Gaming PC Build: 2011 Edition

If you ask me, right now is a great time to build a PC. Even if you have no intention of breaking the bank, you can still configure a respectable gaming tower. There are some great technologies to take advantage of, such as Intel's Sandy Bridge¹ and Nvidia's Cuda² architectures, that will ensure you will be able to run any game on the market today without compromise. Just recently, I configured what I consider to be a high-end mid-range gaming PC utilizing these technologies. Without further adieu, here is what I put in my PC build:

• Intel Core i5-2500K³ - Not a top of the line Core i7, but easily over-clockable and more than sufficient to handle any tasks thrown at it. If building a PC today, I would not go any lower than quad-core.

• Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3-iSSD⁴ - The Z68 motherboards are the first to take full advantage of the Sandy Bridge's potential. While there are more inexpensive alternatives on the market, this mobo in particular includes a 20 GB mSata SSD, ripe for the SRT picking.

• EVGA Geforce GTX 560 TI⁵ - The first Nvidia graphics card with all cores of the Fermi architecture unlocked. A significant performance boost can be achieved by adding a second card i SLI. However, even one card can adequately handle anything thrown at it today.

The Kill Screens: Science Fiction Movie Album Review

The wait is over. The demand for this album has been building ever since The Kill Screens¹ provided the soundtrack for an iOS game, Tomato Interactive’s² Blokzilla³. It is no coincidence that they were introduced in such a fashion, as the music in this album is heavily influenced from video games. Some of the instrumentals sound like they were plucked out of a 16-bit role playing game, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. As a child of the late 80’s/early 90’s, the album’s backdrop certainly provided a sense of nostalgia for me. Don’t get me wrong, the music is not simple by any means, it is clear that Matt McCarthy and John Jacobson took their time to perfect every second of the album. The melodies are entrancing, the timing is impeccable, and the lyrics are just deep enough. It is not often that I can play an album from front to back without skipping a track, but this album fits the bill. Each individual track stands out on its own, yet the entire album flows together quite nicely. It’s difficult to choose my favorite track, probably a tie between Runaway, Breathe, and Spacewalk. Either way, you owe it yourself to purchase this album, put on a good pair of headphones, and drift away to another world.