My good friends at Asus gave Egamer a G60JX gaming laptop to test and review. Let’s start off and look at the specs of this laptop.

Model:              G60JX

CPU:                  i7 720QM

Mem:                8 GIG ddr3 1066 MHz

GFX:                  GTS 360 1GIG

HDD:                 500GIG 7200rpm S-ata

Optical:            DVD super-multi Blue Ray combo

OS:                     Windows 7 ultimate 64-bit

Gaming laptops are for the extreme gamers that need to be mobile. Other than that I see no purpose in getting these expensive laptops, because you can get a monster pc for the same price. If you can afford it and it suits your life stile by all means there is nothing wrong to have one.

I had the privilege to test this Asus for three weeks, and to be honest I don’t want to give it back. For me as a busy business man, it is perfect! To always have my life with me is just great. I have decided to get one for my self, it is expensive but it is worth it.

I did not run many bench marks on it, but it scored a 5 500+ on 3d Mark Vantage. I did however play lots of new games on it. The one game I loved playing was Farcry 2, it is amazing that a laptop can play a game like this so smoothly, and with perfect graphics.The G60jx is the smallest of the Asus gaming laptops, with a price tag of round about R17 000.00 and it really performs well. Stock is very limited so if u are interested make sure you pre order one today.

I love the way it looks outside it looks really great, like a gaming laptop should, inside it is a bit plain, but the layout of keyboard and the backlight for the buttons make it look good at night or in darker rooms. The LED screen makes for great scenes and graphics and with lightning quick response times.

This laptop is ideal for the always traveling business man slash gamer. And maybe the rich students that stays in rez and prefers to take their gaming equipment with them where ever they go.

Power supply unit (PSU) is, believe it or not, a vital component to increase overall performance of your PC. When you increase your hardware you must make sure that your PSU will give sufficient power to all the components. The new CPU’s of today are heavy on power when you play games or use performance intense applications. Yes the new hardware comes with power saving gadgets but when the pc is on open taps it need loads of power.

What you should know when buying your power supply:

• True power rating
• How many 12v rails
• Does it have two four pins for big mother boards
• How many six pins it has for GFX card
• Amount of S-ATA plugs included
• Is it a modular power supply (removable cables)

One thing to keep in mind is that with bigger power rating the better performance you will get out of your machine. Obviously a smaller one will work, but with the limited power supplied by the PSU the hardware can not work at its full potential.  I have tested this on a gaming machine, and I saw a 20% performance increase on a machine that had a 750 watt which we replaced with a 1200 watt PSU.

If you are running two GFX cards you need at least 850 watt or more, don’t even think of using any thing less, yes it will work but you will lose performance. Also make sure that you have enough GFX power cables on the PSU because to get those cables separately is a mission.

Make sure about the true power rating on a PSU. Like the low budget PSU’s says it is a 650w but the true power is like 500w. Basically they give you the peak power rating, and peak power you do not want to use because the life span of the PSU will be decreased significantly.

Another bonus when buying an over powered PSU is the life span will be twice as long as getting a required PSU. Some companies will give you the life cycle of the PSU and that rating is normally on the peak power.

A modular power supply is allot more expensive, but if you want to make you box neat inside this is a very good option. To be able to plug out unused PSU cables is any Case mod Gamers dream!

Here are some examples of Good power supplies:

Corsair HX850W

Eps12V + Modular cable management , ATX 12V V2.3 – 850w ( 12v : 840w ) , NVIDIA SLi ready , 80PLUS certified for energy saving , 24pin ( 4pin detachable ) , with active-PFC , 6 x 8pin (2+6) PCI-E power connectors , 1x 140mm thermal controlled fan ; with OCP, OVP, OPP, SCP, UVP – 5 years warranty

Coolermaster RS-C50-EMBA Real power 1250w

EPS12V V2.91 + SSi + ATX 12V V2.2 , quad SLi + quad CPU ready , multiple protection circuit , active PFC , 6 x 12V rail , 8 x SATA + 6 x 6pin PCI-E power + 3 x 8pin PCI-E power connector  , 24pin ( 4 pin detachable ) + 4 or 8pin 12v AUX , 1x 135mm fan with intelligent fan speed control ; with OVP , UVP , OTP , OCP , OLP , SCP ; 80 PLUS certified

Zalman ZM1000-HP

With EPS12V support + dual heat-pipe technology + dual engine system , 80PLUS certified for energy saving , with modular cable management , with 5v standby noise filter switch , 6 x 12V rail , active PFC , 2x6pin + 2x8pin (6+2) PCI-E power connectors , 1 x 140mm auto control cooling fan , one Multi-connector for Fan ; Active PFC  ; with OCP , OVP , SCP , OTP , UVP

To choose the right gaming ATX or BTX case can be a difficult task. So many options to choose from and so many makes and models. I want to go a bit more into what to look for when choosing your case. If you are only looking for a certain look and or style of case then I won’t be able to help because it is entirely up to you.

So what does a gamer need in a case?

• If you LAN allot it should be portable
• Ventilation of a case plays a big role
• Amount of hard drive bays
• Amount of cooling fans it can take
• Is it water-cooling compatible
• Size of the case
• Style and color

If you are a gamer that goes to allot of LAN parties then you should consider a lighter case with a handle or one with carry straps. If you have a big box like e.g. the Coolermaster Cosmos 1010 you will really be uncomfortable carrying it around and also to find a spot suitable at your table. The big gaming cases should be left in one place and keep it there.

The ventilation of a case must be good enough to keep you hardware cool and at the same time quiet. Most cases come with an 80mm fan in front and back of the box. I suggest that you pick one with at least one or two 120mm fans in front and at the back. A roof fan really comes in handy to extract all the hot air that rises to the top.

Side fans I think is a waste, if you have a good draft from front to back you do not need fans on the side of the box. Perhaps you can fit one fan that blows directly over the CPU cooler, just to give it some cool air from out side the box.

If you have between 5 and 8 Hard drives make sure that the case has enough hard drive bays to fit them all.

I am not a big fan of water cooling in a gaming case, I have seen them leak many times and really think it is a waste. If you are interested in getting water cooling you will have to invest in a very good and expensive setup. The better quality ones are very expensive but the chance of leakage is minimal. Also make sure that the case you choose is compatible with the system you want to install.

The size also plays a big role; make sure it is big enough to fit your hardware. Some of the top gaming cards do not fit into standard cases and even some entry level gaming cases. So make sure you have adequate space.

Some examples of gaming cases:

Gigabyte iSolo 210

5 x 5.25 & 5 x 3.5 Bays
1x Rear & 1x Front 120mm LED Fans No PSU

Gigabyte SUMO

Black Aluminum
5x 5.25 & 7x 3.5 Bays – 1xFront & 2xRear 120mm LED Fans
Projected Logo No PSU Side Window

Gigabyte 3D Mercury Chassis

Built-In Water Cooling – Black Aluminum
4x 5.25 bays & 7x 3.5 Bays – 5x120mm LED Fans – No PSU

Cooler Master COSMOS 1000 Black/Silver Tower

Available Color: Silver

Bezel: Black

Dimension (W / H / D): (W) 266 x (H) 598 x (D)628 mm

5.25″ Drive Bays: 5 Exposed (without the use of exposed 3.5 inch drive bay)

3.5″ Drive Bays: 6 ( Hidden ) ; 1 Exposed (converted from one 5.25 inch drive bay)

I/O Panel:

USB 2.0 x 4

IEEE 1394 x 1

Audio x 1

SPK x 1

eSATA x 1

Cooling System:

Bottom fan (intake) 120x120x25 mm x 1, 1200 rpm, 17 dBA

Top fan (exhaust) 120x120x25 mm fan x 2, 1200 rpm, 17 dBA

Rear fan (exhaust) 120x120x25 mm x 1

HDD fan 120x120x25 mm x 1 (optional)

VGA Wind

Expansion Slots: 7

Power Supply PS2 / EPS 12V (optional)

Other: Exclusive Carrying Box

HAF 932 – Cooler Master

Available Color Black Dimension (W / H / D) (W) 243 x (H) 560 x (D) 564 mm
(W) 9.6 x (H) 22.0 x (D) 22.2 inch

5.25″ Drive Bay 6 (without the use of exposed 3.5 inch drive bay)

3.5″ Drive Bay 5 Hidden
1 Exposed (converted from one 5.25 inch drive bay)

I/O Panel: USB 2.0 x 4, IEEE 1394a x 1, eSATA x 1, Mic x 1, Audio x 1 (supports HD audio)

Cooling System:

Front: 230 x 30 mm red LED fan x 1 / 700 rpm / 19 dBA
Side: 230 x 30 mm standard fan x 1 / 700 rpm / 19 dBA (supports 120 mm fan x 4)
Top: 230 x 30 mm fan x 1 / 700 rpm / 19 dBA
(supports 120 mm fan x 3 /
120 mm fan x 1 + 230 x 30 mm fan x 1)
Rear: 140 x 25 mm fan x 1, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA
(supports 140 mm fan)

Expansion Slots 7 Power Supply Standard ATX PS2 / EPS 12V (optional)

Does it make a difference to have low latency gaming ram in your machine? I personally think it does, if you buy the right ones. Most of the gamers know what the function of RAM(Random Access Memory)  is. RAM is basically a storage device but faster than Hard drives and the data stored on it can be accessed randomly, which makes the computer faster by a great amount.

You might not know it but RAM is one of the components that are holding us back in creating faster clock speed CPU’s. The Processors are getting bigger and faster but the RAM can not keep up, which creates a bottleneck. So to have more and especially faster RAM will help your processor to work at its full potential.

Things to look for are what clock speed the RAM can run at, e.g. 800MHz, 1066MHz or 1333MHz. The new and improved DDR3 RAM has increased clock speeds that go up to 2000MHz to help the new Intel I series processors work at their potential.

Let’s look at the different memory modules available to us today. I will use only Corsair RAM example today.

Some DDR2 examples:

Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C3DF – Dominator , with DHX technology + Ultra low latency + airflow Fan , Nvidia SLi certified with EPP , designed for nForce 590/680 SLi  , 2x1Gb/1024mb kit , ddr2-800 ( pc2-6400 ) , CL3 , 2.4v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R980.00

Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C7 G – XMS2 , with heatsink , 2x2Gb/2048mb kit , ddr2-1066 ( pc2-8500 ) , CL7 , 1.8v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R1340.00

Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C5D / CMD4GX2M2A1066C5 , Dominator , with DHX technology , Nvidia SLi certrified with EPP , designed for nForce 590/680 SLi  , 2 x 2G/2048mb kit , ddr2-1066 ( pc2-8500 ) , CL5 , 2.1v , with heatsink – 240pin

Suggested retail price R1550.00

Corsair QUAD2X16G-6400 – XMS2 , with heatsink , 4x 4Gb/4096mb kit , ddr2-800 ( pc2-6400 ) , CL6 , 1.8v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R8400.00

Some DDR3 examples:

Corsair TR3X3G1866C9DF , Dominator , with DHX technology + airflow Fan , 3 x 1Gb/1024mb kit – support Intel XMP ( eXtreme Memory Profiles ) , ddr3-1866 ( pc3-14400) , CL9 , 1.65v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R2980.00

Corsair HX3X12G1333C9 , XMS 3 , with heatsink , 6 x 2Gb/2048mb kit – support Intel XMP ( eXtreme Memory Profiles ) , ddr3-1333 ( PC3-10666 ) , CL9 , 1.5v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R3900.00

Corsair TR3X6G2000C8GTF / CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 , Dominator GT , with DHX technology + airflow Fan , 3 x 2Gb/2048mb kit , ddr3-2000 ( pc3-16000) , CL8 , 1.65v – 240pin

Suggested retail price R4300.00

So if you are looking for better performance for your machine get your self one of these chips. Remember that RAM does play a big role in your computer so it is worth getting it although it is expensive. The other benefit of low latency gaming ram with heat sink is that you can easily over clock it to get even more performance.

Loads of Professional gamers ask me to give them a few options for gaming key sets, or gaming pads. Some gamers only play one game professionally, so they would like to have a controller that will help them play their game better. Namely, a custom board.

The Zboard allows for custom key sets and this will benefit the following games:

• CounterStrike
• Battle Field 2142
• GuildWars Faction or GuildWars
• The lord of the rings ; Battle for Middle Earth
• Age Of Empire 3
• Call Of Duty 2
• Battle Field 2
• Ever Quest 2
• Doom 3
• Medal Of Honor: Pacific Assault

How it works: You get the Zboard keyboard base and then just place the key set wherever you want on the base. This is not as expensive as you think. A key set will go for between R150 and R200 per set. These boards make the game a lot easier to control and they enable you to use all the functions which you don’t normally use in game. Extra functions might improve your performance. I have searched every where for a DOTA controller and so far, I have found nothing.

Lastly you get the Belkin gaming key pad. This would be the controller with the weird layout. It is suitable for FPS games. The one example I would like to discuss is the Belkin N52TE gaming keypad which is designed by razor. This piece of hardware is really not cheap but is surely worth the bucks, last price I checked you can get one of these for round about R1200.

It has an adjustable soft-touch wrist pad and you can easily toggle between 3 keymap states. You get a programmable 8-way thumb pad with removable joystick and 15 fully programmable keys. In my opinion I think this would be a good weapon in your FPS controller arsenal.

I asked the nice people at Asus if they will send me some hardware to test, and bench, for the eGamer website. A month later Mr. Gabriel Malan from Asus gave me a whole PC use at my disposal. The games that I played included Left for Dead 2, Call Of Duty 4, Batman Arkham Asylum, Call of Juarez bound in blood and Demigod. I used 3D Mark Vantage set on performance to bench the machine.

The Hardware and OS Used:

Motherboard: Asus P7P55 deluxe

Information from Asus

This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Lynnfield processors in LGA1156 package which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (4 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes providing great graphics performance. Intel® Lynnfield processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world.

It also has Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support.

The P7P55D Deluxe brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel P55 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations.

Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before.

The Intel® P55 Express Chipset is the latest one-chipset design to support latest 1156 socket Intel® Core™ i7/Core™ i5 Processors. Intel® P55 providing improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability.

This motherboard has too many functions to mention. Feel free to go read more about it on http://za.asus.com

Processor: Intel Core i5 750 2.67 GHz

Information from Intel

Maximize speed for demanding applications with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, which accelerates processor clock speed up to 20% to match your workload. So you’ll move faster when multitasking and get more accomplished in less time.

With the Intel® Core™ i5 processor, you can multitask up to 28% faster, so you can do more things at once and be more productive than ever.

Unleash an amazing digital media experience with up to 37% faster conversion of video for web upload, up to 15% faster photo editing and up to 17 % faster conversion of CD music tracks to MP3.

Get a 32% improvement in artificial intelligence for game characters and realistic physics for game worlds.

This isn’t the best CPU on the market, but it’s really worth the cash for a mid-range gaming machine.

Power supply: Corsair 750 watt

Information from Corsair

The Corsair TX power supplies are engineered using advanced technology and components typically found with high performance power supplies. With design features such as a dedicated, single +12V rail offer the maximum compatibility with the latest system components.

Your browser may not support display of this image. Energy efficient circuitry capable of delivering greater than 80% efficiency ratings across 20%, 50%, and 100% load conditions make the TX family of PSUs ideal for the value/quality conscious enthusiast.

With a large 140mm (120mm on TX650W) diameter temperature-controlled fan that is ultra quiet, yet still more than sufficient to cool the internals of the system, reliability and stability are no longer worries for the gamer, overclocker or enthusiast and high-end system builder.

This PSU has enough plugs to run two machines. It’s really quiet and it stays cool.

Graphics Card: Asus Nvidia Geforce ENGTX 275

Information from Asus

Graphics Engine NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275
Bus Standard PCI Express 2.0 Video MemoryDDR3 896MB

Engine Clock 633 MHz

Shader Clock 1404 MHz

Memory Clock 2.268 GHz ( 1.134 GHz DDR3 )
Memory Interface 448-bit CRT Max

Resolution 2048 x 1536

DVI Max Resolution 2560 x 1600

D-Sub Output Yes x 1 (via DVI to D-Sub adaptor x 1 )
DVI Output Yes x 2 (DVI-I)
HDMI Output Yes x 1 (via DVI to HDMI adaptor x 1 )
HDTV Output (YPbPr)Yes HDCP Support Yes TV Output Yes (YPbPr to S-Video and Composite) Adapter/Cable Bundled 1 x DVI to D-Sub adaptor
1 x DVI to HDMI adaptor
1 x HDTV-out cable
1 x Power cable
1 x S/PDIF cable
Software Bundled ASUS Utilities & Driver
The card size is 4.376 inches x 10.5 inches

This is a good card, but I’m not too sure about the South African availability. This card is not on the Asus SA website anymore. It’s an awesome card that never ever gives up.

Memory: Standard Corsair 2 gig DDR 3 1333

This was one of the big set backs in this computer. It was just normal standard desktop ram. For a bit more cash you can get some low latency gaming ram with heat sinks. This will be the only thing that I will change on this setup.

Operating system: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit

In my opinion this is the most stable, reliable and user friendly OS to date. Loads of people are still stuck on XP. But there is no way that you would get the performance out of this machine with any other OS. Well done to MS for this brilliant System they made for us.

Hard Disk Drive: Seagate Barracuda 250 gig S-ATA

One thing that we do not realize is how your hard drive affects your computers performance. Not so much with games, but it plays a huge role in overall performance. If you are looking to build up a PC with better performance, set up a raid system and just feel the difference. If you have the money for a SCSI setup just go for it.

3D Mark Vantage Score

I used this bench mark on performance settings just to give you an idea of what this machine can do.

3D Mark score: P13618

GPU Score: 11085

CPU Score: 43272

I did not use manual over clocking at all, only auto settings. The CPU I did not touch, this was just on standard clock speed. And I must say it did fine, but it should do allot better when over clocked.

Remember, these parts are available at PCProShop! Contact me by email (below) for more information on obtaining hardware.

Sound and music plays a big role in a gamer’s life, and if you have your own place and there is no one to disturb  buy yourself a 5.1 speaker system for your setup. But most of the gamers out there need headphones for Lan events and also at home so that the parents don’t complain. As a qualified sound engineer I know exactly what you need to look for in headphones and also which brands to pick.

Firstly you need to decide what type of headphones you want. There are 3 types you can choose from which is in-ear, medium and large headphones. Basically in ear headphones goes in your ear and the problem with this is it blocks out outside sounds, so this is not very suitable for Lan events. Most popular is the medium size headphones, they basically goes on top of your ears. This makes it possible for you to hear your friends at a Lan. For the people that listens to music a lot this is not your best option. The other disadvantage with this type is that it tends to hurt your ear lobes after using it for a long period. The last type you get is the large headphones. This type goes over your ear, they are very comfortable, sounds good and you can use them for hours without even noticing they are there. Make sure that the ones you take have some breathing holes, otherwise your ears will get sweaty and you won’t be able to hear any of your friends.

Secondly you must decide if you want headphones with a microphone. If you use Skype, MSN or chat on Team Speak it will be nice if your headset has built in microphone. Lastly you need to decide on your budget and the brand of headphones you want. We will discuss a few brands that I know of and trust.

Razer M250 Pro

• Tone earphone
• Silver
• Rubber-coated clip arms + aluminum casings design with ProBass
• Noise isolation
• 32 ohms
• Carrying case
• 3.5mm audio jack + jet-set adaptor for air travel

The m250 constitutes a small revolution for Razer, the headphones clip on to your ears, allowing them to be larger than the usual ear plugs, while still being quite compact. This should bring a new level of audio fidelity to those who want compact yet powerful headphones. One of the things you notice right away is the rather odd design of the headphones themselves. While this is quite unusual they do look nice and should go well with Apple music players.

Suggested retail price: R360.00

Razer Megalodon

• 7.1ch gaming headset with Mic
• 3D 140°
• Military-grade audio engine
• Built-in amplifier
• Uni-directional noise-canceling ultra-sensitive mic
• 6 discrete drivers + 2 sub-woofers
• 24bit
• 105db SNR
• 99% oxygen-free copper cable
• In-line control with Individual channel volume Control
• Master volume touch-control dial
• USB

This is a well performing USB 7.1ch gaming headset with Mic. The Megalodon features a driverless USB sound card and has a neat little control box that allows you to control all aspects of its performance. The Razer Megalodon is powered by the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, which has the ability to process audio algorithms up to 800% faster than traditional HRTF virtual surround sound technologies. The Razer Megalodon is thus able to offer a convincing and realistic positional sound stage. Gamers looking for an in-game advantage will be able to listen to the positional cues emitted by the Razer Megalodon and hear incoming threats before the threat can actually be seen onscreen.

Suggested retail price: R1660.00

Asus HS-1000W

• 2.4 GHz wireless headset with mic upto 20m
• 40mm driver
• with NCAT
• plush headband
• Quick-access audio controls
• flexible boom
• usb

Asus HS 1000W headset is first of all a gadget with very light weight 122 grams, comes with USB dongle which has mini USB port. This headset uses USB interface and operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency wireless technology which enable user to have omni-directional freedom of 15-20 meters. It is a very portable gadget and it can be folded inwards and stored in the smallest bag.

Serious gaming weapons — Read Part One Here

It is time now for the better, sophisticated and more expensive gaming mouse. Some say a mouse is just a mouse, but if you had your hands on one of these gaming machines you would quickly realize, you are a warrior now and you can click on any thing. Things to look at when buying a gaming mouse is the shape, size, DPI and kind of optical engine it has. The DPI (dots per inch) is basically the sensitivity of the optical engine. A nice average is about 1000 dpi, more than that is too sensitive. It is also important to have a good playing surface. Razor makes some of the best mouse pads out there; they are of great quality and also come out in three sizes and three different types which is speed, control and black edition.

Razer Lachesis

Interface:  USB

Number of Buttons: 9

Max & Min Movement Resolution: 4000dpi – 800dpi

Pointing Device Technology : Precision 3G Laser sensor

Mouse Features : 1000Hz Ultrapolling

Equipped with the revolutionary 4000dpi Razer Precision 3G Laser sensor, the Razer Lachesis gaming mouse takes on the same lethal traits as its namesake that will send shivers down your enemies’ spines. Add 32KB of onboard memory, nine programmable Hyperesponse buttons, as well as an impressive 1000Hz Ultrapolling with 1ms response time, and you’ve got a formidable weapon in your arsenal of destruction.

Suggested retail price: R 830.00

Razer Mamba

Interface:  USB Wireless

Number of Buttons:  7

Max & Min Movement Resolution:  5600DPI Razer Precision

Pointing Device Technology: 3.5G Laser sensor

Mouse Features :  Charging Dock

The Razer Mamba features gaming grade wireless technology with a hybrid system that enables instant wired/wireless functionality. Coupled with an industry leading 1ms polling rate, it is the fastest performing mouse both on and off the cord. Delivering true wireless freedom, lag-free speed and ergonomic comfort, the Razer Mamba is in a league of its own.

Suggested retail price: R 1580.00

Microsoft Sidewinder X8

Interface:  USB Wireless

Number of Buttons: 12

Max & Min Movement Resolution:  4000 dpi

Pointing Device Technology:  Laser sensor

Mouse Features:  Charging Dock

The X8 delivers 4000 (dpi) designed for one thing only – to tally up a high body count. Rambo’s trusty sidekick was his machine gun; a gamer’s would be the SideWinder X8.

There are 12 buttons on the X8, seven of which are programmable. There’s a trio of on-the-fly dpi buttons, two vertical thumb buttons, an LCD screen that display dpi mode and macro recording options, and interchangeable feet.

Suggested retail price: R 930.00

Logitech G5

Interface:  USB

Number of Buttons:  7

Max & Min Movement Resolution: 2000 dpi

Pointing Device Technology:  laser engine

Mouse Features:  Adjustable weight cartridge

Logitech’s G5 is one of my personal favorites and an instrument of victory. Between the slick pads, laser precision, excellent grip, tilt wheel, profile switching, and DPI indicator, there is no doubt that the G5 will deliver performance to those who need it. The Logitech G5 has an array of 3 LEDs to display which of the five resolutions you’re using. Overall the G5 is one of the best buys out there, so if you want to add this to your arsenal you will not be disappointed.

Suggested retail price: R 700.00

Logitech G9

Interface:  USB

Number of Buttons:  7

Max & Min Movement Resolution : 3200 dpi

Pointing Device Technology: laser engine

Mouse Features : Adjustable weight cartridge

Use the included XL and Precision grips to get a fit and feel that’s best for your playing style. The satin texture and fuller shape of the XL grip add extra comfort while the DryGrip technology plus compact shape of the Precision grip give you unmatched fingertip control. The G9 also includes on-board memory to store up to five profiles, and users can even record keystroke and mouse-click macros. This can be quite a hook for gamers out there who use macros on a regular basis. This mouse really has it all, like the MacGyver mouse if you will. You can only be satisfied with it because it has so many features which you can change to fit your gaming style.

Suggested retail price: R 900.00

A mouse is undoubtedly the most important weapon in any PC-gamers arsenal. Whether you’re playing a First Person Shooter (FPS) or Real Time Strategy game (RTS), your mouse is the difference between domination and defeat. I will discuss and give specs on some gaming mouse that I know well and have hands on experience with.

First decision to make is how much you are willing to pay for the mouse. The range we will look at will be between R100 up to a R1000. The next thing to think about is which brand to take. The brands we will be looking at today will be Razor, Canyon, Prestigio, Logitech and Microsoft.

For now I will do 4 entry level gaming mice.

Prestigio PJ-MSOx

Interface:                                                                                  USB

Number of Buttons:                                                                  6

Max & Min Movement Resolution                                            1600dpi – 800dpi

Pointing Device Technology                                                      Optical

Mouse Features                                                                        Dual Lens

PJ-MSOx offers five practical buttons and advanced optical technology with a switchable resolution level of up to 1600 DPI. It also has Plug-and-Play capability to make it easy for you to install, and it supports all Microsoft Windows OS including Vista. The design of the mouse is light and ergonomic, with rubber grips for a comfortable and pleasurable navigation. The carbon fiber body features fire red detailing inspired by legendary racing machines. The PJ-MSOx is available in three sizes to suit your comfort needs.

Suggested retail price R150.00

Canyon CNR-MSL4

Interface:                                                                                  USB

Number of Buttons:                                                                  4 buttons + 1 scroll wheel

Max & Min Movement Resolution                                            1,000 dpi

Pointing Device Technology                                                      Super optical/ G-laser mouse

Mouse Features                                                                        Ergonomic Design

Canyon’s wired super optical mouse CNR-MSL4 allows users to experience PC work and gaming as never before, with innovative features and superior comfort. Gamers will appreciate improved dynamic movement to enhance aim and tracking ability. This mouse features an advanced 1,000 dpi laser sensor which ensures there is virtually no skipping or pixel jumping or negative acceleration

Suggested retail price R120.00

Logitech Mx 518

Interface:                                                                                  USB

Number of Buttons:                                                                  8

Max & Min Movement Resolution                                            1800-dpi

Pointing Device Technology                                                     MX^TM Optical Engine

Mouse Features                                                                        Adjustable Sensitivity

This is a good mouse for gaming and other jobs that need precision at its best. There is a full lineup of pricier mice for these jobs but for an entry level one, it does its jobs with utmost care. You can also change the sensitivity with the touch of a finger.

Suggested retail price R480.00

Microsoft Sidewinder X3 laser

Interface:                                                                                  USB

Number of Buttons:                                                                  5

Max & Min Movement Resolution                                            2000 DPI

Pointing Device Technology                                                      laser tracking engine

Mouse Features                                                                        Adjustable Sensitivity

Enjoy fast and furious gaming action with high performance laser tracking. Switch sensitivity levels with one easy click. Choose from low DPI for accuracy or high DPI for fast movement. Three buttons instantly switch between 400, 800, and 2000 DPI – or you can customize settings using special software.

Suggested retail price R400.00

After going through a computer price list a certain graphics card stood out – the Asus ROG Mars. The card is really pricey, and while we’re not going to say much about it we would prefer you to tell us what you think in the comment section below.

The specs are as follows:

2×240 stream processors @ 1.476Ghz ( pixel shader engine + vertex pipelines ) core/memory : 648/2400mhz  2 x dvi+ 1 x HDMi with dvi to d-sub converter HDMi tvout

This card is considered to be the fastest 3D accelerator in the world. This graphics card is built on the basis of dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs. This ASUS ROG MARS/2DI/4GD3 is equipped with 4GB of GDDR3 memory (2x 2GB), as well as the support of modern technologies from NVIDIA, including Quad SLI and PhysX. It is said that only a thousand cards where manufactured, and there is no word on how many are left.

Suggested retail price R15 000.00

Let us look at some options on gaming laptops and what specs you need in a laptop to actually play the games you are currently playing. What you should know about laptops is that most hardware is fixed and can not be upgraded. The memory and hard disk drive can be upgraded at any time, but no additional hardware can be added. So be sure that when you choose the one you want it will play the games you like, and that it will last you at least 2 years.

The brands I suggest to look at, and which I personally know and trust, is Asus, Toshiba and Sony. The other brands like HP, Dell and Acer also do gaming laptops, but I feel the price, support and limited availability on them does not make them worthy opponents.  I will however stick with the above mentioned laptops for now.

Let’s look at some entry level gaming laptops first and what specifications you need to play games. Obviously you need a decent duel core or core2 processor with 2 GHz minimum, at least 2 gigs of ram and it is also important that the laptop has an Nvidia or ATI GFX card because Intel GFX cards are not supported by most games out there. A 256mb GFX card would be sufficient to play most online games and some low graphics games.

The entry level Asus and specifications:

ASUS® 3G Series F3SR

This model will be fine for most online games like DotA, WoW and Counter Strike Source, as well as some older games like Sims and StarCraft. It also has built in 3G so it is perfect for online games and for private Lans.

Suggested retail price R12 500(160 gig model) – R13 000(250 gig model)

The entry level Toshiba and specifications:

Toshiba Satellite A350D-114

This model will play any online games like DotA, HoN and WoW, most other games will work – so expect to be able to play GTA, COD 4 and UT. This is also a good looking machine and you will be proud to pull this one out at Lan events. It also has a 16″ screen which is bigger than normal laptops, while the 320 Gb HDD means more games, music and movies.

Suggested retail price R12 000

The entry level Sony and specifications:

SONY® VAIO FW Series

This model will play online games such as DotA, HoN and WoW, while other single gamer like the new GTA, COD 4 and UT will also work fine. The Sony laptops are very good looking and have a sleek design, and you also get the bigger 16.4″ screen and a huge 400 GB HDD.

Suggested retail price R15 900

These are three of the entry level laptops available which will be sufficient if you don’t play all the new releases/ or other games that demand bigger graphics cards. Now we can look at the top gaming laptops available in SA.

The Asus High end gaming laptop:

ASUS® Gaming Series G70S

This Asus laptop will basically play any game you run on it. It is one of the few laptops that has SLI graphics built in. The huge 17.1″ HD ready screen provides a good view for your games, and it is also pretty good for Blu-Ray movies. Need I say more about the 640 GB HDD? This laptop has so many extra features, it makes a Ferrari look cheap. If you have the cash then this one is a really good choice, and I am sure it will last you a while.

Suggested retail price R32 000

The Toshiba High end gaming laptop:

Toshiba Qosmio X300-15G

One of my favorites is this Toshiba right here, and to be honest I will trade in my girl friend for one of these. It will play any game, run any software and I am sure it will last you a few years in the gaming world. It really looks good and performs great as well. Obviously for the price of this you can buy a super computer, but I mean to have this pocket rocket is just a huge bonus. This is one of a few that has a Core 2 Extreme CPU, 9800gt 1gig GFX card and ddr3 memory. This baby will put a smile on any gamers face.

Suggested retail price R37 000

The Sony High end gaming laptop:

SONY® VAIO AW Series

This laptop is not really known as a gaming machine, but if you look at the specs you will realize that it will do just fine. This is one of the biggest laptops out there as it has a 18.4″ screen, along with a 1TB HDD that you will struggle to fill. This is a good up to date machine with blu-ray, a core 2 duo CPU and Windows Vista 64-bit. The cheaper one of the three and will certainly stay on par with the other two – when comes to performance.

Suggested retail price R30 000

So six gaming laptops to choose from and as you can see they are pricy. Before you go and buy a gaming laptop, make sure it has the specs of these, and that will then allow you to play games for a few years.

Welcome to eGamer’s new section – Techno!

This post marks the first article in the techno-category which will pretty much focus on technology related things such as gaming hardware; what’s hot & what’s not; tips for looking after your PC and loads more.

Over time we will even try to get our hands on some gaming related PC parts for a full benchmark test.

But for now… A Heads Up To Intel Users

If you recently won the lotto and bought a new i7 CPU along with a new motherboard or you are planning to do so, stop and think about this. In September, 2009, the new updated monster CPU of Intel will be released, and it will be called the i5.

Reason to our warning: Intel has once again changed the socket on this unit. The i7 currently uses Socket B (LGA 1366), while the i5 will use Socket LGA 1156, mPGA989. This means new motherboard; but at least you can keep your DDR3 ram and GFX card. Curiosity is killing us regarding the new socket change, and could it be due to… money, money and more money? One good thing about AMD is that they cater for the gamers that did not win the lotto – hence sticking to a single socket for years.

So think before you go out and spend cash on a new Intel setup.