December 04, 2006

If you are seriously concerned about the performance and life span of your gaming computer, then getting a good computer barebone is essential.

The barebone of the computer refers to the parts that form the core of the computer system. It is usually make up of the computer case, power supply unit, motherboard, CPU and RAM.

Here are some tips to help you choose the best barebone:

The computer case is the place where all the parts are contained. A good computer case should have good air ventilation to prevent heat from piling up. Preferably, it should contain additional slots for the mounting of extra cooling fans.

A high rating power supply will ensure that all the computer parts are getting enough power to perform at their best. If you are building or intending to build a high end system, it’s recommended to get a power supply unit of at least 550W.

The motherboard determines two things: stability and upgradeability. As a reference, get a motherboard that supports the following criteria:

1) Support dual-core CPU.
2) Support DDR2 RAM up to 800Mhz with dual channel architecture
3)Contain at least 2 PCI express x16 slot and support SLI or CrossFire technology
4) Support SATA2 3.0GB hard drive interface.

Read the complete motherboard guide for more details.

A dual core processor is the one that you should get. The latest dual core processors are Intel Core2 Extreme 2.93GHz and AMD Athlon 64 FX-62. If you have extra cash to spare, you can consider getting the quad core processor by Intel.

As for the memory RAM, anything less than PC6400 DDR2 800MHz 1024MB is not acceptable. If you are an avid gamer, it is preferably to get a DDR2 800MHz dual channel 2GB RAM. Dual channel is more efficient than a single channel RAM as it utilizes two data channels to process data, resulting in much higher bandwidth and faster performance. As such, getting two 1GB dual channel RAMs is definitely better than a single 2GB RAM. If you are in any doubt, use the Crucial Memory Advisor Tool to help you make a decision.

The performance of your computer barebone is crucial to the stability and performance of the system. Thus it is important to pay extra attention when making your selection. For more information, check out TigerDirect! where they have wide selection of barebone kit.

Damien