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Toshiba Satellite A65-S1762 Intel Pentium 4 (HT) 3.2GHz Refurbished Laptop

Thursday, April 28th, 2005 | Laptop and Notebook Computers, Reviews | No Comments

Good reports abound about this great deal on a refurbished laptop computer. It certainly would not find itself out of place amongst discount laptop computers, being priced at a quite resonable one thousand one hundred.

This computer is aimed at those who are looking for a replacement for their regular laptop computer. This computer will certainly give you good performance, with a whole host of pretty powerful components.

It will probably not however satisfy those who are looking for a light and sleek computer to lug around everywhere.

Lets have a look at the specs of this computer and the pros and cons of the system as a whole.

The processor is an Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz 538. This model is a true mobile chip based on the Pentium 4. It is not the same as the Pentium 4 you would find in your desktop computer, but certainly does a decent job anyway. It supports up to a 533MHz front side bus, which means that the core speed of this chip is 133MHz as the processor is quad pumped, meaning it operates at 4x internal speed.

It takes DDR memory and can support up to 1.5GB of it. There is one slot left over for upgrading if the standard 512MB is not enough. In fact, I would recommend purchasing a 512MB 266MHz SODIMM with this computer if you intend to use it as a serious replacement for a desktop.

The hard drive is a 60GB affair with not too much details available. One consumer reported that the drive was only 56GB. In fact makers of drives all overstate the size of their drives. A true 1MB is 1024KB, each KB is 1024 bytes, so a MB can be interpreted as 1000000bytes or 1024×1024=1048576bytes. Which results in a little discrepency.

The DVD writer is a MatShita drive, which offers good performance, but there have been occassional reports of them not working properly. Reliable on the whole.

Audio is integrated, as well as the graphics. This means that 64MB of the 512MB will be used for video, leaving 448MB for use by other programs.

The screen is 15 inch and the range of other features include: LAN, wireless LAN (which is reported as having good range) and a built in modem. The keyboard is full sized and it uses a touchpad for operation of the mouse pointer.

So, what do I think?

If you are needing a very powerful laptop computer, you can’t go wrong with this deal, it really is good value for money. Many poeple are surprised that refurbished laptop computers don’t have scratches and stuff on them, but they usually don’t.

If you’re looking for something lightweight look elsewhere, as at 7.7lbs, your arms will be getting a good workout carrying this sucker around.

BenQ FP531 / 15-inch / 1024×768 LCD monitor

Thursday, April 28th, 2005 | Monitors, Reviews | No Comments

This monitor from BenQ represents good quality in a flat panel computer monitor. Although it might not be the most cheap flat panel monitor, it certainly will not let you down in terms of it’s quality and good looks.

15 inches is not the biggest monitor available on the market today, and is more or less the smallest that anyone will buy nowadays. With that said, this monitor would be an extremely good LCD monitor to replace an old 14 inch CRT monitor on a PC you already have.

It’s dimensions are very cool, with only a small bit of frame around the edge of the monitor, meaning most of the surface you see is the screen itself. This is partly because it does not come with built in speakers which make a lot of LCD monitors wider. It comes in beige which goes as a very nice subtle color, when a lot of monitors are coming in black.

Now, the technical details. The viewable area is 15 inches, would should see an increase in the amount of screen you see if you are upgrading from an old style CRT 15 inch monitor, as LCD monitors give about what they say. Old CRT monitors usually have about an inch or two less than what they say.

Pixel Pitch is 0.297mm. It can handle up to 16 million color display. It can handle up to a 1024×768 resolution @75MHz which is about the most you would want to get from a monitor of this size.

This monitor is a pretty one, and if it was just about looks this sweet BenQ would hold it’s own. As is it is a good performer from a well known company. Delivers as expected. A good choice in it’s size range.

Chaintech 7NJL6 Socket A Motherboard and AMD Athlon XP 2900+

Wednesday, April 27th, 2005 | Motherboards, Reviews | No Comments

This package quite a highly specced motherboard and processor combination. Buying them together allows suppliers to move a little more stock and so passes on some savings to you.

The motherboard itself can be moved up to 400MHz safely allowing for good speeds. As the motherboard can go up to 400MHz, the processor itself can be set to as high as 200MHz. Up to 3GB of DDR400/PC3200 RAM memory can be used in this computer.

Other connections in the computer include up to ATA133 and also Serial ATA (SATA) capabilities. SATA is used for the newest and fastest hard drives.

The board also includes built in sound, 8 USB ports, a place to plug in a floppy drive, 2 IDE headers for up to four hard drives and DVD or CD drives. There is room to expand to 2 SATA devices like hard drives.

Graphics can be handled more than adequately by the AGP 8x slot. AGP 8x is the fastest you can get for graphics cards before having to switch to the newer, more highly priced PCI express.

The Chaintech motherboard itself does not come with an IO shield, which is the metal part that covers the space between the plug holes at the back of the computer.

The AMD Athlon XP 2900+, which uses a Barton Core is an OEM processor. It comes with 512KB of Cache. Although this speed of processor is unusual reports have it that it does perform up to speed. It does require a fan, an 80mm model with a good heatsink will do the trick nicely, as this combination does NOT come with a fan.

You can set the bus frequency to 200MHz to speed things up even more. Overclocking is not a problem either, with some people running it up as fast as 3200+.

One thing to consider is the fact that it does not come with any software that can be used to show the temperature of the chip. This is easily overcome by downloading the program Speedfan, which can be found at http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php. It is a freeware program that does a fantastic job at monitoring everything that has heat sensors in the computer, it can also control fans and you can set their high and low speeds. Check it out, as it is a good resource anyway.

In conclusion… While the combination is on discount, at the moment at a hundred bucks it is well worth the money. But if the price goes up to it’s original of a hundred and eighty, I would suggest still looking around to see what else you can find and decide from there.

Chaintech 7NJL6 AMD Sempron 3000+ Barebone Kit PC

Wednesday, April 27th, 2005 | Desktop Computers, Reviews | No Comments

For a smidgen under 200 dollars with the rebates that come with this computer, it is a steal in terms of the value you get. Even at its usual price in the mid 300s it is worth a close look when building a custom desktop computer.

The case is nothing to write home about, but is functional, doing what it is supposed to do, and that is hold all the part nicely in place. One thing that is good is the 425-watt power supply. Power supplies are one of the places where manufacturers often cut corners to make their products cheaper. This powerful power supply will provide enough power for any components you wish to add to the system.

The motherboard is a Chaintech 7NJL6 nVidia Socket A ATX motherboard as the name of the computer might suggest. It supports Socket A chips like the AMD Sempron that it comes with, but also the AMD Athlon XP, which could be an option for upgrading the computer in the future.

It supports up to 400MHz front side bus. Memory can be supported up to 400MHz. Audio is onboard and there is AGP 8x for the video card interface.

Support for the newer SATA technology is available, and does supports up to ATA/133 which should not disappoint in terms of speed. There is also USB 2.0 for fast communication with external devices.

Other built in extras are, LAN support, Game/Midi ports, audio out jacks, line in jacks and other standard motherboard stuff. There are two spots to plug in your SATA drives and two for the IDE devices.

The Sempron processor is really a toned down version of their older chip to give a bit more of competition to Intel who have their cheap range Intel Celeron chips.

The hard drive is a 120GB Maxtor, which should provide enough storage room for anything you have. This drive is an ATA133 hard drive, which means it doesn’t take advantage of the SATA capabilities of this motherboard. It is probably a cost based decision. The drive is only a 5400RPM drive, which might see it lagging behind as a main drive. An upgrade to a SATA 7200RPM drive would speed up the computer, and keep the Maxtor for storing your data, as a second drive.

The Chaintech GeForce 64MB video card should work well, providing just enough clout to try some of those very new games. It might not be enough for the heavy gamer and would probably not make this qualify as a cheap high powered gaming computer, but is certainly a good specification at this price range.

It’s optical drive is a CD-ROM, so it can read anything on the older CD-ROM discs, but no DVDs.

The processor fan is a sturdy affair that should keep things in the computer cool. I also comes with 512MB of Ultra DDR400/PC3200 RAM memory.

A mouse and a keyboard are also part of the package.

Overall, a fantastic deal if you can get those rebates done. And still incredibly reasonable in terms of very cheap computers.

Acer TravelMate 2304LCi Intel Celeron M Processor 350 1.30GHz

Tuesday, April 26th, 2005 | Laptop and Notebook Computers, Reviews | No Comments

Looking in the realms of cheap laptop computers or discount laptop computers this Acer definitely stands out. With a price of only 700 bucks, which does not even need a rebate, closer inspection is required to see how this machine will stand up.

Acer Travelmate is a well know brand in laptops and notebooks, they have been produced for ages. This particular model features an Intel Celeron M 1.30GHz 350 Processor. Adequate for most operations carried out on a laptop or notebook. Not suitable for heavy operations as this processor does not pack a huge amount of power.

The standard extras on this notebook are: 3USB ports for connecting to external drives, 1 LAN port to connect to a network and a modem port for connecting to the internet over phone line. It also include line in, audio out for headphones or speakers, a microphone slot as well as a VGA graphics port for connecting the laptop to a monitor.

Memory is an impressive 512MB which is especially useful as the onboard video card uses some of the memory for its operation. The Integrated graphics is handled by an Intel 852GM Graphics controller.

The optical drive is a combo drive featuring a CD writer and DVD-ROM in one. Not a bad thing to have on a laptop. Not a DVD writer, but a DVD writer could be added by using an external DVD writer, which can now be picked up for quite reasonable prices.

The screen is a nice sized 15 inch. Pretty usual for a laptop notebook. It can handle a maximum resolution of 1024×768 which is also very standard.

Wireless networking capabilities are available, which is a relief. The ability to connect to wireless networks is becoming more and more necessary, as the ease of connecting to the internet that way has become easier and easier.

The keyboard is fullsize and it has a touchpad for controlling the mouse pointer.

Overall this rather heavy 6.4 lbs computer is very good value for money. There is nothing which really stands out about this computer except the price that it is available at. It will certainly give you that little bit more of a workout if you take it around with you everyday, but will more than be made up with by a happy wallet and the added fitness.

Sony VAIO B100B01 Intel Centrino 1.5GHz

Tuesday, April 26th, 2005 | Laptop and Notebook Computers, Reviews | No Comments

This Sony VAIO B-series laptop is a fully featured notebook laptop with almost everything you could need from a new laptop.

The computer comes with the Intel Centrino chip which makes it a good performer in terms of power consumption and power as this processor does as well as an Intel Pentium of over 2.0GHz

Amongst the features is 512MB of PC2700 SODIMM 333MHz memory, which is a good amount of memory for this computer, allowing you to use a lot of different programs at the same time on this cheap laptop computer.

The CDRW is a good choice for this computer. Although DVD writers are coming into their own, I think including a CDRW is good choice. As well as being able to burn CDs, it is a combo drive, which means that it can also read DVDs.

USB 2.0 provides a fast connection to external devices like portable hard drives or DVD writers, which are used a lot with laptops and notebooks because of the restrictions of space on the laptop itself. Also comes with IEEE 1394 Firewire, another technology for connecting to external devices.

It has a single PC Card Slot, so you can add anything extra that you could need with this available slot. There is a 40GB hard drive for storage.

Graphics is provided by 64MB of video memory.

Integrated features include Modem, LAN and Wireless LAN. Wireless LAN allows you to connect to the internet at internet hotspots that have this available to people. So connecting to the internet becomes a breeze at venues that offer this service.

The monitor is a respectable 14.1 inch XGA.

A fantastic deal considering all you get with it, and at 5.1 lbs is light enough to be carried around with you everyday.

Premium 1024MB DDR400/PC3200 (2×512MB)

Tuesday, April 26th, 2005 | RAM Memory, Reviews | No Comments

If you are looking to fill your computer with lots of memory and are aiming to improve on a low cost desktop computer, this might be a good choice for you.

For 50 bucks, 1024MB of memory is a lot for such a low price, what’s the catch?

Well, as with all cheaper memory, you need to look at the reputation of the manufacturer. Premium are not the most well know around, which is not the biggest deal, especially as these things are usually OK.

I would be concerned about overclocking this pair. Lesser know brands are not know for their high durability and I would personally not recommend pushing these suckers too much.

Note: This is not a dual channel memory pair and they will not take advantage of that technology.

If your needs are just to improve a cheap desktop computer, then these will serve the purpose in a good manner, allowing more multitasking and using more memory intensive programs like graphics programs.

So, on the whole, a good deal. But if your needs are for more powerful memory with other than normal operations expected, look elsewhere.

Famous Brand / 19-inch / 1280×1024 LCD monitor

Monday, April 25th, 2005 | Monitors, Reviews | No Comments

Here is another to be added to the ever growing list of low priced 19-inch flat panel LCD monitors. Just as 17-inch flat panel LCD monitors were becoming such great value, now 19-inch monitors are doing the same thing.

So let’s get to the technical specifications. It can support up to SXGA 1280×1024 resolution @ 75MHz, which means you will be able to fit more windows onto your desktop when you are working, without them looking too small. The contrast ratio is 700:1 which means a cleaner, sharper image.

It will accept Analog RGB input signals, as well as DVI input. Stereo speakers are included too.

Reports from consumers say that you get pretty much what you hope for from this monitor.

It’s display is very good, giving the sharp image they claim. And doing everything as claimed.

The only concerns lie with the company that produces it. As with many small companies, although the product is good, their service is terrible, and it is hard to get response from them on any matter. There have been reports of long waits for the rebates that come with this monitor. There was also a case of someone’s monitor failing 23 days after the end of the 1 year warranty.

I still recommend this monitor, simply because amongst the cheap flat panel computer monitors that are around, it is good for the money.

If you buy it from a reputable retailer, you will be able to cover yourself if the monitor has any bad pixels, which are when one of the dots on the screen doesn’t show the right colors, as the retailer would handle the exchange.

So right on the money, but maybe not for those looking for good backup service and a well known brand.

Note: This monitor has previously been under the brand name “Sceptre”

XFX GeForce 6600 GT / 128MB / AGP 8x

Monday, April 25th, 2005 | Reviews, Video Cards | No Comments

This high specced video card is perfect for anyone looking put together a high powered gaming computer. It’s performance has been rated extremely highly for it’s price range, which is under 200 bucks. Not only is it good value for money, but it has not trouble handling the newest games, like Doom 3, Far Cry and Half Life 2.

One of the biggest plusses is that it is available in AGP. Most other cards are switching to the newer PCI express technology, allowing them to take advantage of the higher bandwidth offered. So for those of you not looking to purchase a whole new system, but just to upgrade your new one, without switching to PCI express, this is perfect.

Let’s have a look at the features of this video card.

It supports DirectX9.0 Shader Model 3.0, which in essence means that it has the abilty to do much more complex calculations of shadows, allowing more realistic graphics.

It uses AGP 8x, which is the fastest of the AGP graphics slots. It incorporates UltraShadow Technology, which again improves rendering of shadows. 64 bit texture filtering, allowing finer and more detailed surface textures.

The ability to connect multiple monitors to one computer is a major plus. Besides the advantages for people using graphics intensive programs, the avility to use two monitors on a single computer can greatly increase your comfort. You can literally have double to desktop area on your comptuer, allowing you to have more programs open simultaneously on the desktop, greatly easing strain on work involving constant work with two programs.

The card comes with software to control how the two monitors work.

And finally, for those who have HDTV, it supports that too.

So if you are looking for powerful upgrade to your custom desktop computer or adding something to boost a cheap high powered gaming computer, this is a good option, especially as it’s price is so reasonable for what you get. And, in it’s class, it easily outrates the competition.

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 OEM Sound Card

Monday, April 25th, 2005 | Reviews, Speakers and Sound Cards | No Comments

If you have been using your motherboard’s onboard sound card capabilties for a while, then this sound card may be the next perfect addition to a top desktop computer that is already good, but needs that something special.

Although onboard built-in sound cards that come as part of your computer’s motherboard have become extremely common nowadays, they still leave something to be desired in terms of sound quality. Sure, they are fine for mp3s played over your small PC speakers. But what if you are really into watching movies or playing games with immersive sound?

The creative audigy sound card will do just that, take the sound to a new level. The sound quality far outdoes that of onboard sound. Considering that this card costs more than some motherboards, that is not too surprising.

Creative has been in the audio game for quite a while and have a good reputation for quality products.

This sound card is easy to install and takes less than half an hour for the entire setup.

In the end the best reason to upgrade to a seperate sound card is simply the quality. Onboard sound is OK, but not if you want great, high quality surround sound, or if you are a lover of good quality sound.