KITLOG

MAXIMUM POWER COMPUTING

Issue 1, October 2009
The ultimate guide
to choosing, building
and buying the
greatest PC hardware.
S
itting down to build your rst computer
can be an incredibly daunting task;
one that some will naturally take to like a
duck to water, and others still will take to
it more confused than a T-Rex to a salad.
Even the most experienced builders out
there can get stumped sometimes, so
thats where this guide steps in.
Ive assembled a handy system building
guide within the e-pages of this e-mag,
covering everything from what components
in the system actually do, to how to pick
out your pieces, and what bits youll need.
After all theres a huge amount of options
out there.
Armed with the information inside, youll
be pretty capable of tackling the problems
that all builders face and determine just what
the system is needed for. Whether youre
an obsessive-compulsive media hoarder
strapped with a tight build budget or after
sheer gaming bliss and have bucketfuls of
cash, theres something for everyone.
To round out the guide Ive packed
in seven complete system builds, each
custom-designed to encompass most
building needs. Theyre great systems;
or an even better place to start when
designing your own.
Regardless of your system-building needs,
therell be something within to give you a
push in the right direction, brought to you by
myself and the Atomic Team. Read on to gain
some know-how, so you can nally build the
system youve always wanted.
While ipping through the guide, make
sure you click on the product pics, to be
whisked away to an up-to-date StaticICE
pricing page. Keep in mind that pricing might
not have remained stable since this e-mag
came about, but its denitely in the ballpark.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Justin Robinson
EDHEAD
For the modern age.
editorial
editorial@atomicmpc.com.au
editorjustinrobinson
managingeditor davidhollingworth
design
art directordavidwest
product photographyjasonbusch
contributors
VitoCassisi
production
groupproductionmanager
angelasutherland
production managerewagrygier
advertising + marketing
t+61 283993611 f+61 283993622
groupadvertisingmanager
joannenichols
jnichols@haymarketmedia.com.au
haymarket media
t+61 283993611 f+61 283993622
52victoriastreet, mcmahonspoint
nsw2060
managingdirectorjeremyvaughan
commercial directordarrenmcnally
publishingmanager phil vella
atomicCREW
CONTENTS
PC Design 101 5
Vito Cassisi on the ne art of
choosing parts for any PC.
Ultra-Budget PC 14
AMD PC 15
Home Theatre PC 18
Home Server 19
LAN PC 20
Gaming PC 21
Dream PC 23
Issue 1
5
KITLOG
Designing the
Perfect PC
PC Design 0b1100101 with Vito Cassisi. And yes, that is binary for 101.
B
uilding a new PC cannot be any easier,
nor has it ever been as affordable as it is
now. Its a simple matter of slotting components
into their respective sockets, and male plugs
into their female counterparts. But where most
people fail is not in the building, rather in the
designing process, where you need to choose
the perfect parts for the ultimate price vs quality
vs performance ratio. Thanks to our handy guide,
this will no longer be an issue once youve
learnt the way of the computer enthusiast; how
we research, review and rate a product, and
only allow the ner quality components grace
our glorious desktops. Like a connoisseur, we
taste many different technologies
to nd the one that pleases us most, and with
the proper tutelage you can join the ranks of
computer enthusiasts worldwide. Its time to be
indoctrinated into the world of PC design...
Deciding the
computers main role
Its human nature to seek the best components
our budgets can satisfy, but often the
appropriateness of these decisions is not a
reection of the desired end result. Hence we
need to dene what this end result will be.
There are four main categories:
Med|a Oentre PO/HTPO
Home/Offoe/Mu|t|med|a
Gam|ng /Graph|os Render|ng wh|oh
incorporates enthusiasts and overclockers)
Server
Computers come in many form factors
including the popular mini-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX.
These dene the physical size of the computer
where m|oro-AT mAT} |s best su|ted to
portab|e/HTPOs, AT for standard offoe work
or gaming, and E-ATX for high performance
enthusiast systems and servers. Choosing the
appropriate size depends on the main role
of your PO. S|ze d|otates the oomponents
that will t, so its best not to choose
6
KITLOG
the smaller form factor if you dont need the
smaller size. If youre not sure about what size
to ohoose, b|gger |s better. More room to work,
upgrade, and haok. Oh yes, br|ng on the water
cooling.
Allocating the budget
The budget is the maximum youre comfortable
spend|ng on the PO. Onoe you have oa|ou|ated
this, stick to it. If youre wealthy and have quite
a bit of money to burn, this doesnt mean you
should buy the best of everything. Theres often
a large price gap between budget, performance,
and extreme; however the difference in actual
performance is rarely as straight forward.
The gap between budget and performance
components is often quite large compared to
the gap between performance and extreme.
Extreme components may only be, for example,
10 per cent more efcient than the performance
parts, yet the price 50 per cent higher in cost.
Try to nd the best bang for buck unless you
genuinely require the extra performance.
The required parts
A computer system consists of the following
components; use this as a checklist:
OP
RAM
Motherboard
Graph|os oard
HDD or SSD
Power Supp|y
SP Sound Prooess|ng n|t, or Sound Oard}
Opt|oa| Dr|ve
Oase
Basic external peripherals include:
Mon|tor
Keyboard
Mouse
Speakers
A|| these oomponents p|us an operat|ng
system) make up a standard system. Be sure to
consider all these parts in your design.
Recycle and save
No, this is not about scavenging aluminium
cans for the 5c rebate, but rather parts from
your older machine. Peripherals such as the
monitor, keyboard, and mouse can be reused
if they still suit your current needs and desires.
Genera||y, prooess|ng parts suoh as the graph|os
oard, OP and RAM w||| be outdated, and
should only be used if suitable. A previously
used OS oan a|so be |nsta||ed prov|ded they
aren't OEM or |nsuffo|ent for modern use |.e.
W|ndows ME read: Burn |t. Now}. v|sta x64
is recommended for new systems due to its
modern OP sohedu|er, enhanoed seour|ty
and ab|||ty to address stup|d amounts of RAM,
though Windows 7 will be the best choice when
released in late 2009.
Selecting components
This is often the toughest step for system
builders. Choosing suitable components
requires a fair bit of researching including reading
reviews, benchmarks, and forum threads. Never
buy parts because they sound cool, have an
appealing advertisement, or because your friend
has one. Chances are that the product is not the
best value in respect to your individual situation.
The following sections will describe methods of
choosing each system component.
The Motherboard
A motherboard is a series of busses and
chipsets that control the communication of
each connected system component. Typically
it is the last part to be chosen as it needs to be
compatible with all other selected components.
That being said, it should be considered
throughout the course of the build.
Theres no hard and fast rule when selecting a
motherboard, but a general process should be
followed to maximise the success of the build:
Selecting the desired chipset: The chipset
defnes the oho|oe of OPs}, the GP
bandwidth and scalability, amount and type of
RAM, and the overo|ookab|||ty of the system.
O|der NvlDlA oh|psets suoh as 780| or 790|
a||ow S|l Soa|ab|e ||nk lnterfaoe}, the ||nk|ng
of two or more |dent|oa| NvlDlA GPs for
oomb|ned graph|os prooess|ng. On the other
hand, lnte| oh|psets suoh as 48 and P45 a||ow
Orossfre, wh|oh enab|es two or more ATl GPs
to run |n un|son. The more reoent lnte| 58
oh|pset supports both S|l and Orossfre. Se|eot
the chipset which sports the features you desire
th|s w||| requ|re some researoh}, and |ook out
for any new oh|pset re|eases. The |atest 4-ser|es
GPs from ATl work best |n Orossfre when
used w|th an 58 oh|pset. A|though Orossfre
is compatible on all current Intel chipsets, the
performance takes a hit without the added
bandw|dth that the 48/58 oh|psets offer.
Ourrent NvlDlA oards aren't as fussy |n terms
You wont get very far without a
motherboard - the foundation of
any good system.
7
KITLOG
of SLI bandwidth, likely due to their use of lower
bandwidth GDDR3 memory, and therefore work
well in a range of NVIDIA chipsets. However the
best pick for a NVIDIA-based system is actually
Intels X58!
Select the form factor: Depending on the
purpose of your system, you may need to get a
particular sized motherboard. Most enthusiasts
will be looking at the ATX and EATX form factors
for their range of features and compatibility with
high-end gear.
Select the socket type: Unlike in the past,
AMD and Intel CPUs use different sockets.
Once youve decided on the CPU, the choice
between AMDs AM2+/AM3 and Intels LGA775/
LGA1366 sockets becomes clear.
Select expansion slots and ports: The
number of expansion slots denes the
amount of cards that can be tted at once. If
you intend to install multiple GPUs, then full
size PCI-e 16x slots are required. There are
also PCI-e 1x slots which can be used for TV
tuners and other less demanding components.
Other important ports/sockets to consider
include SATA, IDE, USB, ethernet and audio.
Select integrated components: Do you
require inbuilt audio or graphics capabilities?
If this is the case you will need to select a
motherboard with the appropriate integrated
chipsets. Most motherboards include inbuilt
audio (usually of Realtek branding) however
integrated graphics chipsets are commonly
found in lower-end micro-ATX solutions
or specialised full ATX solutions. Being
enthusiasts, any inbuilt graphics chipsets will
be overshadowed by monolithic oating-point
marvels of the dedicated GPU variety.
Enthusiast specialities: Design advantages
such as solid state capacitors and high bus
speed capability help when overclocking
a system. The best way to determine
motherboard performance is to seek
benchmarks and user-submitted overclock
results. Once you nd a few products which
match your criteria, seek out comparisons,
reviews, and benchmarks for each. This will
eventually provide you with a clear winner, and
if not, go for the cheaper option with the best
warranty. Unless, of course, you have money to
burn (in that case, send some our way!).
Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
The CPU is often considered the most important
component within a PC. Whether this is true
or not is up for debate, but rest assured, the
PC will not function without one. Technologies
such as NVIDIAs CUDA platform may one day
make CPUs less important due to the inherent
architectural advantages of modern GPUs, but
that day is while off just yet. A growing area
of interest resides with GPGPUs, General-
Purpose Graphics Processing Units, however.
These allow otherwise dedicated GPUs to
be used for general purpose tasks which the
CPU is normally assigned to; in doing so the
parallel processing nature of GPUs struts its
architectural speed advantage.
Despite this technological advantage,
GPGPUs are still a distant future in terms of
practicality mainly because of the lack of data
prediction and the specialised instruction sets
they require; therefore a CPU is still well and truly
important. Choosing a CPU isnt particularly
complicated if you follow a few simple guidelines.
Firstly the main components of the Central
Processing Unit must be established.
Cache: Cache is high-speed memory in which
the CPU stores data to be processed. The
larger the capacity of any given level of cache,
the greater the performance. Data which does
not t within the integrated CPU cache is stored
temporarily off-die in RAM. On-die cache is split
into layers, often two or three, each decreasing
in speed and increasing in capacity respectively.
Therefore, L1 cache is the fastest yet smallest
capacity, L2 is larger and slower, and L3 (if the
CPU contains such a level) is slower still with the
largest capacity.
Cores: The amount of cores denes how many
threads that can be efciently processed at
one time. This improves performance, although
many applications are still limited to utilising one
or two cores at a time. The operating system
used also inuences the performance of multiple
core systems; Vista and Windows 7 are better
than XP in this regard.
Clock speed: Clock speed is often misused
when comparing CPUs. The clock speed is the
amount of clock cycles per second measured
in Gigahertz (GHz). Clock speed is not an
appropriate method of judging processing
performance because it doesnt dene the
amount of data being processed within each
clock cycle.
Multiplier: The multiplier is a numerical
value which denes the clock speed of the
CPU. Higher multipliers are sought after by
overclockers, but are usually accompanied
by a hefty price tag. Finding the right balance
between price and multiplier is a major factor
when choosing budget overclocking gear. The
best choice is an unlocked multiplier; but these
are premium parts.
Choosing a CPU
CPU selection encompasses the following
performance groups:
Performance/Enthusiast/Overclocker: This
clique strives to nd the highest multiplier
The brain of
the computer
the CPU.
Denitely not
to scale.
Choosing a CPU isnt particularly complicated if
you follow a few simple guidelines.
8
KITLOG
they can within their budget. This is also
dependant on other key features such as
cache and cores, although higher values may
decrease overclocking potential. Also, smaller
manufacturing processes are desired due to the
reduced heat and reduced power consumption.
A great examp|e of budget OP overo|ook|ng
performanoe |no|udes the E8500/E8600 and
O8400/O9550 lnte| OPs. W|th 9.5x/10x and
8x/9x mu|t|p||ers respeot|ve|y, the|r overo|ook|ng
potential is nothing short of mind blowing.
Server: Servers often use speo|fo OPs
designed for accurate computation and high
stab|||ty, suoh as lnte|'s eon and AMD's Opteron
range. These OPs typ|oa||y oonta|n |arger oaohe
capacity and are of a higher grade binning.
Binning is the process of sorting
oomponents |nto performanoe 'b|ns'. OPs are
tested until they are no longer stable, and when
this limit is reached, they are placed into a
particular bin depending on the performance
demonstrated. Its not uncommon for server
OPs to use d|fferent sookets than desktop
OPs, so keep th|s |n m|nd when ohoos|ng a
motherboard/OP oombo.
What to research
s|ng a searoh eng|ne suoh as Goog|e |s he|pfu|
when locating information in relation to the
deta||s above. F|nd mode| names of OPs w|th|n
your price range, and compare benchmarks on
tech sites. The best way to nd suitable parts is
to browse reputab|e oomputer forums suoh as
Atomic) for advice.
Never se|eot a OP or any oomponent for
that matter) based solely on brand name; always
seek benchmarks which show how particular
models perform from each brand.
The GPU (Graphics
Processing Unit, or
graphics card)
GPs are the dr|v|ng foroe for graph|oa||y |ntense
app||oat|ons suoh as games, 3D mode|||ng/
OGl and v|deo ed|t|ng. Reoent|y they have
been increasingly popular for calculating large
amounts of data |n p|aoe of ex|st|ng OP-based
processing clusters, mainly due to their superior
parallel processing nature.
The ma|n oomponents of a GP |no|ude:
VRAM: vRAM |s onboard memory used to store
textures and data waiting to be processed by
the GP oore, s|m||ar to how the OP aooesses
RAM on the motherboard. vRAM |s based on
the GDDR aroh|teoture. |ater aroh|teotures have
larger bandwidth allowing higher transfer rates
between the core and memory.
Core: The GP oore |s the ma|n onboard
prooess|ng un|t. S|m||ar to that of a OP, but
primarily used to calculate oating-point
calculations for graphics tasks.
Pixel Shaders: P|xe| shaders oonvert 3D
oo-ord|nates and |nstruot|ons |nto 2D data, or
pixels, for display on the monitor. The more
shaders the better as they act as parallel
processors. As with most components,
in most cases the performance gain is
dependent on the unit as a whole, such
as overall architecture, rather than specic
elements such as this.
Clock Speeds: The vRAM, oore, and
shaders each have separate clock speeds.
O|der GPs often ||nk the shader and oore
clocks so that they are in the same ratio;
increasing the core will increase the shader.
The higher the clock speed the better when
comparing the same core amongst different
brands. Comparing different cores by clock
speed is not a true indication of performance;
do not do this.
Scalability: Modern GPs a||ow two or more
oards to be ||nked to work as one. Some mode|s
may have enough connectors to support three
or four cards at once instead of the typical two
oard oo||aborat|on. S|l and Orossfre are the
ma|n teohno|og|es for NvlDlA and ATl oards
respectively; most motherboards only support
one or the other. Some h|gh end GPs oome |n
dua| oore and dua| POB Pr|nted O|rou|t Board}
models, which incorporate inbuilt scalability
between two onboard GPs.
Choosing a GPU
As w|th most oomponents, the oho|oe of GP
depends on the budget and intended usage. Its
wise to look out for the following factors in each
computer category:
Performance/Enthusiast/Overclocker:
H|gh performanoe GPs genera||y have h|gh
clock speeds, large memory capacity, and often
|noorporate dua| oore/POB so|ut|ons. These
cards are best for high end systems which
need the extra power. In particular, overclockers
prefer smaller manufacturing processes when
ohoos|ng a GP to a||ow h|gher overo|ooks w|th
minimal heat.
Server: Genera||y servers are OP |ntens|ve
and don't requ|re muoh GP power. lntegrated
Its not an Atomic rig
if its not powered by the
latest in beastly tech. Extra
points are awarded for
multiple cards!
10
KITLOG
solutions are ne for le, print, and web servers.
The models to look out for include ATIs 4870
and 4870X2, and NVIDIAs GTX285 for high
performance systems.
What to research
There are three main GPU manufacturers;
NVIDIA, ATI and Intel. NVIDIA and ATI make
expansion cards while Intel focuses mainly on
integrated solutions. The manufacturer websites
provide a list of models they offer, so its just
a matter of searching online for comparisons
of models in your price range. Larger monitor
resolutions require more VRAM, so be sure to
compare benchmarks using the same resolution
as your monitor.
The RAM (Random
Access Memory)
RAM is used as the largest cache of the CPU
due to its high capacity and low manufacturing
cost. A large amount of RAM is essential for new
PCs, which are heavily driven by multitasking
and an array of services. A common guideline is
to buy as much RAM as the budget (and your
OS) allows. RAM is made up of the following
generalised components:
Capacity: The capacity of RAM is measured in
GB (or Gigabytes) on modern sticks. The more
the better, but anything over 3.5GB requires a 64-
bit OS and CPU to be accessed. Most modern
CPUs are 64-bit, so this shouldnt be an issue.
Clock speed: The clock speed denes the
speed at which the data can be transferred to
and from the RAM. Higher clock speeds are
preferred when comparing RAM modules.
Architecture: RAM architecture includes
DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3. Each generation of
RAM strives to improve bandwidth and overall
throughput of data transfer. A side effect of
this advancement is higher latencies; however
modern systems benet more so from higher
clock speeds rather than lower latencies.
Latency: Latency is the gap between a request
for data by the CPU, and the transmission of
said data. Although lower latency is preferred, it
isnt important compared to larger clock speeds.
Choosing RAM
DDR2 is the cheapest solution at this point
in time, while DDR3 has theoretically higher
performance. If going with DDR3, look at
modules which are over 1333MHz, otherwise
youre better off with the cheaper and lower
latency DDR2 modules. If the price is too high,
get some generic (yes, generic are ne) DDR2
1066MHz sticks. They are great value for money.
Researching RAM
With RAM its a matter of selecting the cheapest
sticks with the highest clock speeds. Latency
isnt much of a performance factor on modern
platforms, so dont choose lower latency models
if the cost is signicantly greater. If overclocking,
research benchmarks and user results.
The HDD/SSD
(Hard Disk Drive/
Solid State Drive)
The humble primary storage device comes in
two consumer avours, the HDD and SSD.
Look out for the following when choosing a
storage device:
Platter Density: Regarding HDDs, platter
density refers to the capacity each platter holds.
The greater the density, the faster the transfer
speeds will be due to the minimal movement
required by the read head.
Platter Speed: The speed at which the platter
rotates is measured in RPM (Rotations Per Minute).
The faster this rotation, the smaller the seek time is
in HDDs. Regular drives are 7200RPM, high-end
drives are 10000RPM upwards.
Sustained Write/Read: The speed at which
the drives can transfer data to and from the
HDD or SSD. The write speed is commonly
a measurement of the speed of cached data
being written to the main storage platters (or
ash in the case of SSDs). Faster is better,
speed is typically measured in MB/s .
Capacity: Capacity is fairly obvious the more
capacity there is the more room for data such as
software and documents.
RAM is so cheap right now, youd be kicking yourself for not getting at least 4GB.
The trusty hard drive, lled with all your tasty
data. You spin me right round baby, right round...
11
KITLOG
Solid state storage is the way of the future!
Just like ying cars, and jetpacks.
Cache: The cache stores data ready to be
written to the HDD. Greater capacity generally
improves write speeds.
Choosing a HDD/SSD
There are many factors which determine the
appropriateness of a HDD or SSD for your
intended setup.
Performance/Enthusiast/Overclocker: The
main focus for performance systems are high
density platter 7200RPM HDDs, Velociraptor high
speed drives, and high end SSDs. The rst option
is cheapest and often the appropriate choice.
Server: High-end servers use SCSI drives
which are faster variants similar to that of
Western Digitals Velociraptor range. These
drives are expensive and require a SCSI capable
system.
What to Research?
When looking at storage devices, its best to look
for high density platters with large capacities.
SSDs should only be factored in if your budget
can cater for the exorbitant costs. High transfer
speeds can be determined via benchmark
comparisons between models.
The PSU
(Power Supply Unit)
The PSU is often the most exaggerated
component within a PC. Its either chosen with
too-limited power (unintentionally, of course), or
an excessive amount. The main misconception
is the wattage rating. PSUs should not be
compared with this alone because of two other
underlying factors: the +12v rails and the overall
efciency. More information on these elements
can be found in issue 89 of Atomic or the
website (http://tinyurl.com/6z568b).
Choosing a PSU
There are a few steps to follow when choosing
a PSU:
What is the power draw from your system?
Find out the power draw of each component at
maximum load, then nd a total. Seek more than
this amount; an extra 50 per cent wouldnt go
astray. This ensures that future upgrades can be
tted, and that the efciency doesnt suffer. Factor
in the efciency of the PSU, an 80 per cent efcient
500W PSU is really only useful at 400W and under.
Too much load on the PSU can cause failure.
Find a PSU with the correct wattage and 80-
plus certication. This means the PSU is at least
80 per cent efcient.
Narrow down the search to high amperage
(A) +12v rails.
What to research?
Research the amount of rails, efciency,
amperage, and wattage of PSUs in your price
range. Online reviews and computer forums are
informative sources to guide you.
The Optical Drive
Optical drives are simple to choose, and
regardless of your choice you cant go too
wrong. For the last few years the favourite has
been the Pioneer range. This may change; the
only way to select the best is to look at reviews
and forum opinions. Apart from this, the write
speed, rmware, and build quality are the main
factors of performance, accuracy, and durability.
The Case
The case denes which components will t (i.e.
form factor), how many components will t, and
the quality of cooling if using air alone:
Cable management features: Some cases
allow cabling to run under the motherboard, or
they supply channels for cables to run through.
Neater cables help improve airow.
Number of 5.25in bays: These can be
converted to 3.5in bays for extra HDDs if need be.
Cooling/Airow: Computer components
need constantly circulating air to keep from
overheating. Fan placement is important, as well
as the number and wind pushing power (cfm) of
the fans used.
Form factor: As stated above, the form factor
denes the size of the components that will t.
e.g. ATX is smaller than E-ATX.
In the end, case choice comes down to
personal preference. Match the size of the
components with the case. If the case is too
small, then choose a larger one, otherwise look
into smaller components.
Keep your rig in a solid, dependable case to protect its soft silicon insides from harm.
12
KITLOG
12
Overall Component
Selection
There are many peripherals to cover, so the
following will explain a general method of
component selection.
Take note of the specications and outcomes
you desire. With this information you can easily
sort through the several products on offer.
Research and sort through reviews, benchmarks
and forum opinions. An example for a GTX285
GPU would be to search GTX285 review or
GTX285 benchmark in a search engine.
Ensure that the products are compatible with
existing components. This includes drivers for
the OS or physical connections such as ports
and expansion slots.
Searching for components is often complex
because of the array of pricing across several
stores. A solution to this is using a retail search
engine such as StaticICE (http://staticice.
com.au/).
If youre still stuck between a few products,
search for comparisons. An example is GTX285
vs 4870, which in this case is comparing the
GTX285 with the 4870 GPU. Often forum
threads will show up in the results use this to
compare user opinions.
Select, of whats left, the cheapest
component with suitable warranty/support.
Putting it Together
Before purchasing your shiny new components
its important to consider their compatibility
in terms of size, specications, and power
requirements as outlined above. If in doubt,
ask. The members of the Atomic forums are
willing to help, just be polite and informative
regarding your question.
When youve chosen all the parts, bought
them, and examined their pretty boxes its time
to build it! There are many guides on the internet
to, well, guide you, and issue 106 of Atomic has
a complete guide as well, including setting up a
water cooling loop. Just remember to have fun
while constructing your awe-inspiring rig!
Searching for components is often
complex because of the array of pricing
across several stores.
ULTRA BUDGET
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
D
I
S
P
L
A
Y
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
T
he Ultra Budget build isnt going to be
a powerhouse number cruncher by any
sense of the term, but thats not to say its
incapable. Large storage space coupled with
a decent amount of memory and a capable
graphics card, packing into a stylish case
that itself is rather quiet. The screen has 18.5
inches of room to play with, and the headset
has great audio reproduction - this is denitely
more than enough for a high school student,
secondary PC or even a low-powered main
system. Plus, you just cant best the price.
SUBTOTAL: $718
14
AMD Sempron LE-1250
PRICE $44
Dualcore chip isnt the fastest, but
incredible price.
Solid board, dirt cheap, overclocks well.
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-US3
PRICE $105
Corsair Value Select
2GB 667MHz
PRICE $40
Two gigabytes of cheap RAM.
Western Digital 500GB HDD
PRICE $70
Plenty of space for most systems.
18.5 inches of
widescreen delight.
Acer X193HQ
PRICE $165
Plantronics
Gamecom 367
PRICE $50
Cheap headset, but great value sound.
Ref ID: 146740
Nice design, expandable, good
cooling.
Antec NSK4480B-II
PRICE $140
Performs well, incredible value,
bloody awesome.
AMD Stock Cooler
Included with CPU Free!
A cheap but decent card.
Ref ID: 137590
Sapphire 4650
PRICE $70
Onboard Realtek ALC888
Built-in - FREE!
A budget audio chip.
Itll work, and look decent.
Logitech NewTouch
PRICE $18
A solid mouse that will get
the job done.
Logitech B100 Optical
PRICE $16
Quiet, efcient and plenty.
Antec EarthWatts 380
Included with case FREE!
Headset
Getting noise out of a computer has
never been easier, and the Gamecom
367 does it at a bargain-basement price
but doesnt skimp on quality. Awesome
value.
KITLOG
AMD PC
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
D
I
S
P
L
A
Y
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
AMD Phenom II X4 810
PRICE $240
A nicely performing AM3 Quad.
Issue 99, Page 33
Quite pricey, but performs well.
Ref ID: 146531
ASUS M4A79T Deluxe
PRICE $320
640GB HDD
PRICE $90
Best price/storage/performance
choice out there.
Great 22in widescreen for all
your gaming needs.
Ref ID: 122168
AOC 2216Vw
PRICE $225
Plantronics
Gamecom 777
PRICE $94
Solid set of cans
with great audio.
Issue 101, Page 41
A spacious case with nice
cooling, and quite stylish too.
Ref ID: 101716
Cooler Master CM690
PRICE $120
Performs well, incredible
value, bloody awesome.
Issue 103, Page 47
Aywun A1V8
PRICE $52
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
Great gaming performance and
nifty features.
Issue 96, Page 43
Verbatim Rapier V1
PRICE $65
Quiet performance, great noise
and plenty of cables.
Ref ID: 107260
Corsair TX-750
PRICE $199
A cool-looking keyboard thatll
serve you very well.
Ref ID: 149483
Razer Arctosa
PRICE $58
Onboard
Realtek
ALC889A
A decent chip that
does the job.
Graphics
A beefy graphics card is the backbone of any
serious game rig, and the 4870 is no slouch.
Performance is great, and the price is denitely
within reach of even those on modest budgets.
A
MD hasnt been at the top of many
wishlists for quite some time now
due to its not-as-competitive price to
performance, but machines built around
AMD bits still manage to pack a decent
performance punch. With a quadcore
processor, plenty of memory and large
storage space, the AMD PC is a nice
alternative to Intel for those who love
supporting the underdog. Solid audio from
the headset, great screen and a capable
keyboard/mouse dont hurt, either.
SUBTOTAL: $1828
15
Sturdy performance, but
temptingly low price.
Issue 92, Page 36
ATI 4870
PRICE $200
G.Skill PC3-12800 C8 Series
PRICE $165
Six gigabytes of fast memory.
Issue 102, Page 45
KITLOG
HOME THEATRE PC
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
O
P
T
I
C
A
L
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
Intel Core i5 750
PRICE $270
Intels budget Quad is more
than youll need in a chip!
Issue 106, Page 36
A great value P55 board with
some great features.
Issue 106, Page 39
GIGABYTE P55-UD4
PRICE $225
640GB HDD
PRICE $90
Best price/storage/performance
choice out there.
Performs well, incredible
value, bloody awesome.
Issue 103, Page 47
Aywun A1V8
PRICE $52
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
F
A
N
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
Quiet performance, great noise
and plenty of cables.
Ref ID: 107260
Corsair TX-750
PRICE $199
V
ideo and music are driving the biggest
uptake of new tech nowadays, so bring
those and more into the loungeroom with
the Home Theatre PC. Its got plenty of CPU
grunt for video encoding, a combo Bluray/
HDDVD player (for cheap HDDVD discs), a
great soundcard and a wireless keyboard
with built-in trackpad. The graphics card
is passive and completely silent, while the
heatsink and replacement fan is barely a
whisper. Throw in as many hard drives as
you want, and youre good to go.
SUBTOTAL: $2395
18
Bluray and HDDVD playback
best of both worlds
LG GGC-H20L
PRICE $175
Razer Mako 2.1 Speakers
PRICE $469
Stylish, powerful tub-thumpers.
Ref ID: 126695
Quiet and vibration dampened, subtle
and avoids attention.
Issue 100, Page 46
Antec Sonata Elite
PRICE $150
Silent as the grave, and
HD playback is perfect.
Ref ID: 137603
Zotac 9400GT Zone
PRICE $95
ASUS Xonar HDAV 1.3
PRICE $279
Nice sound, expansion good.
Ref ID: 135112
Wireless board with a
trackpad for mousing.
Logitech diNovo Edge
PRICE $199
Quiet fan moves lots of air;
lower RPMs are quieter.
Ref ID: 150102
Scythe Gentle Typhoon
PRICE $27
Sound
The backbone of a good media PC is the
soundcard; this one has HDMI, Coaxial/
Optical and RCA audio support, as well as an
aluminium noise shield.
G.Skill PC3-12800 C8 Series
PRICE $165
Six gigabytes of fast memory.
Issue 102, Page 45
KITLOG
KITLOG
HOME SERVER
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
O
P
T
I
C
A
L
R
A
I
D
C
A
S
E
Six SATA, Q43 chipset,
onboard display outputs.
Ref ID: 146531
ASUS P5QL-EM
PRICE $140
Seagate Barracuda
1.5TB x 4
PRICE $179 each
Plenty of space, run in
RAID 5 for security.
Ref ID: 141622
A simple, reliable DVD drive.
Pioneer DVR-218L
PRICE $65
Adaptec 1430SA
PRICE $145
PCIe 4x RAID Controller, for speed
and potential mobo upgrading
Damned quiet, professional
look and foam-dampened.
Coolermaster Sileo 500
PRICE $115
Performs well, incredible
value, bloody awesome.
Issue 103, Page 47
Aywun A1V8
PRICE $52
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
Does the job, with some
nifty features.
Logitech B100 Optical
PRICE $16
Quiet performance, great noise
and plenty of cables.
Ref ID: 107260
Corsair TX-750
PRICE $199
Itll work, and look decent.
Logitech NewTouch
PRICE $18
RAID
This budget RAID card offers four ports for the
four HDDs, bringing fast speeds and managing
the data. RAID 0, 1 or 5 can be run for speed
or security, and is easily replaced if the mobo
changes down the track.
F
inding places to store all those photos,
videos and music is increasingly
becoming a problem; but sharing that
content between multiple users can be tricky.
Thankfully, a copy of Windows Home Server
and this storage-centric build can give you
huge capacity with data redundancy. RAID
up those drives, hook it to a network, tuck
it in a closet and stream media anywhere in
the world. Does it without large noise or heat,
too, so check out our conguration guide at
www.atomicmpc.com.au/?116810.
SUBTOTAL: $1776
19
Gaming is impossible, but serves output needs.
Q43
ON BOARD FREE!
Corsair VS4GSDSKIT800D2 4GB
PRICE $70
Four gigabytes of decent RAM.
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400
PRICE $240
Quadcore to chew through
video encoding.
Issue 103, Page 36
LAN PC
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
O
P
T
I
C
A
L
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
G
amers will always be on the cutting edge
of tech, but those who need portability
will appreciate the LAN PC. A handle on top
gives this smaller-than-standard system a
small footprint, but the performance is high
enough to make those around you drool at
the silky-smooth framerate on your screen.
Hook it up with good gaming gear, throw
in two LED cooling fans at the front and
youve got yourself a portable computing
powerhouse that is practical and lust-worthy.
Who said computers couldnt be small?
SUBTOTAL: $1977
20
Memory
A computer wont get far without somewhere
to temporarily store all its data, so nabbing six
gigabytes will give more wiggle room than the
ill-tting pants of a successful diet.
Intel Core i7 920
PRICE $400
Lowest-powered Core i7 chip,
boasts impressive speed.
Issue 103, Page 36
Teensy X58 mobo with
heaps of value.
Issue 104, Page 58
MSI X58M
PRICE $260
G.Skill PC3-12800 C8 Series
PRICE $165
Six gigabytes of fast memory.
Issue 102, Page 45
640GB HDD
PRICE $90
Best price/storage/performance
choice out there.
Great 22in widescreen for all
your gaming needs.
Ref ID: 122168
AOC 2216Vw
PRICE $225
Plantronics Gamecom 777
PRICE $94
Solid set of cans with great audio.
Issue 101, Page 41
Small case with handle; add in two
120mm fans for awesome cooling.
Ref ID: 148266
Silverstone SG04
PRICE $195
Does the job, ts
under PSU well.
Intel Stock Cooler
PRICE FREE!
Sturdy performance, but
temptingly low price.
Issue 92, Page 36
ATI 4870
PRICE $200
Great gaming performance and
nifty features.
Issue 96, Page 43
Verbatim Rapier V1
PRICE $65
Beefy, quiet and modular.
Ref ID: 132943
GIGABYTE ODIN GT 850
PRICE $225
A cool-looking keyboard
thatll serve you very well.
Ref ID: 149483
Razer Arctosa
PRICE $58
Onboard Realtek ALC889A
A decent chip that does the job.
KITLOG
GAMING PC
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
D
I
S
P
L
A
Y
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
Intel Core i5 750
PRICE $270
Intels budget Quad is more
than youll need in a chip!
Issue 106, Page 36
A great value P55 board with
some great features.
Issue 106, Page 39
GIGABYTE P55-UD4
PRICE $225
G.Skill PC3-12800 C8 Series
PRICE $165
Six gigabytes of fast memory.
Issue 102, Page 45
640GB HDD
PRICE $90
Best price/storage/performance
choice out there.
Great 22in widescreen for all
your gaming needs.
Ref ID: 122168
AOC 2216Vw
PRICE $225
Plantronics
Gamecom 777
PRICE $94
Solid set of cans
with great audio.
Issue 101, Page 41
A spacious case with nice
cooling, and quite stylish too.
Ref ID: 101716
Cooler Master CM690
PRICE $120
Performs well, incredible
value, bloody awesome.
Issue 103, Page 47
Aywun A1V8
PRICE $52
Cheap doesnt mean slow; can play
most games well.
Ref ID: 151293
XFX 4770
PRICE $175
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
Great gaming performance and
nifty features.
Issue 96, Page 43
Verbatim Rapier V1
PRICE $65
Quiet performance, great noise
and plenty of cables.
Ref ID: 107260
Corsair TX-750
PRICE $199
A cool-looking keyboard thatll
serve you very well.
Ref ID: 149483
Razer Arctosa
PRICE $58
Onboard
Realtek
ALC889A
A decent chip that
does the job.
Mobo
The motherboard forms the base of a
computer, and this one has expansion options
aplenty. Theres everything youll want here
for a good while, and its damn solid. Denitely
the board to rely on.
I
ntel has the current best value gaming rig,
with a Quadcore chip for a great price that
is incredibly capable when overclocked. A
solidly dependable motherboard, case and
heatsink mean that this gaming rig can be
overclocked and power through any load.
The graphics card is cheap, but still more
than capable of some nice frames, with the
hard drive tting plenty of games. Denitely
the system for gamers, this will be more than
enough grunt for some time; and a simple
graphics upgrade extends that considerably.
SUBTOTAL: $1738
21
KITLOG
Be part of the future of High End Technology & PC Gaming!
I=
=
O
e

C
Z
c
O
l
Z
C
C
E

S
E
.E
E
F
r
c
O
c
l
/
O
=
tr
a
lia
r

v
v
v
.a
tc
r
ic
r
p
c
.c
c
r
.a
O
$AUD8.95 Inc. GST
$NZ9.50 Inc. GST
INTELS
WORKHORSE
ON TEST
We look at the Nehalem-based Xeon Atomic-style!
PLUS: Full review of the powerful new Core i7 975 CPU
REVIEWS: 40 products tried and tested!
TUTORIAL: Make a USB recovery stick!
WOLFENSTEIN: Four page preview inside!
BLIZZARD SPECIAL PART 1:
FIND OUT WHAT KEEPS WOW ON TOP,
AND WHOS TRYING TO KNOCK IT OFF!
PLUS: Learn the secrets of the grind
with our in-depth MMO levelling guide!
a
t
c
r
ic
1
0
2
W
A
R
CR
A
FT: CA
N
IT
B
E B
EAT
EN
? CO
O
LIN
G
R
O
U
N
D
U
P
IN
T
ELS LAT
EST
CP
U
S T
EST
ED

COOLING
ROUNDUP
The best heatsinks
for your computer!
MAXIMUM POWER COMPUTING
WARCRAFT
CAN IT BE BEATEN?
SPECIAL REPORT
28/5/09 4:10:13 PM
I =
=
O
e

C
C
/
O
_
O
=
t
Z
C
C
E

S
E
. E
E
F
r
c
O
c
l
/
O
=
t
r
a
l i a
r

v
v
v
. a
t
c
r
i c
r
p
c
. c
c
r
. a
O
$ A
U
D
8
. 9
5 I n c . G
S T

$ N
Z 9
. 5 0
I n c . G
S T
STELLAR OVERCLOCKING CPUs from Intel and AMD!
HOW GAMING AI WORKS in-depth feature! PROTOTYPE PLAYED AND REVIEWED open world action!
BLIZZARD PART 2: STARCRAFT II FIRST PREVIEW!
a
t
c
r
i c
1
0
3
S
T
A
R
C
R
A
F
T
2
2
4
i n
M
O
N
I T
O
R
R
O
U
N
D
U
P
B
U
I L
D
Y
O
U
R
O
W
N
M
A
C
K
I L
L
E
R
E
3
&
C
O
M
P
U
T
E
X

FULL multiplayer
preview on p84
BIG IS
BETTER
ESSENTIAL 24IN LCD
MONITOR ROUNDUP!
STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL
BUILD YOUR OWN MAC-KILLER
Our easy guide to pwning Apple at its own game!
FROM THE SHOW FLOOR
E3 & COMPUTEX REPORTS
Exclusive wrap-ups of the biggest shows of the year!
STARCRAFT II
THE RTS THAT WILL
SAVE PC GAMING!
WORLDS FIRST LOOK!
ATOMIC 103 cover.indd 1
$A
U
D
8
.9
5 Inc. G
ST

$N
Z9
.50
Inc. G
ST
BORDERLANDS: Exclusive interview with Randy Pitchford
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA SEASON 4: Jamie Bamber talks!
ARMA II: Military sim heaven or buggy hell? Read our review
WHY DO
GAMES
PORTED
TO PC SUCK?
We talk to game developers about the
challenges of developing for console and PC!
LATEST CARDS TESTED
HOW THEY WORK
THE ESSENTIAL
BUYERS GUIDE
19
MOTHERBOARDS REVIEWED!
Discover the best Core i7 and
Phenom II mobos on the market
I==Oe C= EepterLer ZCCE
SE.EE FrcOcl /O=traliar
vvv.atcricrpc.ccr.aO
NEW
KITLOG
NOW WITH
FOUR GREAT
PC BUILDS!
BIGGER &
BETTER!
MAXIMUM POWER COMPUTING
CARDS
V
ID
E
O
C
A
R
D
B
U
Y
E
R
S
G
U
ID
E
P
O
R
T
IN
G
G
A
M
E
S
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
R
O
U
N
D
U
P
B
O
D
E
R
L
A
N
D
S

1
0
4
ATOMIC 104 cover.indd 1
30/7/09 2:42:10 PM
IN EACH ISSUE YOU GET:
Ma^eZm^lmg^pl _khfma^`Zfbg`Zg]\hfinmbg`phke]'
Bg]^imaZkmb\e^lhgpaZmfZd^lI<Zg]`Zfbg`m^\agheh`rphkd'
>ll^gmbZe_^Zmnk^lhg^o^krmabg`_khfahpmhfZd^rhnkhpg`Zf^lmhaZ\dbg`rhnkQ[hq'
Ma^eZm^lmI<aZk]pZk^%k^ob^p^]bg]^imaZg][^_hk^Zgrhma^kfZ`Zsbg^'
@Zf^k^ob^plpkbmm^g[r`Zf^kl%_hk`Zf^kl'
Ngbjn^mnmhkbZelhg^o^krmabg`_khfho^k\eh\dbg`mh[nbe]bg`rhnkhpg\hhebg``^Zk'
:]ob\^hgahpmhib\dngbo^klbmr\hnkl^lmhZ]oZg\^rhnkBM\Zk^^k'
MAXIMUM POWER GAMING
Subscribe online @ www.atomicmpc.com.au/subscribe
DREAM PC
C
P
U
M
O
T
H
E
R
B
O
A
R
D
M
E
M
O
R
Y
V
I
D
E
O

C
A
R
D
C
O
O
L
E
R
S
Y
S
T
E
M

D
R
I
V
E
D
I
S
P
L
A
Y
A
U
D
I
O
C
A
S
E
K
E
Y
B
O
A
R
D
M
O
U
S
E
P
O
W
E
R
S
U
P
P
L
Y
T
he Dream PC is just that; what Id pick
if I had an unlimited budget. From the
immensely overclockable mobo/CPU pair, the
graphics card with two cores, an all-aluminium
case with room for watercooling (and more),
every part of this system is the cream of the
crop. Only the heatsink isnt out yet, but if
youre spending this kind of money it might
be worth looking into custom watercooling.
Denitely for performance enthusiasts, this
build is for those people who demand the
best; you wont be disappointed.
SUBTOTAL: $5486
23
Corsair Dominator
TR3X6G1866C7GTF
PRICE $388
Plenty of memory, blisteringly fast
and darn sexy.
Ref ID: 149838
Patriot Torqx 128GB SSD
PRICE $620
Lightning-fast speed for your OS;
chuck a HDD in for storage.
Issue 103, Page 45
A huge 24in LCD screen for
your prettiest pixels.
Issue 103, Page 57
Dell 2408WFP
PRICE $989
Logitech Z-5500D
PRICE $450
Earth-shakingly good.
Issue 48, Page 56
Heaps of fans, plenty of space, and
dripping with features.
Ref ID: 139103
Thermaltake Spedo
PRICE $295
Incredible speed, running two
in Crossre beats all else.
Issue 106, Page 42
ATI 5870
PRICE $550
Auzentech X-Fi Prelude
PRICE $279
Best soundcard evar!
Ref ID: 112419
Backlit, sturdy, magnetic numpad &
macro keys; whats not to like?
Ref ID: 129535
Microsoft Sidewinder X6
PRICE $80
Cable-less, comfortable, lag-free
and fraggable!
Ref ID: 148422
Microsoft Sidewinder
X8 Wireless
PRICE $105
Will power everything and the
kitchen sink quietly.
Ref ID: 132918
Corsair HX-1000
PRICE $355
This cpu is a performance powerhouse;
faster clock-for-clock than Nehalem
and overclockable to 4.2GHz on air. Four
cores and eight threads will match and
devour any task you give this chip.
Intel Core i7 870
PRICE $850
The best enthusiast
chip, period.
Issue 105, Page 34
Increase your performance,
sex appeal and social standing!
Issue 105, Page 41
ASUS P7P55D Deluxe
PRICE $440
Two fans, solid design and
great performance.
Noctua NH-U12P SE2
PRICE $85
KITLOG