Monthly Archives: March 2017

It’s NEW - it’s FAST – you can game and stream at the same time with performance to spare!!

There’s been a lot of hype about this new high performance AMD CPU and it seems well deserved.

So what is the Ryzen processor and why so talked about?

Well, Ryzen was designed to be compatible with the latest hardware in PC gaming but specifically be able to perform exceptionally well at high loads. To enable this, the company needed to design and develop a new chipset for their processors, these being the X370, X300 and a new socket the AM4.

The launch was March 2^nd and there are 3 types of chips which range in price and capability so there must be one that suits you!

These new products, AMD CPUs, have been designed to feed the needs of gamers and enthusiastic professionals in mind producing impeccable performance at impressive speeds.

To explain: This new AMD design brings much better power efficiency and performance due to the completely new Micro architecture – this is a fundamental core design which makes up the chips and is referred to as Zen.

The new AMD chips are imbued with Sense MITechnology which consists of 5 parts:

1. Precision boost which basically boosts performance without consuming extra power,
2. Extended Frequency range (XFR) which means clock speeds can be nudged past their official maximum when/if Ryzen detects advanced CPU cooling.
3. Smart Prefetch which works with : 4. Neural net Prediction to identify and examine your usage and will preload your processor with and data which will enable your app workload to be approached more efficiently.
4. Pure Power technology enables the many on chip sensors to continuously optimise power and importantly temperatures with power usage but still maintaining top performance.

Reviewers of the new product say that the biggest development is that the number of instructions per clock, i.e. the calculations for each tick of the CPUs internal GHz clock that Zen can achieve has now exceeded 40% over previous AMD designs.

Anyone thinking of wanting a high performance workstation or home server that will competently double up as a good gaming PC – then this is for you. Up until now Intel was the only option if you wanted to achieve this but the new Ryzen has put an end to Intels monopoly of the market. Plus – the Ryzen prices are much more affordable!

So here at Expertec we will keep you posted – watch out for more info.

Most of us walk into a shop and will have seen lots of swivel style computer chairs…lets face it there are so many to choose from, fairly cheap, and very often you see them for sale second hand or at a recycling centre! Not decrying their good uses here….they are fine for normal office tasks and short periods of sitting BUT…..

Well for a start lets consider how many hours a day we serious addicts can spend at a computer. Sometimes we get so involved in the work or game before you know it hours have gone by, you get up and ‘ouch’ some muscle will ache somewhere…and its usually back pain which is most common!

We may have spent a fortune on the best technology available for our use e.g. you may have invested in the latest keyboard and mouse for the ultimate playing experience, then thought ok – I’ll get a cheap office chair. However believe it or not a really good chair can determine the overall experience of gaming!

To say ‘bye bye’ to back pain a good gaming chair which fits your own personal body size and posture is one which allows you to sit ergonomically and comfortably. By ergonomically we mean more than just comfort…it is a healthier more supportive chair.

Health info: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – most of us will have heard about – and they can happen when you perform the same task continuously. E.g. MSDs such as lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, epicondylitis (tennis elbow), rotator cuff syndrome, and shoulder injuries are the most known ones. If you spend time sitting in an ‘ergonomic’ gaming chair you can help prevent this from happening.

So lets get serious: A good chair will have Lumbar support, reclining tilt and backrest lock. Armrests, sliding seat adjustable seats and additional cushions. The AK Gaming Racing Chair is one of the best chairs, offering suitable seating for almost every stature. Additionally in black and green it looks stylish too! AK Racing is an established brand with high quality standards and supplied by Expertec online you can be assured of good quality service.

Overall thoughts: For some spending £’s on a gaming chair upfront may seem a bit crazy but it will probably outlast your PC and will make totally transform the overall experience of playing games. Looking at the health benefits I would say it’s a brilliant investment!!

There are 2 sorts of people who should have this new virtual reality experience:

The experienced gamers who are looking for a more advanced way to build and develop more amazing games and experiences. You can play your games with an unbelievable realism that did not exist before.

The curious new adventurer…the person who has heard about virtual reality (VR) but never experienced it. This headset will totally overwhelm you! Coupled with headphones you will be fully immersed in magical experiences of both fictitious and real world events.

For those new to Virtual Reality the Oculus Rift DK2 is a reality adventure! VR recreates physical environments by artificially creating sensory experiences through various technologies. There are things to see and experience and actually feel as though you are actually there in a different world.

When the camera is set up and you’re hooked into the positional tracking system something really magical will happen. You are no longer just looking around from a fixed place, you can actually (with in reason) move yourself in and out of whatever environment you are in. Move your head closer to the camera and your own virtual head will move into the virtual space. You can duck down to look under objects, dodge branches in your walk through a wood, look out of windows and lean around doors. You can go out in a boat and look down into the water! In effect you have a virtual human experience!

For the experienced VR enthusiast the Oculus Rift DK2 is an enormous leap forward from previous models.

The DK2 unit is light and easy to wear, the cable now runs across the top of the head and is braided so you feel freer in movement than previously. MORE important is the quality improvements in your experience.

The DK2 uses low persistence OLED display – this eliminates any motion blur or judder previously experienced in earlier models. This blurring has always been the biggest contributor to simulator sickness.

The DK2 has very precise, low-latency positional tracking. This is the key requirement for virtual reality to be successful. The tracking of your real world head movements means you are open to an entirely new set of interactions and exciting game play opportunities.

Interested in becoming part of the growing community of VR enthusiasts? Check out the Oculus Rift DX2 on sale on Expertec now.