PC Curb

Guitar hero 3 legends of rock is now available on PC. It features the same game play as the console versions along with songs and story line. The game includes a Gibson Xplorer usb guitar, which is compatible with the PS3 and 360 consoles, so you can rock along with your mates. It will be interesting to see if the game includes some special PC only features, such as song downloads or other mods for the game. The game is valued at $129.00 and is available from all good retailers.

For most people, price is the biggest factor to consider when building a new PC. People are looking to have high quality computers but are scared of the high prices. We’ve done a little research on the web and realised there isn’t much information (eg. tips and ideas) on how to build a fast, cheap computer that will play the latest games. How much your able to spend determines what brands and parts are used in the construction of the PC. And for some, personal opinion and brand loyalty play a huge part in the decision. Here we will show you how to build a Gaming PC for the cost of a PlayStation 3.

Intel System:

• Generic ATX Case, most provide adequate cooling, and power supply. ($49.00)
• Intel Core 2 duo E4500 2.2Ghz 2mb Cache, will overclock well with after market cooler. ($145.00)
• Palit Nvidia 9600GT 512mb, good choice for price. ($249.00)
• 80 gb SATA Hard drive, adequate disk space. ($55.00)
• 2gb ddr2 800mhz generic ram, good ram for good price. ($50.00)
• Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L, quality all round motherboard. ($115.00)
• 20x SATA DVD Burner, best choice for price. ($37.00)
• Total cost of $700.00 (price may vary from place of purchase).

AMD System:

• Generic ATX case, most provide adequate cooling, and power supply. ($49.00)
• AMD Athlon64 X2 Dual-Core 5000 2.6ghz 2×640 Socket, quality item. ($139.00)
• Palit Nvidia 9600GT 512mb, good choice for price. ($249.00)
• 80 gb SATA Hard drive, adequate disk space. ($55.00)
• 2gb ddr2 800mhz generic ram, good ram for good price. ($50.00)
• Gigabyte GA-M52S-S3P, perfect choice motherboard. ($105.00)
• 20x SATA DVD Burner, best choice for price. ($37.00)
• Total cost of $684.00 (price may vary from place of purchase).

These PC set ups will cost you no more than a PlayStation 3, and will out perform the game console by far. Price doesn’t include assembly of the unit and we advise professional installation if you are not capable of doing it yourself. Note; Price doesn’t include a Operating system, and if you don’t have a valid copy of windows XP/Vista you may need to purchase one. (Prices sourced from ZIP Computers)

AVG Antivirus free edition version 8.0 is now available for you to download. The new version contains both anti-spyware and anti-virus all in one. 8.0 Contains a browser tool bar and safe site search under google, yahoo ect. Provides a improved update manager, system scanner and is visually more appealing. 8.0 also includes:

• Automatic update functionality
• The AVG Resident Shield, which provides real-time protection as files are opened and programs are run
• The AVG E-mail Scanner, which protects your e-mail
• The AVG On-Demand Scanner, which allows the user to perform scheduled and manual tests
• Free Virus Database Updates for the lifetime of the product
• AVG Virus Vault for safe handling of infected files

AVG Anti-spyware/anti-virus can be downloaded for free from the following link:

AVG version 8.0 free download

This slightly messy looking setup could be improved with a little dusting and cable management. The mouse is a G5 laser gaming mouse along with a G15 keyboard. The case is an Antec 900 running water cooling. Both screens look to be 22″ and running two different desktops. Pretty sweet setup I do say.

Click to enlarge.

For some people this area is the least important, for others its everything. Whether your a hard core gamer, web surfer or general PC user you can usually get away with using a cheap set of speakers plugged into the motherboard. This provides adequate sound and media that is needed for day to day computing. If you wish to take your audio to the next level, there are a number of ways to go about it. Upgrading the sound from your computer doesn’t have to cost a fortune, a simple set of $80 – $150 speakers will provide your with quality sound. You would be surprised with what you can get for that price. Speakers that we recommend in this price range are, the Creative I-Trigue® 3400 2.1 (2 speakers 1 sub woofer) with titanium speakers for $139.00. The Logitech X-530 5.1and X-540 5.1 surround sound at $129.00. As you can see $130.00 will get you a good set up.

If you wish to take it a little further, purchasing a sound card for your PC will boost its performance even further. Cards such as the Creative Sound Blaster Audigy Value at $59.00 and the X-Fi Xtreme Audio at $99.00 will get you great sound. Running these cards with a set of Logitech G51 for $219.00 or the Inspire T7900 7.1 system at $149.00 will get you the best sound you could ask for. If you have a little more cash to spend, around 600 dollars on audio equipment, we recommend the Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 audio pack. At $469.00 this may be out of your price range, but provides you with fantastic sound, for games, TV, music and movies. Used with the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer at $199.00 will allow you to run your speakers at there full potential.

If you wish to use your PC for a main entertainment unit, and have $1000+ to spend, you can choose to run your set up how i do. Running a sound card in your PC, hooked up to external AMP, i currently use a Pioneer mini system. Running the sound through this unit will provide you with awesome audio, and capable of using a CD player, DVD player, TAPE deck, VCR and Record player through the system. If you have the money to purchase a home theater system/mini system and a great set of speakers, this is truly the best way to go.