I typically start by defining what I want my PC to do and what it should look like.

In this case, it’s a media center PC, so I want it to look like the rest of my audio/visual equipment.

Its main task will be to record multiple TV shows at the same time, stream them around the house, and playback on a 52 inch LCD TV, so it must have an HDMI connection and support 1080p High Definition video.

The table below is a list of the components I selected for this example. The completed PC performs its tasks effortlessly and delivers outstanding picture quality.

Because of its high performance, I also use it to perform more demanding applications (like building this web site) by logging in to it via Remote Desktop.

All parts in the table below were ordered from Newegg.com and represents Newegg’s part descriptions.

1. Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K.

2. Motherboard: Intel BOXDH67BLB3 LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard.

3. Memory: Kingston 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3N9/4G.

4. Hard Drive (2x): Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKX 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive. (This drive is dedicated for the operating System and software). Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EARX 2TB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive – Bare Drive. (This drive is dedicated for recorded TV and videos)

5. BD-ROM: SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-/+R 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Combo Model SH-B123L/RSBP LightScribe Support.

6. TV Tuner: AVerMedia AVerTVHD Duet – PCTV Tuner (A188 – White Box) – OEM.

7. Keboard & Remote: nMEDIAPC HTPCKB-B Black 2.4GHz RF Wireless Streamlined Keyboard with Track Ball & Remote Combo Set.

8. Computer case: APEVIA Black SECC Steel / Aluminum X-MASTER-BK/500 ATX Media Center / HTPC Case.

9. Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit – OEM.

The components listed above are all you will need to assemble your Entertainment hub. Please refer to the respective component manuals for more information on installing the components and powering up your new PC.

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Author: Oswald Skeete - Twenty plus years developing equipment and processes for CPU manufacturing at Intel Corp. Extensive hands on knowledge of computers and hardware. Holder of two US patents, and many more pending.

I'm using this opportunity to share my wealth of experience, not only with technology but with places I have been, products I have used and like, and the best places to shop online. Please visit us at http://www.1o1connections.com and register to share your own connections and register your business for free.

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ASBIS Enterprises Ltd., a leading supplier of computer components to the EMEA regions emerging markets, has announced the start of a new exciting ASBIS Bonus Club (ABC) program aimed at providing extra benefits to its present and new customers.

The ABC program has been launched simultaneously in 10 countries of Eastern Europe on July 1st, 2004 opening new opportunities for the companys valued clients. The countries covered by the program will include Russia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Estonia and Lithuania. These countries will be joining Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where this program has already been successfully implemented.

The Bonus Club program will be fully integrated into ASBIS online purchase scheme, and will complement the existing online customer interaction. The new Bonus Club membership will be automatically extended to the companys existing clients, who will begin to earn points immediately after the programs launch. Bonus points will be assigned to a selected group of products and awarded for every purchase made at ASBIS, both online and offline. Interestingly, online purchases will get a higher average point score than those made the traditional way.

The customers may spend the earned bonus points by ordering goods from the Prize Catalog which will offer not only exciting products distributed by ASBIS (notebooks, LCD and plasma TVs, USB devices, etc), but also goods and services from other companies.

The Bonus Club system has been designed to be very transparent and user-friendly. The customers will clearly see bonus points awarded for each specific product in a price list or in an online shop. The complete bonus and transaction history will be easily accessible and viewable. The Bonus Club members will get e-mail updates about all significant ABC events.

According to Pavel Burba, ASBIS Channel Marketing Director, the company is committed to providing maximum benefits and incentives to our customers, and we strongly believe that the new Bonus Club program will serve to further enhance mutually rewarding relationships between ASBIS and its valuable clients.

About ASBIS

ASBIS is a leading supplier of computer components to the EMEA emerging markets. The company today has 38 offices in 25 countries, producing a turnover of USD 680 million in 2003. Over 14 years of its existence ASBIS has become one of the most dynamic companies in the region serving over 11,000 active customers via 4 distribution centers and 33 local warehouses across its regions. ASBIS combines extensive knowledge of the local markets it serves with a strong international team bringing value to both its vendors and customers. The value ASBIS brings to its business partners has ensured an impressive consistent year on year growth and has provided comprehensive satisfaction of all its customers needs.

ASBIS is actively developing and integrating Internet solutions throughout its business. In 2001 ASBIS became a platinum member of IT4profit.com B2B e-Exchange to create its own community of customers, suppliers and value added service providers.

For more information about ASBIS please log on to http://www.asbis.com.

For additional information about ASBIS Bonus Club please contact ASBIS PR Manager Victor Lukyanov at victorl@asbis.minsk.by

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A sound card is basically an expansion card which is installed inside the computer, also known as internal computer component. this device allows the computer to send audio information or it processes audio files in order to provide high-quality playback through computer speakers. this device very efficiently plays voice as well as music files, and can handle various audio file formats including.wav,.mp3 and cda as well. Its having an interface at the back of the computer with various input and output ports. The overall sound quality of the computer system is depended on these unique audio enhancing devices. Speakers can be directly plugged into the back of these gadgets. Sound cards come with its software and drivers and standard Microsoft operating system automatically detects and loads it in the system. this particular device is also known as audio card, audio adapter and sound adapter.

Internal: The internal audio cards are attached inside the CPU and a specific slot is provided for this device on the motherboard. hence these gadgets are called as internal sound card. These are very popular and widely used type, but it is seen that it is receiving tough competition from its external counterpart. As these directly plug into the given slot on the motherboard and are result is a little distance from the main motherboard circuitry. These are inexpensive as compared to its external types or model. The internal type fits directly onto the motherboard, it cannot be removed regularly to fit on other systems such as laptops, and this is another problem faced with an internal sound card which is the portability.

External: These are very popular devices which are most commonly used among the computer users due to the portability and interference free sound quality. These gadgets as their name suggests, are box shaped devices, which can be easily attached to any system, whether laptop or PC, and produces high quality sound. The major advantage of the external sound card is its sound quality. Contrary to the internal type, the external model is attached to the computer externally and that is why generates low or absolutely no interference sue to the motherboard circuitry. another advantage with this type is the portability which you don’t get with the internal type. You can easily remove and configure this type to any system including laptops.

USB: this type provides users the best solution of having a professional and high quality sound in home or office environment. this gadget offers the easiest and most portable solution to enjoy quality plug and play audio at any time you want. These devices are very competitive comparing to internal types or PCI sound cards as they are offering a truly much better audio quality. These are portable devices which can be easily transferred to any places you like and can be attached to any laptop and computers, offering capabilities for you to easily enjoy quality of the sound they produce. With their plug and play install capabilities these devices provide easy installation and are very easy to use. These are very easy in terms of connectivity, as it gets connected easily to your speakers, microphones, iPods, musical instruments or other external devices. Moreover these can be also connected through jack (TRS), which is only possible with USB sound cards.

To name any one software program as professional animation software would be a disgrace to the software world. there is much software available in the market that caters to the need of the user depending on his needs.

These new software for professionals are amazing as they can design almost anything that you make them to do. Sophisticated designs are just a click away with this professional animation software and offer the best in the market.

Unlike 2D where the environment design is limited, 3D offers more scope and chances. The environment can be created in any style as the designer wishes to create. Although the usage of this professional animation software is complex yet it is worth using it to give wings to your dreams.

Another advantage of using professional animation software is that you can use training videos or tutorial videos in your games to train the user with live playback options. this feature is an added advantage because it makes the game user friendly and understandable. The tutorial video offers a step by step procedure on how to play the game.

High quality simulating environment are just a few clicks away with professional animation software. Stunning game events can be created and the good thing is that they are compatible with Windows as well as Mac. Apart from that they can support a large number of file formats.

The quality of graphics is yet another requirement in our today world with high processors and consumer demanding higher quality. Their thirst can be satisfied only with software that is professional in creation. by professional software it is easy to create a high quality graphic and 3D environment simulation.

Details of the natural environment can be created with rich detail. Characters seem lively and amazing in action when developed through professional software.

To say about the script or voice commands of a game we find that the one created with professional software is far better than free or basic software.

To name some of the best software for the hand of a professional would be Maya and Studio Max. this software is known for their high quality output although they are rated as complex as far as user interface is concerned. But if you are a well versed developer in the Basics then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if the software seems easy to you.

Software like the above mentioned are used to create a cutting edge animation film from where a large number of color can be chosen. some extra tools can be provided with the software to assist in the creation of an animation.

So once again taking a look at the various advantages of a professional it gives us a feeling that nothing is impossible in the world of animation. But if asked about the disadvantages of professional software there is only two things that are worth mentioning. One is that it is complex to handle and the other is that they come at a relatively high price than other versions available in the market.

As any avid movie fan (read: DVD Collector) knows, the quality of the movies we buy on DVD is far more superior to just VHS. often times there are special features, additional footage and even little games on our favorite DVD movies that we simply could never have hoped to enjoy on VHS tape. The only problem being of course is that DVD discs are simply not as damage proof as VHS movies were. All it takes is a little touch or a tiny scratch to make that $20.00 – $30.00 dollar DVD investment turn into nothing more than a coffee cup coaster.

Not to mention of you have kids that now know how to use the DVD player. They’ll be handling the DVD movies the same way they handle their toys, putting them down anywhere, touching the bottom of the disc with reckless abandon, and potentially scratching up your precious DVD movies beyond repair. And that’s where the word backup comes in. In order to protect your expensive movie collection from damage, dirt, dust, or dirty fingers, I would recommend to all DVD fans a simple solution. Backup your DVD Discs. By making a backup copy onto a VHS tape, your kids can still watch their favorite movies without you having to constantly replace them.

I myself love my DVD movies, and often purchase anywhere from 5-6 movies each and every month. And I swiftly make a backup copy of the most watched movies onto a blank VHS tape. Now, in a perfect world, this would take nothing more than connecting my VCR to my DVD player and simply recording the movie. There is however a problem. DVD movies contain something called Macrovision Protection. for those of you not clear on what this is, think of the green fading screen that you see if you’ve ever tried to backup your DVD to a VHS tape. while this green fading screen does not appear when you’re watching your DVD movie, it is always there. And for this reason, if you want to backup your DVD movies to a VHS tape to protect them, you’ll need what’s called a Macrovision Remover. The Macrovision remover is a little device that connects between your DVD player and your VHS machine. when connected, you will be able to bypass the Macrovision protection on the DVD disc, and easily record your DVD movie to a blank VHS tape.

Now, before we get into the lower quality of a VHS tape, it’s important to note that recording a DVD disc to a VHS tape will still provide you with a better quality viewing experience than buying that same movie on a VHS tape from the get go. more important than that though, you’ll be able to protect your DVD discs from getting damaged to the point that they simply will not even play in your DVD player. great if you have kids or, you simply want to save that special collector’s edition of the latest movie and keep it in new condition.

Just what is Macrovision protection? Well, the Wikipedia has this to say about Macrovision: A VHS videotape or DVD (no laserdisc or video CD players implemented it) encoded with Macrovision will cause a VCR set to record it to fail (excluding very old models, modified VCRs, or those approved for professional usage). This is usually visible as a scrambled picture as if the tracking was incorrect, or the picture will fade between overly light and dark. A 6-head or 8-head VCR (most are 4-head) can minimize this fluctuation, so it is not as noticeable. A DVD recorder will simply display a message saying the source is copy-protected, and will pause the recording.

This is achieved through a signal implanted within the off screen range (vertical blanking interval) of the video signal–either physically recorded directly on the tape (as with VHS) or created on playback by a chip in the player (as with DVDs) or the digital cable/satellite box (as with all HDTV programs being down-converted to standard definition).

Now that you have a better understanding of what Macrovision is, I want to stress that it is both illegal and immoral for you to make a copy of your own DVD movie for the purpose of giving it to friends or family. After all, a lot of money, time and effort goes into making these great movies. Having said that, it is perfectly legal for you to make a backup copy of your OWN movie, so that you can protect your original DVD disc and keep it in perfect condition.

Far too often, we buy the newest movies and end up with a scratched or damaged disc. This is the only gripe I have with DVD movies. I felt the same way about Compact Discs when they first came out. I would strongly urge any movie fans or movie collectors to use the Macrovision Remover in order to save their DVD movies from damage. You can follow the links in my Bio for more information on the Macrovision Remover / DVD Decoder.

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Gyros Precision Tools, a well known manufacturer and supplier of miniature precision tools and accessories for decades, is pleased to launch its brand new MAGNALite Cordless/Rechargeable LED work lamp series to the world market. These lamps offer brighter lighting and longer life, using only about one-fifth the power consumed by standard incandescent bulbs. They have a strong magnetic base, which attaches to any metal surface, as well as a 120 pivoting range, forward or backwards.

Gyros Precision Tools, founded in 1921 has not only set the standard for creating as well as distributing quality hand tools, cutting accessories and high-tech rotary tools for professionals, do-it-yourselfers, woodworkers, and hobbyists – but has also decided to introduce their cordless/rechargeable, light-emitting diodes (LED) work lamps. These lamps are perfect for auto-mechanics, contractors – like plumbers and electricians, for camping, emergency road lighting and various other applications. Recently released, these rechargeable LED work lamps use minimum power, but provide high beams of bright white lighting where needed. At Gyrostools.com, one can find the series of MAGNALite LED work lamps that feature the cordless, rechargeable, and long-lasting attributes.

Precision and technology are important components of Gyros Precision Tools' business strategy, and their motto, “progress through technology” is quite reflected in the design of these LED work lamps. They are compact, portable and give consumers more flexibility in many uses. As an industry forward manufacturer of miniature circular saw blades, miniature cut-off wheels , 1/8″ shank cutter/router bits, and other quality tools and accessories; the company recognizes the challenges professionals face while working out in the field or in little or no lighting conditions. As a result, they offer this series of MAGNALite Cordless/Rechargeable LED work lamps which offer many ways to give everyone hands-free illumination wherever and whenever needed.

Gyros Precision Tools: A sought after source for miniature precision tools and accessories; professionals, do-it-yourselfers, craftsmen and hobbyists have looked to Gyros Precision Tools since 1921. Their online store at Gyrostools.com makes it easily accessible for everyone to find the precision tools they are searching for.

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Due to the way in which they store power, conventional rechargeables will gradually lose their charge if left unused for even relatively short periods. This means that trying to keep a supply of charged batteries on hand can leave you always using batteries that have already lost much of their power, and which consequently will not deliver optimum performance.

StayCharged batteries, on the other hand, have been specifically engineered to retain power over long periods when not in use – typically, they will retain up to 80% of their charge even after being unused for a whole year. This gives them an added flexibility and reliability that standard rechargeables lack.

Duracell has consistently been at the forefront of power cell technology, driving innovation forward and setting new standards for the battery industry. The StayCharged system is another example of the unique ways in which Duracell seeks to meet the needs of its customers.

Modern battery-operated electrical items, such as digital cameras and MP3 players, are typically high-drain devices that demand large amounts of power to operate at their best. The StayCharged range provides excellent performance in this respect, delivering reliable, cost-effective power charge after charge after charge.

Typical rechargeable batteries are sold uncharged, as by the time they are sold their charge would have drained away anyway. This often leads to consumers buying disposable batteries if they run out of rechargeables unexpectedly.

StayCharged, on the other hand, are sold pre-charged, so they’re ready to use immediately and will save money in the long term. Although disposable batteries are cheaper to buy in the short term, the cost of buying them repeatedly soon mounts up, whereas rechargables quickly pay for themselves after just a few charges. Moreover, they continue to provide optimum power levels long after disposable batteries have been thrown away and forgotten about.

Rechargeable batteries have grown tremendously in popularity in recent years, thanks to the realisation of the harm that disposable batteries cause to the environment, the potential savings to be made by using rechargeables and improvements in the efficiency of recharging technology.

The StayCharged range extends the functionality and dependability of rechargeable batteries, making them just as convenient to use as disposables when you need power in a hurry.

Find out more about toys and the technology behind them that makes them seem to last.

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Although in recent times, the use of 9V batteries in portable electronics has declined, you can still find a plethora of household devices involving these cells.

As you may be aware, the new low self-discharge feature of the Max-E battery makes it conducive to a large number of applications. Basically, anywhere feel free to use an alkaline battery, you can use Max E batteries – and employ them up to 1000 times.

While this in itself is a tremendous savings, the genuine power of Max E technology is shown in the Ansmann 9V battery. first, the 9V Max E cell contains the same capacity as the normal rechargeable – 250 mah. this definitely makes the cell accessible for both high-drain and low drain applications. Max-E 9V’s works extremely well in high power RC cars, metal detectors, wireless mics, walkie-talkies, paintball guns, tens units and other medical devices, personal fans, as well as low-drain devices including smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, in addition to guitar effects pedals, and audio visual equipment.

Many of us have heard the warnings with regards to the utilization of rechargeables in smoke detectors as a consequence of trouble with self-discharge from standard rechargeables. Basically, we would agree that the standard rechargeable battery really should not be employed for a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, etc. we would certainly advocate the effective use of the low-self discharge 9V cell — as these batteries maintain 85% of their power each year. Smoke detector batteries were made to be changed every half a year – well within the capabilities of a Max E 9V cell. in fact, realizing that the Max-E Batteries are rechargeable and need to be changed may actually stir families to get into the habit of changing them when they should – every six months.

Since we also advocate that families live green and totally switch their battery usage to zerowatt rechargeable technology, the family that converts to rechargeables is cognizant of the proper and effective use of max e low self discharge batteries.

Finally, because of the shift away from the use of 9V cells in electrical appliances and plenty of times it really is hard to come by a battery charger which also accommodates the 9V battery. The Ansmann Zerowatt Powerline 5 Battery Charger does allow for the charging of one 9V cell and makes it a total charger for all your household battery needs.