The Hardware Matters (PC In High Quality HD! Part 3)

DVI-D to HDMI

I thought that including information about Hardware Specs would not be necessary for displaying a PC in High Quality HD, but when I am at work I see the Business PCs at my job, and thought that I should also include more specific information about what it takes to for a PC to display in High Quality HD! Just in case it is needed.

Many people that I have talked to would say that they have a good PC. However the issue is what is the PC good for exactly? Is it a basic Business or Home Office PC, or is it a good Media/Gaming PC.

To give an example, the PC I hooked up the 1080p LG M2262D HDTV Monitor to was a custom made Tower, that has:

• A Quad-Core called The "Intel Core 2 Extreme Q6850" at 3GHz each core. 

• An "NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS" Graphics Card with 256 MBs GDDR3 Video Memory at 1008 MHz. 

• 2 GBs "Corsair XMS2" (Main System Memory) divided up into two RAM sticks at 800 MHz.

All this this is connected to an Asus Striker Extreme Gaming Motherboard!

The PC I used, shows better visuals than, and out performs, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Now If you only want to playback HD video, then as far as CPU's go I would recommend at least a Dual-Core. (With a Dual-Core PC you can still do High Quality Gaming). For Real Hardcore HD Gaming, and Video Playback, I suggest a high quality Quad-Core CPU. However, a good CPU alone, will not make the cut, you will need a to have a good GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) also! I recommend at least an 8th Generation NVIDIA GeForce GPU, I would say an 8600 GTS or better. If you prefer ATI (Now bought out by AMD), then I recommend at least a Radeon series GPU, that has the same performance or better. As for The Main System Memory needed, there should be at least 2 GBs of  DDR2 memory, at 800 MHz or better.

Add Note: Most stores in the surrounding area, including where I live, have a lot better Graphics Cards than what I just recommended, but I have looked for yesterdays model graphics cards to save money. Many of these stores that I have been to, in the past, had sales and service employees that have not been correct, with the price and performance it takes to run HD Media and Gaming. They will either suggest the most expensive option, or they will recommend a PC that will barely perform to the users standard. Hopefully you will not have to run into this problem, but just in case, be careful, and feel free, to benefit, from the information, that I have included in this post.

Update December 6, 2011: Right now I would recommend Looking on Tiger Direct, eBay, or Amazon to find the best performance for the amount of money you spend. Remember Tiger Direct accepts pay by phone.

Also the Motherboard I own works the best on Windows XP, and Vista. I ran into some problems with Windows 7, but I found out with Windows 7 running games at the same performance, requires a newer higher performance graphics card. I upgraded to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti to run Guild Wars at the same performance on Windows 7, as the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS did on Windows XP Service Pack 3. Also 2 GBs was good in the past, but because software updates are required from time to time you may want to now bump up the amount of memory of 4 or 8 GBs.


Information is from personal experience and these sources:

Warren Ernst, "Ultimate Kentsfield: Quad-Core CPUs & Dual GPUs in SLI With All the Trimmings" Computer Power User Vol. 7, Issue 2, Feb. 2007: pgs.70-71 Sandhills Publishing Company.

Mike Meyers, All In One,A+ Certification, Exam Guide Fourth Edition. Mc Graw Hill, 2002.

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2xe/specifications.htm

http://www.nvidia.com/page/home.html

http://www.webopedia.com/

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm

http://www.answers.com/

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/kb.aspx?c=6

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-Adapter-Cable-Meters/dp/B001TH7T2U

Photos are from me.

Could Portables Replace Desktops For Hardcore Gaming?

It is possible that Desktops being necessary for Hardcore gaming will become a thing of the past!


Desktops meaning, Macintosh, PC, Xbox 360, and Play Station 3, (PC Towers are even included in this same catagory). As said before if you want to Hardcore game, you will need to use or own a Play Station 3, Xbox 360, a Desktop Macintosh or PC! The only alternative is a Notebook, but Notebook Technology normally catches up with Desktop performance later, and is more expensive, leaving a you with less performance for your money compared to a Desktop.


But more than two weeks ago, on January 27, 2011, like many other game fans, I was sent to my Facebook a video from Game Spot of "The PlayStation Meeting 2011" featuring NGP Sony's Next Generation Portable. If what I saw in the conference video was true. Then by the next Holiday Season, Sony will release the first portable for Hardcore Gamers, currently codenamed NGP!


As pointed out by Hideo Kojima, Konami's Executive Corporate Officer and Director of Kojima Productions, this little beast ran the model detail and environment of The Play Station 3 version of Metal Gear Solid 4 at 20 frames per second. Even though the game only ran at 20 fps, it is the Play Station 3 version of the game. That is very good for a portable device!


Portables overall are already the best selling gaming devices, and a portable as powerful as NGP (which has a quad-core CPU, and a quad-core GPU) might lead to desktops being replaced by portables as a preference for the Hardcore Gamer.


I can go on, but you can watch the The Conference for yourself, also I have included a link for Sony's NGP Specs also.


http://www.gamespot.com/ngp/sports/hotshotsgolf/video/6287040#toggle_video


http://us.playstation.com/ngp/?CMP=NGPGOOGSEM (Click on View Tech Specs)


Information about Portable Sales is from:


http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10299504-235.html, (2008, and 2009 only! Play Station 3 sales are up now!)


http://ds.ign.com/articles/820/820693p1.html


Photo from:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150124598486803&set=a.10150124597891803.320199.14104316802&pid=7808440&id=14104316802

PC In High Quality HD! Part 2

DVI-D to HDMI Cable

Part One, communicates my experience, and reason for posting material about this subject. Part Two I will give some possibly needed extra 411, that I started with before I was looking for a High Quality HDTV, and some that I gained from personal experience that relates to the subject.

First if you want to connect your PC to a High Quality HDTV, you will need an HDCP compliant graphics card with DVI-D, DVI-I, HDMI, or Mini HDMI outputs. For performance sake I recommend a PC that has both a multi-core CPU and GPU (most likely if your graphics card meets the previously mentioned requirements, it will already be multi-core)! The two best brands to work with are ATI (now bought out by AMD) or NVIDIA.

For your moneys worth concerning price per performance, I recommend a desktop PC, but if you insist on a notebook/laptop, the same applies, you will most likely need to hook it up to a High Quality HDTV, and you will need the same outputs.

Now most HDTVs show the best when set to display in either resolution, 1280x720 (720p), or 1920x1080 (1080p). If you want to set your PC to display in any other resolutions correctly, you need to use the NVIDA Control Panel (NCP), click on "Adjust Desktop Size and Position," make sure you have the tab called "Scaling" chosen, if not click on the "Scaling" tab, then click on the small drop down menu labeled "Perform Scaling On:," then chose "GPU."

Almost every new application or game (Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Devil May Cry 4) is made to display in 720p or 1080p resolution, many older games do also, but not all. Other games for example Medal of Honor: Allied Assault displays in 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 High Quality HD correctly, by having "Perform scaling on:" "GPU," selected in the NVIDIA Control Panel.

I am not sure if AMD Catalyst Control Center has an option for this but information can be found on http://www.amd.com

I hope this helps. Like I said before my PC does look Amazing!

Information not from personal experience that I obtained was from:

Mike Meyers, All In One,A+ Certification, Exam Guide Fourth Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2002.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/home.html

http://www.webopedia.com/

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm

http://www.answers.com/

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/kb.aspx?c=6

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-Adapter-Cable-Meters/dp/B001TH7T2U

Photos are from me.

PC In High Quality HD! Part 1

HDMI Cable

Where I live in, even though practically (very close to) in Silicon Valley, finding a good display for my PC, is unavailable, with lousy "so called" HD PC Monitors sitting in the stores close to where I live. Also to make things worst, is that the sales people, and so called Technicians in many of these stores, tend to give false, and/or misleading information.

I have found a solution where I live though! I know this probably applies in many other Towns or Cities, and if where you live, there is a lack of available good High Quality Monitors for your PC. You might be better off using what I use, an HDTV. Even though normal HDTVs are available, the best for your PCs graphics, would be a High Quality HDTV, that uses HDMI cables, for uncompressed Digital High Definition Video, that connects to one or more HDMI ports in the back of your HDTV.

Since where I live, a "real" good quality XHD PC Monitor is scarce, the only thing left to do is purchase a High Quality HDTV. I wasn't going to special order an XHD PC Monitor. So I started to look for an HDTV that would be good for my PC. I would look for one with two HDMI ports. Because I also own a PlayStation 3.

I talked to my Dad about this. I let him know about this (what I just previously stated)! I planed on budgeting for a nice High Quality HDTV, but my Dad surprised me and went to a local video store called "Video Only", and got me a 22 inch, 1080p, LG M2262D, HDTV Monitor, with two HDMI ports, one DVI-D (D for Digital) with one PC audio in, one VGA DB-15, and one component, both with composite (RCA) audio ports in the back. The HDTV did have more features, but that is not important for purpose of this post.

DVI-D to HDMI Cable.

I connected my PlayStation 3 using an HDMI cable, but my PC was connected using a normal DVI-D cable only, to see how it will come out. I noticed that my PC did look HD, but not close enough to XHD quality. It was better than Component and VGA DB-15 video. I tried two and a half weeks later a DVI to HDMI cable for my PC. Once I connected my PC to an HDMI port in back of my HDTV Monitor, it looked really good! The two resolution settings that the HDTV Monitor was programmed to show the best were 1280x720 (720p), and 1920x1080 (1080p), at 60Hz or more. To display other resolutions correctly such as 1680x1050 or 1600x1200 you need to use the NVIDA Control Panel (NCP), click on "Adjust Desktop Size and Position," make sure you have the tab called "Scaling" chosen, if not click on the "Scaling" tab, then click on the small drop down menu labeled "Perform Scaling On:," then chose "GPU." Using the NVIDIA Control Panel, I also check the box next to "Override the scaling mode set by games and programs." With my PC connected to my HDTV monitor, my PC's graphics showed clearer and sharper than my PlayStation 3, with more vibrant color to also! I now have my PC as well as my PlayStation 3 in High Quality HD, connected to the same HDTV monitor, and my PC it looks amazing!


Information not from personal experience that I obtained was from:

Mike Meyers, All In One,A+ Certification, Exam Guide Fourth Edition, Mc Graw Hill, 2002.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/home.html

http://www.webopedia.com/

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm

http://www.answers.com/

http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/kb.aspx?c=6

http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-HDMI-Adapter-Cable-Meters/dp/B001TH7T2U

Photos are from me.

Add note: I have to be grateful because I was ghetto broke , now my life is better. I still have to play it smart with my money, but I am doing better now, than before.