[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Hi all. This looks like a great idea for a forum. Before anything, I wanna thank all the geeks & non-geeks, in this forum, for their time, patience & efficiency in helping people with their PC knowledge.

Ok lads here's the thing. I've been a heavy console gamer for pretty much all my life until a while ago. Finally decided to venture myself into PC gaming. The troublesome part is, there's still alot of stuff that I don't know when it comes to computers in general. That is also one of the reasons I named this thread the way I did, so I wouldn't have to create a new one as soon as I had a new question, which btw let me warn you, there will be many...

As you've probably guessed I will need a gaming PC. I've already decided that I will get a laptop. But before I do, there is alot of stuff that I need to know, & after I do get it, there is even more stuff that I will need to know.

Anyways... since we have to start somewhere, let me begin by asking :

1º Is it true, that it is better, in a laptop, to have the RAM split into 2 sticks of 4GB instead of 1 stick of 8GB? If so why? If not, why not?

Thank you.

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Well my 2 cents worth would be that it would be logical to assume that if the single 8GB stick becomes faulty then one may consider ones self up the proverbial gum tree.

Also I wouldn't go with a laptop for heavy gaming as you are tied to the laptops limited integrated GPU.

[Wolfeymole]

Well my 2 cents worth would be that it would be logical to assume that if the single 8GB stick becomes faulty then one may consider ones self up the proverbial gum tree.

Also I wouldn't go with a laptop for heavy gaming as you are tied to the laptops limited integrated GPU.

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

hhhmmm... aren't there any laptops with a discrete GPU option?

[phillpower2]

I concur with the view of Wolfeymole, utilize the Ram slots that are available, also keep in mind that unless you will use the computer for rendering videos or professional CAD work you will not need any more than 8GB of Ram to get the max out of any games presently available, this will change as technology advances so a MB with four memory slots is a must as this will allow you to upgrade to 16GB of Ram if that is what is required by software that you may use in the next couple of years, by the time anymore Ram is required by any future software most if not all of todays hardware will be obsolete.

The sort of price territory you are looking at for a notebook that is capable of providing gaming performance http://www.dell.com/...ienware-laptops and http://www.techradar...-world-706673/5

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Thx for the reply phill. I already know where to look for the gaming machine that I want but thx for the links anyways

Anyway, wolfey raised up an interesting question. Is there any laptop with the option for a discrete(separated) GPU or no? Or does a discrete graphic card already imply that it's a desktop PC? & where would one have to look to see if the PC has discrete or integrated graphic card?

[phillpower2]

You are welcome

Notebooks that have video chips that can be removed/replaced are the high end ones like the ones at the links that I attached, do you have link to the notebook that you are considering so that we can take a look.

Both desktop and some notebook computers can have dedicated/discreet video chips but as I have said notebooks that have this option tend to be the high end of the market, some info below;

Integrated
An integrated graphics processing unit (GPU) doesn't use its own RAM; it utilizes the system's memory instead. So, if you have a computer with 4GB of RAM, the video card can use anywhere between one and five percent of the available memory for graphics processing. Of course, this percentage varies depending on the size of task, especially if you're multitasking or playing a game.

The benefit to an integrated unit is that it is cheaper, which in turn means a less expensive computer. An integrated graphics card also generates much less heat than a dedicated video card and uses drastically less power, which improves the overall battery life. Integrated graphics cards are perfect for people doing everyday graphics processing. This includes watching or editing videos, 2D gaming and general word processing. Such activities aren't graphic intensive, so a low-end video card is ideal. That doesn't mean you won't be able to play 3D games, but you will have to turn down the graphics settings or you'll experience in-game slowdowns.

Dedicated
A dedicated, or discrete, GPU has its own independent source of video memory, leaving the RAM your system uses untouched. If you have a GeForce GTX 680M video card with 2GB of video memory, for example, that memory is completely separate from your computer's 8GB of system memory. Dedicated cards are perfect if you are into serious gaming or are a professional graphic designer.

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Thx again Learned alot already thx to you. Before I give u the links to the ones I'm thinking I still have a few questions about hard drives.

I already know the difference between SSD & HDD & I also know what RPM means, but :

1º What does SATA mean?

2º What does SATA 3Gb/s mean compared to smthg that only says SATA III?

Last but not least, is there a clear winner between these 3? & if so, why?(price not relevant)

HARD DRIVE 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s

Hard Drive 1 x 120GB SATA-III SSD Intel 330 Series (SSDSC2CT120A3K5)

750GB Hybrid 7200RPM with 8GB SSD (SATA 3Gb/s)

[phillpower2]

A1: Serial Advanced Technology Attachment = The interface that hardware such as HDDs and other drives connect to a MB, notebook SATA devices do not connect to the MB by the means of a SATA cable they simply plug in and are held in place by one or more screws.

2: SATA 3Gb/s is the speed that a SATA lll device will function at, they are one and the same thing and the latest and fastest version is presently 6Gb/s.

3: This has a couple possible answers, an SSD will provide faster boot times but they are expensive for the larger storage capacity models.

http://www.seagate.c...ntus-xt-hybrid/ at the end of the day a HDD is a HDD and an SSD device just that but this would be a good option in a notebook that could only handle one storage device otherwise a separate 128GB SSD and a separate HDD would be better.

HARD DRIVE 500GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s this would be the least favoured as the storage capacity is low and it is only 3Gb/s data transfer rate,

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Hmmm... ok good. Gave u 3+ btw...

Anyways, on to the next question

How can I know if the processor I'm getting will be unlocked so I can overclock? & for someone who doesn't know what he is doing what are the things I should be mindful of if I ever decide to overclock?

[phillpower2]

Thank you most kind

I am not a fan of overclocking so my knowledge is rather limited, here is what I can share with you,
Intel k series CPUs are capable of being overclocked http://www.intel.com...processors.html as are some AMD CPUs
http://www.overclock...-results-coming

Some additional information, GTG OC sticky http://www.geekstogo...w-to-overclock/ and warranty provided by Intel specifically for overclockers http://www.pcpro.co....or-overclockers

One important thing you should be aware of is the extreme heat that OCing generates and this is why liquid cooling is popular with OCers, this will void your CPU warranty though hence the reason why Intel offer the additional cover.

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Hhhhmmm ok I think I will probably avoid overclocking then.

Gonna create new thread though for the laptop comparison. I'll continue asking hardware related questions on this thread though...

[phillpower2]

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

What is the difference please & is there a clear winner?

Hard drive :

64GB SATA-III SSD Crucial RealSSD M4 (CT064M4SSD2)

120GB SATA-III SSD Samsung 840 Series (MZ-7TD120)

128GB SATA-III SSD Crucial RealSSD M4 (CT128M4SSD2)

Thx

[phillpower2]

Refer to the benchmarks link and then use the feedback tabs at the merchants websites as this is how you will gain an insight from people who actually own the product concerned http://www.harddrive...end_drives.html

64GB SATA-III SSD Crucial RealSSD M4 (CT064M4SSD2)
Rule this one out as the storage capacity is too small.

120GB SATA-III SSD Samsung 840 Series (MZ-7TD120) Ranked 212

128GB SATA-III SSD Crucial RealSSD M4 (CT128M4SSD2) Ranked 271

[SHIROIRAKUEN]

Yeah, I figured the 1rst one was a no-no.

So, should I go, for the crucial real that gives 8 more Gb, or for teh samsung that placed higher on the benchmark test?...

Hhhhmmm...