Friday, August 6, 2010

BUILDING UP YOUR OWN GAMING PC

A Short Introduction

Modern games grow more graphic-intensive by the day. Hardware needs to keep up with the increasingly better graphics and more powerful gaming engines. Because of this, gaming hardware becomes obsolete at a tremendous age; what was considered ‘new’ a year or two ago already needs to be left behind.
Every self-respecting gamer needs a computer to match up with the growth of today’s
games. Because of the constant upgrading, gaming can become a very expensive hobby. By building our own computer and reducing cost, we can save up to a few hundred bucks.
Apart from the money, building your own PC also comes with customizing options that arenever found in store-bought systems. By carefully selecting all your computer’s components, you can create a machine that perfectly matches its purpose, without shortcomings, or abundances.
In this guide we’ll be focusing, not only on what’s out there, but what’s important for a
gamer and how to get a PC that really fits your needs.

The Components of a Gaming PC

In this chapter we’ll be going over all the necessary components for a computer. The
thinking process may be rearranged differently than you’ll see in other guides. We’ll be
emphasizing the parts important to a gamer, and try to build the remaining system
around those components.

Video Card
The video card, graphics acceleration card, display adapter, or graphics card is technically a side component. Nevertheless, it’s one of the most important parts for a gaming computer.

The graphics card is an expansion card with a GPU (graphical processing unit) chipset,dedicated to graphics rendering. Their main purpose is to render, and output (3D) images to a monitor. Though most motherboards (more about them later on in the guide) have built-in GPU chips, they are normally not sufficient for gaming. Rather, we’d like to use an external component that can be switched and upgraded without need to buy a whole new computer. This is also one of the main reasons against buying gaming laptops. When the built-in GPU chip is outdated, you’ll need to purchase everything anew, without the possibility to reuse most of the other parts.
There are a few things we must look at when picking out the right graphics card:
• How powerful a card do I require?
• What additional functionality do I want?
Following the ’there is no overkill’ philosophy, those two choices would be easy. However, most wallets require their owner to weigh functionality against cost, and to look at what you need, rather than what you want.
We won’t tell you which cards are good, because that’d be rather useless and merely a
temporary statement. Instead, we’ll try teaching you how to look for the good ones yourself.

GPU Manufacturers
The two main manufacturers of GPU chipsets at this moment are NVIDIA1 andATI2 (the graphical department of AMD). It’s hard to say which is best, as there is no right answer to that question, although most people prefer to go with NVIDIA.

In shops, you’ll often see graphics cards of other makes. These are made by other computer companies, but most of them still use ATI or NVIDIA chipsets.

How Powerful a Card?
When thinking ahead, you should not only buy a card that’s powerful now, but a card that’ll
still be sufficiently powerful in the near future.
Most often the best choice is to buy a high-mid range card. The high ranged cards often have too large a price difference for the graphical superiority they offer, and because proportions are redefined over time, this slight graphical difference will matter even less as the gaming industry progresses again. The only reason to buy a high ranged card is a near-fanatic seriousness about gaming and an abundance in cash.
On the other hand, low range cards, or low-mid range cards that are just sufficiently powerful
Enough at the moment, will be the first to be left behind. The gaming industry won’t even require a big leap to get these cards outdated. The gaming business is a hard one, and whichever card you choose, chances are good that you’ll be disappointed in the long run.Those good cards suddenly aren’t all that good anymore, or they cost half what you paid for them a few months ago. This is something you just need to accept, a sacrifice you need to pay.

How do I know which cards are powerful?
Once you’ve got that understanding, the trick is to be able to weigh those graphics cards
against the competition. Not an easy thing to do – contrary to most other components and
electronic products, graphics cards can’t be judged on one variable. Here, there are tons of factors that play their role.
It’s often hard to see which are best solely based on the specifications. There are three
things we can learn from reading the back of the box:

Series– cards are nearly always released in series (e.g. the NVIDIA GeForce 9600 and
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 both belong to the 9000 series). What series a card belongs to is
important to look at. It’s nearly always advised to pick a card from the latest possible series.
One of those can sometimes be superior to a more powerful card from a lower series.
Memory – all cards have a graphics-dedicated portion of memory. Obviously, the larger the number, the better. The memory size is most often stated in the specifications, if not in the card’s name.
Suffixes – learning the existing suffixes is also important. In NVIDIA’s case, GTX marks
the best cards, then GTS, and the weakest cards are marked with a GT suffix. ATI cards usethese same suffixes, as well as a few additional ones that are often a little bit more forward. The HD suffix is obviously something you want to look for, as well as X and XTX. To ultimately pick our graphics card, we’re going to use this knowledge, and look at benchmarks.

What Benchmarks Are
Benchmarks, in this part of the digital world, are data that show how cards performed during intense graphical testing, e.g. frame rates during a specific game sequence, while running through different screen resolutions. With these, we compare the performances of each card.
The best place to look for benchmarks is probably Tom’s Hardware3. You can find an
extensive benchmark chart and comparison tool here4, where you can look at the total sum of the benchmarks, or choose to view the results a specific test.

Thinking ahead
To keep in business, we need to account for recent developments, and hop on any of them as soon as possible. Remaining stuck with older technology is one of the best ways to getleft behind in the long run. Hence, there are a few additional things we need to look at.
Output
There are two types of connectors on the market, VGA (the older, analog output) and DVI (the newer, digital output).
               Though you can get by with both of them, it’ll prove better to take a card with a DVI
connector. Apart from DVI’s better image, a lot of the newer screens are already stopping the VGA support, and chances are that you’ll be stuck with a ton of convertor cables. If you’renot tight on money, you can also pick cards with additional S-Video or HDMI connectors.
DirectX
It’s also advised to pick cards that have support for the latest DirectX versions (currently
DirectX10) if you don’t want to miss out on cool new stuff like the latest shading technologies.
Motherboard Interface
There are several possible motherboard connection services. The main ones are:

• PCI
• AGP x1 / x2 / x4 / x8
• PCIe x1 / x4 / x8 / x16 / x16 2.0

PCIe (or PCI Express) is currently the newest – and fastest – connection interface on the market. You can barely get by with PCI these days, and you’d have to venture off to a flea market if you’re stil looking to score an AGP card. So go with PCIe - not negotiable.
A PCIe card ensures not only a higher speed, but compatibility with newer motherboards as well. Choosing an older connection might oblige you to go with older motherboards, and thusly overall older apparel.

Write your slot on the component reference guide at the end of the guide once you've made a pick. SLI and Crossfire
Other books might dedicate a chapter to this. Here, I'm just barely going to lay out you the basics. In my experience, people who are interested in this usually don't need, nor read these guides. If you're really interested after reading this, be sure to hit Google.
If you really want your gaming PC to kick some polygon ass, you won't be satisfied with one those mid-, or high-ranged graphics cards they try to sell you. At least, it won't be enough.SLI and Crossfire enables you to take multiple of those cards, and make them work together for a (hopefully) optima performance.

You will need a SLI-, or CF-compatible motherboard. This basically means that it's got two
graphics card slots. But be advised - it really pays to spend some money here, as older
motherboards tend to divide the maximum data stream over those two PCI Express-slots,
thereby making sure that neither of those are used to their full extent. If you go this path (and
know that this is hardly needed to enjoy graphical supremacy), you'll end up paying extra for
nearly all those other components in your system. Conclusion? Only for the real pro's.

Finally - Picking a Card
Make sure you’ve understood all above, and that you have a clear idea of what you’re
looking for. You should already be sure of the interface and output and have a semi-steady
budget limit. With that in mind, you need to start looking at benchmarks and weigh off your
options. A good pick won’t cost a fortune, but still scores relatively high in the benchmarks.

Processor
The CPU, central processing unit, or simply processor, is the most
central part of every computer. It’s the communicating agent between
all your different computer components. When one part of your
system tries to send data to the other side, it always passes by the
Central Processing Unit – this is why having a decent CPU is of
the innermost essence. A slow CPU can and will make sure that
not all of your components are used to their full extent.
Like with the graphics cards, again we have two choices: AMD5 and    Intel6. Both are validoptions and popular in the computing community. Nevertheless, Intel still seems to be           the more popular candidate. Don't be confused by the numbers they tend to put in their product names, those aren't specs, but low-level competition.
Below we'll review the different aspects that you'll need to look at upon buying a CPU.
Although you'll need to keep your budget in check, I'd advise you to look for a high-midrange or high-range CPU if you want it to last at least 3 or 4 years. You'll often be able to make a decent pick while hovering around 100 bucks.
When picking a CPU, you'll also be picking a certain CPU socket. Doing so will limit - and thusly partly determine - your future motherboard possibilities. You'd do good writing that CPU slot on the component reference chart we've included at the end of the guide.

Clock (Cycle) Speed
Clock speed, expressed in GigaHertz is how we measure the speed of the CPU. It's the size of the supported data stream, or in other words, how fast the CPU can handle information. Obviously, if your clock speed is too low, your other computer components will be held back.
Clock speed can be used to judge two processors from the same series. However, because two other factors - cache and bus speed - play a reasonable role as well, end performance may deviate unrelated to the clock speed.
Take a look around and see what's the current norm. If you look at current game requirements, you'll quickly be able to make out if you're thinking too low, or aiming too high. At the time of writing, you should be well beyond 2GHz.

Cache
As clock speed is the main factor, you don't have to spend too much time digging into the cache of every processor. That's right, you don't need to know this, as with most specs, a higher number means a better processor, but it'lhelp you understand how some CPU's can be slightly better, and why.

             Because some data needs to be accessed repeatedly, it can be inefficient for the CPU to
reach (far) beyond itself, time and time again. This is why all CPU's these days have small memory deposits, further divided into a first (L1 Cache), second (L2 Cache), and very occasionally third (L3 cache).

The L1 cache holds the most frequently accessed data, followed respectively by L2 and L3. The CPU always searches the L1 cache first, before going on to the other(s). To create the most time-efficient searches, each deposit is distinctively smaller than the next. Larger caches means more data storage, but also means your CPU will spend a longer time strolling around before it can 'get on with it'.

Multiple Cores
An increasingly popular trend are the multiple-core CPU’s. These
host    several semi-independent agents, to allow a faster
communication between different computer components. It’s like
having two people at a desk instead of just the one fat guy. This
technology is more and more present in new CPU’s and it’s
highly advised to go with the flow on this one.
Although we started out with two, we've already moved on to four cores in a single
processer. For a casual gamer, a mid- to high-range dual core is an advisable and economic decision. However, the quad core CPU prices have been going down, and this is now a very realistic decision as well. If you can afford it, go with it. Note that when you have a quad coreprocessor of 2 GHz, you'll now have four cores, operating at a 2 GHz clock speed!

HINT    In the Intel camp, 'Core 2' is just the name of the CPU series, so you’l have to
look for Core 2 Duo for dual core and Core 2 Quad for quad core. Their latest series
Core i7, features a minimum of 4 cores.

Boxed versus Non-boxed CPU's
Technically, boxed CPU's are the retail ones, and the ones Intel or AMD
wants you to buy. And rightly so, because contrary to non-boxed
processors, boxed CPU's include a heatsink and/or fan, often not
included in the former and thusly making extra costs and problems.
Play safe, go boxed.

Motherboard
The motherboard is the battleground of your computer. It'll be the host of all your hardware
components and will allow them to interact. Below we'll review the things you'll have to
consider upon picking yourself a motherboard.

CPU Socket and Graphics Card Slot
Your choice of motherboard will not only be limited by your budget, but also by your previous choices of graphics card and CPU. Although most people would do it the other way around, we'd rather limit the massive array of motherboards, than those former two components.
If you've written down those two slot types, you can eliminate a few motherboards, and movealong.
Some newer CPU's are not yet supported by all motherboards. If you're playing around with multiple cores, be sure to check CPU compatibility - even if the socket is correct. This information should be included on the motherboard's page on all decent web shops, and available in most hardware stores. The increase instantly available information is one ofthe reasons why shopping online pays.

Additional Slots
Obviously you're planning to add more components than just a CPU and graphics card. If so,you should make sure that your motherboard of choice not only has the right, but also theright amount of slots.
PCI and PCIe slots are for extension cards in general, not solely graphics cards. If you want to add an extra internal network card, TV tuner, sound card, or USB HUB, you'll need a few of these to spare. How many you need depends on your requirements, and you probably know the answer to that question yourself, but a minimum of three is advised.

IDE and S-ATA are used to connect hard drives and CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives. If you want toreuse old parts from a previous computer, you should check the connections you're going to need. In an open scenario, focus on the faster S-ATA connectors. The production of IDE apparel is already dwindling and will soon come to a full stop.

USB and FireWire can be used to connect external devices. FireWire is less used, but you should have your fair amount of USB ports. Both can be increased in number by purchasing special extension cards (see PCI/PCIe).

Internal Sound and Network Functionality
The functionality of some of those extension cards we discussed earlier can already be
incorporated in some motherboards. Sound- and network cards are the obvious examples.
You'll hardly find a motherboard without a built-in network card these days, and rightly so, because nearly every computer is intended to connect to the internet. The sound card is often a bit less evident. True, you'll find sound functionality in all motherboards, but if youkeep your eyes open, you can have a built-in, 5.1 surround system for just a few extra bucks. Unless you're going to use a headphone, you'll need this if you're serious about gaming.

RAM
RAM, short for Random-access memory, can be best described as the 'temporary memory'. It's where data gets stored if it's relevant for just a short while, contrary to the almost static data on a hard drive.

The advantage of RAM is that, due to its architecture, the transfer speeds are infinitely faster than that of a hard drive. On the downside, it is also infinitely more expensive per GigaByte, and because the data is stored by means of electrical charges, information cannot be stored
or maintained unless your computer is running.
If you want applications and games to run smoothly, you'll need to provide enough RAM for them. With a shortage of RAM, games will be unable to use large amounts of data, thereby causing lag and visual deficiency.

How much RAM do I need?
With the price of RAM these days, you almost cannot buy too much. However, you must know that once you pass the limit of 4GB, you will no longer be able to operate in a 32bit environment. The future lies in 64bit, but 32bit is at present still far more stable and more widely supported.
My advice would be to stay below 4GB until 64bit systems are more stable - especially concerning games. However, you should certainly have a good 2-3GB at your disposal. The times that we were talking 'MegaBytes' have long since passed. By the way, with most new motherboards having up to four RAM slots, you can just expand your RAM in the future.

DDR, DDR2 and DDR3
Currently, we make three distinctions in the active SDRAM standard; DDR, DDR2 and DDR3. In plain English? Three successors of the same RAM-type. Each generation has managed to develop a higher operating frequency, and a lower power usage. Although DDR has been left behind, DDR2 is the current standard, while DDR3 is emerging slowly.

             DDR SDRAM standard       Frequency(Mhz)         Voltage
              DDR                                        100-200                  2.5/2.6
             DDR2                                       200-533                   1.8
             DDR3                                       400-800                   1.5
            At this time, DDR3 is still too expensive for those slight differences, so you should go with
DDR2. You'll also be glad to hear that DDR2 is lowest in price, both below DDR3 and the
older DDR.

Different RAM Modules
After the DDR-generation distinction, there'll be another choice to make. When looking around, you'll encounter different types of RAM, more specifically DDR2-400, -533, -667, -
800 and -1066 (in the case of DDR2).
These indicate the data transfer speed, more specifically, the number of transfers per second. They also vary in size, so most motherboards will only support one or two standards. If you've chosen a relatively new motherboard however, there's little chance you'll be caughtoff balance.
Although it's ill-advised to use low-range RAM, both mid-range and high-range RAM
standards should suffice for the majority of people, if not everyone.

Power Supply
A computer's power supply is both one of the simplest and most delicate component. This is
due to one simple reason. If your power supply goes haywire, it could fry some, or even all of
your precious components with it. Don't worry, this doesn't happen very often - just be sure
you buy from a decent make, not a low-budget eastern-webshop-gadget without a
manufacturer.

The Wattage
Above all, you should make sure that your power supply has enough horsepower to animate
your system. Most components mention a minimum wattage in the specifications. This is a
simple matter of adding numbers.
Always leave a wattage margin, additional to what you think you need. A current-day gaming
computer should have at least 500 Watt.

The Right Connectors
As you might've noticed, a computer's power supply has near to a dozen different connectors. A lot of your components and other computer hardware might need different connectors. Check the specifications and make sure you've got enough of each. If you end up short, you can always head to eBay for convertors, but that's a bother you want to avoid.

HDD’s and DVD-RW’s
The Hard Drive Disk (HDD) is where you store your data, and without it you won’t be able to pull anything out of your system. If you’re building a gaming PC, you might want to invest in a slightly bigger storage, as multiple installations can quickly fil up your system. Where laptops require 2.5” disks, you’l need a 3.5” one for your desktop (gaming) PC.

Your DVD-R, DVD-RW, or perhaps even Blu-Ray-RW device will allow you to read and, depending on your choice of device, write optical media. If you plan to install games on your system, and I take that you do, you’re probably going to need one or two of these as well.

IDE versus S-ATA
As discussed before, there are two possible connections for HDD’s and DVD drives; IDE and S-ATA. Apart from buying your (right) motherboard, you also need to keep a watchful eye when ordering new components. IDE (also known as PATA) is the older of the two. It’s not only slower, but also increasingly less supported. If you’re buying new, it’s highly advised to
go with S-ATA.

Case and Casemodding
Technically not a component, but you're probably going to need one if you plan on buildinG that gaming PC.
Although some people will prefer a case like displayed on the manual's cover, complete with flashing lights and a puff of smoke whenever you pull off a one liner, most people will prefer a simple, plain case. It's up to you - give it some personality, or, well, don't.

Mini, Midi, Big
There are three standard 'tower' sizes; mini, midi and big.
Unless you're doing something special, you're going to need
a Midi Tower. Big towers are intended for people who want
to put a little extra in their computer, midi if you're sticking to
the minimum number of components and want to save
space.

Fans and Ventilation
An important thing to look at is the ventilation of your case.
You need to consider the number of fan slots, as well as
how many are already built in. It's often easier to pay an
extra ten bucks and have some decent ventilation already
installed. Otherwise that's an extra component you'll have to
order.

Casemodding
By no means required, but if you want to impress your friends (or yourself, for that matter),
you can make a few tweaks without spending too much money.
            Find yourself a fancy case, perhaps even with one side out of Plexiglas.
            You can buy fans with colored LEDs in most webshops and hardware
            stores for just a few bucks, and caselights and luminous cables if you want
           your own red light district.
             If you're willing to take out the power tools, you can do some pretty cool
           stuff, but I won't be able to help you with that in the slightest.

Actually Building Your System

In this guide, I wanted to focus primarily on familiarizing you with the different computer
components, and getting to look at them from a gamer's perspective. We won't be telling you
in detail how to put your system together.
If you're technologically gifted (read: a nerd), the kind of guy or gal that usually skips the
product manuals and has broken enough things in his/her life to become somewhat
'experienced', you might be able to do this without help. After all, it's basically just tightening
a few screws and connecting a few cables.
If you're not certain, you shouldn't. It's that simple. You don't want to go breaking all that
pretty stuff you just bought. MakeUseOf has written a guide in the past about building your
own system, and will almost literally hold your hand during the process.

External Computer Hardware

Sure, you’ve got your computer, but what are you going to do with it without a display,without a mouse? In this chapter, we’ll be focusing on the external computer hardware, the last things you ‘need’ to run that gaming system.

Computer Display
Although a crucial part of your system, you’ve got a really wide choice here. There are a few different classes of displays, but you can follow your personal opinion for 100% here.

Although the joy of gaming might be partly visual, it is definitely not a requirement to buy the best display of the market. On the other hand, it’d be a waste to spoil the visuals of your
graphics card with a mediocre screen.

CRT, LCD, TFT
When you’re in the market for a display, you’ll be buried beneath terms like this – so it pays
to know what they mean.
CRT is the oldest of the bunch. Those are the classic, bulky displays, which are often thicker than they are wide. The colors are often of a lesser quality and the image may be slightly distorted near the sides. On the plus side, you can already obtain one of these for five to ten bucks. So if you feel you’ve been spending quite enough money already, go CRT.

LCD and TFT are the flat screen monitors, the latter being an improvement on the original LCD. The (not excessive) difference lies in price and color quality, but both are infinitely better than CRT. If you accept that a good display deserves a bite out of your budget, take one of these for the eye-candy and so as not to be left behind.

3:4 versus 16:9
This is the difference between the classic ‘square screen’ (3:4) and widescreen (16:9). Like TV-sets, most new displays have been following the trend of widescreen. Although this is a personal choice, I suggest you to go with it. Widescreen displays will prove better whenwatching a movie, but also when playing a game.

VGA versus DVI
VGA and DVI are two display connector interfaces. The older of the two, VGA, is an analog connection and will be known by many. Rising up is DVI, the digital alternative. DVI bests VGA and will allow better image quality and a higher resolution.

DVI is the better choice, but you’ll have to take into account which output your graphical card has. It’ll do little good to buy a DVI display for a VGA graphics card.

Mouse
Contrary to what most people think, serious gamers don’t have to spend a hundred bucks on that gaming mouse. It all depends on how you intend to use it. For everything except First Person Shooters, you’re probably well off with an optical mouse of five to ten bucks. Believe me; these will work a lot better than you’d expect.

For more serious gamers, and those planning to compete in First Person Shooters, that gaming mouse might be considered. The companies with the best price-quality ratio are probably Logitech8 and Razer9. For 50 to 100 bucks, you’ll have a pretty good optical mouse, with adjustable speed and a few custom buttons. Personally, I use the Logitech MX 518.
           A special gaming mousepad is something everyone should consider. It’l
           maybe cost you fifteen instead of two bucks, but the difference is incredible.
          Take a look at SteelSeries10 for some of the best mousepads.

Keyboard
Although there are special gaming keyboard, only a minority of people will end up using them. In general, I’d advise you to buy one that ‘feels’ good. Instead of buying online, go to your local hardware store, and start typing away on the stalled-out keyboards. It doesn’t matter what make, or for what purpose it was intended, it mostly matters that you feel goodtyping on it.

If you’ve got the choice, you might also want to look for keyboards with customizable buttons. They aren’t a necessity, but can be quite useful during games.

Audio
The importance of a decent audio installation once again depends on the kind of games you’re going to be playing. For everything except First Person Shooters, you can follow your personal preference. In some other games you use your ears as well as your eyes, and aten-dollar 2.0 audio set won’t suffice.

Stereo versus Surround
As I’m sure most of you know, stereo only has two sources of audio. Surround (5.1) has five sources of audio (front-left, front-right, center, rear-left and rear-right) and a subwoofer.

              Surround sound will make you feel like you’re part of the action. In games, you’ll be able to
hear where the action’s coming from, and if you’re pretty decent at it, you can make good
use of it. That said, the prices of surround sets have been in steep decline and are now
affordable for the everyday Joe. I grabbed mine for 30 bucks, and although most audiophiles
might frown at the make, I’ve always been perfectly satisfied with it.

Headsets
An alternative to full surround – often even bettering it in sound quality and
accuracy – are headsets. No, not those little fragile things that barely fit
on your ears. I mean bulky over-ear headsets. If you go with a
decent make, you pay some extra money, but you’re paying for
quality. Good headsets will give you the advantage of full-surround
sound.

Another advantage of decent headsets is that they often come with
decent microphones. If you’re playing online – FPS or MMORPG –
It’ll be a huge advantage to be able to communicate with your
teammates or clan; in-game or using Ventrillo11 software.
Good headsets can cost you a bit of money, but it’s worth looking at Logitech
and SteelSeries models. I bought mine for 80 bucks, but that’s a great deal more than most people pay – 30 to 50 is a very reasonable price

HTC EVO 4G Features, review, spec, price, etc...

HTC Evo 4G available June 4 for $199.99

The first WiMAX smartphone for the US. This high-end Android 2.1 phone sports HTC's Sense interface, a huge touch display, and 8-megapixel camera. Advanced features include Qik video recording and live streaming, plus HD video capture and HD video output to TV. Other features include kickstand for table-top video watching, WiFi, memory card slot, GPS navigation, FM radio and 3.5mm audio jack.

Spec
Modes	CDMA 850 / 1900 WiMAX 2500
Weight	6 oz (170 g)
Dimensions	4.8" x 2.6" x 0.5" (122 x 66 x 12.7 mm)
Form Factor	Bar Internal Antenna
Battery	Talk: ? Standby: ? 1500 mAh LiIon
Display	Type: LCD (Color TFT/TFD) Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels 4.3" diagonal Colors: 65,536 (16-bit)
Platform / OS	Android version 2.1
Processor	1000 MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon
Memory	440 MB (internal memory available to user for storage)
Phone Book Capacity	?
FCC ID	NM8PC36100 » (Approved May 7, 2010)

Features

GPS / Location

Type: A-GPS
supports LBS

Accessibility

Digital TTY/TDD

Yes

Hearing Aid Compatible

Yes

Multiple Languages

Languages Supported: English, Spanish

Alerts

Polyphonic Ringtones

Yes

Vibrate

Yes

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Supported Profiles: HSP 1.1, HFP 1.5, OPP, FTP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC
version 2.1+EDR

USB

Yes

Wi-Fi

Version(s): 802.11 b,g

Contacts

Multiple Numbers per Name

Yes

Picture ID

Yes

Ringer ID

Yes

Voice Dialing

Type: Speaker-independent (automatic)

Customization

Custom Graphics

Yes

Custom Ringtones

Yes

Real-Music Ringers

Yes

Data & Network

Data Tethering

supports up to 8 devices simultaneously

Flight Mode

Yes

High-Speed Data

Technology: WiMAX
plus EVDO Rev. A

WAP / Web Browser

Browser Software: HTC Android browser (WebKit-based)
Flash Lite 4, multi-touch

Input

Predictive Text Entry

Technology: XT9

Side Keys

volume on right

Touch Screen

Type: Capacitive

Memory

Memory Card Slot

Card Type: microSD (TransFlash)
8 GB card included / supports up to 32 GB

Messaging

Email Client

Yes

Instant Messaging

Networks Supported: Google Talk

MMS

Yes

Text Messaging (SMS)

Yes

Text Messaging Templates

Yes

Music

FM Radio

Yes

Headphone Jack (3.5mm)

Yes

Music Player

Yes

Photo & Video

Camera

Resolution: 8+ megapixel
auto-focus, LED flash, geo-tagging, brightness control, face detection, spot metering

Yes

720p HD resolution

Productivity

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Software

Games

Yes

Voice

Speaker Phone

Yes

IPhone review, features, spec, etc..

While everyone else was busy trying to keep up with iPhone, we were busy creating amazing new features that make iPhone more powerful, easier to use, and more indispensable than ever. The result is iPhone 4. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.

See FaceTime in action

People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality. With just a tap, you can wave hello to your kids, share a smile from across the globe, or watch your best friend laugh at your stories — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. And it works right out of the box. No other phone makes staying in touch this much fun.
Learn more about FaceTime

Two cameras,
two views.

iPhone 4 has two cameras: One on the front, which focuses on you. And one on the back, which focuses on everything else. FaceTime lets you switch back and forth between them at any time during a video call. All you have to do is tap a button.

The Retina display on iPhone 4 is the sharpest, most vibrant, highest-resolution phone screen ever, with four times the pixel count of previous iPhone models. In fact, the pixel density is so high that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels. Which makes text amazingly crisp and images stunningly sharp.

Learn more about the Retina display

iPhone 4 introduces a whole new way of multitasking. Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.¹ This smarter approach to multitasking is available only on iPhone.
Learn more about multitasking

Shoot your own movies in high definition. Capture impressive video even in low-light settings, thanks to the advanced backside illumination sensor and built-in LED light. Then edit and create your own mini-masterpiece right on iPhone 4 using the new iMovie app — with Apple-designed themes, titles, and transitions. It’s available on the App Store for $4.99.
Learn more about HD video recording
Learn more about video editing with iMovie

iPhone 4 is the always-with-you HD video camera.

iMovie lets you make polished movies right on iPhone 4.

Take beautiful, detailed photos with the new 5-megapixel camera with built-in LED flash. The advanced backside illumination sensor captures great pictures even in low light. And the new front-facing camera makes it easy to take self-portraits.
Learn more about the camera

When creating iPhone 4, Apple designers and engineers didn’t start with a clean sheet of paper. They started with three years of experience designing and building the phones that redefined what a phone can do. iPhone 4 is the result of everything they’ve learned so far. And it’s all contained in a beautiful enclosure a mere 9.3 millimeters thin, making iPhone 4 the world’s thinnest smartphone.

All the breakthrough technology in iPhone 4 is situated between two glossy panels of aluminosilicate glass — the same type of glass used in the windshields of helicopters and high-speed trains. Chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, the glass is ultradurable and more scratch resistant than ever. It’s also recyclable.

The 960-by-640 backlit LCD display boasts a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, making it the highest-resolution phone screen ever. To achieve this, Apple engineers developed pixels so small — a mere 78 micrometers across — that the human eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. That makes text remarkably sharp and graphics incredibly vivid. IPS technology also provides excellent color and contrast from almost any viewing angle.

Created from our own alloy, then forged to be five times stronger than standard steel, the CNC-machined band is the mounting point for all the components of iPhone 4. The band provides impressive structural rigidity and allows for its incredibly thin, refined design. It also functions as both iPhone 4 antennas.

Apple engineers designed the A4 chip to be a remarkably powerful yet remarkably power-efficient mobile processor. With it, iPhone 4 can easily perform complex jobs such as multitasking, editing video, and placing FaceTime calls. All while maximizing battery life.

iPhone 4 includes a built-in three-axis gyroscope. When paired with the accelerometer, it makes iPhone 4 capable of advanced motion sensing such as user acceleration, full 3D attitude, and rotation rate. Translation: More motion gestures and greater precision for an even better gaming experience.

The iPhone 4 camera shoots gorgeous 5-megapixel photos and stunning HD video. And with its advanced backside illumination sensor, it captures beautiful images even in low-light settings. The built-in LED flash does double duty. When you’re taking pictures, it works as a flash. When you’re shooting video it can stay on to light up the scene. And on the front of iPhone 4, the built-in camera is perfect for making FaceTime calls and shooting self-portraits.

While most phones have only one microphone, iPhone 4 has two. The main mic, located on the bottom next to the dock connector, is for phone calls, voice commands, and memos. The second mic, built into the top near the headphone jack, is for FaceTime calls and for making your phone calls better. It works with the main mic to suppress unwanted and distracting background sounds, such as music and loud conversations. This dual-mic noise suppression helps make every conversation a quiet one.

With its large Multi-Touch display and innovative software, iPhone lets you control everything using just your fingers. How does it work? A panel laminated on the glass senses your touch using electrical fields. It can register multiple touches at once to support advanced gestures such as pinch to zoom, two-finger tap, and more. The panel then transmits the information to the Retina display below it.

With its easy-to-use interface, amazing features, and rock-solid stability, iOS — Apple’s mobile operating system — is the foundation of iPhone. And even as other phones try to catch up, the technologies and features built into iOS 4 keep it years ahead of the competition.

Elegant and intuitive interface.

The first time you pick up an iPhone, you know how to use it. That’s because the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface in iOS was designed for the most natural pointing device ever: your finger. So whether you’re using one of the built-in apps or one of the over 200,000 apps and games available from the App Store, you control everything with a tap, drag, swipe, pinch, flick, or twist of your fingers. Even tasks that might seem complicated — such as starting a FaceTime call or editing a video with iMovie — are simple, easy, and fun.

Hundreds of amazing features.

The features included with iOS 4 make iPhone powerful, innovative, and a pleasure to use. Here are just a few. Visit the Features page for more

Multitasking

iOS 4 introduces a whole new way of multitasking. Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.* This smarter approach to multitasking is available only in iOS 4. Learn more about multitasking

Folders

Folders are the best way to keep your apps organized and easily accessible. To create a folder, you simply touch and hold an app until it wiggles, then drag it on top of another. iOS 4 automatically assigns a name to your folder based on the category of the apps inside it, or you can choose your own name. To access your apps, just tap the folder to bring up its contents, then tap the app to open it. Simple. Learn more about folders

FaceTime

iOS 4 and iPhone 4 together make video calling a reality. With just a tap, you can see your friends and family while you talk to them — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. It works right out of the box, with no setup or special accounts needed. FaceTime is just another way iOS 4 seamlessly integrates hardware and software to make every iPhone feature as easy to use as it is groundbreaking. Learn more about FaceTime

The world’s largest app platform.

With over 200,000 apps in practically every category, iOS 4 is the platform for the world’s largest collection of mobile apps. Apple gives third-party developers a rich set of tools and APIs, and they’ve been creating apps and games that redefine what a mobile device can do. Where to find these apps? Just browse the App Store from your iPhone and download them with a tap.

Performance and stability that lead the industry.

iOS 4 is a desktop-class OS that’s been reinvented for mobile devices. Because it’s based on the world’s most advanced computer operating system — Mac OS X — performance in iOS 4 is fast and stability is rock-solid. iOS 4 manages power efficiently and delivers the best possible battery life. And multitasking — using multiple apps at the same time — in iOS 4 doesn’t slow down the performance of the foreground app or drain the battery unnecessarily.*

Hardware and software made for each other.

Because Apple makes both the iPhone hardware and the operating system, everything works together seamlessly and intelligently. This integration enables apps to take full advantage of iPhone hardware features such as the Retina display, the Multi-Touch interface, the accelerometer, the three-axis gyro, GPS, accelerated graphics, and more. FaceTime is a perfect example. It uses both iPhone 4 cameras, the display, one of the two microphones, and your Wi-Fi connection. If you’re on a voice call with someone and want to start a video call, FaceTime switches mics, turns on the front camera, and verifies your Wi-Fi connection — quickly and invisibly.

Safe and secure by design.

iOS 4 is highly secure from the moment you turn on your iPhone. All apps run in a safe environment, so a website or app can’t access data from other apps. iOS 4 supports encrypted network communication to protect your sensitive information. Optional parental controls let you manage iTunes purchases, Internet browsing, and access to explicit material. To guard your privacy, apps requesting location information must get your permission first. You can set a passcode lock to prevent unauthorized access to your phone and configure iPhone to delete all your data after too many unsuccessful passcode attempts. And in the event your iPhone is lost or stolen, a MobileMe membership allows you to find your iPhone on a map and remotely delete all data. If you get it back, you can restore everything from your last backup.

Ready for business.

Businesses around the world are choosing iPhone for its enterprise-ready features and powerful security. iOS 4 works with Microsoft Exchange and standards-based servers to deliver over-the-air push email, calendar, and contacts. iOS 4 protects your data by encrypting information in three separate areas: in transmission, at rest on the device, and when backed up to iTunes. You can securely access private corporate networks through industry-standard VPN protocols. And companies can easily deploy iPhone across an enterprise using configuration profiles.

Accessible by everyone.

iOS 4 comes standard with a wide range of accessibility features that help people with disabilities experience everything iPhone has to offer. For example, the built-in VoiceOver screen-reading technology allows those who are blind or have low vision to hear a description of the item they’re touching on the screen. iOS 4 also offers out-of-the-box support for over 30 wireless braille displays and many other accessibility features, such as dynamic screen magnification, playback of closed-captioned video, white on black text, and more.

Works the world over.

iPhone and iOS 4 are made to be used around the world. The user interface is localized into 34 languages, and you can easily switch between them. Because the keyboard is software-based, you can select from over 40 different layouts with support for language-specific features including diacritic marks on characters, handwritten input for Chinese, and contextual character options for Japanese. In addition, the built-in dictionaries support 37 language and dialects, VoiceOver reads screens in 21 languages, and Voice Control understands 24 languages.

Free iOS Updates

Your iPhone gets better with every iOS update, which is free for all iPhone owners. Right now, iOS 4 is available for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Just connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC, open iTunes, and follow the instructions to download the update.

Phone 4 Technical Specifications

Size and weight¹

Height: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm)
Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm)
Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm)
Weight: 4.8 ounces (137 grams)

Cellular and wireless

UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless technology

Location

Assisted GPS
Digital compass
Wi-Fi
Cellular

Power and battery²

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
Talk time:

Up to 7 hours on 3G
Up to 14 hours on 2G

Standby time: Up to 300 hours

Internet use:

Up to 6 hours on 3G
Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi

Video playback: Up to 10 hours

Audio playback: Up to 40 hours

Mac system requirements

Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
iTunes 9.2 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
iTunes Store account
Internet access

Windows system requirements

PC with USB 2.0 port
Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
iTunes 9.2 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
iTunes Store account
Internet access

Environmental requirements

Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F
(0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F
(-20° to 45° C)
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

Capacity³

16GB or 32GB flash drive

Color

White or black

Display

Retina display
3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical)
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Audio playback

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and video

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Languages

Language support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, and Vietnamese
Keyboard support for English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Traditional Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Wubihua), Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin, Wubihua), Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Estonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Latvian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Bulgarian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Catalan, and Vietnamese
Dictionary support (enables predictive text and autocorrect) for English (U.S.), English (UK), French, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Korean, Japanese (Romaji), Japanese (Kana), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Flemish, Arabic, Thai, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Malaysian, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, and Vietnamese

Camera, photos, and video

Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio
5-megapixel still camera
VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second with the front camera
Tap to focus video or still images
LED flash
Photo and video geotagging

External buttons and controls

Sleep/wake
Ring/silent
Volume up/down
Home

Sensors

Three-axis gyro
Accelerometer
Proximity sensor
Ambient light sensor

Connectors and input/output

30-pin dock connector
3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack
Built-in speaker
Microphone
Micro-SIM card tray

Headphones

Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance: 32 ohms

Rating for Hearing Aids⁴

3G network - 850/1900MHz: M4, T4
2G network - 850MHz: M3, T3
2G network - 1900MHz: M2, T3

In the box

iPhone 4
Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Dock Connector to USB Cable
USB Power Adapter
Documentation

Environmental Status Report

iPhone 4 embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

PVC-free handset
PVC-free headphones
PVC-free USB cable
Bromine-free printed circuit boards
Mercury-free LCD display
Arsenic-free display glass
Majority of packaging made from post-consumer recycled fiberboard and biobased materials
Power adapter outperforms strictest global energy efficiency standards

Mail attachment support

Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Bumpers for iPhone 4

Dress up your iPhone 4 with a Bumper. Choose one of six colors — white, black, blue, green, orange, or pink — and slip it around the edge of your iPhone 4. With metal buttons for volume and power, two-tone colors, and a combination of rubber and molded plastic, Bumpers add a touch of style to any iPhone 4.