Do You Want to Know the Best Approach in Selecting a Motherboard?

Configuring your own gaming computer is not always easy and is often a challenging task for many of us. After all; different components like memory modules, efficient processors and fast video cards need to be looked into and carefully chosen. But it is not just these components that have to be looked into detail, but also your motherboard that is responsible for ensuring that all these components perform at their best and as per the specifications to which they are built. It is not important to have one of these components working at its optimum level but all of them have to be in-sync with each other for the effective working of your computer.

Given below are few specifications that can be looked into while you are selecting a motherboard for your purpose.

Choosing a suitable processor is where it all has to start. After all; motherboard is the place where processors are stationed. The reason why this specification is given due importance can be related to fact that CPU socket is located on motherboard and it therefore presents a logical way of selecting the best board for your purpose. For example, if you are using Inter Core i7 processor with a motherboard that is fitted with a 775 socket it will make little sense. This is because the socket so chosen is suitable only for Quad Core or Core 2 Duo processors. Contrary, the i7 processor has to make use of a motherboard that is fitted with LGA 1366 socket or LGA 1156.

It is also worth understanding that the processor you choose will have an impact on the motherboard you purchase. Depending upon the processor you choose, motherboard has to be chosen accordingly. Memory modules too need to be looked into while you are selecting a motherboard for your computer. If you are using the computer solely for gaming purposes you will need to ensure that it's RAM is large enough to process data quickly and efficiently. An assessment for this can be made by checking out the number of slots that are available on the gaming motherboard.

Video cards themselves may not present a challenge while selecting motherboards, unless of course, multiple video cards are seriously considered for your purpose. In such a case, the compatibility of the video card has to be looked into. Also, they need to be checked if they are ready for CrossFire and SLI chip sets. A proper space has to be allocated for storing games in your computer. This space has to be large enough in your computer to make the games more accessible, especially in fast paced environments. Most of the gaming computers today are equipped with fast hard drives solely for these purposes. These hard drives, in turn, disk controllers that are placed on motherboards for their normal functioning.

While deciding on integrated components for your computer, it is better not to spend too much amount of time and money on sound controllers and on-board videos as they can be purchased separately and can give you more enjoyment and clarity while you are watching different scenes throughout your game.

Building your own computers will give you vastly increased flexibility and for a smaller price. Find motherboards and buy Intel online South Africa at the links.

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A Practical Approach to Selecting the Best Gaming Motherboard

When it comes to configuring your own gaming computer, most people emphasize on how you need fast video cards, an efficient processor, or extremely responsive memory modules. In order for these components to utilize all their core features, the motherboard they are situated with must be able to handle all these specifications accordingly. With that, all three of those components are actually directly connected to the motherboard and believe it or not, the system board is one of the least appreciated parts! Who would have thought?! Though we can't give all the credit to just a single components actions, as a gaming PC consists of multiple hardware parts working in an effective manner. To help you select one of the best gaming motherboards, we have compiled a few key specifications to help you decide on a candidate that meets your needs.

You should always begin this process by choosing a compatible processor. It seems somewhat odd, but the motherboard is where the processor is stationed. The reason this formal spec. is so crucial relates to the CPU socket located on the motherboard, which by default is the best way to selecting a suitable logic board. Let me give you an example. Say you have an Intel Core i7 processor and a motherboard with a 775 socket. This will not work because this particular socket was built for Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad Core gaming processors. A Core i7 processor must use an LGA 1156 (Socket H) or LGA 1366 (Socket B) socket.

Which brings us to another detail that is extremely important not to overlook. The type of processor you choose limits you to the motherboards you can purchase. There are two major processor manufacturers you have to choose from. Either Intel or AMD. Both use different sockets to house their processors, including the paired chipset that the processor was implemented to interact with. Just ensure that you check this specification before you make a purchase. If you have any questions, you can refer to the OEM or re-seller of that product.

Another important aspect that motherboards determine are the memory modules. Gaming computers require a large amount of RAM to help process data as quickly as possible. This can be figured by the amount of slots a gaming motherboard is equipped with, including each slots capacity and overall maximum capacity. This will also help you establish the type, speed (frequency), and an appropriate bandwidth, specifically relating to the operating frequency of the FSB. There are nice combinations for motherboards and memory modules featured on various sites across the web, its just a matter of deciding which set is right for you, thats if you go with this option, though we do recommend purchasing each component individually.

You may think that the video cards are the most relevant to this selection process, but they actually don't require you to select a specific card, unless you are considering multiple video cards. If you are going to install more than one video card, then you need to check the compatibility of that specific card and if it is SLI (Nvidia chipset) or CrossFire (AMD chipset) ready. These two technologies allow motherboards to recognize any additional graphic cards, which allows them to operate simultaneously. This is especially important for gaming computers, as vivid graphic quality is a tendency for these systems.

Your games obviously need a place to be stored and accessed as well, especially in fast paced environments. Gaming computers usually have a fast hard drive equipped, which requires that the disk controller on the motherboard complies with the SATA 2.0 standard at least, seeing how SATA 3.0 was recently introduced into the market. Majority of gaming motherboards and associated devices support the 2.0 standard, which is what we suggest you purchase regarding this specification. If you are considering a RAID setup, ensure that there are enough SATA interface connectors located on the motherboard.

Just to note, there is one more type of storage drive that is drawing considerable attention. Solid State drives are newer storage devices using a flash based memory, replacing any moving mechanisms that existed in previous devices, hard drives being a perfect example. The price is higher for these drives, but well worth it. If you can supply a gaming computer with this type of storage drive, then your system will load any form of program with ease, especially 3D games.

A few other important qualities not to bypass would be any additional peripherals, including 5+ USBs, 1-2 Firewire, built-in LAN connector, display ports, etc. Plus, since gaming computers typically need every last bit of performance, overclocking your processor should be taken seriously, in some instances. This can be done by manipulating the system BIOs, usually most gaming motherboards allow this behavior, in which changing the CPUs current voltage and adjusting the system bus to a faster operating frequency is a common practice.

When it comes to integrated components, do not waste your time with on-board video and sound controllers, as purchasing separate video cards and a sound card will provide your gaming computer with more clarity and enjoyment when encountering various scenes throughout the games you experience.

Well we are ending this short article after summarizing a few major details pertaining to qualities based off of the best gaming motherboards, though you can find more details about gaming motherboards on our best gaming motherboards page. For further discussions and articles about the best gaming computers configurations and hardware part specifications, you can refer to our home page at your leisure.

Chris Jones is an authoritative source for information pertaining to gaming computers and hardware configurations. For an abundant amount of resources about this criteria, visit http://iGamingComputer.com

Chris Jones Copyright © 2010 - You may redistribute this article if all links and content remain intact.

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The Bear Approach to Fundraising: Ten Tips to Using Social Media Effectively

When hiking in Alaska, my companion whispered that if we were very quiet-and lucky enough to come near a bear-instead of running I should open my coat wide to look bigger than the bear. This would cause the bear to perceive that I was formidable and he would flee. I saw the approach for its value and have since modified it into a theory I apply on how to successfully envelope social media into the fundraising efforts of non-profit organizations. The Bear Approach to Fundraising-how to use social media to project an image of strength.

Raising money is based on three things: relationships, relationships, and relationships. We have many reasons for giving- altruism, community affiliation, repayment, religious philosophy, or even social recognition but all these reasons can be distilled to one basic tenet: We give because someone we like and respect has asked us to. Furthermore, the size of the donation grows exponentially in direct proportion to the strength of the relationship-the more intimate, authentic and personal the relationship, the larger the gift.

Every year thousands of nonprofits shutter their doors. Why? Most nonprofits have important, critical missions that demand our attention and support, but only a few will survive. Are these the ones with the best, most important missions? No. These are the ones with the best network. And by best I don't mean the ones with the most celebrities or VIPs. I mean the most engaged and the most active.

This is where social media can help.

What is social media? Social media encompasses all new media that creates and encourages social interaction and is also user-driven, widely accessible and scalable. Facebook has become the brandnomer (like Kleenex to facial tissue) but the reality is the social media world encompasses many technologies including:

Blogging (WordPress)
Micro-blogging (Twitter)
Video sharing (YouTube)
Music sharing (ReverbNation)
Product reviews (Epinions)
Business reviews (Yelp)
Information sharing (Ehow)
Virtual worlds (World of Warcraft) and
E-communications or e-newsletters sent by nonprofits to their network

Social media is a powerful tool in the fundraising kit to help grow, cultivate and steward relationships. Social media creates communication pathways that are accessible, have the capacity to reach many people, and can be updated immediately to keep content fresh.

In "Small Change: The Revolution Will Not be Tweeted", author Malcom Gladwell reminds us that social networking is about relationships constructed on weak ties (this is why we can have thousands of friends on Facebook that we never could have in real life). Weak ties are valuable because they are a low-maintenance network of individuals connected through an invested interest but weak ties don't promote high-action. Most movements attributed to online buzz are based on easy-to-take action steps, like signing an electronic petition, or involve transmitting information to a group ready to mobilize. Online giving for causes frequently involves a high quantity of donations but the gift size is no larger than $25.

However weak ties are still relationships. The idea is that someone we trust starts the ball moving-potentially introducing a greater number of individuals to a new idea or cause-and the network grows because the introducer is familiar. And therein lies the value. Social media is efficient in disseminating new information to a lot of people who have already identified that they are open to hearing about the idea.

This is where social media hits its stride. Tools such as Facebook, blogging, e-letters and Twitter are successful in doing two things: first, they allow nonprofits to cultivate new relationships, many more then they could otherwise have without these portals and second, they allow nonprofits to steward pre-existing relationships.

This takes me back to my first paragraph. Social media is the coat we are wearing in the woods. It allows us to develop our public personality by presenting only our best and most exciting news-the same method we employ when we are cultivating new and stewarding committed donors at an event or over lunch.

A list of ten tips that should be used when creating your social media efforts

Always link to the Big Picture, the overall idea you want to message
Build trust when conveying information through factual and technical accuracy
Be cool, create and convey an emotion with visuals and language
Invite readers to join a successful movement with easy calls to action
Tell powerful stories
Project optimism, avoid using guilt
Celebrate people for taking small initial steps
Use inclusive language that creates a larger sense of community and connectedness
Spotlight heroes to emulate
Link your big ideas with every day realities and interests

But be warned. The downside to social media is found in its neglect. As powerful as it can be for cultivating and stewarding support, letting an online campaign go unattended for too long or an e-letter reach a donor's mailbox on the wrong day, with two much copy, or no visuals, can quickly turn off interest or create the perception that the agency isn't doing well.

Social media can do wonders at growing and nurturing a network but like any tool, it must be used with care. I am reminded of the telephone game we played as kids. We sat in a circle and passed on one message-listening excitedly as "Sally had pizza for dinner" turned into "Sally got a job in a plaza." Back then it was fun, but now we can see the real power that messaging through networks has in reaching people and helping us advance our missions. And with proper social media stewardship many guests at Sally's dinner may become major donors.

Dylan Kendall is a fundraising consultant and managing partner of Dylan Kendall LLC -- a home accessories company that believes in bringing simplicity, creativity and joy into the home. She is also the founding director of City LA: pLAy Smart, a new children's museum in Los Angeles that focuses on arts, media and culture. Formally, she was the Founder and Executive Director of Hollywood Arts, the only independent non-profit organization in the nation dedicated to helping homeless, low-income and transitional age foster-care young people, ages 18 to 24, become self-sufficient through arts-based education in arts, music and media.

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Developing A Successful Social Media Approach

Facebook hit the 500 million mark in July. If Facebook were a country, it would rank third, behind the People's Republic of China and India and around 190 million ahead of the United States. Its growth is staggering, two years ago it had around 100 million users. Its growth is up 64 percent from a year ago, and up 22 million from just February, 2010. Facebook now dwarfs MySpace which not that long ago was seen as the premier site in terms of numbers. Twitter and a professional networking site, LinkedIn, are growing, but pale in comparison. The numbers are constantly moving targets but it was recently that Twitter had 105 million and LinkedIn 70 million users

Social bookmarking sites are also experiencing rapid growth. On these sites users save links to Web pages that they want to share and they share their own information. The more popular sites include Digg, StumbleUpon, Yahoo Buzz! and Reddit.

So, whereas it's clear that social media is a major force in the world of marketing and communications, it still can be a daunting task to figure out exactly how to effectively utilize these various sites. It's often the case that a company spends more time working social media than benefitting from it. It is best used in conjunction with a traditional public relations campaign and although in many ways the forms of communication are similar, in other ways they are markedly different.

For example, although you can use the information from a press release on social media sites, you don't want to send out a standard, traditional press release. Social networking and blogging are about connecting and personal communication (even though it is, ironically, on a mass scale) therefore the style needs to be less formal and more conversational. Where many traditional marketers have trouble with social media, is that in the past they were used to delivering a controlled message. In the world of blogging and social media it can be quite a challenge to try and control a message or the reaction to it. That's not always a bad thing. The feedback received, even when negative, sometimes particularly when negative, can be invaluable. Online PR also often allows for communications between a consumer and a decision-making member of any given organization. That's a shift in the communication world.

Social media and blogging are similar to PR in that content is king. The more informative, educational, amusing or controversial the message, the more effective it is. In this world the most effective messages are short and concise. Also, the way the information is written and delivered is different. In the world of online media you are talking directly to consumers and the public, in the PR world you are addressing the media and journalists.

And speaking of the media, when it comes to the press, not only are more people using social media, but so are more journalists, editors and producers. The media regularly searches on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Whereas Google still rules as the main information source, it is reported that 89% of reporters turn to blogs and 65% of journalists use social media.

Just as when pitching the media in a PR campaign you want to pick the media outlets that match and speak to your market; you want to do the same with your social media campaign. Understanding your current customer base will be your best guide to picking the appropriate social media sites. It wastes your time, money, and effort to focus on social media that your customers do not pay attention to, which is one of the points I'll be addressing in an upcoming article.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

I'm Anthony Mora, President and CEO of Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. and author of Spin to Win. We specialize in public relations, image development, media training and Transformational Marketing, http://anthonymora.com

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