Having 2.15 billion transistors, more than 20 gigapixels per second throughput and 2.7 trillion floating-point operations a second, the new ATI Radeon HD 5870 can be considered that fastest video card on the market today. This graphic card from AMD supports full DirectX 11 compatibility and Eyefinity Technology (the latest multi-monitor productivity/gaming feature of AMD), allowing it to produce outstanding performance even on the most graphics-demanding applications.

Featuring a manufacturing process technology using a single 40nm GPU rather than two 55nm processors, this innovative ATI video card is a cost-effective option.  It also boasts itself for having 1600 stream processors, 850MHz CPU clock speed and 1.2GHz (4.8GHz effective) for the memory clock. Having these powerful video card features, the Radeon HD 5870 is said to deliver 2x more graphic performance than previous Radeon models. With this ATI video card, users can take HD gaming to the extreme as well as do 3D rendering, intense graphic animation and experience superb multimedia like never before.

Other innovative features of ATI Radeon HD 5870 include:

- maximum compute performance of 2.72 teraflops
- enables rich and realistic visual presentation
- experience unrivaled speed and responsiveness with GDDR5 memory
- fully supports Microsoft’s DirectX 11 tessellation API
- DirectX API is fully multithreaded
- low power consumption while delivering the highest level of video performance

Technical Specifications:

Die Size — 334mm-squared
Transistor Count – 2.15 billion
CPU Clock — 850MHz
Memory Clock – 1200MHz
Memory Quantity (GDDR5) — 1GB
Manufacturing Process — 40nm
Stream Processors — 1600
Texture Units — 80
ROPs — 32
Maximum Board Power (TDP) — 188W
Idle Power — 27W

LCD monitor is becoming popular nowadays due to the fact that it is light in weight, provides vibrant color and consumes less electric power than the conventional CRT monitors. In buying a new LCD, you will have two options- the glossy and matte finish. Each type of LCD screen has its own pros and cons.

Glossy Finish – According to manufacturers, this kind of LCD produces more brilliant colors and sharper images. This means that LCD glossy monitor has higher color depth and vibrancy, making it ideal in viewing images and watching movies. In graphic design and 3D animation, objects will look better with glossy screen. However, a glossy screen produces unwanted glare and light reflections coming from the bulb, lamp or from natural light outside the window. This situation is a bit annoying because the glare can give strain to the eyes. Also, glossy LCD can easily get dirt, smudges and even fingerprints.

Matte Finish – Because of the polarized coating over the glass that diffuses ambient light, LCD matte finish can handle glare much better. This non-reflective type of LCD screen is perfect for gaming as well. Just like the glossy, matte finish has its own disadvantages. It has less color contrast, light blurring and narrower viewing angle.

Of the two, personal preferences and type of environment are the keys to help you decide which is best for your needs.  If your place has less light or your room is dark, getting a glossy LCD is a nice option. Or if the glaring effect doesn’t bother you too much, glossy screen will surely capture your eyes with its richer colors.  And if you want to enjoy the anti-glare benefit without totally losing color quality, matte LCD is the right choice for you.

Don’t be afraid in choosing the best LCD for you. Just know what you want and where you can be comfortable, and you will be on the right track.

Flatscreen monitors, also called LCD monitors, have become part of a modern desktop computer set-up. LCD stands for liquid crystal display. While many computer users still own conventional CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors, the number of people using flatscreen monitors is steadily increasing.

A few years back, a flatscreen monitor was considered a luxury but not anymore. If you still use a CRT monitor, here are the reasons why you should upgrade to a flatscreen monitor:

1.    LCD monitors deliver better picture quality. CRT monitors have an advantage over LCDs in terms of color rendering but this degrades over time as the phosphors in the cathode ray tube deteriorate.

2.    CRT monitors cause significant eye strain and glare. LCD monitors eliminate this problem since they use a panel of constantly updated liquid crystal cells spread out in a matrix formation instead of a scanning cathode ray gun.

3.    LCD monitors are more energy efficient and earth-friendly. This will help you save money by cutting your power bill. Flatscreens are also more friendly to the environment because they help reduce carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming.

4.    LCD monitors are lighter, sleeker and more compact. LCDs are easy to move and help you save space. An equivalent-sized LCD is almost 80 percent smaller in size and lighter in weight than a CRT.

Thanks to technological advancements in the production of LCDs and reduced production of CRTs (except for the low-end and high-end models), there’s little or almost no difference in the prices of both types of monitors.

Unless you’re a designer, medical professional or working in a profession which requires special imaging needs, an LCD monitor is the ideal choice.

It pays to choose the right type of monitor because its lifespan is much longer than that of the PC itself, and you can use recycle it from an old PC to a new one.