Acer's latest AZ5761-UR20P 23″ all-in-one desktop computer configuration is one of the most practical solutions for low-end and mainstream home&office computers. First of all this Acer computer is based on one of the second cheapest Sandy Bridge category processors. The Intel Core i3 2100 processor is a very attractive product, because it features most of the technologies found in high-end products like HyperThreading and very powerful integrated graphics processor called Intel HD Graphics 2000.

what is computer (source: priceguidenetwork.com)

What is missing from the processor when compared to a Core i5 and Core i7 is the Turbo Boost technology, that would increase the speed of active units in the processor while others are passive and there's some power left. In other words the Core i3 processor uses less energy and performs a bit slower when faced with single-core or graphics intensive tasks. In my opinion there's nothing wrong with that, as the overall efficiency factor is almost identical to that of more expensive products. The graphics processor inside the CPU is also downgraded from Intel HD Graphics 3000 to 2000 because of the absence of Turbo Boost, which would be responsible for raising graphics speed when needed.

The Acer AZ5761-UR20P 23″ all-in-one desktop computer has two DDR3 memory slots in which just 2 x 2 GB of memory is installed by default, but up to 16GB can be installed by using two 8GB modules. You can never have enough system memory, as more memory always increases the computer's overall operation speed. For storage Acer has chosen a 3.5″ 1TB Western Digital Green hard drive that uses IntelliPower technology. In my opinion this is not a good choice, because this intelligent power management system changes rotation speed of the hard drive between 5400 and 7200 RPM, causing some serious delays while doing so. Most hard drive benchmarking applications place these WD Green hard drives at the bottom of the result lists. A 5900RPM Seagate hard drive would be a much better choice.

what is computer (source: waroengkom.com)

A slim DVD burner and memory card reader are also present to serve as removable storage devices, while USB 2.0, Wi-fi B/G/N and Bluetooth technologies make is easy to connect any accessories you may need. By default the $829 price (at newegg.com) includes a power cord, wireless mouse, wireless keyboard and two batteries, so practically all communications ports are unoccupied.

The 23″ FullHD (1920 x 1080) screen of the Acer AZ5761-UR20P 23″ all-in-one desktop computer is also a touch-screen, supporting multi-touch. Above it there's and integrated 2.0Megapixel HD Webcam and high quality microphone. The computer (without the keyboard and mouse) measures 21.61″ x 19.5″ x 5.08″ and weighs 27lbs. This may be a bit too much when compared to laptops, but it takes up about the same amount of desktop space.

All in all the Acer AZ5761-UR20P 23″ all-in-one desktop computer is a bit more expensive because of its compact size and multi-touch screen, but the hardware is good, very efficient. I definitely recommend this computer to anyone who is not a gamer or 3D animation maker/programmer.

It's a bit surprising to see that traditional CRT monitors were almost completely replaced by LCDs in these last few years. In the beginning of the LCD era there was a huge quality difference between technologies (CRT vs. LCD), but now we have reached a point where CRT color quality is matched and exceeded by LCD technology and power consumption is up to 15 times smaller. An average 15″ CRT needed between 100 and 150 Watts of power to work, while a 15-19″ LED-backlit LCD today needs just around 10Watts.

At the moment one of the cheapest computer monitors around is a 17″ Hanns-G widescreen LCD. It costs just $79 at newegg.com and features 1440 x 900 resolution with 5ms average response time and analog VGA only input.

cheap computer monitors (source: pacificgeek.com)

Power consumption of this model is not too impressive, as it requires an average of 19.6Watts in ON mode and less than 1Watt in Standby and OFF modes. Its main advantage is the big number of pixels on a relatively small surface. In fact this size and resolution remind us of 17″ laptops screens that still used 16:10 aspect ratio resolutions.

From the same manufacturer you can also get a 18.5″ LCD monitor for $89. It looks just like the first one, but has a slightly bigger image surface area and features the 1366 x 768 resolution. This means less pixels per inch than on the previous model. The Hanns-G HZ194APB computer monitor also uses traditional backlighting and has a single analog VGA input. It requires around 28Watts of power when turned on, but keep in mind that this figure includes the two integrated active speakers, which can make about 2 x 1.5Watts worth of noise. This cheap computer monitor is recommended for users that need something small and simple for watching 16:9 aspect ratio movies, doing everyday home/office work and playing games in low resolution.

cheap computer monitors (source: cumperi.md)

A much better solution comes from Acer. The Acer S201HLbd LCD monitor uses LED backlighting, which means that images are sharper with up to 12 million to 1 contrast ratio and very low power consumption, just around 13.56Watts. This is actually very impressive for a 20″ LCD screen with 1600 x 900 resolution and both analog VGA and DVI inputs. The Acer S201HLbd computer monitor costs $109 at newegg.com, and it's a very good solution for most types of applications and games, but still not enough for high-end gaming (maybe if you combine three such screens with AMD's Eyefinity technology).

One more category of cheap computer monitors is worth mentioning. This is of course the FullHD monitor category, which feature the 1920 x 1080 resolution, needed for playing HD media in maximum quality and high-end gaming.

cheap computer monitors (source: di1-3.shoppingshadow.com)

The cheapest one at newegg.com is another Hanns-G that costs $119. The Hanns-G HF225DPB 21.5″ computer monitor is based on traditional backlighting, which of course has a huge impact on power consumption. When turned on, this 21.5″ FullHD monitor needs 49Watts of power, which includes the requirement of the two built-in active speakers (2 x 1.5Watt) and the hardware components for the two inputs, analog VGA and DVI. This isn't a very efficient monitor, as more expensive models based on LED backlighting consume around just 20Watts and 21.5 – 23″ computer monitors with optimized traditional backligting need around 30Watts (like my 23″ FullHD Philips monitor).

For now FullHD monitors seem to be the best for everything, as long as video cards don't really support much higher resolutions. The maximum resolution for one monitor at this moment is 2560 x 1440, but most video cards can't go above 2048 x 1536.

It's a bit surprising to see that traditional CRT monitors were almost completely replaced by LCDs in these last few years. In the beginning of the LCD era there was a huge quality difference between technologies (CRT vs. LCD), but now we have reached a point where CRT color quality is matched and exceeded by LCD technology and power consumption is up to 15 times smaller. An average 15″ CRT needed between 100 and 150 Watts of power to work, while a 15-19″ LED-backlit LCD today needs just around 10Watts.

At the moment one of the cheapest computer monitors around is a 17″ Hanns-G widescreen LCD. It costs just $79 at newegg.com and features 1440 x 900 resolution with 5ms average response time and analog VGA only input.

cheap computer monitors (source: pacificgeek.com)

Power consumption of this model is not too impressive, as it requires an average of 19.6Watts in ON mode and less than 1Watt in Standby and OFF modes. Its main advantage is the big number of pixels on a relatively small surface. In fact this size and resolution remind us of 17″ laptops screens that still used 16:10 aspect ratio resolutions.

From the same manufacturer you can also get a 18.5″ LCD monitor for $89. It looks just like the first one, but has a slightly bigger image surface area and features the 1366 x 768 resolution. This means less pixels per inch than on the previous model. The Hanns-G HZ194APB computer monitor also uses traditional backlighting and has a single analog VGA input. It requires around 28Watts of power when turned on, but keep in mind that this figure includes the two integrated active speakers, which can make about 2 x 1.5Watts worth of noise. This cheap computer monitor is recommended for users that need something small and simple for watching 16:9 aspect ratio movies, doing everyday home/office work and playing games in low resolution.

cheap computer monitors (source: cumperi.md)

A much better solution comes from Acer. The Acer S201HLbd LCD monitor uses LED backlighting, which means that images are sharper with up to 12 million to 1 contrast ratio and very low power consumption, just around 13.56Watts. This is actually very impressive for a 20″ LCD screen with 1600 x 900 resolution and both analog VGA and DVI inputs. The Acer S201HLbd computer monitor costs $109 at newegg.com, and it's a very good solution for most types of applications and games, but still not enough for high-end gaming (maybe if you combine three such screens with AMD's Eyefinity technology).

One more category of cheap computer monitors is worth mentioning. This is of course the FullHD monitor category, which feature the 1920 x 1080 resolution, needed for playing HD media in maximum quality and high-end gaming.

cheap computer monitors (source: di1-3.shoppingshadow.com)

The cheapest one at newegg.com is another Hanns-G that costs $119. The Hanns-G HF225DPB 21.5″ computer monitor is based on traditional backlighting, which of course has a huge impact on power consumption. When turned on, this 21.5″ FullHD monitor needs 49Watts of power, which includes the requirement of the two built-in active speakers (2 x 1.5Watt) and the hardware components for the two inputs, analog VGA and DVI. This isn't a very efficient monitor, as more expensive models based on LED backlighting consume around just 20Watts and 21.5 – 23″ computer monitors with optimized traditional backligting need around 30Watts (like my 23″ FullHD Philips monitor).

For now FullHD monitors seem to be the best for everything, as long as video cards don't really support much higher resolutions. The maximum resolution for one monitor at this moment is 2560 x 1440, but most video cards can't go above 2048 x 1536.

The new Brazos platform consists of  AMD E-350 APU (the fastest one of four) and the chip-set for I/O ports. The AMD E-350 accelerated processing unit, manufactured with 40nm technology, includes a powerful 3D graphics processor (80 stream processors), one UVD3 video encoding and decoding and of course the two highly efficient processor cores.

On the picture you see the Zotac ZBOX AD02 Plus without a hard drive. It includes the hardware mentioned above in a very small computer case, just 188 x 188 x 44 mm. Let’s start with the negative aspects of this mini computer. The first thing you may notice from the outside is the lack of an integrated optical drive. The second disadvantage is revealed only when you open the computer case or simply turn on the computer, I’m talking about the active cooling of course, which makes the most noise in the small computer case.

The First Computer

AMD and Zotac weren’t able to tackle this problem, because the air had to flow through the fins of the processor’s heat-sink in order to get rid of 18 watts of heat. We have seen a few Intel solutions, a mini ITX motherboard with a completely passive cooling, but those main boards don’t have this kind of speed or such a reduced size. A passive heat-sink for a 13Watt Atom processor or 18Watt Brazos APU would take up all the space in such a small computer case and some air would still have to pass through. I have mentioned this problem a long time ago in a previous article, manufacturers should use heat pipes to redirect heat towards one of the sides of the chassis.

A 188 x 188 mm side made out of a large copper panel would provide a sufficient surface for 18 watts of heat to dissipate. The only problem would be that it’s not completely safe to have an object near the user which may reach up to 60-70 degrees Celsius. Such high temperatures may even damage other components inside. I would like to see engineers tackling this problem, as processor power consumption (and heat generation) is not likely to go down.

In the PC industry manufacturers have decided a long time ago to increase speed rather than reduce power consumption, when they have reached a decent level. LGA 1366 Core i7 processors for example, stay at 130Watt TDP since their desktop dual core processors stay between 65 and 80 watts (from both AMD and Intel) and laptop processors consume between 10 and 55 Watts (Pentium Dual Core ULV – Core i7 mobile quad core), while their performance is increased with every generation.

The First Computer

Take a good look at the table above, because these chips will rule the ultra-portable market very soon. AMD will also launch quad core versions of these power APUs, which will have integrated graphics and with SIX times as many stream processors as the AMD E-350 (6 x 80 = 480) has. If Intel and nVidia don’t act fast to counterattack such a product, these powerful APUs with Radeon 5800-grade graphics will replace Intel and nVidia solution in gaming laptops and desktops.

The only question that remains unanswered for now is how cheap will these quad core APUs be. As they will have a very complicated architecture with an unprecedented number of transistors, we’ll have to expect many defective. Furthermore, they’ll have to include the price as inferior, because the models are less efficient after locking defective areas of the silicone.

The Zotac ZBOX AD02 Plus comes with 2GB of DDR3 SODIMM and a 250GB 5400RPM laptop hard drive, which can be upgraded to 8GB and 1.5TB classic hard drive (or smaller and aster SSD).

For users of Windows XP:
In the directory (C: Windows) creates a backup of uninstalling Windows updates, it takes the form of a list of several folders with strange names like $ $ NtUninstallKB8556 written in blue. You can safely delete. You must initially show hidden files:
-Go to the Start menu
-Click on My Documents
-Now click on the Tools menu
-Select Folder Options
-View tab, locate the line show hidden files and folders
-click OK
Then:
-Go on the desktop
-Click on C: drive (disk where your operating system)
-Then click the Windows folder C: Windows
-Delete all files with names resembling NtUninstallKB8556 $ $ written in blue
-BE CAREFUL not to delete others files!

For users of Windows Vista:
The procedure is slightly different to access the folder that stores the updates in Windows Vista, to be going in:
-Start and then Control Panel
-Click on the icon windows update
-Then select View history of updates in the top left margin-
When you find the next window that will offer to remove the updates, click on:
-You can access the last record of updates that can then be deleted:
-If your computer has already suffered a serious crash (example: blue screen or message “emptying of the physical memory) Windows creates a file called memory.dmp. The weight of this file is roughly equivalent to the amount of memory installed on the PC.

Once back to normal operation, this large file can be safely removed:
-Go on the desktop
-Click on C: drive (disk where your operating system)
-Then click the Windows folder C: Windows
-Delete the folder called memory.dmp
-Cleaning the registry

As and when the install / uninstall software, the registry accumulates many keys that are no longer useful. It can only be beneficial for the operation of your machine to clean the registry from time to time. For this, there are several free utilities that can remove all unnecessary entries from your registry files and residual allocated to the applications you’ve uninstalled. When installing new software or new hardware, your system creates a restore point, that is to say, it makes a backup at a specific time to allow a restoration.

This function is very useful but is also very “greedy” in disk space. It is therefore clear thinking from time to time the oldest backups, because only the most recent retain consistency with your current system:
-Go to My Computer
-Make a right click on your C: drive (disk where your operating system)
-Select the Properties tab
-Then clean the hard drive (Windows will calculate the amount of space that can be released)
-In the next window, choose More Options
-Finally, select: remove all restore points except the most recent
-Repair System Files

Following a crash of the computer or improper handling, it is possible that your hard drive hosts defective or corrupted files. While this may be completely harmless, this type of error generator crash in Windows (problems at boot time or launch applications files affected by). Here’s how to correct these errors:
-Go to My Computer
-Right click on your C: drive (disk where your operating system)
-Select the Properties tab
-Select the Tools tab, then Check Now
-On the hardware side

It is recommended to complete a dusting of the unit less than once a year to prevent any overheating and slowdowns in certain components such as fans, air …. opening it. Make sure you have wipes dry cotton, cotton swab, brush, … and whatever you deem useful to reach the nooks and crannies. You can also use an air bomb. Observe the precautions because it can be liquid. It is advisable to clean the PC as the photo below. Indeed, the cooling fins of the processor are a real nest dust!

If you’re not sure, it is preferable to use an experienced friend to guide you and that you advise during various operations.