XBMC On Your HDTV

If Valve’s Steam Machines delay has you feeling down in the dumps about HDTV-based PC gaming, we‘d like to take this opportunity to remind you that alternatives abound. As much as we love the developer for its contributions to PC gaming, the Steam Machine’s core concept — putting a PC in the living room — isn’t terribly novel. Enthusiasts have been connecting PCs to TVs and playing games on them since graphics cards first started shipping with S-Video outputs. Thankfully, in the high-def era, doing so has gotten significantly prettier (and more practical).

How To Buy A Power Supply

When pricing out a new system, the power supply unit is usually the component at the bottom of the list. We admit, it’s hard to get excited about the PSU. Jacob Freeman, product manager at EVGA, thinks the PSU’s role in gaming, overclocking, and enthusiast computing is underrated. “Due to the nature of the device, it is not easy to measure the performance of the power supply without expensive equipment, thus some users may buy PSUs that offer low efficiency, or have low quality components that can cause all sorts of issues from system crashes to power supply failure.”

No, the PSU doesn’t directly impact the performance of your PC, but it does feed the components that do make that impact. It’s very possible to get it wrong and never know it. Buying too much power wastes energy, and buying an underpowered PSU may prevent your computer from booting, fail whenever you hit it with a load, and limit your overclocking potential and future upgrade options. Read on to determine what to buy when it comes time to replace your power supply.

ADATA XPG Z1 DDR4-2400

The linchpin of ADATA’s XPG Z1 DDR4 modules is its Thermal Conductive Technology, which improves heat dissipation to boost performance. ADATA has certainly put TCT to good use, as its XPG Z1 kits are already available at speeds up to 2,800MHz. ADATA also plans on releasing a 3,200MHz kit in the near future. The XPG Z1 lineup is already an imposing collection, considering the DDR4 standard is still in its infancy. ADATA sent us a 16GB 2,400MHz quad-channel kit (model AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ) to put through the wringer.

Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4-2400

Last month, we checked out Crucial’s DDR4 desktop memory lineup, which operate at 2,133MHz. Crucial pumps up its Ballistix Sport DDR4 modules’ speed to 2,400MHz, thanks to a heat spreader that improves heat dissipation. Although you can buy Ballistix Sport DDR4 by the module or in a dual-channel kit, we’ll be focusing our attention on the 16GB quadchannel kit. (Crucial also has a 32GB quad-channel kit consisting of a quartet of 8GB modules if you want to stuff your X99-based rig with an obscene amount of memory.)

Thermaltake Core V51

Thermaltake recently sent us the latest entry in its attractive, highly functional Core series of PC cases, the Core V51. The Core V51 is a roomy mid-tower that bears the Core series’ distinctive rounded, perforated steel front panel and wide feet. At 21.3 inches high, it’s only a couple inches shorter than its fulltower sibling, the V71, and the case’s interior is as roomy as many full-tower cases we’ve seen.

Behind the standard left-side acrylic window, the motherboard tray accommodates boards ranging in size from Mini-ITX to Extended ATX, and the interior of the V51’s front and top panels will both accommodate radiators up to 420mm long. (You can also install up to a 240mm rad in the bottom, and the back panel will hold a 120mm radiator.) Your fan options are similarly extensive with the Core V51; the front panel will hold three 120mm fans (two of these come pre-installed), two 140mm fans, or a single 200mm unit. The top panel, which has mounting slots that give you lots of discretion where placement is concerned, can hold three 120mm or 140mm fans, or two 200mm monsters.