Exclusive: Microsoft: 'It's the complete vision for Windows 8'

Windows 8 Consumer Preview: Gabriel Aul

The Windows 8 Developer Preview (as the name suggests) was for introducing developers to Windows 8 and it didn't have many of the pieces of the OS, especially not the final user interface.

The Consumer Preview obviously isn't completely finished but it is what Director of Windows Program Management Gabriel Aul calls "the complete vision for the product". He calls the look of the Metro start screen "more finished and more polished than it was at Build."

In fact there have been over 100,000 code changes since the Developer Preview, which makes the Consumer Preview a wholly different beast.

And while there are new ways of switching between applications and new touch controls "we also went back and added a ton of mouse and keyboard support to complete that experience," Aul promises.

The touch controls are a more developed version of what we saw at CES this year and Aul explains the logic behind the way they work. "The new things are all about the edges. The left and right edges are about Windows controls; the left side is about switching, the right side is about controls.

The top and the bottom edge are about app controls, and they both do the same so you can choose which you prefer."

That makes sense for touch; "when you're holding [a tablet] the touch is all about the edges. Ergonomically, they're the easiest thing to hit with my thumbs."

The Windows 8 Start Screen

The charms are carefully arranged, he says. "The Start screen [charm] is always right there under my thumb." But it's also optimised for mouse users, who can just roll into the corner area without having to be too precise.

"With a mouse, if I have to pick a particular pixel it needs fine control, but for the Metro controls you can just jam the pointer up into the corners – you don't have to be precise. When I pull down a charm, I'm putting my mouse in the right place for the controls. I make a big movement to open the charms, I pull down and my mouse is there, I hit Settings and my mouse is right where the controls are so it's a very small movement."

Moving between Windows 8 Metro apps

Putting the mouse in the top left corner shows a thumbnail of the next Metro app, but you can pull down to see thumbnails for up to five current apps. Outlines of the thumbnail edges help make that more obvious.

"It has hints that there are tiles hidden away when I put the mouse in the corner; it's very subtle, it's just something to say there's something here." With a touch screen, swiping an app in from the left and back off screen shows the same thumbnail strip, or you can use Windows-Tab on the keyboard.

Need to see more than five apps (or to be able to jump straight to individual apps on the desktop)? Alt Tab gives you thumbnails for all running apps the way you're used to.

The Start Menu still exists in Windows 8

And while the Start button is no longer an orb at the end of the taskbar, clicking in the corner still works (and hovering your mouse there shows a thumbnail of the Start menu you can click).

"We didn't take the Start menu away," he points out; "it's just zero pixels. In the lower left corner you have Start where you expect it to be, you click it to jump back to Start. Or if I go to the lower corner and push up, I get that same switching list."

Touch is also more responsive in the Consumer Preview, Aul claims. "We've got the physics of swipe dialled in now; as you swipe it really sticks to your finger. Switching performance is as fast as I can flick through, it switches.

The Windows key takes me to Start or whatever I'm doing as fast as I can do it." Scrolling through the start screen with a mouse now works directly; instead of grabbing a scroll bar you just move your mouse to the side of the screen. That gives you a more responsive scrolling behaviour, especially if you have a scroll wheel on your mouse.

"It has a physicality to it, there's a different response when I push a little or a lot." And while the picture password option is certainly easier than tapping out a password on a tablet screen, Aul claims it can be more secure. "It's cryptographically stronger than a numeric PIN and it's actually as good as a strong password if you have a complex photo."

Windows 8 on different devices

Aul is a big fan of Windows tablets like the Samsung Series 7 Microsoft has frequently used to demo Windows 8 (check out our Hands on: Windows 8 tablet review) but he also dropped strong hints about how Windows on ARM (WOA) tablets will fit in as companion devices that rely on syncing documents and settings.

"I love the tablet. Other people may want smaller more power efficient tablets and another computer. If I'm on the couch browsing and reading email and I want to go to work I dock it and work [on the same machine]. In the tablet scenario, I put it down, I walk over to my desktop and log in and it'll feel just like the machine I've been using. The IE history is even there. I don't have to connect it and sync stuff; it just all happens automatically."

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available for download from Microsoft now. To get it, head over to http://preview.windows.com.

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Nokia N9 complete Specification, Feature and Price ... Coming soon

Nokia announced the N-series future phone, a phone that will be available in a variety of colors, but the interesting part is that it will not have Windows on it but MeeGo, an open-source operating system that was not released on any device until now.

Feature and Specification
N9 will have an 8 megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p, the memory between 16 and 64 GB, 1 GB RAM, 1 GHz CPU and 3.9 AMOLED display inch with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels (no other buttons on the front). Like any self-respecting Smartphone will have a compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light, the total weight of the device being 135g. And the software is said to support HTML5 browser, program navigation and support for Office documents.
The casing is made of polycarbonate and has the following dimensions: 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm. In addition, the screen is Gorilla Glass, so very strong.
The phone is made to support Facebook and Twitter directly from the operating system. In addition, on the media part, he stays very well: reads MPEG4-SP & ASP, H.264 BP/MP, WMV9/VC-1 and MKV formats. Price yet to announce

Buying Guide: RAM upgrade: the complete guide

Not too long ago, a memory upgrade was one of the most effective, easiest ways to boost your PC's performance. High memory prices meant that new machines often shipped with the bare minimum, yet everything from multi-tasking to gaming lapped it up.

Bandwidth-critical image and video editing showed huge changes, especially if you upgraded to faster, lower latency memory. With all this in mind, you'd be daft not to consider a memory upgrade.

These days, you'll find that even the most modest of systems comes with 4GB of DDR3 RAM as standard, and if you're building a machine from scratch, there's no real incentive to start out with anything less. Does this mean that memory upgrades are a thing of the past, though?

Not at all - it simply means that if your machine has a decent amount of memory already, the post-upgrade improvements are going to be far more subtle than before.

If you're looking for specific numbers, 4GB should be seen as a minimum for most modern applications. In turn, this dictates that you'll need a 64-bit operating system to use all of the available capacity.

8GB has quickly become the norm for the more advanced enthusiast systems, while capacities of 12GB and higher are no longer the exclusive reserve of video jockeys, high-resolution image tweakers or programmers.

With the likes of the Intel X58 chipset boasting support for an addressable limit of 24GB, there's now plenty of scope for memory upgrades on the very latest machines.

As ever, you need to match any potential upgrade to your system's capabilities. With more recent systems, that means matching it with your processor. Modern CPUs have many of the features that were once reserved for the motherboard, and the most important one when it comes to the picking and upgrading of memory is the integrated memory controller in the processor itself.

Here, we'll cover everything you need to know to make the best decisions for upgrading your computer's memory. We'll start by considering the current state of the memory market and which technologies are on the horizon, then go on to highlight the best budget, performance and all-round kits that are out there right now. Finally, we'll show you how to get the top performance out of any memory kit you do buy.

The road ahead

The most recent change to the memory landscape has been the slow but inevitable transition from DDR2 to DDR3. The former is still around for older systems and laptops, but DDR3 is the future.

This makes the process of upgrading memory a lot simpler, because there's now only one standard to consider. The only question is, how many sticks do you need to buy?

Bloomfield (and later Gulftown) Core i7 processors boast a triple-channel memory controller. You'll need to populate all three channels on your X58 motherboard to get the most out of this chip. This means using a minimum of three memory sticks and, depending on the capabilities of your motherboard, could make for some rather tough upgrade decisions.

Many of the more affordable X58 motherboards boast three or four memory slots. For those with three 2GB sticks, the jump to 12GB is going to be significantly more wasteful, not to mention pricier, than for those users who are trying to hit the same capacity using a motherboard with six memory slots.

The decision is easier for Intel's more recent Core i5/i7 processors and AMD's latest chips. In both cases, dual-channel DDR3 is on the respective roadmaps for the foreseeable future.

All that's left to consider is how much you get, and at what speed. Operating frequency is less important here than latency - faster responses to memory requests outweigh the benefits of just running the memory ever faster. This fact is keenly represented by the price of memory - low-latency memory costs more.

Prices continue to tumble, though, and even if you can afford the cash for your memory upgrade, you'll still find you're getting something of a bargain.

However, this price slashing has had a knock-on effect within the memory market, with many manufacturers blaming low margins as they pull out of production or downscale their operations. The current low prices we're seeing may not last forever, though.

Successors to current memory standards are some way off too. We don't mean from a technological point of view - Samsung has already shown DDR4 modules at the Consumer Electronics Show - but any new ideas are hampered by the fact that there's simply no need for replacement technology yet. DDR3 will be with us in some form for a good while yet.

Part of the problem can be pointed at Intel's door, since it included an integrated triple-channel memory controller in its first Nehalem processors. That third memory channel boosted the available bandwidth to the point that it simply wasn't a factor in normal operations anymore.

The subsequent decision to drop back to dual-channel controllers in the latest mainstream platforms shows that the world simply isn't ready for ever-faster memory standards.

Three top RAM choices

Corsair Dominator GT (4GB (2x 2GB) 2,133MHz)
Performance
Price: £108
Info: www.corsair.com

£140 is a lot of cash for a dual-channel 4GB memory kit, even one rated at a lofty 2,133MHz. In fact, look a little closer at the Corsair Dominator GT 2133MHz's specifications and the pricing looks even more preposterous. After all, timings of 9-10-9-24 are nothing special, even taking into account the flighty frequency.

However, that would be to disregard a number of benefits that come with this DDR3 kit. For starters, it's made by Corsair, and that means it's about as impeccably hewn and physically desirable as they come. There's nothing flashy or adolescent. It's just quality engineering and it bodes well for operating at high frequencies.

You also get Corsair's Xtreme Cooling System which involves a twin-fan cooling attachment that clips on top of the DIMMs. With all that in mind, the extra £4 Corsair is demanding compared to Geil Evo Two 2000MHz actually looks pretty reasonable.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Read our full Corsair Dominator GT review

Crucial Ballistix DDR3 (4GB (2x 2GB) 1,600MHz)
Budget
Price: £43
Info: www.crucial.com

Crucial's Ballistix range of high performance DDR3 memory modules are well known amongst the overclocking fraternity offering faster clock speeds and lower latencies and in some instances fancy LED displays, than the standard Crucial product range.

The latest addition to the family line-up, is a 4GB memory kit of DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) modules, carrying the part number Ballistix BL2Kit25664FN1608 if you want the full nomenclature.

The new modules also bring a change in module design to the product line and a new feature which some overclockers will find very useful.

The small discrete heatsink covers found on the rest of the Ballistix range have been replaced by the high profile finned heat spreaders favoured by most of Crucial's competitors on their high performance memory modules.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Read our full Crucial Ballistix DDR3 review

Kingston HyperX (8GB (2x 4GB) 1,600MHz)
All round
Price: £67
Info: www.kingston.com

Kingston is a stalwart of the memory game, and it's ranges like HyperX that keep it so relevant when it comes to both performance and excellent value. Unlike the other two kits mentioned on this page, this isn't a 4GB package but a pair of 4GB modules, totalling 8GB. That's an incredible amount of storage for surprisingly little money.

With latency timings of 9-9-9-27, there are certainly speedier options around, but unlike much of the competition, there's some room for a little overclocking. With a base frequency of 1,600MHz, that latency certainly isn't as bad as it could be. If you're tempted to overclock these modules, you'll need to tweak the voltage in order to maintain stability.

The low-profile head spreaders mean that they'll fit into any chassis you can throw at them, and with 8GB of space on offer, it's a flexibility that's more than welcome. Only hardcore overclockers may feel a little constrained - everyone else will be delighted.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Memory is easy to install, but getting the best performance out of it takes a little more effort

We'd hazard a guess you know how to fit more memory to your PCs, replacing the current sticks if necessary. The mechanics of fitting a stick of memory into place haven't changed much in the last 10 years.

For laptops, it's simply a case of sliding the SODIMM into the slot and pushing the card into place until it clicks. There's nothing more to it from a physical perspective.

The process for desktops isn't much more taxing. Start by making sure the memory is the right way round, so that the notch lines up with the socket correctly. Then, slide the memory stick in firmly until the clips on either side flip into place, and that's it - you're done.

Installing memory is usually far more straightforward than working out what your upgrade options are, or configuring it for optimal performance.

It's taken some time, but motherboard manufacturers are finally cottoning on to the fact that graphics card slots are often in the way of memory clips, and some of them are now using clipping mechanisms that only have a clip at one side. This means that you have to slide the memory stick in and rotate it into place, but at least you don't graze your knuckles on the back of the graphics cards.

The most crucial changes have happened in the Serial Presence Detect EEPROM that resides on each memory module. The SPD contains the timing information for the module, but due to the way companies traditionally erred on the side of compatibility above all else, getting the best performance out of a module was left to overclockers.

This changed when Nvidia and Corsair decided to use the spare capacity of the SPD to define performance at different speeds to the standard JEDEC settings. Most manufacturers now use 256-byte EEPROMs for the SPD, while the specification only defines the first 64 bytes for timing information.

Known as Enhanced Performance Profiles, or EPP for short, the extension to the SPD for DDR2 modules meant this unused space could be used to store faster memory settings than those defined by JEDEC. With a compatible motherboard, this meant the memory could be configured to run painlessly at faster speeds.

Intel followed this lead with its own profile extensions for DDR3, Extreme Memory Profiles, using the unused EEPROM space to the same effect. This is how memory brands can sell kit rated above JEDEC specifications, yet users can still exploit the faster speeds easily. To check you've got your memory configured optimally, see the walkthrough below.

Optimise your RAM

1. Check your settings

When you install memory, the BIOS should get the timing information from the SPD on the modules. The only potential problem is if you've got two types rated at diff erent speeds.

CPU-Z lets you check memory settings within Windows. You'll need to run RAM at the slowest latency settings supported by all your machine's modules or you'll have memory misses, which will slow operations down.

2. Going extreme

The JEDEC memory profiles err on the safe side, so even if your memory is sold as running at 1,600MHz, it won't operate at that speed by default.

Enter your BIOS configuration screen, go to the memory settings and elect to use the XMP (or EPP) settings instead. Set the speed at which the memory should operate, and the actual timings are all done for you. Check that the changes have taken effect with CPU-Z.

3. Overclock it yourself

Most recent memory modules will overclock further than even the XMP defines, though you'll need to experiment a little to get the best performance.

Enter your BIOS and increase the memory speed up to the next stock frequency, checking it still boots. Rinse and repeat until the machines stops working, reset the BIOS to the frequency you know works. Benchmark the performance increase to see if it's worth it.

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Buying Guide: Motherboard upgrade: the complete guide

Upgrading certain components can give your PC a boost in specific areas. This is fine if there's a certain Achilles' heel that's making your computer hobble along when it should be sprinting, but if you want to give your machine an upgrade that offers the most performance enhancing possibilities - both now and in the future - then a new motherboard is essential.

In many ways, your PC is only as fast as its motherboard will allow. Sure, you might be able to upgrade bits and pieces every so often to prevent your computer becoming obsolete, but if the motherboard is too old to support the latest technology then it's always going to hold your PC's performance back.

Replacing your old motherboard with a new one opens up a whole world of possibilities for your computer. Faster processors and more powerful graphics cards that were once off limits due to an archaic motherboard are now excitingly realistic prospects.

• 15 best PC upgrades for gamers

What's more, if you choose the right future-proof model then you'll be able to keep your computer up to date with the latest technology. No longer will you have to greet tidings of new technology with the grim resignation of another missed opportunity - instead, you could be looking at an exciting potential upgrade.

The motherboard's relationship with the rest of the PC means there are lots of factors to consider before upgrading. For starters, you should think about whether you want to freshen up a number of other components in your computer at the same time, or whether you want to keep your existing parts.

Swapping the motherboard might not mean you need to buy a new graphics card, but if you want to keep using an older processor then it will limit your options when choosing another motherboard.

Choice of motherboard doesn't just determine the vintage of your processor, but also the type. AMD and Intel processors require different CPU sockets, so if you're tempted to try out Intel's new Sandy Bridge technology or are more a fan of AMD's Phenom offerings then you'll need to choose a motherboard that's going to allow you to use your preferred processor.

While the vast array of options might seem daunting, the benefits of upgrading the motherboard far outweigh any fears you might have.

Choosing a new motherboard

Your motherboard has a truly symbiotic relationship with the rest of your PC's components. Technological advances in one spur on new developments in the other, and the year ahead should have a lot of exciting innovations in store for both areas.

The big news so far has been the launch of Intel's new Sandy Bridge technology. Although Intel processors that use it continue to use the familiar Core i5 and i7 branding, the processors themselves have a new chipset, so if you want one in your computer, you'll need to upgrade your motherboard.

This new breed of board brings support for the SATA 6Gbps ports. These offer up to twice the speed of current SATA II ports. While no existing hard drives - and certainly no optical media drives - have yet used the full bandwidth of SATA II, solid state drives are beginning to feel constrained by the older technology.

In the future, SSDs that take full advantage of the SATA 6Gbps ports in new motherboards will become commonplace, and this new standard will make our PCs run faster than ever.

The time it takes for our computers to boot has long been a nuisance, and the BIOS that resides on the motherboards is one of the main culprits. Now more than 25 years old, it's long overdue for retirement.

The good news is that an excellent replacement is on the horizon, and is beginning to be shipped with new motherboards over the next 12 months. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) will bring many improvements over BIOS when it's introduced.

The headline advantage is the decrease in boot times - a recent test displayed a boot-up time of just 1.37 seconds.

Other advances that will be ushered in with the arrival of the UEFI might not be as flashy on paper, but could prove to be just as revolutionary. For a start, it brings support for hard drives that are more than 2.2TB.

When BIOS was introduced back in the 1980s, it seemed impossible that drives would ever reach such a capacity. This resulted in the Master Boot Record partitioning scheme using 32-bit values that limited the maximum disk size to 2.2TB, and allowed only four primary partitions to be created.

UEFI will support the GUID Partition Table scheme, which uses 64-bit values to handle disks of up to 9.4 zettabytes. We might not need that kind of space now, but in 20 years' time, hard drives boasting that capacity might be as commonplace as 2TB and 3TB drives are now.

Three Intel motherboards to choose from

Asus Maximus IV Extreme
Performance
Intel
Price: £300
Info: http://rog.asus.com

When it comes to new PC components, odes to awesomeness are often overwrought. But take it from us, Intel's new Sandy Bridge desktop processors proved worthy of our finest prose. The Intel Core i5-2500K and Intel Core i7-2600K chips are preposterously quick. Of course, to get the best out of them what you need is a damn fine motherboard. For example, the Asus Maximus IV Extreme RoG.

At least, that's what Asus would have you think.

This latest board from the enthusiast-class Republic of Gamers line is based on the new Intel P67 chipset, one of two consumer-oriented platforms for the new Sandy Bridge chips. The P67 is the discrete graphics alternative to the integrated graphics H67 chipset.

On the downside, that means you can't use the integrated graphics core that comes with all 14 of the new Sandy Bridge desktop CPUs. Normally, we wouldn't class that as a major disappointment. After all, the history of integrated graphics has been one of awful performance. However, Intel's latest effort is the best we've seen by miles.

Verdict: 4/5

Read the full Asus Maximus IV Extreme review

MSI H55M-E23
Budget
Intel
Price: £50
Info: http://uk.msi.com

This isn't for those who want to cram in the most powerful parts out there and overclock them like mad. It's for creating a stable and dependable system.

It supports the first generation of Intel Core processors, not the second, but if you're looking to upgrade your old Pentium processor, the leap to a Core processor will still give a huge performance boost.

While performance isn't the H55M-E23's raison d'être, stability and reliability are. The use of aluminium-core solid capacitors helps keep the operating temperature down, as well as providing a stable power supply to the processor. This gives a longer lifespan for the motherboard - MSI claims 10 years at full capacity.

If you're just using it for word processing, this stretches to 40 years. You won't want it for that long - its lack of support for the most recent technology makes it far from future-proof - but it's good to know you have a dependable motherboard that won't fail while you're in the middle of some important work.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi
All round
Intel
Price: £119
Info: www.zotac.com

A tiny motherboard capable of keeping pace with the big boys? That'll be the Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi then.

Back in the mists of time (well, October 2001) when VIA released its first ITX EPIA motherboards, my how people laughed.

"A tiny little motherboard?" They all said, "why it's but a toy!"

But a few people understood the concept and could see the possibilities. And from time to time the format would peek above the parapet to see if anybody was still interested.

Firstly through AOpen, but even Mr Jobs couldn't make that much of an impact with the mini Mac, and others released their own mini PCs but still they can't be said to have set the world alight.

Fast forward to today and just maybe Intel's H67 chipset could be the making of the concept and if Zotac's H67-ITX WiFi is any indication of where were heading, then we're in for some interesting times ahead.

Read the full Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi review

Three AMD motherboards to choose from

Asus Crosshair IV Extreme
Performance
AMD
Price: £233
Info: http://rog.asus.com

Another week brings with it another motherboard toting Lucid's HydraLogix 200 (nee Hydra 200) mix-and-match graphics technology. This time, however, it comes not from MSI, but from archrivals Asus.

It's taken Asus a while to launch a board based on the technology, but one's now a reality in the form of the Asus Crosshair IV Extreme.

The Crosshair IV Extreme is the latest addition to the AMD branch of Asus's RoG (Republic of Gamers) family and - just like the rest of the RoG motherboard lineup - has all the bells and whistles you expect from a top-end Asus motherboard. Like its brethren, it also comes in a box that's pretty much crammed with hardware.

It's worth noting that the Crosshair IV Extreme is the new flagship of the Crosshair range and hence is aimed at the higher end of the market, carrying a price tag to match.

Verdict: 4.5/5

Read the full Asus Crosshair IV Extreme review

Asus M4A785TD-V EVO
Budget
AMD
Price: £73
Info: www.asus.com

This may be another motherboard from Asus, but it couldn't be more different to the Crosshair.

There's no fancy name or headline-grabbing features. This is a motherboard designed to do the job reliably, safely and above all, well. Function is the name of the game here.

What you will find is a sturdy motherboard for a low price that can handle some of the latest tech without a problem. You can fit a quad-core AMD Phenom II processor and DDR3 RAM to give your PC a big performance boost. What you can't do is have two graphics cards for high-end gaming.

The M4A785TD-V EVO has two PCI Express slots, but it doesn't have the power. It does have perfectly good on-board graphics, so if you're building a low-cost PC for movies and playing the odd casual game, you don't need to buy a separate graphics card.

This motherboard isn't going to change the world, but it's solid and dependable. It'll let you use some great components to make a decent PC very cheaply.

Verdict: 3/5

Asus Crosshair IV Formula
All round
AMD
Price: £155
Info: http://rog.asus.com

There's defnitely no coincidence in AMD sending out the review chips of its hex-core processor snugly secured in Asus' Crosshair IV Formula board.

It's the finest current example of the 890 chipset. And this is what we've come to expect from its lineup of Republic of Gamers motherboards.

What we've also come to expect is pricing so far out of the reach of most mere mortals as to render them out of range of all but the serious overclocker and the money-no-object buyers.

But not on the AMD side. Sure, they're at the top end of AMD mobos, but not astronomically out of reach. More importantly, though, the Crosshair IV Formula actually enables the hex-core Phenom II X6 1090T to compete with the current mid-range Core i7 platforms out there.

This is its raison d'etre, to provide a platform for this latest chip to launch from.

It's actually going above and beyond what AMD was looking for, too. Aside from the extra couple of cores tacked on to the traditional quad-core Deneb chip, AMD has introduced its own take on Intel's Turbo Mode: cunningly entitled Turbo CORE.

Read the full Asus Crosshair IV Formula review

How to fit a new motherboard

Your motherboard is at the heart of your PC - logically and physically - so installing one can be tricky. How tricky depends a lot on the size of the PC case.

If it's a large case then installation is simple - just align the holes in the motherboard with the holes on the metal plate inside the case.

Before you screw the motherboard in, make sure the plugs on the back of the motherboard (where the VGA, USB, LAN and sound ports are located) are accessible from the rear of the case. There should be a rectangle cut out of the case that gives you access to these ports.

The motherboard will come with a small plate that you can use to cover the rectangle from the inside and slot the ports through, which helps to keep dust out of the PC. Once everything is aligned, screw the motherboard onto the plate.

If you have a small PC case and motherboard, it's a good idea to install some of the components in the motherboard before you insert it into the case. The processor, fan and RAM are good choices to install whilst the motherboard is on the outside. Connecting the bulk of the cables to the motherboard before you fit it will also save time and frustration later. Although you can install the graphics card too, doing so can make it tricky to align the motherboard within the case.

Once the motherboard is installed and everything is connected to it, you can begin tweaking it to get the best performance.

A lot of the motherboard tweaks can be performed inside BIOS. One of the easiest and most effective tweaks you can perform here is cutting down the time it takes for your computer to boot.

Once in BIOS, go to 'Advanced BIOS features' and select 'Hard disk boot priority'. Make sure the hard drive that contains your operating system is at the top. Under the 'Boot priority' option, make sure 'Hard disk' is first, followed by 'CD-ROM'. This saves BIOS searching your other drives for an operating system.If you ever need to boot from a recovery disk, go back into BIOS and change the boot priority accordingly.

There should be an option called 'Quick power on self test'. Select this and make sure it's enabled. When your PC is first turned on, it runs a number of tests to make sure everything is running properly. Some of these tests are more important than others. Enabling 'Quick power on self test' means your PC skips some of the less important tests, cutting your boot times.

Create a bootable USB to flash your BIOS

1. Get the files

There aren't many reasons to mourn the loss of floppy disks, but the ability to boot into DOS quickly and safely is one of them. Thankfully it's not too difficult to create a USB drive that performs the same function.

To get started, you'll need the files 'command.com', 'IO.sys' and 'MSDOS.sys'. These can be found on an old Windows 98 disc. Put the files into one folder on your computer.

2. Format your USB stick

To make your USB memory stick bootable, you'll need to format it. The HP Drive Key Boot Utility is a great free tool that will format your USB device and make it bootable. You can download it from here.

Although it claims to be for HP USB drives, you can use it for most other makes as well. Once downloaded, insert a USB drive into your computer and make sure any important files have been backed up.

3. Add the files to the stick

Make sure your USB stick is selected under 'Device' and select 'FAT32' from the list under 'File system'.

Under 'Format options' select 'Create a DOS startup disk', then select 'Using DOS system files located at' and browse to the folder where you saved the files. Click 'Start'.

Once the disk has been created, you can restart and boot into DOS. You may need to go into BIOS first and change the boot priority so 'USB' is before 'Hard drive'.

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Logitech Speaker System Z623 Unveiled Complete with THX Cert

Logitech has been offering Speakers and all manner of other computer gear for a long time. The company today has announced its latest 2.1 speaker system for computer users called the Logitech speaker system Z623.

The Z623 is THX Certified meaning that it has had more than 400 tests performed to cover frequency response, power and more. What it means to the user is that the speakers should sound great for gaming and watching movies. The speaker system will ship next month for $149.99.

That price is surprisingly affordable considering the THX certification. The system has all the controls for volume and bass on the right satellite speaker. Inputs include 3.5mm jacks and RCA ports. The speakers also have a headphone port for private listening. The speakers can connect to several sources at once including your TV and PC.

Building a CustoMac: Three Complete PC Builds for OS X

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Building a desktop computer from parts for Windows or Linux is easy, as most drivers are out there, and perhaps even built into the operating system itself.  Piecing together a Hackintosh, or "CustoMac" is quite a different beast altogether.  In addition to determining if your prospective components work together, you also need to know whether the hardware is even supported by Apple's standard drivers.

With help and guidance from Jimx86, Lnx2Mac, and MacMan, here are 3 CustoMac builds that have our seal of approval.  This means that if we were buying stuff today, we'd not hesitate to purchase any of these parts for a CustoMac build running Mac OS X as the primary operating system.

All three builds include:

• Gigabyte P55 Motherboard
• Intel Core i-series Quad-Core CPU
• 4GB or 8GB of RAM, expandable up to 16GB
• 1 TB Hard Drive
• CD/DVD Burner
• Case and Power Supply

We've included all components besides monitor, as any standard monitor will do.  You can use these recommendations as a jumping off point for further customization, or as a shopping list.  Prices reflect those as of June 2010, and do not include shipping or tax.

Budget Power Build 1

Core i5 750 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 Micro-ATX - NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB - 4GB G.SKILL DDR3

$807.74

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4  $148.32
NOTE: Any Gigabyte H55 mATX Motherboard can be substituted

Graphics: Gigabyte 9800 GT 1GB Silent Cell Edition $129.99

CPU: Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz $194.99

RAM: OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Gold Low Voltage Dual Channel (2x2GB) $110.99

Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint 1 TB $69.99

CD/DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc Black $29.49

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 341 $39.99

Power Supply: Antec 550W Continuous Power $59.99

Operating System: Mac OS X Snow Leopard $28.49

  

Budget Power Build 2

Core i7 860 - Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 Micro-ATX - NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB - 4GB G.SKILL DDR3

$1091.73

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4  $148.32
NOTE: Any Gigabyte H55 mATX Motherboard can be substituted

Graphics: EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 $204.99

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 2.8 GHz $279.99

RAM: OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Gold Low Voltage Dual Channel (2x2GB) $110.99

Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint 1 TB $69.99

CD/DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc Black $29.49

CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 2 $34.99

Case: COOLER MASTER II ATX Mid Tower: $89.99

Power Supply: Corsair 650HX Modular 650W $99.99

 

Operating System: Mac OS X Snow Leopard $28.49

Budget Power Build 3

Core i7 860 - Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P ATX - NVIDIA 9800 GT 1GB - 8GB G.SKILL DDR3

 $1348.35

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P $159.99
NOTE: Any Gigabyte P55 ATX Motherboard can be substituted

NOTE: Unfortunately for ATX users, Gigabyte has transitioned away from the ALC 889a codec, that Apple uses.  If you can get your hands on a discontinued GA-P55-UD4P or GA-P55-UD5, the onboard audio chip will work natively.  We still recommend any Gigabyte P55 board, but ALC 889a is preferable.

Graphics: Gigabyte GTX 285 $349.99

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 2.8 GHz $279.99

RAM: OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Gold Low Voltage Dual Channel (2x2GB) x 2 (8GB) $221.99

Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint 1 TB $69.99

CD/DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc Black $29.49

CPU Cooler: Scythe Mugen 2 $34.99

Case: Antec 900 $79.95

Power Supply: Corsair 650HX Modular 650W $99.99

Operating System: Mac OS X Snow Leopard $28.49

As Mac OS X Snow Leopard was never meant to be installed on this hardware, any drivers that work now, may need workarounds later.  There are absolutely no guarantees when it comes to this stuff- but that's what makes it fun. 

Oh, and don't forget, if you end up buying anything, click through one of the links above, or in the sidebar.  That way, you'll be supporting the site, as well as getting the best prices.  Thanks in advance! 

For discussions on this and other topics, register today at tonymacx86.com!