memory. Enjoy virtually unlimited memory options with AMD64 technology and 64-bit Windows Vista.® Shatter the memory barrier with AMD Phenom™ processors and 64-bit Windows Vista.®

INTENSELY VISUAL

Experience Windows Vista.® Harness the power of Windows Vista® with the AMD Phenom™ processors. AMD Phenom™ processors divide and conquer the most complex tasks with true multi-core design. Enjoy the ultimate megatasking experience on Windows Vista.® Enjoy virtually unlimited memory options with AMD64 technology and 64-bit Windows Vista.® Shatter the memory barrier with AMD Phenom™ processors and Windows Vista.®

AMD Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2 Processor

AMD Athlon, AMD Athlon 64 - 2.0GHz - 1 MB L2 Cache

ATHLON 64 X2 DC 4850E AM2 2.5GHZ 1MB 65NM 45W 2000MHZ PIB

Processor : AMD Athlon, AMD Athlon 64

Clock Speed : 2.0GHz

L2 Cache : 1 MB

UPC : 730143241816

HP 1GB PC2100 DDR SDRAM Memory RAM KIT

DDR PC2100, DDR PC3500, DDR2 PC4200, SDRAM PC100 - 512 MB, 1 GB - 133 MHz - PC - DIMM

Improve your PC's performance and boost application speed. Use more software programs at the same time. It's easy when you add system memory!

Improve your PC's performance and boost application speed. Use more software programs at the same time. It's easy when you add system memory!

Memory Type

DDR PC2100, DDR PC3500, DDR2 PC4200, SDRAM PC100

Memory Size

512 MB, 1 GB

Bus Speed

133 MHz

Compatibility

PC

Interface

DIMM

UPC

613326534021

CisCo CCNA TestKing V23 & Testinside V3.50

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Cisco Certified Network Associate
Exam Number/Code: 640-802
Exam Name: Cisco Certified Network Associate
Questions and Answers: 183 Q&As
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Update Time: 2008-9-22

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Questions and Answers:767

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640-802 can be a challenging exam, measuring your 640-802 Exam skills, and compliments the other exams in this certification.

Cisco Network Magic Pro

Today Cisco has introduced a suite of network management software named Network Magic 5.0 . This tool will improve various network tasks like- connecting and sharing computers(content & printer), control computers on network while accessing Internet, connection repairing features, manage performance problem to provide optimize performance and many more. This tool run in the background and indicate/alert each time when new device connect to your network.
The Network Magic 5.0 suit provide the various functionality and provide capability to

* Connect and share content or a printer across a network
* Manage, monitor and control how computers on the network access the Internet
* Diagnose and repair connection and performance problems
* Optimize performance and reliability
* Track network history and usage through reporting capabilities
* Manage active connections and get status updates Control user
* Access and help secure the network from intruders

Features:

* Connect your devices together in minutes.
* Share Internet connections, printers and files.
* Protect your network with enhanced WPA security capabilities and
status alerts.
* Repair your network and Internet connections to stay online and
productive.
* Control access to the Internet and track online activity with remote
desktop screenshots.
* And much more!

Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols

Name: Cisco IP Routing: Packet Forwarding and Intra-domain Routing Protocols
Author: By Alex Zinin
Publisher: Addison Wesley Professional
Pub Date: October 30, 2001
Print ISBN-10: 0-201-60473-6
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-201-60473-3
Pages: 656
Slots: 2.0
As a networking professional, you will find this practical guide an invaluable resource for understanding routing technologies and configuring and troubleshooting Cisco routers, as well as for studying for the CCIE exam. Cisco IP Routing presents the most thorough information available on the inner workings of Cisco routers. Focusing on intra-domain dynamic routing protocols, the book provides an in-depth understanding of IP routing and forwarding technologies, and their implementation within Cisco routers.

Cisco CCNA Exam Router Simulator v2.2.1

SemSim is internationally acclaimed Cisco CCNA exam router simulation software that helps aspiring candidates prepare for the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification exam. Not only does it provide an understanding of networking concepts – through router simulation based virtual labs and practice tests, but also recreates an environment for real-life network configuration practice. It opens new vistas in personal flexibility and time management. SemSim provides you with a classroom quality-learning environment at an affordable price. Start a successful career as a Cisco certified network professional with SemSim now ! We even offer an online free CCNA Study center to provide some helpful articles on basic exam information.
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* Simulation questions typically consume the most time on the exam. However with SemSim simulator, exhaustive practice with mock exam simulation questions will ensure that you save time on the exam. This will provide you with better time management to ensure that you have sufficient time to answer the multiple choice/theory questions.

Configuring Cisco Voice Over IP 2nd Edition 2002-08

Configuring Cisco Voice Over IP 2nd Edition 2002-08
by Jason Sinclair

ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1931836647
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781931836647
Publisher: Syngress
Number Of Pages: 656
Publication Date: 2002-08-10


Configuring Cisco Voice Over IP, Second Edition provides network administrators with a thorough understanding of Cisco's current voice solutions. This book is organized ebook description:
around the configuration of all of Cisco's core VoIP products, including Cisco CallManager software, Cisco 7910 series of phones, and server-based IP PBXs. In addition, AVVID coverage has been added.An update to a bestselling title in a growth market. Continued competitive pressure on ISPs to deliver VoIP will create strong demand information on topicVoice Over IP is expected to make great inroads in 2002. Voice-over-IP got its start at the time of the first edition of the book; it is now real and more companies are adopting it since IT managers have become less skeptical of IP telephony's reliability and more aware of the potential cost savings and application benefits of a converged network. Voip wares now promise easier quality-of-service (QoS) deployment, and a multitude of new IP phones and conferencing stations for corporations.Cisco and IBM recently announced a package deal that could help businesses quickly roll out IP voice in a small or midsize office. Since getting into the IP telephony market two years ago, Cisco has seen quick success in selling its voice-over-IP products into its vast installed base of IP LAN equipment customers. The firm was the top vendor of IP phones in the first quarter of this year and second in IP PBX system shipments (behind 3Com), according to Cahners In-Stat.

Cisco 600/700/800 Routers

Used Cisco Routers - 600, 700 & 800 Series Routers

Network Hardware Resale carries an extensive selection of used and new-surplus Cisco 600, 700 and 800 Series. In many cases, we can deliver your Cisco 600, Cisco 700 or Cisco 800 Series next day. To request a quote simply browse our selection and add a Cisco 600, 700 or 800 Series model to your online quote cart, or call us at 1-800-230-6638 for assistance.

All NHR used and refurbished Cisco 600, 700 and 800 Series are rigorously inspected and tested to ensure like-new quality and performance. In addition to refurbished Cisco 600, 700 and800 Series, new-surplus equipment is also available. In either case, NHR pre-owned equipment provides cost-effective options to:
• Expand your existing network without being forced to upgrade
• Spare key network components to eliminate costly maintenance contracts
• Build a best-of-class Cisco network at a fraction of list price

Used Cisco 1700 Routers

The Cisco 1700 Series modular and fixed-configuration access routers are designed by Cisco to provide integrated access for small and medium businesses and enterprise small branch offices. Network Hardware Resale carries pre-owned, refurbished and used Cisco 1700 internet routers in most configurations offered by Cisco. Refurbished Cisco 1700 Series modules and accessories are also available. NHR offers 1 Year Warranty and the lowest price on Used Cisco 1700 Routers. Up to 95% OFF List. All Cisco routers including Cisco 1700 routers are fully tested and guaranteed!

EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 Intel Motherboard

EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 Intel Motherboard is a huge motherboard, however it perfectly sized for a full tower ATX. This Intel motherboard comes with 3 slots for video cards, 2 slots for sounds, and they work very perfectly. Of course, that video card slots support for SLI, but not like ATi Crossfire, SLI still doesn’t support multi-monitor yet. This motherboard is originally shipped with P06 BIOS, if you want to upgrade to P07, be carefull. Some of reviews mention, with Intel E6700 2.66Ghz and P07 BIOS, this motherboard only reach 3.2 Ghz. However, with P06 it can reach up to 3.33 GHz. If you wonder what the difference between 680i and 780i is, actually they are identical, except nVidia added two more upgrades, nForce 200 chip and of course, 3-way SLI. The nForce 200 chip is essentially an additional chip to handle PCI Express 2.0. It doesn’t really help the 3-way SLI function but does boost performance in SLI configuration.

Buy EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 Motherboard

EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 Intel Motherboard Specification

Processor	:	Socket T (LGA775); Intel Quad-core, Core2 Extreme, Core2 Duo and Pentium processors
Chipset	:	NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI
Front Side Bus	:	1333/1066 MHz
Memory	:	Max. 8GB;Dual channel DDR2 800 x 4 DIMMs
Expansion Slots	:	3*PCIe2.0 x16, 1*PCIe x1, 2*PCI
IDE	:	1*ATA100
Serial ATA(SATA)/RAID	:	6*SATA w/ RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 JBOD
Audio	:	8 Channels
LAN	:	Dual 10/100/1000Mbps
IEEE1394	:	2*1394a

MSI K9N4 SLI Motherboard Review

This MSI motherboard is quite cheap as you can get it for under USD $100. Like its name, MSI K9N4 SLI motherboard will gives you SLI feature for more graphic performance. Not only that, you also get good performance and stable operation from this AMD motherboard. MSI K9N4 SLI motherboard is as usual a high quality AMD Motherboard that was well packed and had good documentation. Unfortunately, MSI only includes the flat IDE cable not a rounded cable. The BIOS menus are awesome and easy to find in and the cell menu relly made it easy to overclock this MSI motherboard.
MSI K9N4 SLI motherboard specification :

• Processor : AMD Socket AM2 processors (AMD Athlon64 X2, Athlon64 and Sempron)
• Chipset : nVidia nForce 500 SLI
• FSB : HyperTransport supporting speed up to 1GHz (2000MT/s)
• Memory : 4 x DDR2 (400/533/677/800 MHz)
• Audio : Chipset integrated by Realtek ALC850 (Compliant with AC97 v2.3 Specs)
• LAN : Supports 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet by Vitesse VSC8601
• Form Factor : ATX (30.5cm x 24.4cm)
• AGP/PCI/PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1 : 0/2/2/0/2
• USB/FireWire/Serial/Paralel : 4(6)/0/1/1
• PATA/SATA : 2/4
• Accessories : Metal rear I/O plate, SATA cable, Flat IDE cable, Manual and driver CD.

Read more about MSI motherboard

AMD DDR3 Motherboard

It seems that Advanced Micro Devices remains consequent to its habits of letting Intel enjoy all the fun of developing new technologies, only to adopt them after some time, when the company considers said technologies to be affordable enough on the market. AMD acted this way when the industry went from DDR to DDR2 and now it does the same thing with the move from DDR2 to DDR3.

For the past few months, we saw Intel spend a lot of time and money in its pursue to convince everybody that DDR3 is a worthy thing, yet the company had too little success in DDR3 motherboard sales, due to the fact that, all the way through 2007 and 2008, DDR3 had some ridiculous prices.

The prices for DDR3 memory modules became a lot more affordable these days, and now we have the OCZ 1GB DDR3 priced at $55, while the 2GB DDR3 modules, either from Corsair or OCZ, can be purchased for a reasonable $110 price. Yet, DDR2 is more affordable still, but AMD considers the time has come to make the move to DDR3 chipsets and processors.

The new DDR3 motherboards from AMD are due to strike somewhere in Q1 2009 and we hope they will arrive in the late Q1 if not delayed. It seems that by the early 2009, prices for DDR3 will experience a severe drop and become a normal thing, so AMD lovers and DDR3 enthusiasts have something to be happy about.

For those who are not familiar with the terms, we should mention that the DDR3 part of the chipset is actually located inside the CPU. The motherboards will also feature an AM3 socket which will allow DDR3 and new processors do their job. The existing Hypertransport 3 architecture will also be featured in the new DDR3 boards.

All points to the fact that the first DDR3 based boards AMD plans to release should be RD790 DDR3 and RD890 DDR3.

Taken from Softpedia

Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 Intel Motherboard

In this Gigabyte serie motherboard, The Crazy Cool plate no longer comes pre-installed, it’s in a bag and you must install it if you want it. There are no issues getting the pins through the board, they went in very easy. However, the plate isn’t well insulated, so it is shorting against the mobo and causing all sorts of weirdness, so be carrefull. If you want to use a large CPU cooling fan such as Zalman CNPS 9500, it will be so so close to the memory slots. So, make sure to select proper memory sticks that are thin. Beware that Gigabytes Qualified Venders List for memory is flawed. Does not mean that type of memory can be used for OverClocking but just works okay (verified by Gigabyte) with the X48T-DQ6 motherboard. Like the other gigabyte motherboard, Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 have its picky on SATA boot order.

Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 Intel Motherboard Specification

Processor	:	Socket T (LGA775); Intel Quad-core, Core2 Extreme, Core2 Duo, Pentium processors
Chipset	:	Intel X48 + ICH9R Chipset
Front Side Bus	:	1600/1333 MHz
Memory	:	Max. 8GB;Dual channel DDR3 1800 x 4 DIMMs
Expansion Slots	:	2*PCIe2.0 x16, 3*PCIe x1, 2*PCI
IDE	:	1*ATA100
Serial ATA(SATA)/RAID	:	8*SATAII w/ RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
Audio	:	Realtek ALC889A, 8 Channels Audio
LAN	:	Dual 10/100/1000Mbps
IEEE1394	:	2*1394a

ASUS M3N72-D AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI Motherboard

Asus M3N72-D is a fantastic AMD motherboard, comes with supporting 140 watt CPU for new AMD Phenom, DDR2 1066 memory, overclocking, SLI and Hybrid SLI, external SATA, Firewire and HDMI with sound on board. The BIOS is well designed and easy to use. The User’s Manual included in the box is extremely well written. The SATA ports mounted on the side as they leave more clearance for other componenets. Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit version detected most of the devices and the included software bundle installed wonderfully. Some users complain of the CD-In port too far away from the drives bay. However, just move your drives down lower in the case, or buy a longer cable. Otherwise, the CD-In port is only needed for the older CD and DVD optical drives that utilize the older IDE 40-wire ribbon cables. The newer IDE optical compponents like DL-DVD and Blue-Ray can use the Ultra IDE 80-wire ribbon cable (included in the box), or SATA cables which both of these transmit audio signals via the cables, so the the CD-In cable isn’t needed. This AMD mainboard is well laid out and well engineered.

ASUS M3N72-D AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI Motherboard Specification

Processor	:	Socket AM2+/AM2; Phenom, Athlon64 X2, Sempron processors
Chipset	:	NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI Chipset
Front Side Bus	:	2600MHz Hyper Transport (5200 MT/s)
Memory	:	Max. 8GB;Dual channel DDR2 1066*/800 x 4 DIMMs *DDR2 1066 is supported by AM2+ CPU
Expansion Slots	:	2*PCIe2.0 x16, 2*PCIe x1, 2*PCI
IDE	:	1*ATA100
Serial ATA(SATA)/RAID	:	6*SATAII w/ RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, JBOD
Onboard Video Chipset	:	NVIDIA GeForce 8 series w/ HDMI Video port connector
Audio	:	Realtek ALC1200, 7.1 channel Audio
LAN	:	Realtek 8211C; 10/100/1000Mbps
IEEE1394	:	1*1394a

Intel DX48BT2 Extreme Series

With this Extreme series motherboard, Intel want to deliver extreme performance for workstation needs, hardcore gaming, media editing, and still offer significant headroom for future upgrades. Whether it’s a single graphics card or ATI CrossFire, a system outfitted with the latest graphics cards can deliver unparalleled visual realism when playing 3D games. Utilizing the Intel High Definition audio chipset, this Intel motherboard can deliver 360° Dolby Home Theater audio through 10-channel, 7.1 surround sound. So you can enjoy every decibel coming at you in all directions. The only issue is that it doesn’t support 8 GB (4 x 2 GB) of 1600 MHz of RAM but only 4 GB (2 x 2 GB). So, you should buy the slower, 1333 MHz of RAM if you want to still need 8 GB. Don’t forget to visit the Intel site and buying only RAM that is certified. Otherwise, this mainboard works great. With Intel Q9450 Core2 Quad Proccessor and 4 Gb TW3X4G1333C9DHX Corsair DDR3 RAM memory, the memory works with a FSB of 1066 MHz instead of 1333 MHz.

Buy Intel DX48BT2 Extreme Series Motherboard

Intel DX48BT2 Extreme Series Motherboard Specification

Processor	:	Socket T (LGA775); Intel Core2 Extreme, Intel Core2 Quad, Intel Core2 Duo, Intel Pentium Dual-core processors
Chipset	:	Intel X48 Express Chipset
Front Side Bus	:	1600/1333/1066/800 MHz
Memory	:	Max. 8GB;Dual channel DDR3 1600/1333 x 4 DIMMs
Expansion Slots	:	2*PCIe2.0 x16, 1*PCIe1.0a x16, 2*PCI
IDE	:	1*ATA133
Serial ATA(SATA)/RAID	:	6*SATAII + 2*eSATA w/ RAID 0, 1, 5, 10; Intel Matrix storage technology and Intel Rapid Recover Technology
Audio	:	Intel High Definition Audio, 10-channel (7.1) Dolby Home Theater
LAN	:	10/100/1000 Mbits/sec
IEEE1394	:	2*1394a

Intel® Demodulators and Tuners

Consumers are tuning in to their favorite TV content on a broad range of connected devices. Intel is your source for tuners, demodulators and 'front-end' reference designs for cable, satellite and digital

Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology

Keep your workforce secure, managed, and mobile. With security and manageability built right onto the chip, Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology provides hardware-assisted remote isolation, diagnostics, and repair, so you can manage your mobile workforce remotely, even if the system's OS is unresponsive.¹ And with exceptional dual-core performance, you'll get faster wireless connectivity speeds and the longest possible battery.

Intel D975XBX2 LGA775 ATX Intel Processor

Description

If you've got the power... the speed... the performance on your team, then you've got the winning edge.With the Intel Desktop Board D975XBX2, supporting the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, your desktop PC will become the ultimate weapon. You will scream through the latest games, level after level.Add the world's best gaming processor and the D975XBX2 to your game strategy - a combination so bad that it's good.

Specifications

Memory Type

DDR2

Graphics Card Interface

PCI, PCI Express